Top 5 Kickstarter Games: November 2015 Edition - Article
by Jared Katz , posted on 13 November 2015 / 6,757 Views
Welcome to VGChartz’s Top 5 Kickstarter Games: November 2015 Edition. Before we begin, take a few minutes to look at some of the great Kickstarter games below that didn’t quite make the list.
Dad Quest: "Dad Quest is a game about family and the bond between a Dad and its Child. During this adventure, the Dad will raise its Child into the weapon that it was meant to be." (Windows, Mac and Linux)
Failsafe: "Failsafe is a first-person parkour game about exploration, forgotten worlds, and secrets." (Windows, Mac and Linux)
Song of Horror: "Song of Horror is a story-driven third person survival horror. 16 playable characters, permanent death and paranormal terrors await!" (Windows, Mac, Linux, PS4 and Xbox One)
Developer: Blacksea Odyssey Team
Total Amount/Goal: $2,500/$10,000
Days Left: 28
Lowest Amount for Game: $10
Release Date: Spring 2016 (Early Access)
Next Stretch Goal: Unknown
Platforms: Windows, Mac and Linux
The SHMUP (Shoot’em-Up) genre has always been full of unique enemies, from simple spaceships to bugs and even magical girls. Blacksea Odyssey stands out from the crowd with its odd/unique premise of hunting space creatures with harpoon based weapons. So it's basically Moby Dick in space. The core gameplay of Blacksea Odyssey revolves around damaging creatures with spears, and using harpoons to tear the limbs off of them. Of course, these deep space monsters won’t go down without a fight; dodging enemy attacks in your spaceship will be necessary if you're to survive the hunt.
While the core gameplay is that of a SHMUP, Blacksea Odyssey also has a variety of features from RPGs and roguelikes. One such instance is the inclusion of Runes. These equipable items will change the characteristics of both how your ship functions as well as how your spears work. Customizing your loadout for each mission will be crucial to winning in this unforgiving game. On the rougelike side of things, Blacksea Odyssey’s missions will be heavily procedurally generated. Monster spawn locations, loot drops, and even character dialogue are just some of the things that will be randomly created. So stay ever vigilant while on the hunt, since you never know what may lie just beyond your line of sight.
Developer: Too Kind Studios
Total Amount/Goal: €29,000/€40,000
Days Left: 13
Lowest Amount for Game: €20 (~$22)
Release Date: February 2016 (First Chapter)
Next Stretch Goal: Aegis Graphical Evolutions (€45K)
Platforms: Windows, Mac and Linux
The story of Pankapu: the Dreamkeeper follows Djaha’Rell, a young child plagued by constant nightmares. To help Djaha’Rell overcome his fears, his father decides to read him the story of Pankapu: the Dreamkeeper. This imaginary story and reality become intertwined, so many of the obstacles Pankapu faces in the story (and thus the game) are related to issues Djaha’Rell has been traumatized by.
Pankapu: the Dreamkeeper is an action platformer with some RPG elements, as well as Metroidvania backtracking. Pankapu traverses the world of Omnia in an attempt to protect it from incoming invasion of the Nightmares. Pankapu’s main ability is his Aegis transformations, which grant him different powers and fighting styles. For example, while his Bravery Aegis is best used for close combat against enemies, his Faith Aegis is proficient at healing and supportive moves. Pankapu: the Dreamkeeper also has an upgrade tree called the Nebula, which allows you to unlock new abilities for your various powers. These new abilities can be used to re-explore old areas, and unlock new paths and secrets. Those interested in the game can download the demo, which is located near the top of the Kickstarter campaign page.
Developer: I-Novae Studios
Total Amount/Goal: $262,000/$300,000
Days Left: 6
Lowest Amount for Game: $20
Release Date: Fall 2017
Next Stretch Goal: More detailed damage models, for internal ship systems ($400K)
Platforms: Windows
If there's one thing the Kickstarter demographic loves, it’s spaceship simulators. This year alone we've had Descent: Underground, EVERSPACE, and Aquanox Deep Descent campaigns, all of which were successfully funded. Infinity: Battlescape is a spaceship simulator that aims to satisfy both pacifist explorers and action-hungry pilots. Infinity: Battlescape includes both offline and online play. The offline mode will allow players to explore planets leisurely, as well as test out different types of ships and weapon combinations, while the online mode will feature epic space battles with ships of all sizes.
Small and medium sized ships will be piloted in first person, though there will be an auto-assist option to help those not used to the title's Newtonian physics. Infinity: Battlescape will include a variety of different ships for each size group. Ship customization options will include weapon types, shields, radar, and even the propulsion systems.
Developer: Eric Mack
Total Amount/Goal: $33,500/$30,000
Days Left: 6
Lowest Amount for Game: $10
Release Date: Fall 2017
Next Stretch Goal: Additional Composers/Sound Designers ($50K)
Platforms: Windows, Mac and Linux
As Guts from Berserk has amply demonstrated, sometimes all you need is a really large sword in order to defeat evil. Doko Roko is a roguelike action game in which our hero and his oversized sword must climb a tower, defeating the evil within. The core gameplay of Doko Roko is swift and meticulous, with your sword being used for slashing enemies, parrying attacks, and reflecting projectiles. You'll also find Magicks throughout your adventure. While they have a limited number of uses, they can be devastating to enemies if used optimally. The world that is the tower will include both procedurally created areas as well as handcrafted locations.
While most of the inhabitants of the tower will attack on sight, there are a few who would rather talk and barter than make war. These peaceful inhabitants may be the key to understanding how this evil tower came to be. Doko Roko will also include transformations, which will greatly alter both your hero’s appearance and his abilities. Finally, you'll also be able to acquire new swords to help your nameless hero on his quest.
Narcissu 10th Anniversary Anthology Project
Developer: Stage-Nana
Total Amount/Goal: $52,500/$75,000
Days Left: 11
Lowest Amount for Game: $20
Release Date: Spring 2016 (All Four Games)
Next Stretch Goal: A short story extra by Tomo Kataoka ($100K)
Platforms: Windows
It’s been a full month, so that means it's time for another visual novel Kickstarter from Sekai Project. Unlike the company's previous Kickstarter outings, this Kickstarter seeks funding for the creation of a new game. The Narcissu 10th Anniversary Anthology Project will consist of four new games in the Narcissu franchise. Narcissu 1 & 2 is currently available to download for free on Steam, so if you're looking for a taste of what to expect from this Kickstarter project they're well worth downloading. The four new visual novels will be created by the original doujin group Stage-Nana, and the original writer, Tomo Kataoka, will work on them.
The first visual novel, Sumire, follows Sumire’s journey to the 7th floor. The second visual novel, Zero, will tell the origin story of the mysterious 7th floor and will explain how it came to be. The third visual novel, A Little Iris, will be a side-story set in the middle-ages in Europe. Finally, the fourth visual novel, Himeko’s Epilogue, will give players an extra side-story set right after Narcissu 2.
