March 16, 2011 2:00 PM | Eric Caoili

If you're looking for an unusual indie game that needs your financing, Lantana's Children of Liberty might be the project for you; it's a "stealth-based historical platformer" taking place in occupied Boston during the end of the Colonial era.

Lantana provided this description for the Unity-based, American Revolution-inspired game:



"Children of Liberty follows four kids who have been stealing food and supplies from the British for years. Upon discovering the identities of the children, Governor Gage orders their families arrested and will not release them until the goods they stole are returned. The kids join The Sons of Liberty looking for help, and the adventure takes off from there. Our goal is to make this a kid's game but still make it as dark and awesome as possible. After all, this is a game about war. We want to delve into what it was like for kids living in occupied Boston during the end of the Colonial era. The Revolution was not a happy time, nor is any war, and we want to bring that feeling across to the player, while making it accessible to all ages 10 and above (E10+ is the ESRB rating we'd be shooting for). It's a tricky balance but we adore a challenge."

The game will feature hand-drawn animation and environments, four playable characters (each with unique abilities and storylines), and cameos from historical figures like Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and others.

Lantana is trying to raise money to purchase hardware and software to complete the project, as well as funding to submit Children of Liberty to conventions and competitions like the Independent Games Festival and the Penny Arcade Expo.

To do that, the studio has started a Kickstarter project, offering copies of the completed game, merchandise, soundtracks, opportunities to appear in Children of Liberty with a custom sprite, VIP access to a launch party, and more.

The developer has so far raised around $2,80 of its goal, but it's hoping to reach $5,000 or more in the next two months. If it receives all the funding it need, Lantana expects to release the game for PC and Mac this September.