Top Ten Kickstarted Games to Check Out on Steam
Written by: Tanner Banks
1/25/2016, 2:22p.m.
Tweet to: @Slickster_Mag
Sometimes a game is just too good to not be made. And that means it might need a little help actually getting made. Kickstarter has helped fund thousands of projects that ranged from picture books about bugs to microconsoles made with a gutted smart phone (the infamous OUYA and its $8.6 MILLION campaign). However, these campaigns are a different breed. These indie-darlings were able to successfully raise the funds necessary to see an idea become reality. And when it came to these Steamy titles, reality was awesome. This top ten list was compiled based on fun, creativity, execution, polish, and the “it” factor. Few of these games hit every nail on the head, but those that did were phenomenal. That being said, let’s get going!
10. Among the Sleep
This unsettling platformer got a bit of a mixed reaction from the community. Some considered it to be more of a walking simulator, while others thought the restricted movement and lack of motor skills to be a great mechanic. While the ending came out of left field and certainly felt rushed, the game had great design to it. It was unsettling, the level design was punctuated with fantastic art design, and the sound (voice acting aside) was fantastic. It lacked in some places, but where it hit, it hit hard.
Funding Goal: $200,000
Amount Raised: $240,358
9. Sir, You Are Being Hunted
An open-world game where you are tasked with surviving the islands filled with murderous mustachioed mechanized men from Manchester. This survival game was filled with a dark charm and a pinch of horror for a delightful time. While the gameplay felt unfinished and the visuals lacked polish, the different levels of difficulty were perfectly designed and proper gentleman mode was a great challenge. The game felt satisfying and you truly felt vulnerable in a world filled with games that lack true challenge.
Funding Goal: £40,000
Amount Raised: £92,551
8. No Time to Explain
This action platformer felt like a coked-up twelve-year-old’s idea of a platformer after he watched too many sci-fi movies. And. It’s. Awesome. Carrying an overkill is underrated attitude, the clever level design and personality o’ plenty this game was just plain fun. However, the game wasn’t perfect. Some levels felt like total filler, and the art felt like the same as when it was on Kongregate. However this game is a great reminder that game designers need the occasional class in absurdity, and it did a lot with one of the smallest amounts raised on the list.
Funding Goal: $7,000
Amount Raised $26,068
7. Octodad: Dadliest Catch
This cartoony rager is an aneurysm waiting to happen. Built around intentionally terrible controls with an equally absurd premise, Octodad packs plenty of funny punch and a surprising amount of heart. While the game can be a blast with a friend to take turns of frustration with, the gameplay is certainly aimed at a niche group of sadists and masochists. While you won’t be busting out the ball gag, this game will definitely spank you for misbehaving with the controller.
Funding Goal: $20,000
Amount Raised: $24,320
6. Catlateral Damage
This is an absolute, 100%, unabashed homer pick solely because of my love of cats. And I do not care, either. This cute and cuddly romp around the world from a cats perspective is like cotton candy. Sweet, light, and a guilty pleasure. The only goal is to cause as big of a cat-tastrophy as possible with the different cats you can play as. (Yay, Fart-Cat.) Add the colorful art design, fun objectives, collectibles, catnip-induced acid trips, and disco mode, this game is purrrfect for all feline fans.
Funding Goal: $40,000
Amount Raised $61,944
5. Contagion
Yes, it’s another zombie shooter in a market already flooded by them. However, this one is really good. While you can play it by yourself, the co-op is where this game shines, in my opinion. Rather than stick with the running and screaming zombies of today, it chooses a methodical, George A. Romero tone with slow clambering corpses, and very little ammo. When you grab your friends to play with you, make sure you play Hunted mode.
Funding Goal: $50,000
Amount Raised: $87,384
4. Town of Salem
An online who dunnit where the ultimate experience is only a Skype call away. This game is surprisingly deep in terms of the strategy and has a great community around it. It feels like those old school board games you used to play with your family, and has that special… thing to it that makes the game addictive. It actually had two Kickstarters, the first barely made its goal, while the second almost quadrupled its goal, which is a testament to the game’s success.
1st Goal: $15,000
Amount Raised: $17,190
2nd Goal: $30,000
Amount Raised: $114,197
3. The Escapist
How this game did so much with so little is beyond me. Originally this game was going to be number five on the list but after looking back at the microbudget funding, it got bumped up a few spots. Filled to the brim with pop-culture references, the amount of ways you have to escape all the pre-made prisons is only surpassed by the levels that came from the Steam Workshop. This game feels polished, does everything right, and hits the marks for a great time with or without friends.
Funding Goal: £3,000
Amount Raised: £7,131
2. Darkest Dungeon
This game is hard. It’s unforgiving. It’s unfair at times. It’s creepy as hell. And kicks ass! This just released rogue-like dungeon crawler is one part business manager, one part RPG, and all parts awesome. The parts I listed that make a game great above? This does it all and more. From its gorgeous design, unsettling score, clever stress system, and the satisfaction from one nail-biting battle to the next. If you want a challenge, you’ve got one. If you were looking for a game that will have you ask what goes bump in the night, you found it. If you want to know the current favorite for indie game of the year, it’s this one. Fair warning, if you don’t like grinding, this might not be the game for you.
Funding Goal: $75,000
Amount Raised: $313,337
1. Shovel Knight
If ever a love letter were written of platformers of yore, it’d be Shovel Knight. This game is just so… good. It hits so many notes to create a symphony of gaming that only few can create. It’s a brilliant homage to classic games while also proving that it isn’t the nostalgia that makes this game great. The combat is smooth, the boss battles are fun, the platforming provides a challenge, and if you die, the only thing you have to worry about is trying to get your gold back. The only criticism I have for this game is that there isn’t more of it. I want more music, more levels, more bosses, more silly townsfolk, more dances with the Trouple King. I just. Want. More.
Funding Goal: $75,000
Amount Raised: $311,502
