The loser column is sadly busy this week, with a couple of high profile projects not making it. But then there’s also a big surprise in the winner’s section too. And as ever, an awful lot of other Kickstarters in progress for your perusal. Don’t forget to note the rules below before throwing your cash in every direction.

The Rules

Featuring a game in this list doesn’t mean we endorse it. We likely haven’t played, and as such can’t say whether it will be worth your cash. That’s your call.

Letting me know about a game (which you can do via my name above) doesn’t mean it will definitely be included. Leaving links in the comments is a good way to let other readers know about projects, but please email me if you want them considered for the list.

We only include games where pledges reach developers if the target is met.

Please remove laptops from cases, and spread legs.

The Winners

Shadowrun Online – Cliffhanger Productions

Incredible. How on Earth they did it, I’m not sure, but this doomed-looking KS raised not only the final $275,000 it needed in its last three days, but another $51k on top. Funded at half a million, there are now two Shadowrun projects in the works, this MMO aiming to appear in May next year. Amazingly, this half million came from only 6,000 people. Check out their updates page for fantastic scenes of happiness.

Project Lodus – Leviathan Interactive

Oooh, this one just scraped through, with $51,201 of $50k raised. Incredible though – $30k made in three days! In fact, they were only 55% of the way there with 14 hours to go. Incredible scenes. So we should be seeing a cyber-punk co-op action RPG by, wow, May 2014.

The Losers

Bad Planet – Red Fly Studios

This never seemed likely, and perhaps a little hubristic, and it didn’t make 10% of a ludicrous $575,000 goal. It’s a shame though, as the comic world sounded like it might make for quite the action game. Three measly updates didn’t send any great messages, and then declaring “That’s only because we had a good idea we were going to fall short of our goal weeks ago. It was also weeks ago we began to plan for a relaunch, so be of good cheer!” doesn’t exactly escape hubrisland. They’re planning to try again, this time with some footage of the game, that should help.

Wicked Crush

A real shame to see what looked like a fascinating platformer – you played dungeons created by other players, and they played yours – not make it. They only got half way to their goal of $15k, but then extremely sparse updates (they’ve not even acknowledged it didn’t make it two days ago) can’t have helped.

Super Motherload – XGen Studios

The four-player co-op nostalgia-fest fell a long way short of a $50k dream. But they plan to make the game anyway, by means they’ve not yet declared.

Echoes Of Aeons – Alchimia Studios

Their first $7k seemed to arrive quite easily, but with barely $500 raised in their final week, we won’t be seeing the 2D ARPG funded by Kickstarter. They plan to keep developing, but it’ll take longer and the game will contain fewer features.

The Players

Wings: Director’s Cut – Cinemaware

Goal: $350,000

Now: $28,634

Days: 23

Lots of people got in touch this week to mention Wings: Director’s Cut (hopefully not just because the video’s host has forgotten to zip up her jacket). The 1990 Amiga game is clearly fondly remembered, and the plan is to create an HD remake. Their KS page is sadly a miserable nightmare, with all their updates in reverse order on the bloody front page where they shouldn’t be, making it a mess of a thing to find details for, but the video is below.



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Insurgency 2 – New World Interactive

Goal: $180,000

Now: $57,599

Days: 20

Never trust me about anything. I said that Shadowrun wouldn’t make it, and that Insurgency would fly over its goal. The hugely loved mod’s full game sequel made less than $2k this week, and despite having three weeks left, is not looking good. (I figure if I write that, it’ll definitely succeed now.) (Oh no! But now I wrote that!)

Knock Knock – Ice-Pick Lodge

Goal: $30,000

Now: $26,661

Days: 24

Pathologic devs Ice-Pick have added another $3,000 to their total this week, leaving them with just over $3.5k to raise. I’m fairly certain this will get funded, and can’t wait to see what mad direction they’ll head in with it.

David Crane’s Jungle Adventure – Jungle Venture

Goal: $900,000

Now: $14,426

Days: 128

Creator of Pitfall, and co-founder of Activision, David Crane, is making a new game! And apparently the team have gone insane and are asking for just shy of a million dollars. Yes, huge name, yes, he created some of the best loved games a million years ago, but this isn’t exactly Total Annihilation, is it? Obviously it’s a game we’d love to see happen, but man, it isn’t going to at that ask, is it?



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Kickstarter Indie Bundle – Kickstarter Indies

Goal: $45,000

Now: $5,117

Days: 11

An indie bundle in reverse. The idea here is to pledge money to help nine indies finish their games. Various pledge levels reward you with full copies of their previous games, along with all these games when they’re done. $20 will net you the lot. But with so little raised this week, perhaps Kickstarter isn’t the way for indie bundles to go?

Mercenary Kings – Tribute Games

Goal: $75,000

Now: $42,180

Days: 26

Already receiving a hefty lump of cash, yet another retro pixel 2D action game seems to have caught people’s attention. $15 gets a copy, probably in May next year.



