Having gone through a successful Kickstarter campaign for CasinoRPG in early 2013, we know how hard it is to get noticed and scrap all the way to your goal, especially if your name isn't Tim Schafer. So, we've decided to help spread the word about our fellow indie game developers and post a weekly roundup of our favorite games we've stumbled across lately.
7FRAMED
How far will you risk it to get your life back? Once they know you, they control you.
I've always found the idea of games that merge gameplay with interactive movie-like experiences to be interesting, but I don't think anyone has truly delivered yet (don't get me wrong, there have been some great games in this vein). 7FRAMED is an entry that looks spectacular from a story, action and visual perspective. Just watch the video and you'll get your heart racing. There's still a month left to help this one towards its goal.
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
Help us tread new paths with the second installment of the acclaimed BoUT adventure game series. A sequel is coming...
I didn't get a chance to play the first game in this series, but this Kickstarter makes me want to remedy that. The environments look simply fantastic, and the characters look even better (their interaction in the KS video sets a great tone). This game just looks like a lot of fun that you could sink hours into without noticing where the time went. Adventure games have been growing on me lately and this is yet another entry that takes that up a notch. This has already been funded, but if you want to get in early you've got over a month.
StarCrawlers
Lead a crew of freelance adventurers & navigate corporate intrigue on the fringes of space in a classic sci-fi dungeon crawl.
A dungeon-crawler...in space!? Yes, that is exactly what this is, and it looks like a lot of fun! This isn't the type of game you see pop up on Kickstarter very often, so I got pretty excited when I came across StarCrawlers. The concept sounds very interesting, especially the idea behind a universe filled with corporations that send you on missions to explore shipwrecks...in space. They are nearing the halfway mark with 25 days to go.
Terrayn
A new Sandbox MMO powered by the 9A Octxel Engine!
It seems like there isn't a week that goes by when I don't see a new Kickstarter project for a game that hands the creative controls over to the players - and this is a great thing, because this idea is something I always get excited about. There's something else that gets me excited for Terrayn: Javascript! They actually hand over the controls to the entire environment through a Javascript API, which means not only the visuals of this persistent MMO are shaped by players, but how the world interacts is shaped by those players as well. If you are interested to see how this goes, you've got about a month to get in on it.
Heart&Slash
Heart, a malfunctioning robot, fights for its identity against the minions of standardization. A 3D brawler/roguelike for PC/Mac/Linux.
This isn't usually the type of game that I feature, but this also isn't your typical game. Heart&Slash takes being unique to a whole new level and builds this idea right into the game, from both a graphics and gameplay standpoint. Don't mistake this game for being unique just for unique's sake. The uniqueness takes a game that could be terribly generic and turns it into something delightful that looks like a blast to play. Plus, who doesn't like robots?! You've got a month left to help them with their second half of funding.
Hive Jump
STARSHIP TROOPERS & CONTRA had a baby and we call it HIVE JUMP, a multi-player sci-fi action shooter for your PC & MAC!
This is a pixel-art action game with some great, unique concepts that I think looks very promising. Hive Jump's graphic style is quite unique and looks spectacular in the middle of combat. The fact that this is a multiplayer 2D shooter also piqued my interest as something you don't often see in this genre. A little less than a month to hep this one reach its goal.
Galactic Princess
Dive into an epic adventure through deep space. Find the princess to restore peace, and rule the universe.
Another game that lets you design your own spaceships at a very granular level (these never get old, right?). This one takes a very different, very 80's retro approach that looks like a lot of nostalgic fun, mixed with modern charms and epic space battles. Did I mention you have a crew on board and can control them in addition to the ship? This is another that is already halfway there with a month to go.