Kickstarter has been around for almost a decade now, or at least has been featured in the spotlight. It started out as a small place for an indie developer to get off the ground. It wouldn’t blossom into something bigger for gaming until the success Double Fine pulled off with Broken Age.
Now the service is bigger than ever. What are the best stories individually though? The reviews pulled are all based on the highest Metacritic scores for platforms at launch. Most Kickstarter games release first on PC with console ports to follow, meaning their scores can either be higher or lower depending on if said ports were actually improved. In fact, nine of these games’ reviews are based on the PC versions, with one exception.
10 Thimbleweed Park (84)
This is the classic style of adventure games fans had been hungry for since LucasArts went away. Ron Gilbert, who worked on games like Maniac Mansion, helmed this project. It has the right amount of puzzles and humor one would come to expect from one of his games. As a concept, think of this game like The X-Files, but as an actually good video game.
9 Darkest Dungeon (84)
This game is not for the faint of heart. It is a 2D, turn-based dungeon crawler RPG with roguelike elements. It is the hardest of the hardcore and will appeal, as cliche as it sounds, to the Dark Souls crowd.
It can be equally frustrating and rewarding at the same time. It may not be for every gamer, but its projects like these that should be celebrated for offering something new for those seeking a challenge.
8 Hyper Light Drifter (84)
Think of this like The Legend of Zelda, but more difficult, and with a heavy 80s synth wave vibe. That is Hyper Light Drifter in a nutshell. Explore the world, fight baddies, and try to unlock the secrets of the universe and oneself. There are NPCs to interact with but all communication is done through pictures making it one of the most unique experiences on any PC rig or console.
7 CrossCode (86)
CrossCode is sort of like a new interpretation of Phantasy Star, but with elements in it of Zelda as well. It’s a hack and slash RPG taking place inside a game wherein one’s conscience has been trapped. Sound familiar? The story may not be original but combing the action gameplay with puzzle heavy dungeons proved to be a good mix of the two genres even if, at times, the physics can be tricky to work with.
6 Divinity: Original Sin (87)
This was a prequel to the original Divinity series. While Larian Studios had been releasing games in the series up to the point of the Kickstarter, they were smaller in scope.
That’s why they turned to the platform in order to make a grand return for the series. To say it paid off is an understatement as it, and its sequel, are both critically acclaimed RPGs.
5 Hollow Knight (87)
Hollow Knight, despite borrowing from other games, has a lot to say on its own. That is to say it can be boiled down to calling it a Dark Souls in a 2D Metroidvania. It is much more than that. The art style and unique bug aesthetic alone make it stand apart from other games in the genre. The fan community loved it on PC, but the Switch release is when it exploded beyond just being a good game.
4 Night In The Woods (88)
Night in the Woods is another adventure game of sorts although it adheres more to modern trappings. That is to say it doesn’t use older, SCUM based interfaces. It also might not appeal to everyone as it can be depressing in that it can hit too close to home. Dealing with depression after flopping out of college is a tough subject to tackle even in anthropomorphic animal world. For those that dive in, it’s worth the struggle.
3 Pillars Of Eternity (89)
In a similar fashion to Larian Studios’ revival of Divinity, Obsidian Entertainment sought to do the exact same thing to another PC classic RPG franchise. Pillars Of Eternity is like a spiritual successor to the Baldur's Gate. It was because of this release, which was successful in its own right, that Microsoft took notice of the company and bought them out.
2 Shovel Knight (90)
Even though this game isn’t number one, it can easily be sworn in as the mascot for Kickstarter and indie success. The proof is in the pudding. That is to say, even though there has only been one game since it initially released on PC, Wii U, and 3DS, which this score is based on, in 2014, the character has gone on to cameo in too many indie games to name. He is the Mario and/or Sonic of Kickstarter success stories for indie developers. Besides being an icon, the game is just terrific, top to bottom.
1 Undertale (92)
At number one, another sensation, Undertale. Not only is it an indie success story, but the game was predominantly made by one man, Toby Fox. From programming to even the music, it was all him save for a bit of assistance here and there. It shows his passion for gaming as this is a love letter to classic Super Nintendo games like Super Mario RPG and EarthBound. The world hungrily awaits more.