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14 Games That Crushed It on Kickstarter
1. Broken Age
Developed as Double Fine Adventure, Broken Age helped put Kickstarter on the map in 2012. The point-and-click adventure game brought in a ridiculous 87,000 backers and surpassed the original $400,000 goal by more than $3 million. Fans were treated to a documentary that accompanied the two-act game.
2. FTL: Faster Than Light
FTL: Faster Than Light was developed by two former 2K Games employees who needed just $10,000 to finish the real-time strategy adventure. Faster Than Light lets you command a space ship like you've always wanted to. But watch out, FTL is extremely difficult!
3. Kentucky Route Zero
Kentucky Route Zero is an episodic game in the same vein as TellTale's Game of Thrones and Walking Dead installments. Developed as a five-act game, Kentucky Route Zero follows Conway, a truck driver in Kentucky, and the people he meets along the way on this creepy adventure. The Game Developer Choice Awards named the third episode the best narrative in 2015.
4. Elite: Dangerous
The fourth installment in the Elite video game series was brought to Kickstarter in 2012 for crowdfunding. The space adventure was the first in the series to introduce massive multiplayer gameplay.
5. Homestuck Adventure Game
The Homestuck Adventure Game started as a lengthy webcomic about a gaggle of teenagers who unknowingly start the apocalypse. The campaign to transition to a video game went rather well. Homestuck became the fifth Kickstarter game to rake in more than seven figures after raising nearly $2.5 million.
6. Pillars of Eternity
Created as a spiritual sequel to Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment, Pillars of Eternity surpassed its goal of $1.1 million in a little more than a day. Released in 2015, Pillars of Eternity has been showered with great reviews.
7. Divinity: Original Sin
The prequel to the 2002 game Divine Divinity, Larian Studios took to Kickstarter to get Divinity: Original Sin to the masses. The RPG earned stellar reviews and even comes with an editor that allows players to create different adventures and publish them online.
8. The Banner Saga
You'd be crazy not to want to play as a viking in The Banner Saga RPG, created by former Bioware developers. Originally conceived as a trilogy, The Banner Saga reached its goal on Kickstarter in a day. The combat system takes inspiration from the turn-based Final Fantasy games.
9. Defense Grid 2
Defense Grid 2 is the highly-anticipated follow-up to Defense Grid: Awakening. DG2 builds on the previous installment with new game modes, online PvP and a single-player mode with 21 interactive maps.
10. Wasteland 2
Released 16 years after its predecessor, Wasteland 2 was a sight for sore eyes when the project was officially launched on Kickstarter. The post-apocalyptic RPG game won PCWorld's Game of the Year in 2014.
11. Shadowrun Returns
With an original goal of $400,000, Shadowrun Returns raised nearly $2 million during its Kickstarter campaign. The RPG offers turn-based combat with a linear storyline.
12. Shovel Knight
Borrowing from popular 8-bit games, Shovel Knight is a scrolling 2D game that unsurprisingly features a knight who uses a shovel to attack or dig for treasure. The first release by Yacht Club Games has been praised by critics since its release.
13. Don't Starve
Don't Starve lets players control a scientist named Wilson who must survive the odds while staying sane and, obviously, fed. Don't Starve uses aesthetic elements from Tim Burton movies to make it even more creepy!
14. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare was inspired by Age of Chivalry, but improves on the gameplay by using the Unreal Engine. This game is good gory fun for the medieval warrior inside of you.
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Developed as Double Fine Adventure, Broken Age helped put Kickstarter on the map in 2012. The point-and-click adventure game brought in a ridiculous 87,000 backers and surpassed the original $400,000 goal by more than $3 million. Fans were treated to a documentary that accompanied the two-act game.
2. FTL: Faster Than Light
FTL: Faster Than Light was developed by two former 2K Games employees who needed just $10,000 to finish the real-time strategy adventure. Faster Than Light lets you command a space ship like you've always wanted to. But watch out, FTL is extremely difficult!
3. Kentucky Route Zero
Kentucky Route Zero is an episodic game in the same vein as TellTale's Game of Thrones and Walking Dead installments. Developed as a five-act game, Kentucky Route Zero follows Conway, a truck driver in Kentucky, and the people he meets along the way on this creepy adventure. The Game Developer Choice Awards named the third episode the best narrative in 2015.
4. Elite: Dangerous
The fourth installment in the Elite video game series was brought to Kickstarter in 2012 for crowdfunding. The space adventure was the first in the series to introduce massive multiplayer gameplay.
5. Homestuck Adventure Game
The Homestuck Adventure Game started as a lengthy webcomic about a gaggle of teenagers who unknowingly start the apocalypse. The campaign to transition to a video game went rather well. Homestuck became the fifth Kickstarter game to rake in more than seven figures after raising nearly $2.5 million.
6. Pillars of Eternity
Created as a spiritual sequel to Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment, Pillars of Eternity surpassed its goal of $1.1 million in a little more than a day. Released in 2015, Pillars of Eternity has been showered with great reviews.
7. Divinity: Original Sin
The prequel to the 2002 game Divine Divinity, Larian Studios took to Kickstarter to get Divinity: Original Sin to the masses. The RPG earned stellar reviews and even comes with an editor that allows players to create different adventures and publish them online.
8. The Banner Saga
You'd be crazy not to want to play as a viking in The Banner Saga RPG, created by former Bioware developers. Originally conceived as a trilogy, The Banner Saga reached its goal on Kickstarter in a day. The combat system takes inspiration from the turn-based Final Fantasy games.
9. Defense Grid 2
Defense Grid 2 is the highly-anticipated follow-up to Defense Grid: Awakening. DG2 builds on the previous installment with new game modes, online PvP and a single-player mode with 21 interactive maps.
10. Wasteland 2
Released 16 years after its predecessor, Wasteland 2 was a sight for sore eyes when the project was officially launched on Kickstarter. The post-apocalyptic RPG game won PCWorld's Game of the Year in 2014.
11. Shadowrun Returns
With an original goal of $400,000, Shadowrun Returns raised nearly $2 million during its Kickstarter campaign. The RPG offers turn-based combat with a linear storyline.
12. Shovel Knight
Borrowing from popular 8-bit games, Shovel Knight is a scrolling 2D game that unsurprisingly features a knight who uses a shovel to attack or dig for treasure. The first release by Yacht Club Games has been praised by critics since its release.
13. Don't Starve
Don't Starve lets players control a scientist named Wilson who must survive the odds while staying sane and, obviously, fed. Don't Starve uses aesthetic elements from Tim Burton movies to make it even more creepy!
14. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare was inspired by Age of Chivalry, but improves on the gameplay by using the Unreal Engine. This game is good gory fun for the medieval warrior inside of you.
More...