Kickstarter Flops #1: Nothing to Show Here Folks!

I was trying to hold off on this as long as I could, but I can’t hold off anymore! I decided to do a sub-series of articles on Kickstarter Shout-out. These will cover a list of mediocre Kickstarters, explaining why they won’t get funded, and so this won’t be a totally negative experience, I will recommend some alternative Kickstarters that you should go fund. Fun fact, I actually wrote two articles for this idea, but scrapped them. I originally wanted to be critical, cynical, and throw in a humorous twist, but found the two articles not up to the quality I wanted them to be. Now then, let’s get started!

Bello Magorum



Why it won’t get funded: At first, the description is enticing, a game that will be similar to the tactical RPG classics of the past, like Ogre Battle and Final Fantasy Tactics. Then you realize that the page itself, while having a solid funding goal of $40K, has everything that bad Kickstarters have. First off, there is no trailer, concept art, no 3D models, or even alpha-stage gameplay. All you get with this Kickstarter is a paragraph saying how the person wants to make a game like this. No breakdown on how he/she is making this game unique or similar to the classic tactical RPGs of yesteryear, no who’s who on the team making the game, no budget breakdown, and no stretch goals. This is quite possible one of the worst Kickstarters I have ever seen. Then again, it has to be a terrible Kickstarter to be on this list, so I shouldn’t be surprised. The cherry on top of this cake of terrible execution is the fact that the image used on the Kickstarter is not unique. I found the same image online. As of June 6^th, they have taken that photo down and replaced it with quite honestly, some really bad artwork that doesn’t really do anything to help make the Kickstarter look better. (As of June 11, this Kickstarter has been taken down due to reasons other than having to do with the game.)

A Kickstarter you should help fund Instead:



You should check out the tactical RPG Kickstarter called Regalia: Of Men And Monarchs by Pixel Milk. Not only does this tactical RPG include beautiful, colorful, and well-done graphics, but they break down the different game mechanics, from the tile-based tactical combat, to the 4X elements, like building your own village, conducting diplomacy, and going on expeditions for resources and loot. They also do everything that a good Kickstarter should do by being detailed and descriptive on every element of the game. I will be talking about this game in the future so be prepared to hear more about it.

World War WarPzone



Why it won’t get funded: You know how Steam is infamous for lazy “developers”  buying a bunch of prepaid unity assets and tossing them onto Steam thinking they made a game and trying to rip off consumers? Yeah, this is one of those “games” made by so called “developers”. Heck, calling them “developers” is awfully generous. I mean, I had to put down quotation marks. That is just being extremely generous right there. These types of developers are more like mediocre talentless individuals who can’t take the time to make their own assets or make an actual game, but instead, spend a pretty penny on premade assets, thinking they are going to get their money back. Well, they won’t. Oh, and this Kickstarter basically does everything wrong. Just like Bello Magorum. Oh, and it wants to be a MOBA, a market that is nigh impossible to make a hit in, since no one gives a hoot unless you are Dota 2, League of Legends, or Smite.

A Kickstarter you help fund instead:



Instead of funding World War WarPzone, you should go back an actually fun-looking multiplayer-focused first-person shooter called Galaxy Heist by Space Bear Development. I know I have already talked about this in a Kickstarter Shout-out, but it’s basically Pay Day 2, except you are space pirates, you can pilot drone fighters, hijack other ships, and have some actual fun! Much more effort was put into Galaxy Heist than World War WarPzone. Don’t support people that make “games” like World War WarPzone.

Wanted: American Outlaws



Why it won’t get funded: Let’s have a checklist at the ready for this one. No gameplay? Check! Does the page have early-looking CG models? Check! No trailer? Check! Is it yet another open-world game that, let’s be frank about this, is incredibly empty? Check! Should this developer have made some actual gameplay footage in a beta state instead of posting the project in such an early state? Yes! I am seriously wondering if anyone that goes on Kickstarter looks up the successful Kickstarters, seeing what worked for them, and actually, you know, puts some effort into their game before showing it to the public. The public want to see something that looks like it could be finished with a reasonable budget and in a reasonable time. They don’t want to see your first 3D models and “promises”.

A Kickstarter you help fund instead:



Instead of helping out Wanted: American Outlaws, you should go help fund Diluvion, by Leo Dasso. This is a 3D exploratory action game where you recruit a, well, crew, get a submarine, and explore the unknown depths of this underwater world. You will fight other submarines, sea-like enemies, and manage your team to survive in this dangerous world. It not only has a great art-style, and beautiful hand-drawn elements, but this developer has actually made another game called Ballpoint Universe Infinite. I honestly think you should check out Diluvion and their previous game to support a developer that did something unique and put actual effort into their Kickstarter page.

Eradication: The Game



Why it won’t get funded: The concept for this Kickstarter sounds cool. You are a bunch of soldiers wearing suits like in Call of Duty: Advance Warfare, and you fight monsters. Doesn’t that sound sweet? Too bad they show none of that due to the footage of the game being in such an early pre-alpha state. The footage basically looks like you are shooting a bunch of pink-colored D batteries. Sure, this page has a little more going for it than most, but that doesn’t excuse it for being a terrible Kickstarter. They have nothing to show of the main game, besides said pre-alpha footage. It also seems implausible that he can get all of this done on a budget of $8K. It also seems like this developer is riding on this one gimmick to sell his game. Yeah, last time we saw that happen was with this year’s Evolve, and even though they said 2.5 million copies of the game were shipped, Evolve’s one-trick-pony-style game is failing pretty hard, even if 2K Games doesn’t want to admit it.

Kickstarters you help fund instead:





Instead of investing into Eradication: The Game, I will give you two that are much more worthwhile. The first one is a Tony Hawk Pro Skater-style game called On a Roll, by Creative Concepts. This is basically Pro Skater, but it replaced skateboards with roller blades. It honestly looks fun, and it reminds me of the original Pro Skater games before Tony Hawk thought Tony Hawk Ride was the best idea ever. The second Kickstarter is a third-person horror game called Song of Horror, by Protocol Games. If you love games like the original Alone in the Dark games, or any good third-person horror games, then you should definitely check this game out. They know the animations are a little clunky, and hopefully that doesn’t hurt the Kickstarter, but I think it’s pretty cool to see a third-person horror game instead of yet another first-person horror game that tries to be like Amnesia.

There you have it, folks. I have given you all a handful of terrible Kickstarters to avoid, what those Kickstarters do wrong, and Kickstarters that you should definitely check out instead. Now, no matter what, if you have an idea, and you think you have it all figured out, and you think Kickstarter is the way to go, then by all means, you should try it out. However, you are going to have to put in a lot of effort to make your Kickstarter stand out and impress potential backers. It’s becoming harder to get a project on Kickstarter fully funded, unless you are a veteran of the industry, made games before, or have a really impressive product. I think you should try and avoid getting on articles like this.