RPGamer's semi-regular Kickstarter Check-In returns to showcase more currently-running Kickstarter funding campaigns for RPGs. This time out we take a look at three campaigns: Digital Sun Games' Moonlighter, Broc Copeland's Guardians of the Rose, and Cultic Games' Stygian.
 

Moonlighter

Developer Digital Sun Games went through Square Enix's Collective program to gain support and advice for its campaign for Moonlighter. Described as an "A[ction]RPG with rogue-lite and shopkeeping elements", the game stars Will, a young shopkeeper with grander ambitions of being a hero. He puts his heroic plans to use in his store, selling the treasures he finds from diving into nearby dungeons to the shop's patrons.

Moonlighter's dungeons are randomly-generated and home to various enemies and five tough bosses, with weapons, items, and gold waiting for Will to claim them. Players start with a hundred coins and basic equipment and will alternate between town and dungeon sections. In town players will put things up for sale and potentially upgrade their shop to earn more cash or upgrade and craft items to help Will out in the dungeons. Different customers have their own behaviours and willingness to spend, with some requesting specific items that Will can attempt to find for a hefty pay-off. Other shops and merchants can also be found in Will's hometown of Rynoka if he needs to purchase things himself.

Dungeons themselves are accessed through special gates that transport those who enter into a different Realm. Fortunately, those who fall to the aggressive creatures inside these Realms do not die, but are instead kicked back out of the relevant gate, albeit without the majority of their carried items. As there is no direct levelling mechanic, Will's stats are entirely determined by the equipment he wields. There are a variety of weapon types available and Will can also find scrolls that bestow different skills.

Digital Sun Games plans to release Moonlighter for PC, Mac, and Linux — with an initially planned release date of March 2017 — before later bringing the game to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The developer is looking for $40,000 in funding by July 3, 2016, with those who pledge at least $15 receiving a copy of the game as part of their backer rewards.

Guardians of the Rose

Guardians of the Rose is a 2D action RPG from developer Broc Copeland that looks to combined classic Zelda- and Gauntlet-style gameplay with RPG elements similar to those of the Elder Scrolls series. The game is designed to allow open-ended exploration with a high fantasy setting where magic and witchcraft are at odds.

In the game's backstory, the Great Witches were vanquished by heroes that brought their own magical forces, teaching it to world's inhabitants. Witchcraft was been banned and its practitioners hunted down by the Royal Guard. However, some of the Royal Guard ended up corrupted by witchcraft and fell under the control of the Great Witches, who used them to regain control of the kingdom. Players are put in control of a group aiming to overthrow the witches' rule once more and known as the Guardians of the Rose.

Players will be given some freedom in how they go about trying to overthrow the witches. Examples offered are to try to sow discord from the shadows or try and wage open war against them. Player characters have five stats they can invest points in at each level-up with various types of equipment that can be enchanted, though some types of equipment can mark the player as a magic or witchraft user. There are also plenty of recruitable allies, however, if players are not careful about who they get to join their cause they might find their cover blown.

The developer plans to release Guardians of the Rose first for PC, Mac, and Linux — with an initial delviery esitmate of May 2017 — and then for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The Kickstart campaign is looking for $7,500 in funding by June 23, 2016, with those who pledge at least $15 receiving a copy of the game as part of their backer rewards (with a limited number of $10 tiers available at the time of writing).

Stygian

Cultic Games turns to Lovecraft for Stygian. Inspired by classic cRPGs, Stygian uses an illustrated graphical style and turn-based combat in a world featuring various aspects from Lovecraft's works.

Players create their own character, selecting from various character archetypes to help determine their origin and specialities as well as determining which of the game's prologues is used. There are also various attributes, skills, and perks, with the chosen belief system also affecting things and offering unique dialogue options. The belief system also helps determine how well players retain and regain their sanity points depending on their actions and the events they witness.

They can be joined in the party by up to two NPCs, such as the Nameless Soldier and the Outsider, with their own eccentric personalities and different potential reactions to the horrific situations at hand. Crafting also plays an important role in the game to create various items and gadgets for use in combat. Magick is also available but as the game is based on the works of Lovecraft, its usage comes at a cost, be it sanity, health, attributes, or morality.

Cultic Games is looking for €55,000 in funding for Stygian by July 1, 2016, with those who pledge at least €15 receiving a copy of the game as part of their backer rewards. The game is being devloped for PC, Mac, and Linux with an initial estimated delivery date of November 2017.

Please note that RPGamer's crowdfunding coverage is solely at staff discretion. Campaigns may send a press release to news@rpgamer.com, but are asked to please not personally petition RPGamer staff via e-mail or social networking. Coverage is not guaranteed. Thank you!

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