Beeswing - PC

Last year, I wrote about Jack King-Spooner's beautiful looking adventure Beeswing. It's a game set in rural Scotland with a stong focus on story-driven narrative and was created thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign.

It's not out yet, but Jack assures us it's almost complete. He's ironing out a few minor bugs and finishing the score for the game, which is already sounding rather lovely.

To whet our appettites, he's just released a trailer for the game which lifted the Monday morning blues earlier today. It's looking like it will be something special and I'm very much looking forward to playing through the adventure and finding out more about the town and its residents.

Beeswing

Over the course of the last year or so, I've backed many diverse projects on Kickstarter - from the OUYA console and board game Dungeon Roll, to animated graphic novel Niko and the Sword of Light and delicious puzzle game Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake. But last weekend I stumbled across a game which has completely captured my imagination thanks to its setting, subject matter, delightful handcrafted visuals and music.
    Beeswing by Jack King-Spooner takes its inspiration from games such as The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Illusion of Gaia, Earthbound, To The Moon and the Secret of Mana series, but it's immediately clear this will be a game that will tread its own path.
    Jack has drawn from his experiences of growing up in Beeswing - a small village in rural Scotland and a place where all the residents have a tale to tell. He will blend true stories will fiction to create a rich experience with interweaving tales focusing on childhood, community and growing older. Refreshingly, Beeswing will have no combat or puzzles and will instead concentrate on characters and setting - something the aforementioned To The Moon managed so successfully.
    The visuals are already looking rather special, with Jack blending various styles such as watercolour, graphite sketches and clay animation to frame the game's narrative structure. Not only that, but he is also recording the game's musical score which is already sounding superb.
    The game has headed to Kickstarter to enable Jack to finish the project and he also plans to make a physical copy of the game to backers who pledge £35 or more. In fact, the Kickstarter rewards are incredibly generous, with a mere £5 netting you early access to the game, the game upon release and a selection of musical tracks. Throw £10 Jack's way and he'll give you all that plus five other games from various up-and-coming developers.
    The Kickstarter pitch is extremely humble and Jack is looking for a very modest £2250 to complete the project. As I write, he is fast approaching that total after just a few days on Kickstarter so it's looking good so far.
    In my opinion, we need more of this type of game, one which encourages creativity, careful thought and respect for the world around you - and the fact it has no combat is a real plus point in my book. It should be quite a journey and it's one I'm really looking forward to taking.
    Check out Jack's Kickstarter page HERE and pledge some cash if you like what you see.

Freedom Planet

Years of being mercilessly battered by critics have left Sonic the Hedgehog - that once proud, hi-top wearing flash of blue, sprawled face down on the canvas. Sure, he manages to occasionally drag his limp, bruised body over to the ropes and raise his bloodied face to give us a soupcon of fun - usually in something other than a platform game - but the old codger just hasn't been himself since the Nineties.

It's a shame, because on the Megadrive, the spiky hog was light years ahead of the competition, starring in several wonderful and perilous platform capers. Sonic's star might have faded since then, but rather than sit around and wait for some Cocoon-like rebirth, the team at GalaxyTrail Games have come up with something quite exciting - a frothy platformer which doffs its cap to Sega's old mascot, before zooming away on a madcap dash to the finish line.

Freedom Planet is the name and judging by the excellent demo, the dev team could be on to something of a winner. The game bears a striking resemblance to Sonic's old adventures, but GalaxyTrail have added a fresh injection of fun to the old formula by adding a dose of inspiration from Megaman and Gunstar Heroes.

Multi-tiered levels, unlockable characters with their own unique moves, infuriatingly catchy tunes and breathless platform action should ensure healthy sales and with a modest Kickstarter target already surpassed, this could be big.

Visit Freedom Planet's Kickstarter page to download the demo and see the game in action for yourself.

Radio the Universe

I’ve been on something of a crowd funding crusade of late, throwing my hard-earned cash around as if it were Monopoly money. That said, it has been an incredibly exciting few months, with some fabulous looking projects on the way, including Sui Generis, Maia, Richard & Alice, Ouya and the cheeky little scamp that is Spud’s Quest.

As if all this wasn’t enough, I’ve was tuned into Radio the Universe just before Christmas – a dark and brooding title which, according to developer 6e6e6e, takes its inspiration from games such as Zelda, Dark Souls, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Hotline Miami.

The mere mention of Dark Souls is enough for me to part with my cash instantly, but a quick glance at Radio the Universe’s screens actually brought to mind the overlooked and quirky DS RPG Contact – albeit with a darker edge.

The game hit its Kickstarter target of $12,000 within hours and has now reached all of its stretch goals, which promise to expand the game world, add secondary weapon systems and double the amount of cut scenes.

Head on over to Radio the Universe's Kickstarter page to find out more and see the game in action.

Kickstarter - Back a winner

Trying to keep up with the plethora of games looking for funding online is an almost impossible task. Every day, some new treasure pops up eager for your cash and saying no can be incredibly difficult, especially when some are only looking for £1 of your hard-earned.

When the big boys muscle their way to the front of the queue, attention inevitably falls on them, while the smaller games who are desperate for just a small slice of the action can be shoved to the side and fall out of favour with an audience always looking for the next big thing. Over the last week or so, a handful of titles have caught my eye on Kickstarter, but they are unfortunately struggling to meet their targets, with deadlines fast approaching. So, here are three of the games I'm currently backing - each covers a different genre, but all deserve a chance of being made.

Maia
Simon Roth describes his latest game as "Dungeon Keeper meets Dwarf Fortress on a primordial alien world". Still not convinced? Well, how about a return to the good old days of the god game, with a heavy 70s sci-fi vibe and atmospheric soundtrack?

There's plenty of reasons to love what Simon Roth has planned for this ambitious game and he's been doing 40+ hour shifts over the last few days to keep Maia's Kickstarter page fresh by answering questions and adding new content to the site. It would be a real shame if Maia didn't reach its Kickstarter target as it is definitely one of the most interesting projects currently looking for funding.

You can visit the Kickstarter page here but be quick - Maia only has five days left and the clock is ticking.

Edit: Maia has now been funded and Simon is now laying out the game's stretch goals. Well done to everyone who contributed.

Spud's Quest
A homage to games such as Dizzy, Metroid and the evergreen Zelda, Spud's Quest is packed with old school charm and, judging by the demo, plays beautifully. Developer Chris D is looking to raise £5000 to finish the game and polish it to retro perfection.

However, as things stand, old Spud is only half-way to his goal with seven days remaining. Download the demo, rediscover the golden age of gaming and then throw a couple of quid in Spud's direction if you can.

Visit the Spud's Quest's Kickstarter page to download the demo and back the project.

Edit: More good news: Spud's Quest has also passed its target with a few days to go. Phew!

Sui Generis
An open-world romp described as Grand Theft Auto meets Morrowind was an offer I couldn't refuse and after seeing what the team at Bare Mettle have up their sleeves, I'm really, really excited about Sui Generis.

It already looks pretty spectacular, with beautiful landscapes and stunning weather and lighting effects, but it is the robust physics engine which is the real star of the show. Not only does this have an effect on objects and items in the world, but it also means epic one-one-one battles are possible.

Combat packs a real punch, with meaty blows sending characters sprawling with well timed swings. With the groundwork in place, Bare Mettle are looking for funding to go full-time on the project to deliver the best game they possibly can.

With seven days to go, Sui Generis is half-way to its target. Find out more on the game's Kickstarter page.

Edit: Sui Generis hit its target with only six hours to go. I'm absolutely thrilled that all three of these games have been funded and can't wait to see how they progress as the months rolls on.