Forty links: the Kickstarter campaigns I’ve backed

Kickstarter turned ten last year and has been promoting itself as a platform for brining creators and communities together since 28 April 2009. I was surprised to realise recently that I’ve now backed 40 successful campaigns in the past eight years so it’s time for a round-up.

Although those projects were successful, that’s not to say they’ve all been good or the products have actually been released. I’ve managed to get my hands on some great crowdfunded video games by becoming a backer but I’m also facing the fact that some of them have ceased in development and will never see the light of day. That’s the chance you take with Kickstarter; you’re supporting a creator’s vision when making a pledge but there’s no guarantee it’s ever going to come to fruition.

Below is a list of the campaigns I’ve backed along with notes on whether the title has been released and what I thought of it. I’m going to continue pledging to campaigns and writing about those I like on the blog – so who knows, maybe I’ll be back in eight years’ time with another round-up.

January 2013: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Homesick Lucky Pause May 2015 Yes, but not completed I stopped playing after getting to an area where I couldn’t figure out what to do, but I’ll be trying again in a stream next month.

February 2013: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Dreamfall Chapters Red Thread Games May 2015 Yes, but not completed The Longest Journey is one of my favourite games, and I just can’t bring myself to finish the third instalment because then the story will be over.

March 2013: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

The Gallery: Six Elements Cloudhead Games April 2016 (first episode) No – see the following notes Halfway through development, the developer decided to go virtual-reality (VR) only and so it’s unlikely I’ll ever play it.

May 2013: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Pandora: Purge of Pride High Class Kitsch August 2013 Yes Backed because I wanted to help a group of students – and it ended up being one of the worst games I’ve ever played.

May 2013: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Massive Chalice Double Fine Productions June 2015 Yes, but not completed I liked the Bloodlines concept but the turn-based combat meant that it ultimately wasn’t for me so I switched it off.

July 2013: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Monochroma Nowhere Studios May 2014 Yes, but not completed I got quite far through the game – but my lack of skill with platformers meant that I eventually gave up and I’ve never been back to it.

July 2013: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Candle Teku Studios November 2016 Yes I backed this one because I really liked the hand-drawn artwork, and it ended up being a pretty good puzzle-platformer.

September 2013: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

The Long Dark Hinterland Studio August 2017 (early access) No I held off on installing this game for a long time because I don’t play early-access titles, but I really need to get around to it now

October 2013: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Obduction Cyan August 2016 Yes Not as good as Myst and the second-half of the game felt rushed, but it’s still a good adventure that fans will enjoy.

November 2013: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

STASIS The Brotherhood August 2015 Yes A great isometric adventure with good voice-acting, that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a game with a great sci-fi atmosphere.

March 2014: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Dead Synchronicity Fictiorama Studios April 2015 Yes There has been no news about the sequel in a long time – which is a shame, because this post-apocalyptic adventure was really good.

April 2014: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

LAST LIFE Sam Farmer Unlikely to ever be released No The game looks to be dead, as the developer has moved on to other projects and the last update on the Kickstarter page was over two years ago.

August 2014: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

A Rite from the Stars Risin’ Goat July 2018 No It looked like something my stepson would enjoy playing but by the time it was actually released, he was no longer interested.

July 2016: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Praey for the Gods No Matter Studios July 2019 (early access) No Backed because I loved Shadow of the Colossus, but I’m hold off on playing it until it has been fully released.

January 2017: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Beautiful Desolation The Brotherhood February 2020 Yes Not as good as the developer’s previous game STASIS, as the choices presented to the player ultimately have no meaning.

February 2017: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Ama’s Lullaby Mercy Ground Creations Not released yet No The developer is still actively working on the game and provided backers with another update at the beginning of the month.

May 2017: Developer: Published in: Listened? Notes:

The Tomb Raider Suite Nathan McCree October 2018 Yes I know the Tomb Raider Theme well from my Dance GCSE, and we had this track played during our wedding ceremony.

