Our regularly revised feature keeps you up to date on the Kickstarter games worth watching, and helps you track projects both before and after they’re funded.
Welcome to the Kickstarter Compendium, a gathering of games and game-related projects that we’ve come across that deserve your attention. The crowd-funding model for video games has resulted in some interesting new game ideas, and new projects are going up on a weekly basis that deserve your attention.
The only problem is keeping track of it all – what’s worth watching, and what are these different projects about? As an ongoing feature, our Kickstarter Compendium is your guide to games seeking funding through Kickstarter. After funding projects are complete, this feature will also track what games (and game-related projects) got funded and what games didn’t, and where possible, offer links to the projects as they are developed.
Games Seeking Funding
Adventurezator: When Pigs Fly
Developer: Pigasus Games
Fundraising Goal: $20,000
Funds Due By: August 9, 2013
Adventurezator allows players to not only play through levels, but create their own point-and-click adventures for friends to try. All objects in the sandbox world of Adventurezator are “emergent.” This basically means that each object has a pre-defined use and reaction to other objects. The developers at Pigasus give an example of needing an object for liquids in a quest scenario. Rather than the player being told they need a specific type of chalice or goblet, all receptacles can serve as liquid-holders. It takes the nonsensical aspects out of many questing scenarios. Just the same, obstacles can be set up by players creating levels because they know certain characters or objects will respond to each other in pre-determined ways that can require strategic thinking to get through. To see this type of emergent level design in action, be sure to check out Adventurezator’s preview on Kickstarter. The game with sandbox mode is planned for PC, Mac, and Linux. A later release without sandbox mode is also in the works for iOS and Android.
Frozen State
Developer: Snow Arc
Fundraising Goal: £60,000
Funds Due By: July 22, 2013
Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Frozen State combines elements of survival horror and RPG titles. Rather than have a traditional leveling system, Frozen State will have players focus on surviving through keeping the playable character in good health by avoiding frostbite and remaining well-equipped with armor and weapons. Three playable characters are available, and each provides different challenges. For example, Ingvar the soldier is more skilled in combat but requires more food to survive and is less adept at hiding. Several different endings are planned based on whether the player makes choices in the game that benefit the greater good or just the character. Frozen State is coming to PC, Mac, and Linux.
Lacuna Passage
Developer: Random Seed Games
Fundraising Goal: $40,000
Funds Due By: July 31, 2013
Jessica Rainer is the sole survivor of a crash landing on Mars. As the player, your objective is to carry out the Heracles mission: to investigate the disappearance of the first crew who traveled to the planet. Uncover audio recordings, documents, and take pictures of your findings to aid your investigation. Using satellite data, Lacuna Passage’s environments are based off of the actual topography of Mars. Lacuna Passage is planned for PC, Mac, and Linux release in December 2014.
Lioness
Developer: Zak Ayles
Fundraising Goal: $7,000
Funds Due By: August 6, 2013
Lioness has the ambitious goal of making the player question the complexities of human nature, connectedness, and existence. The trailer is simple but flashes questions with more intricacies than their basic syntax implies: If you could live your life again, would you change anything? Would you change who you are? Would you become a different person? Would you still be you? Who are you?
Whether or not Lioness aims to answer any of these questions for protagonist Egger Kirby is unclear. But with the promise of a non-linear, complex narrative, it certainly looks worth a try. Lioness is planned for a PC, and possibly Mac, release.
Looking for Group: The Fork of Truth
Developer: Paladin Studios
Fundraising Goal: $600,000
Funds Due By: July 19, 2013
Based on the webcomic Looking for Group, this project aims to bring the characters of the comic to life in a classic RPG. While the game can be played solo, it is intended as a four player co-op. Four friends play as Cale, Richard, Benny, and Krunch as they adventure through the fantasy world of Legarion. Each of the 12 levels explores a new part of the world and offers quest missions for the players to complete. Considering the parody nature of the webcomic, fans of RPG’s are likely to get a laugh out of plenty of genre tropes. Planned for PC, Mac, and Linux.
Monochroma
Developer: Nowhere Studios
Fundraising Goal: $80,000
Funds Due By: August 24, 2013
This puzzle platformer is faithful to its namesake in stylistic quality; stark black, blurry gray, and only a splash or two of crimson make up the palette. The game takes place in a dystopian world in which you must care for your little brother. To get him through obstacles is a challenge, as you can’t leave him behind, but carrying him has other limitations. Monochroma looks like a mixture of Limbo’s style and some of Ico’s gameplay mechanics that come along with caring for a companion— not a bad combination at all. Monochroma is coming to PC, Mac, and Linux with possible later releases for Ouya, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Project Maiden
Developer: Kevin B. Cole
Fundraising Goal: $9,600
Funds Due By: July 31, 2013
In most games, you gain more powers, level-ups, armor, equipment, etc. as you work through them. Project Maiden aims for the opposite. In this title, you start off as the most powerful version of the protagonist, Imogen. Each level Imogen must give up a power as she works toward fighting the final boss to retain her sanity and save her own life. Project Maiden is planned for PC. Other platforms such as Mac, Linux, and Ouya are also a possibility.
SOS: Ship of Sacrifice
Developer: Water Bottle
Fundraising Goal: $40,000
Funds Due By: August 2, 2013
A sickness breaks out on a ship – and at the same time, the vessel has sustained serious structural damage. Made for co-op play, you and a friend must escape the ship before it sinks. With a classic art style and puzzle game mechanics, SOS is likely to appeal to fans of old-school adventure titles. SOS will be available on PC and Mac.
Soul Saga
Developer: Disastercake
Fundraising Goal:$60,000
Funds Due By: July 15, 2013
With adorably detailed character designs and story inspiration drawn from PlayStation classics, Soul Saga is definitely a title JRPG fans should look into backing. The combat system allows players to toggle between classic turn-based battles or active time battles. Soul Saga is coming to PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Wii U, PC, Linux, and Mac.
Tridek: Creatures of Galena
Developer: Team Tridek
Fundraising Goal: $55,000
Funds Due By: July 21, 2013
Tridek is a fantasy-based digital trading card game that aims to eliminate the common complaints of similar games. For example, many card games require the player to build up resources before they can complete actions, such as land cards in Magic: The Gathering. Tridek also avoids the element of luck playing a larger role than skill by balancing the abilities of cards— one all-powerful card winning a match by itself is not a problem in this game, as players will need to use strategy to get ahead. Stronger cards do not always have the most victory points. Players will instead need to use a mix of larger and smaller cards to win. Tridek will be available on both PC and mobile platforms.
Wars and Battles
Developer: Kermorio
Fundraising Goal: $50,000
Funds Due By: August 25, 2013
Wars and Battles is likely to appeal to both tabletop fans and history buffs. The initial release of the title plans to have the battles at Gettysburg and Normandy available for players to strategize through. The aim of the title is to combine the strategic challenge of tabletop wargames without the overly complex control schemes that PC war simulator games have, making it easier for casual gamers to give it a try. Stretch goals include more historical battles to play through. Wars and Battles is coming to PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.
[NEXT UP: Peruse the numerous games that have been successfully funded through Kickstarter, and track their progress after funding is complete]