For my 17th Kickstarter adventure, I’ve decided to travel to the city—two of them, actually. Both cities contain sights that are simultaneously fascinating and sinister. AdvertCity has its players devising product placement in a blank, stylized city. Still Alive is a 2D platformer in a post apocalyptic city where resources are scarce. Read on to determine which city is right for you—kind of like those Buzzfeed quizzes except for video games.
AdvertCity
Project by: VoxelStorm
Goal: £2,385
Current Funds: £1,200
End: April 14, 2014
One of the sad truths I’ve learned is that advertising affects me more than I thought it did. While I may scoff at a commercial for being stupid, I may ultimately buy a much-needed item based on brand-name recognition. Well, with VoxelStorm’s Kickstarter Project, AdvertCity, I can be the one who manipulates consumers into buying all the things!
What immediately strikes me odd about AdvertCity’s graphics is how blank the city is despite the hyper-stylized graphics. This seems rather appropriate. The city can be seen as a canvas, and you, the advertising artist with connections to a large network of Megacorps, determine what images the city will depict to its citizens. Even a few colorful, futuristic billboards is enough to turn this suffocatingly grey city into a colorful city that reminds me of a mixture of Blade Runner and Killer 7.
Your aim is to work for The SKY and outperform your competitors. In order to do that, you explore the city and cyberspace. The game plays in a first-person perspective, but, based on the trailer, you’re able to float anywhere you’d like. The city is procedurally generated, and it grows depending on how and what you choose to advertise. You have multiple Megacorps to choose as clients, but you need to pick carefully in order to solidify your reputation. You’re also given various means of advertising such as text ads, image ads, flyers, posters, billboards, and some secrets that won’t be unveiled until the game is funded.
AdvertCity seems like a game in which I could abuse my lust for power. It’s both interesting and terrifying to think about. They even list a stretch goal on their Kickstarter page that lists full online multiplayer. Just imagine manipulating the citizens in order to beat your online competitors. This game truly seems like a power rush.
Still Alive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwBCZdS81mc
Project by: Binji
Goal: $45,000
Current Funds: $1,653
End: April 24, 2014
Still Alive is comprised of a weird hybrid of genres that I never considered possible: “A 2D Multiplayer Platformer PVP Survival Game for PC, Mac & Linux.” It’s certainly a mouthful, but, based on the footage from their Kickstarter page, it definitely sounds promising.
The world of Still Alive has been ravaged by meteor showers, bringing with it catastrophes such as acid rain, sand storms, and other unpleasant forces of nature. The survivors of these catastrophes don’t get a chance to rest, as they have to deal with the monstrosities known as the Nexolyths. The humans must band together, but there’s a huge problem: resources are scarce.
Like in any platformer, survivors can run, jump, and climb the decimated concrete. Still Alive incorporates traditional survival mechanics, meaning you’ll need to keep your survivor well-fed, well-stocked, and, well, alive. You can band together with 10 other players online, who can help gather food by day and defend the fort (so to speak) at night. Of course, the interesting thing to take note is the team dynamics. Not everyone is a team player, and some will only look out for themselves—it’s inevitable. This is especially true considering that the atmosphere is poisonous, and the antidote is the scarcest resource in the game.
Still Alive takes my favorite genre and incorporates an interesting multiplayer component and crafting system. The game looks like it has potential, even though it’s currently in a pre-alpha state. The team breaks down the specific division of the funding on their Kickstarter page, but it’s important to note that the city will be five times larger in the final build, and it will include locations such as parks and other things you’d find in the city.
Other Projects?
Have you seen any interesting projects on Kickstarter that you think deserve mention? Are you a developer who is currently running a Kickstarter campaign? Let us know in the comments section, or send an email to garrett@thekoalition.com.
