2015 has come and gone, which means it's a good opportunity to take a look back at the ten most funded crowdfunded games of 2015.
Here are the ground rules for this list:
- Games funded through any crowdsourcing site are viable (Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, fig, etc.)
- Only games that have been funded 100% can make the list.
- No outside sources (Paypal for Kickstarter), or after-campaign sources (Slacker-Bakcer, InDemand) are included in the totals.
- All games that kicked off their campaigns between January 1st 2015 and December 31st 2015 are eligible.
- All funding amounts are compared in USD. Those that are in another currency are converted using the exchange rate from the day the campaign ended.
- The Kickstarter Funding Rank is the position it garnered on the Video Game section of Kickstarter. The If on Kickstarter Funding Rank plots where the campaign would have ended up had it been included in the Video Game section of Kickstarter.
10. Muv-Luv Trilogy
Total Funds: $1,255,444
Total Backers: 7,890
Average Pledge Per Backer: $159.11
Kickstarter Funding Rank: 25
The localization of visual novels through Kickstarter has become a regular occurrence. This year a new funding champion has emerged for the genre - the Muv-Luv Trilogy. While the Muv-Luv series originally started out as a simple high school VN, it eventually took a hard swerve turning into a sci-fi epic with aliens and mechas. This Kickstarters aim was to officially localize the trilogy (Muv-Luv [Extra], Muv-Luv [Unlimted], and Muv-Luv Alternative) for the first time ever.
The Kickstarter campaign was a massive success and it hit all of its stretch goals, which included: Muv-Luv improvements (new OSTs, new content), Android and Vita ports, a Muv-Luv Codex, the localization and inclusion of two side-stories from the PS3 port, and a physical version of the Codex. The game is currently set to release on Windows PC this coming spring.
9. The Bards Tale IV
Total Funds: $1,519,680
Total Backers: 33,741
Average Pledge Per Backer: $45.03
Kickstarter Funding Rank: 23
InXile are well-known veterans of Kickstarter and the former holders of the record for top-funded video game on Kickstarter. This time around the company decided to revive an old property that hasnt seen a true release for over 27 years. The Bards Tale IV will include everything fans loved from the originals, including challenging dungeon crawling and Gaelic music.
The campaign was able to hit four of its stretch goals, including: enhanced companion system, enhanced crafting system, Monte Cook joining the staff and creating a dungeon, and the RPG Super Team (Bruce Cordell, Wolfgang Baur, and Sean K Reynolds) will each design a dungeon. The Bards Tale IV will be releasing on Windows PC, Mac, and Linux in the fall of 2017.
8. Crowfall
Total Funds: $1,766,204
Total Backers: 16,936
Average Pledge Per Backer: $104.28
Kickstarter Funding Rank: 20
When you describe your new game as Game of Thrones meets EVE Online, youre going to need a lot to back it up. While its hard to say until the product is in our hands, what we've seen of Crowfall so far makes me feel that they might just pull it off. Being an MMO game, the first question you want to know the answer to is, will it need a subscription? Luckily Crowfall is following the recent trend of Buy to Play; you just need to buy a single copy of the game and thats it.
The games Kickstarter campaign was a great success and its actually the only truly original IP in a sea of sequels and spiritual successors that makes up this list. Crowfalls campaign was able to hit all of its stretch goals, including female centaurs, character mounts, VR (Oculus Rift and HTC Vive) support, minotaur archetype, and combat-enabled pet companions. The games pre-alpha released this past November on Windows PC, with an official release slated for 2016.
7. Indivisible
Total Funds: $1,867,515
Total Backers: 30,448
Average Pledge Per Backer: $61.33
Indiegogo Funding Rank: 1
If on Kickstarter Funding Rank: 19
This past winter Lab Zero returned to Indiegogo, but instead of another Skullgirls-related campaign they launched a campaign for a new game called Indivisible. Indivisible is an action RPG that draws inspiration from different South Asian cultures, from both the region's architecture and its mythology. While the battle system of the game does take some inspiration from Valkyrie Profile, Lab Zero have added their own twist to the system from the knowledge they acquired working on Skullgirls.
Indivisible includes a diverse cast of party members (Incarnations), each of which functions and fights quite differently from the others. The game will include some Metroidvania elements, such as being able to find secrets when returning to older sections of the game. During its campaign, Indivisible was able to hit its first stretch goal which was to include more music from Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana). Due to the campaign being InDemand on Indiegogo, Indivisible was also able to hit its second stretch goal for an animated opening by Titmouse (Superjail!, China, IL and Metalocalypse) and a mystery anime studio. Indivisible will be releasing on Windows PC, Mac, Linux, PS4 and Xbox One in late 2017.
6. Divinity: Original Sin 2
Total Funds: 2,032,434
Total Backers: 42,713
Average Pledge Per Backer: $47.58
Kickstarter Funding Rank: 16
Larian Studios found both financial and critical success with the Kickstarted RPG Divinity: Original Sin, which was funded back in the spring of 2013. This past fall Larian Studios returned to the crowdfunding site in order to help fund the games sequel, Divinity: Original Sin 2. Calling their second Kickstarter a success would be to put it lightly; the project doubled the amount of money raised and backers in comparison to its predecessor. Larian Studios' goal for D:OS2 is to refine the core mechanics of the original and add new mechanics as well. The game will include a revamped dialog system with more depth, as well as a new crafting system to combine various character skills.