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Project Gianna – Black Forest Games

Goal: $150,000

Now: $71,939

Days: 13

$12k raised this week, after $15k last, as a group of former Spellbound developers look to make a serious sequel to 1987’s The Great Giana Sisters. Originally a Super Mario knock-off that was forced from sale after Nintendo pointed out that it was basically their game, this remake looks nothing like Nintendo’s game, with a unique (and gorgeous) look, and a world that can be “twisted” to transform it. A copy of the game in the Autumn comes with the $10 pledge. They’re still not halfway, however.

Island Forge – Potential Games

Goal: $4,000

Now: $455

Days: 26

A user-created MMO from a one-man team, who is seemingly sat in front of a PC from 1994. The idea is to tell your own tales within the game for other people to experience. The game already exists, with player islands available to see. He’s only after $4k, and pledges will unlock an account for the game to the full version for various lengths.



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Flight Of The Wisp – Shane Barber

Goal: $10,000

Now: $2,251

Days: 18

In this game you’re a ball of energy that takes on the nature of other elements in the game. Go through mist and you’re that, for instance, all used for solving puzzles. It’s a really smart idea, and have a listen to the excellent music. Only a grand tacked on this week, so they need a push. And maybe bother to update, or people will rightly recognise they’re not putting enough effort into their fund drive.

Rack n Ruin – Tyler Hunter

Goal: $30,000

Now: $3,869

Days: 13

A top-down action adventure RPG, in which you play a baddie with an unfortunately propensity for destroying worlds rather than conquering them. This is his last chance, as you attempt to explore and puzzle your way to world domination. $1,200 this week doesn’t get it much closer to a big $30,000 target.

Expeditions – Conquistador – Logic Artists

Goal: $70,000

Now: $18,705

Days: 25

A massive $7k added on in the last week, but I do worry they’ve set their goal too high. Danish dev Logic Artists’ tactical RPG-cum-strategy is driven by its 16th century Spanish storyline. It’s packed with hexagons and history that so many RPS readers love. There’s still a long way to go, and it’d be good to see some more enthusiasm about that in the updates. Finally updates have begun appearing, and an appearance at Gamescom might see a boost now people are arriving home.

Starship Corporation – David Murent

Goal: $6,000

Now: $8,845

Days: 48

This one has already met its goal, but due to the uniquely inexplicable system by which I arrange this column, it’s here this week. A game based around creating a spaceship, it looks enormously intricate. Don’t worry about the silly stretch of clips of other games and movies at first – it finally gets to game footage two minutes in.



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Songmasters: The Music Wars – Matthias Crévieaux

Goal: $25,000

Now: $15,458

Days: 7

Crévieaux said he first started making this game when he was a kid, a world where music is magic (hello Phonogram), which he’s now hoping to craft as a Flash-based web game. It’s far too complicated to explain in this space, so check out the page. Despite a very strong start, only $800 was made this week, which is odd.

Pursuit Of Power 2 – Precision Games

Goal: $70,000

Now: $647

Days: 3

Extraordinarily, and this is the first time the Katchup has seen this, this game lost money this week. Down $50, it really does seem there’s no interest whatsoever in this RTS, which is very surprising. Then again, he hasn’t bothered updating for 11 days, so he’s clearly about as interested in it as anyone else.

Planetary Annihilation – Uber Entertainment

Goal: $900,000

Now: $411,022

Days: 27

One of the biggest targets I’ve ever seen on Kickstarter, helpfully it also happens to be one of the most inevitable to get funded. (Erk, sorry guys.) From former Total Annihilation developers, it’s a project people have been gagging for for a decade, and it’s already almost halfway there. That’s, almost half a million dollars in a few days. Amazing. The video for it is great, and already shows a fantastic-looking game. They want to see massive battles.



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Shadow Remnants – Shorebound Studios

Goal: $75,000

Now: $7,307

Days: 23

A turn-based tactical RPG, looking like it was developed for Gamecube (please understand that’s a good thing). You can see a ton of footage in its pledge video on the site. Pledging has slowed down somewhat in their second week, with $2k this week, putting them a tenth of the way there.

Eternal Fate – Escalation Studios

Goal: $200,000

Now: $11,412

Days: 13

Two gaming vets, who’ve both worked at id, Bethesda and various other companies, have started a small indie studio intent on making an online action RPG. They describe it as a combination of Torchlight/Diablo and Call Of Duty/Battlefield. It sounds really promising, but perhaps $200,000 was a bit too high. Less than a grand was made this week, and there are less than two weeks to see their pledges increase by a factor of 20.

The Other Brothers – 3D Attack

Goal: $50,000

Now: $19,166

Days: 11

An episoodic family platforming adventure game thing, in yet more retro pixels. (Their saying “they’re” going to bring it back might reveal a slight lack of research.) But it does look absolutely lovely. $15 pledges are needed for a copy this Winter.

Dominique Pamplemousse – Deidra Kiai

Goal: $9,500

Now: $3,145

Days: 14

A stop-motion musical detective adventure. In black and white. It’s one of the most esoteric projects I’ve seen in a while. Take a look below to see exactly just how strange this is.



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Wisp – Overzealous Studios

Goal: $4,000

Now: $2,740

Hours: 11

I really wish a better video had been made for this, talking about the game rather than their bank accounts. $1,400 was added this week, but the pretty puzzle platformer needs another $1,300 in 10 hours to make it.