Kickstarter is an amazing platform for passionate developers to request crowdfunding to support their projects. In exchange, the developers promise a polished game, exclusive rewards, and perks to backers upon the game's release. Although Kickstarter allows people to request public support for any of their projects, a healthy chunk of these are basically game design and development projects. The platform has allowed many developers to deliver exceptional games, and today we take a look at 10 of the brilliant games that started as Kickstarters. Read on.
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Hyper Light Drifter
Hyper Light Drifter is a work of art that features a unique 8-bit graphical design. The game has been popular among fans, but many reviews criticize the game's difficulty curve. Hyper Light Drifter is a unique experience if you're looking to take a break from the ultra-realistic games that are coming out these days. The Kickstarter campaign for the game requested $27,000, but received a whopping $645,158.
Wasteland 2
With the original Wasteland releasing for PC back in 1998, Wasteland 2 was a long time coming. In 2012, the franchise launched a Kickstarter campaign pledging $900,000, which was achieved within two days of the campaign going live. The campaign went on to earn a total of $2,933,252. After releasing on PC, Wasteland 2 was also released on consoles and iOS.
Divinity: Original Sin
Divinity: Original Sin is considered as one of the best RPG games to have ever been made. The game is praised for its complex RPG elements. Divinity: Original Sin is quite different from modern RPG games that emphasize world design and graphical fidelity. However, to those who seek complex RPG mechanics over world design, Divinity: Original Sin will not disappoint them. The Kickstarter campaign for the game managed to earn $944,282, double the original request of $400,000.
Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeons is one of the few games that was inspired by the popular Darkest Dungeon literature. A majority of the game is based on the literature's theme but manages to include various RPG elements that make the gameplay experience quite enjoyable. The Kickstarter campaign for Darkest Dungeon was initially pledged for $75,000, but received $313,337.
Superhot
Superhot is a first-person shooter/puzzle game that involves the manipulation of time to clear levels. The interesting aspect of the game is that whenever the player stops moving, the whole game pauses for the player, including the flying bullets. The game is an enjoyable arcade experience, and it has been applauded for its unique concept. Superhot is also available in VR mode. The game started as a Kickstarter campaign that requested $75,000 as the pledging amount, but managed to raise $250,798.
Shenmue III
Thanks to the success of the Kickstarter campaign, Shenmue III became a reality for fans who were looking forward to the sequel since 2001. Shenmue III released last year in November 2019 and it follows protagonist Ryu Hazuki's quest for revenge. Unfortuntely, Shenmue III wasn't received well by fans, with many claiming that the game looks pretty dated for modern gaming standards. The Kickstarter campaign for Shenmue III requested a big two million dollars pledge, but managed to receive a whopping $6,333,296.
Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight is another platformer that started as a Kickstarter campaign. The game offers a satisfying platforming experience and features the nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic and design. Shovel Knight also managed to receive overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam. Developer Yacht Club Games requested a pledge of $75,000 to support the game's development, but earned a total of $311,502.
Undertale
Undertale is quite a unique game that was born out of a Kickstarter campaign. Unlike most other games that require the hero to kill enemies, Undertale gave players an option to befriend enemies and they can even earn an achievement for choosing a friendly path. Just like Shovel Knight, Undertale also received overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam. The game's Kickstarter campaign requested a small $5,000 pledge, and ended up getting $51,124.
Pillars Of Eternity
Pillars of Eternity was another successful game that started as a Kickstarter campaign. The developers of the RPG game originally requested for a pledge of $1,100,000, but managed to earn close to $4 million. The game's popularity and the love that fans expressed toward the franchise led to its eventual sequel, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, which was released in 2018.
Star Citizen
Star Citizen is a bit of a controversial video game that started its Kickstarter campaign back in 2013. However, backers are upset with developer Cloud Imperium Games, who hasn't held up with the promise of delivering the game on time and delaying the game's release constantly. Star Citizen has managed to raise $313,897,641 at the time of this writing and it continues to receive donations despite its upsetting delays.