July 2017: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Epitasis Epitasis Games May 2019 Demo only I backed the campaign because the artwork and soundtrack were lovely, but haven’t yet gotten around to playing the full release.

November 2017: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Trüberbrook btf March 2019 Yes This adventure looks amazing because it was created using stop-motion animation but I ultimately, I found it a little disappointing.

January 2018: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Genesis Noir Feral Cat Den Not released yet Demo only This one keeps appearing at various physical and digital expos but no release date has been revealed just yet.

April 2018: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Myst 25th Anniversary Collection Cyan April 2019 Yes Myst is one of my favourite adventures, and the linking book received as part of this project is an excellent physical reward.

April 2018: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Backbone EggNut Not released yet Demo only It’s well worth checking out the demo if you like pixelated detective adventures, but be warned: it gets rather dark.

May 2018: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

198X Hi-Bit Studios June 2019 Yes, but not completed This game went down very well during our GameBlast20 50-day challenge, and I really need to get around to playing it again.

June 2018: Creator: Received in: Worn? Notes:

Sensitive Badass pin The Doubleclicks August 2018 Yes This is a pin for the creator’s track Sensitive Badass and I’ve worn it on my jacket since receiving it two years ago.

August 2018: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

The Procession to Calvary Joe Richardson April 2020 Yes Check this one out if you like adventure games and you’re looking for something quirky with Monty-Python-esque humour.

August 2018: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

103 Dystopia Interactive December 2018 Yes The game itself isn’t too bad and the atmosphere is good, but the artwork by Medusa Dollmaker is much better.

March 2019: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Firmament Cyan Not released yet No I’m excited that the developer is working on a reimagining of Myst, but I’m not sure I need yet another version and would rather play this game!

June 2019: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Theropods Kostas Skiftas Not released yet Demo only I backed this one after playing the demo, and I’m curious to see how the action sequences are going to be implemented.

June 2019: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Kumo Tales Art Studio Unlikely to ever be released Demo only There’s a lot of history surrounding this game – check out this post for the original details and the Kickstarter page for updates.

July 2019: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Missing in Jericho Crimibox September 2019 Demo only This is a detective game which aims to bridge the gap between reality and the digital, and I’ll be playing it very soon.

October 2019: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

3 Minutes to Midnight Scarecrow Studio Not released yet Demo only I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this adventure but after trying the demo at EGX in 2018, I eagerly awaited the Kickstarter campaign.

October 2019: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Book of Travels Might and Delight Not released yet No This looks like it’s going to be the perfect MMO for me: a ‘serene online RPG’ in which you’re encourage to explore and find your own stories.

February 2020: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Key Enigma: Hack Forward Key Enigma Not released yet No I fell in love with escape rooms back in early 2019 so I’m looking forward to receiving this escape-room-in-a-box.

March 2020: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Chinatown Detective Agency General Interactive Co. Not released yet Demo only A pixelated detective adventure where you have to do some real-world research, featuring a female protagonist? Sign me up.

March 2020: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Gamedec Anshar Studios Not released yet Demo only Another great demo that’s worth checking out if you’re looking for a detective game, but it does contain some adult subject matter.

April 2020: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Commander ‘85 The Moonwalls September 2020 Yes, but not completed Although I love the 80s setting and aesthetic, the reviews aren’t positive and I got stuck in a particular area when trying to stream this game.

May 2020: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Black Book Morteshka Not released yet Demo only Backed because I liked the storyline and artwork. Could this be the first turn-based game I truly enjoy?

June 2020: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

Whateverland Caligari Games Not released yet Demo only It’s possible that some of the humour could be lost on me, but the demo was enjoyable and so I backed the campaign.

August 2020: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

The Mystery Agency Henry Lewis Not released yet No Another escape-room-in-box? There’s definitely a theme going on with a lot of the campaigns I’ve backed recently.

September 2020: Developer: Released in: Played? Notes:

KAPIA 2FOR2 Not released yet Demo only I’d heard a lot about this game from a Facebook group and wasn’t sure, but the demo was so charming that it managed to win me over.