Because it has already been 23 years since the release of the iconic System Shock 2, fans are eagerly anticipating the reboot entry, System Shock. Developed by Nightdive Studios, this re-imagining of the first game is just one of many games that have been funded by Kickstarter campaigns.
Since the launch of Kickstarter 13 years ago, many developers have turned to the crowdfunding site to help turn their ideas into reality. While some of these games never received enough money, didn't meet expectations, or simply never released, there are also some titles, like Undertale, that became absolute success stories.
Shadowrun: Hong Kong (2015)
Released in 2015, Shadowrun: Hong Kong is an isometric turn-based CRPG that takes place within the tabletop RPG franchise Shadowrun. Set within a universe where magic is real, mythical creatures exist, and mega-corporations control the world, the game follows a customized player character who travels to Hong Kong to meet with their adopted father, Raymond Black, and their adopted brother, Duncan, after being in prison.
When the player and Duncan are attacked by the Hong Kong Police, the two characters a group of skilled mercenaries known as Shadowrunners to figure out what happened to their father and why they were attacked. After the game's Kickstarter campaign met its goal of $100,000 within a few hours, the game eventually received over $1.2 million before the campaign's deadline.
FTL: Faster Than Light (2012)
One of the pioneering games to use crowdfunding is the 2012 real-time strategy roguelike FTL: Faster Than Light, which has the player control a spaceship from the Galactic Federation. After obtaining important information about the Rebellion that has been fighting against the Federation, the player must guide their customized ship and crew across the randomly generated galaxy so that they can reach the Federation headquarters while avoiding the pursuing rebel ships.
The Binding of Issac, this game helped repopularize and modernize the roguelike genre. Though the goal for the Kickstarter campaign was $10,000, the game ended up gaining over $200,000 by the end.
Pillars of Eternity (2015)
Created by Obsidian Entertainment, who also made Divinity: Original Sin, helped revitalize the genre. The game follows a player-customized character who stumbles upon a cult ritual and becomes Awakened and a Watcher, which allows them to witness past lives and read souls.
Created as a spiritual successor to popular D&D titles like Baldur's Gate, the game revolutionized the CRPG genre by completely changing how classes and stats typically work. The Kickstarter campaign raised over four million dollars, which made it the highest-funded game on Kickstarter at the time.
Broken Age (2014-2015)
Directed by Tim Schafer, who also directed Grim Fandango and Psychonauts, Broken Age is a hand-animated puzzle adventure game that was inspired by classic point-and-click titles. Consisting of two acts, which were released in 2014 and 2015 respectively, the game follows a teenage girl named Vella Tartine, who is forced to be a sacrifice to giant creatures called Mogs, and a teenage boy named Shay Volta, who is seemingly trapped and alone on a spaceship.
As the two characters try to break from tradition and change their fates, their separate lives are slowly revealed to actually be interconnected. Despite the original Kickstarter goal being $400,000, the game received over $3 million dollars and subsequently proved that crowdfunding could be a viable way to game development.
Shovel Knight (2014)
Inspired by classic NES titles like Mega Man games, Shovel Knight is a 2014 side-scrolling platformer that follows the titular Shovel Knight who lost his beloved partner Shield Knight after she was possessed by a cursed amulet and locked within the Tower of Fate.
When an evil Enchantress unseals the tower to spread evil across the land, Shovel Knight journeys there to rescue Shield Knight and defeat the Enchantress along the way. Collecting over $300,000 during its Kickstarter campaign, Shovel Knight has become an indie classic with several new campaigns and spin-offs being made over the years.
Hollow Knight (2017)
Inspired by classic titles such as Hollow Knight is a 2017 award-winning Metroidvania that follows an insect-like warrior known as the Knight who has just traveled to a small town called Dirtmouth, which sits above the ruins of the Kingdom of Hollownest. To defeat the supernatural infection that destroyed Hollownest, the Knight must explore the Kingdom's labyrinth, kill the three Dreamers, and confront the source of the infection.
After creating the game Hungry Knight for the 2013 Ludum Dare game jam, the developers decided to expand the idea into a full game with the help of Kickstarter. Though the campaign asked for $35,000, the game received more than $57,000.
Kentucky Route Zero (2013-2020)
Published by Annapurna Interactive, which has released other beloved titles like Stray, Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realist point-and-click adventure game that showcases how capitalism traps people into endless debt and indentured servitude. Consisting of five acts that released sporadically from 2013 to 2020, the game follows a truck driver named Conway and the various individuals he meets along the way as he tries to deliver a package by crossing the titular Route Zero.
Although this is the last package he has to deliver, a leg injury during the trip forces his new companions to watch him get swallowed up by a new job. Originally announced in 2011 on Kickstarter, the game received $8,585, which was a bit more than the campaign's goal of $6,500.
RimWorld (2018)
One of the best construction and management simulation games is the 2018 indie top-down survival game RimWorld, which follows three randomly generated characters who are now stranded on a procedurally generated planet. On this "rim world," which means it's located on the edge of known space, the characters must try to start a new colony by building, farming, recruiting, fighting, crafting, and more.
Unlike other games with random elements, this game has the player pick one of several A.I. storytellers at the start that help guide the unfolding narrative. During its Kickstarter campaign, the game received more than $250,000 when the original goal was only $20,000.
Undertale (2015)
Released in 2015, Undertale is an anti-RPG where a war between monsters and humans led to the monsters being banished into the Underground, which is separated from the surface by a magical barrier. After a human child named Frisk accidentally falls into the Underground, Frisk must find a way back to the surface while also choosing whether to kill or befriend the monsters along the way.
With fun characters, a well-written story, a unique RPG battle system, and various endings that reflect whether the player chose to replay it, this indie game quickly became an instant classic. The game's Kickstarter campaign raised over $51,000 when the initial goal was simply $5,000, which is incredible considering how iconic and beloved the game became.
Divinity: Original Sin II (2017)
Created as a sequel to the 2014 game Divinity: Original Sin, Divinity: Original Sin II is a 2017 RPG that's often considered one of the best RPGs ever made because of its strategic gameplay and high levels of interactivity. The game follows a player-customized character who is a sourcerer (which means they're able to wield Source energy) that's told by one of the Seven Gods to become the next Divine and hold back the void.
But, not everything is as it seems, and the player's choices can lead to very different outcomes. After reaching the Kickstarter campaign's $500,000 goal in less than one day, the game eventually received over $2 million dollars in total.