After an extended Christmas break, Kickstart This! is back with a vengeance, sifting through the crowdfunding projects of early 2015 to find those few that stand out from the digital masses. And even better, Kickstarter has now dropped Amazon payments in favour of payment system Stripe, which means not only is it easier for developers to set up payments, but there are also fewer steps for players to make them. Everyone wins.
This week there is top-down RPG Elventales: A Path Foreseen, beautiful hand-painted 2D platformer Threshold, and finally, episodic fantasy adventure tale Maestros of the Anthymn.
Let the adventure begin!
Project: Elventales: A Path Foreseen
Genre: Top-Down Hack ‘N’ Slash RPG
Platforms: PC (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Funding Target: $30,000
What Is It?
Elventales is a pixelated throwback to hack ‘n’ slash RPGs like Baldur’s Gate and the early Zelda titles, but with the promise of an engrossing story that is often a missing factor in the genre. Players take control of August, a brave, somewhat naïve elf who dreams of becoming a soldier. On his quest to fulfill this ambition, August begins to question whether a soldier’s life is as romantic and noble as he initially believed.
Why Fund It?
Anyone who has read my fantasy novel will know I love elves, and this game offers a great take on the elf characters. As well as the promise of a deeply involving story spread out over 50 main missions and side quests, the game features a complex status mode to tweak your fighting skills. There are also over 100 Arcanes (skills) to master and combine to elevate the combat abilities of your character.
While a lot of focus has been placed on the combat, which looks like all sorts of old-school fun, the various tasks have different paths to being completed, and players’ actions, or inactions, will dictate the reputation the player earns in the world, as well as the overall outcome of the game.
Best Rewards?
- Early bird digital copy of the game (first 300 backers) – $10 ($15 otherwise)
- Digital copy of game and soundtrack – $20
- Digital copy of game, soundtrack, and art book – $30
- Design a boss for the game, receive a credit as Assistant Game Designer, plus receive 10 copies of the game, a t-shirt, and a physical art book (limited to three) – $850
- Place yourself in the game, design a side quest, receive a credit as Assistant Game Designer, plus receive 10 copies of the game, a t-shirt, and a physical art book (limited to three) – $1,000
Project: Threshold
Genre: 2D Platformer
Platforms: PC (Windows, Mac, Linux), iOS, Android, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U
Funding Target: $47,000
What Is It?
I remember some time ago coming across a Mario concept on DeviantArt where the typical 2D platformer was rendered in glorious hand-painted water colours. QuadaTron Games has managed to make that concept a reality with Threshold, a beautiful platformer about a gnomish wizard having to solve magical mysteries so that he can return home.
Why Fund It?
Did I mention the game is gorgeous? Because it is. A lot of work has gone into the detail of this game, inspired by artists such as Gustav Klimt and Mary Blair. The style allows the magical premise to really shine through the screen, as it is like looking at another world. However, it is not a case of style over substance. The game promises hours of puzzle platforming as the hooded hero jumps between magical realms.
Best Rewards?
- Early bird copy of the game (limited to 500) – $10 ($15 otherwise)
- Early bird copy of the game and digital soundtrack (limited to 250) – $30 ($35 otherwise)
- Early bird copy of the game and digital art book (limited to 250) – $30 ($35 otherwise)
- Digital copy of game, art book, and soudtrack, as well as an original hand-painted postcard – $100
- Physical and digital copies of the game, soundtrack, art book, as well as post card, poster, and t-shirt – $500
- Everything the team can throw at you and an invite to the release party as a VIP – $1000
Project: Maestros of the Anthymn
Genre: Episodic Fantasy Adventure
Platforms: PC (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Funding Target: $200,000
What Is It?
Imagine Game of Thrones where the different houses are known by instruments they play, with a twist of The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time where music has power, and you have Maestros of the Anthymn. Players take control of Tiarnen as he battles his way through the seven different provinces that make up the musical continent of Chora, trying to unite the lands to compose a national anthem for a new age.
Why Fund It?
The land of Chora feels very rich and detailed, and the developers talk about it with such passion that it is as if they have visited this land and experienced its melodies with their own ears.
Although the budget is quite large, the team at String Theory has worked on some big games including Mass Effect, Prototype, and Scarface: The World Is Yours, so it has the collective experience to manage such a hefty pile of cash and deliver a quality game. Add to this the fact that the Kickstarter is for the first of hopefully seven episodes, each around three hours long, and it makes for a symphony that is music to my ears.
Best Rewards?
- Digital copy of episode one – $5 CAD
- Digital copy of episode one, map, and soundtrack – $30 CAD
- Digital copy of episode one, map, soundtrack, novella, and concept art – $50 CAD
- Physical and digital copy of episode one, map, soundtrack, novella, and concept art, plus physical signed poster – $65 CAD
- Your likeness as a stained-glass portrait in game – $2,000 CAD
- Name and design an acoustic environment – $5,000 CAD
Until Next Time…
On that chord, another Kickstart This! fades out quietly into the ether. After over two years of writing about Kickstarter projects, it may be time to revisit the Kickstart This! How To Get More Coin For Your Game guide, which is over 18 months old. So if you are thinking of launching a project, keep an eye out for that.
