Welcome back to the fourth Kickstarter Weekly. We know that you might expect a Christmas-themed article. Turns out you’re wrong. Instead, we’ll cover games about monsters. Not that I have anything against Christmas—and I wish all of our readers a (late) merry Christmas or happy holiday. It’s just that there’s a lack of Christmas-themed games on Kickstarter. But it doesn’t matter, because I’m sure games like The Hat Man: Shadow Ward and Long Night will get you in the (late) Christmas spirit by preparing you for next year’s Halloween.
The Hat Man: Shadow Ward
Project by: Game Mechanics LLC
Goal: $1
Current Funds: $1,074
End: January 3, 2014
I noticed The Hat Man: Shadow Ward when I saw that the game was funded by 107,400%. When I clicked the project, I found out how the game could be funded by so much. They had asked for $1, and their backers had pledged $1,074. It’s not a joke project, though. Not only is it a legitimate strategy to raise funds for licensing fees, but Game Mechanics LLC backed up their credentials with footage of their game.
The Hat Man: Shadow Ward is created in the same vein as Slender or Amnesia. Players are powerless as The Hat Man stalks them in what looks like a psychiatric ward. Interestingly enough, the game was created by a former paranormal investigator who claims that the Hat Man is based on a true story. Regardless of your belief in ghosts, the developers took some of the lore surrounding him (It?) and implemented it into the game. For instance, you’ll notice the Hat Man first from the corner of your eye, and you’ll experience temporary paralysis as he creeps closer to you. You can’t fight him; you can only use stealth in desperate hope that he won’t catch you and eat your soul—Ha! Yeah, right!
Game Mechanics LLC sent copies of the game to Twitch TV users, and they compiled their reactions for their Kickstarter trailer—why not let the game do the talking, after all. While it’s difficult to tell how scary a game will be based on watching someone else play—I never could see the Hat Man whenever they claimed to—they’re reactions seemed genuine, and it should appeal to anyone who enjoyed Slender or Amnesia. If you’re interested, check out Game Mechanics LLC’s Kickstarter.
Long Night
Project by: Trickster Face
Goal: $10,000 (CAD)
Current Funds: $5,163 (CAD)
End: January 3, 2014
Remember when survival horror wasn’t synonymous with action/adventure? Trickster Face does, unless they’re putting on a facade like the company’s name suggests; however, it would be an elaborate facade, as they have a full-fledged demo and gameplay footage that shows off an excellent looking survival horror game based on old-school design.
Trickster Face created Long Night in similar vein to classic horror titles such as Silent Hill and Resident Evil. The plot begins with a group of teenagers telling ghost stories at camp and having a laugh. They soon regret that, as their stories come to life. One of the teenagers, David, has to save his friends while confronting the darkness in their hearts and perhaps in his own.
The trailer for Long Night promises a look at the horror that’s between reality and supernatural. As promised, the game features camera angles reminiscent of classic Silent Hill and Resident Evil, and the light dimly illuminates enough of the path before being swallowed by the darkness. And even though the characters look ugly, the lighting effects provide the perfect atmosphere—true horror is ugly, after all.
I haven’t had time to check out the demo; however, I have checked out some footage of gameplay. If the videos accurately reflect the final product, then I can say this is a dream game for me and other old-school survival horror fans. It has puzzles, boss fights, scary moments, and fight-or-flight moments. The curious thing that I don’t remember from classic horror titles is sidequests, but I trust that Trickster Face knows what it’s doing.
Check out their Kickstarter to play the demo and see if Long Night scratches the old survival horror itch.
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.
