Kickstarter Katchup - 13th October 2012
Kharity
Er, hello. Um, I've completely forgotten how to do this. Where do I put the red wires again? Adam's been in charge of the Katchup for so long that at this point I'm filling in for him. I think I've got it, hang on. Phlurrbbubububububub. Phlurrrbbububuubbb. Phlurbububububububububububububububu...
Got it. So, down below you can see the gaming Kickstarters that have caught our eye of late. I've managed to nab one of those weeks where lots that Adam has been following have just ticked over their targets. Thus stealing all sense of closure from him.
The Rules
- Featuring a game in this list doesn’t mean we endorse it. We likely haven’t played, and as such can’t say whether it will be worth your cash. That’s your call.
- Letting me know about a game (which you can do via my name at the top of this article) doesn’t mean it will definitely be included. Leaving links in the comments is a good way to let other readers know about projects, but please email me if you want them considered for the list.
- We only include games where pledges reach developers only if the target is met.
- Projects asking for fifty billion dollars, with 45c in pledges, fall off the list eventually. It gives more space for other games.
- Projects that have reached their funding get included in the Winners list, and then aren't featured in the weeks after that, to give more attention to those that are still needing the cash. Tough if you don't like it.
- Obstructing the Katchup's doors can be dangerous. Please remove all bags, coats and heads before travelling.
The Winners
Monsters! A 2D Shooter - Zenas Bellace
A RoboTron for the retro future looks like it's wanted. The four thousand bucks is safely in the bank, with four days still to top it up.
Real life space ships are built of voxels, so it only makes sense that a virtual simulation of the same would be popular. There's still a week on the clock to see by how much it can exceed its $8k.
Ring Runner: Flight Of The Sages - Ring Runner
And top-down space shooting will see the sweet light of day now Ring Runner has ticked over its $12k. There's still a month left for this one to keep topping up, and obviously there are now stretch goals. They're reaching for $50k, which they believe will allow them to bring it to XBLIG.
Adam wanted this space strategy-me-do to win so he could write, "Please sir, can I have some MORE?" "Yes you can! In a few months time." WELL I WROTE IT. HA. $50k dinged, with two weeks remaining.
The Losers
Papier Adventure - Spycraft Studios
The pencil sketched adventure didn't even get 10% of the way there. They've yet to formulate their plans for carrying on regardless.
The Players
Citadel Of Sorcery - MMO Magic
Goal: $700,000
Now: $20,266
Days: 26
Pretty much every MMO announces itself by promising it won't be like all the others, won't have generic quests, and won't have spawning monsters. Citadel Of Sorcery is doing the same. I am old and somewhat cynical. However, if they can stick to their promises this could be intriguing. They're after a vast amount of money, without a big name hook, so it's going to be tricky. Check out the increasingly silly video to see their huge promises:
Nexus 2: The Gods Awaken - HD Interactive/Most Wanted Ent
Goal: $650,000 goal
Now: $126,343
Days: 15
Talking of huge amounts of money that probably won't be enough, Nexus 2 just added $36,000 in a week (although this is only half what it raised the previous week), but needs one heck of a lot more if it's going to get close to its massive $650k target in the next two weeks. The tactical space game is going to need to get some sort of very high-profile plugging if it's going to jump into the super-big leagues.
Goal: $350,000
Now: $123,043
Days: 5
Gosh, it really is the week for it. $12,000 added on - enough to fund most the games we cover here - and it still doesn't make a dent in the target. There's under a week for the tower-defence-cum-space-strategy to almost triple its funding.
Starjacked: The Aventure Begins - Tanuki-geddon Studio
Goal: $25,000
Now: $896
Days: 15
Kickstarted space sims really do seem to be the most volatile genre, and a pretty busy one. On the pile is Starjacked, which combines space flight with first person exploration, in elaborate political machinations. In the somewhat cute video, they explain, "If we don't make our goal, we will feel a little disappointed."
Sword of Fargoal 2 - Fargoal, LLC
Goal: $50,000
Now: $35,519
Days: 1
Ooh, this one's going to hurt. They've made an epic $11k in the last seven days, but it's not enough. With just 12 hours left on the clock, they still need another $15,000. A superbly run campaign sadly doesn't look like it was enough. Sad face.
Timber And Stone - Robert Reed
Goal: $50,000
Now: $10,629
Days: 13
When historians look back at Kickstarter they'll add, "And it gave us voxels." A sadly poorly conceived video fails to say what the game is before it starts explaining its minutiae, but this is a city building game that owes the usual amount to Minecraft. To me it looks like Minecraft meets Settlers, but am I'm actually now asleep thanks to the somnambulistic commentary.
Goal: $100,000
Now: $5,174
Days: 41
RPGs really aren't set in space often enough. After $100k, with a month and a half to get there. This has to be the first dubbed Kickstarter video I've seen. It's an ambitious video, but one where you can't help but scream, "GET ON WITH TELLING ME ABOUT THE GAME." The final version of the game will be completely free, and actually free, not "free to play". It'll have ship construction (because apparently all Kickstarter projects must now), and there are plans in place to turn it into an MMO.
Devil's Cove Adventure Game - Anarchy Enterprises
Goal: $185,000
Now: $5,189
Days: 18
Anarchy Enterprises have made lots of games, and the majority would be labelled 'casual games' by many a man. Hidden object hunts, basic browser-based tycoon games and the like. Presumably, their attempt to Kickstart a more traditional point and click adventure speaks, at least a little, of an inability to gather the more extensive funding required to make a game of this type. Whatever the purse that funds the development of the rest, this dark mystery set in a cursed town requires the assistance of you, the public, and much of your money. $15 is the minimum pledge for a copy of the game and the video shows off a fair bit of the environmental and character design. But only a couple of grand has been poured in this week, making this not look too hopeful so far.
And Another Thing
Returning for a second year, AdventureX is a small adventure gaming show in London. They're looking to raise a teeny $2,200 to get this year's secured for the 15th and 16th December, to enable it to be completely free to attend. And they've already announced adventure supremo Dave Gilbert as a guest. They're a thousand dollars in, with a good amount of time to see the rest raised.