Divinity: Original Sin 2s campaign was able to hit all ten of the stretch goals that Larian Studios announced during the campaign. The unlocked stretch goals include the following: Strategist Mode (smarter and stronger enemies), Racial Skills (Wood Elfs being able to summon a tree army and so on), Undead Origins (Undead playable race), dedicated mod support, and Game Master Mode (an in-game version of the editor). Divinity: Original Sin 2 will be releasing on Windows PC in late 2016/early 2017.
5. BATTLETECH
Total Funds: $2,785,537
Total Backers: 41,733
Average Pledge Per Backer: $66.74
Kickstarter Funding Rank: 9
This year alone Harebrained Schemes launched two different Kickstarter campaigns. And while their Shadowrun: Hong Kong campaign was able to make the first half of 2015 list, it didnt earn enough to make this one. Luckily for them their second Kickstarter of 2015, BATTLETECH, become their biggest Kickstarter success yet, and was able to secure 5th place on this list. The aim of this newest campaign was to bring the beloved world of BattleTech back into the medium of video games, although unlike its action-based MechAssault predecessor this newest entry is a tactical turn-based strategy game set during the Succession Wars Era in the BattleTech universe.
Harebraineds BATTLETECH Kickstarter campaign was a great success, with it being able to hit all thirteen of its stretch goals. Here are just some of the stretch goals the campaign hit: single player story campaign, player character Origin Stories, voice acting, expanded mission objectives, expanded Mercenary campaign, legendary mechs, and player vs player multiplayer. BATTLETECH is currently in development for Windows PC, Mac and Linux with a release planned for the spring of 2017.
4. Yooka-Laylee
Total Funds: £2,090,104
Total Backers: 73,206
Average Pledge Per Backer: £28.55
Kickstarter Funding Rank: 7
While Banjo-Kazooie might never see the light of day again outside of Rare Replay, the duos souls live on in Yooka-Laylee. This new collect-a-thon platformer is being made by Playtonic Games, which is made up of mostly ex-Rare employees. Your goal is to find Pagies (not Jiggies, nor related in any way whatsoever
) that will help unlock more of the world as you progress.
The game will be lent the musical talents of David Wise (Donkey Kong Country) and Grant Kirkhope (Banjo-Kazooie). Like some of the other games on this list, Yooka-Laylee was able to hit all of its stretch goals thanks to massive fan support. Here are just some of the bonus extras that will make the game: boss battles every level, transformations, 2-4 local multiplayer mini-games, an N64 shader, and an orchestral music score. The game will release for Windows PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U later this year or early 2017.
3. Psychonauts 2
Total Funds: $3,829,024
Total Backers: 24,109
Average Pledge Per Backer: $158.82
fig Funding Rank: 1
If on Kickstarter Funding Rank: 7
Its hard to argue against the notion that Double Fine itself is responsible for the rise of the crowdfunded video game. While this new era has done some damage to consumer confidence (missed release dates, scams, underwhelming end products), it has also given us some of the best indie games ever created (Shovel Knight, Divinity: Original Sin, Darkest Dungeon, FTL, and more). Hoping to join those titles is Double Fines newest crowdfunded game (through their crowdfunding site fig), Psychonauts 2.
Double Fine announced the game that fans had written off as impossible during the 2015 Game Awards. The sequel will start directly from the cliffhanger of the first game, with Raz finally visiting Psychonauts HQ. But soon after his arrival Raz realizes that those at HQ need his help more than he needs theirs, so once again you will be jumping into the minds of others in order to fix/resolve their internal issues.
At the end of the fig campaign, Psychonauts 2 was able to beat its $3.3m goal by a little over half a million. Unlike any other game on this list, Double Fine didnt put up stretch goals for the campaign. Its quite possible that the example of Broken Age (Double Fine Adventure) warned them away from trying to bite off more than they can chew. While Double Fine received a significant amount of money for Psychonauts 2 via the crowdfunding campaign, they will also be getting money from an external partner and will be drawing on their own funds. Psychonauts 2 is set to release on Windows PC, Mac, Linux, PS4 and Xbox One in the fall of 2018.
2. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Total Funds: $5,545,991
Total Backers: 64,867
Average Pledge Per Backer: $85.49
Kickstarter Funding Rank: 2
Kickstarter has given life to numerous Metroidvania titles over the years but this year we got a campaign for the granddaddy of them all - a true IGAVANIA. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night follows Miriam, an orphan who must battle her way through a demon infested castle in order to undo the curse placed on her body.
The game will feature classic Igavania mechanics, including various weapon types, crafting, and special abilities. Bloodstained will be Igas biggest game to-date and will contain over 1,600 rooms. Also, fear not, Michiru Yamane will be composing the soundtrack for the game.
The Kickstarter campaign was a massive success and took the top-funded video game spot at the time by quite some margin. The campaign also hit all of its stretch goals, which included a second playable character, cheat codes, local co-op, Boss Rush mode, Classic mode, and Boss Revenge mode. The game will be releasing on Windows PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Vita, Xbox One, and Wii U in the spring of 2017.
1. Shenmue 3
Total Funds: $6,333,295
Total Backers: 69,320
Average Pledge Per Backer: $91.36
Kickstarter Funding Rank: 1
Bloodstaineds reign as the king didnt last long. Apparently the only thing that can topple a starved fanbase is an even more starved fanbase! After years of waiting, hoping, praying, begging, and crying the impossible has happened - Shenmue III exists. Not only does it exist, it is now the highest funded video game on Kickstarter and 6th highest funded Kickstarter ever. With a base goal of $2,000,000, Shenmue III became a reality within a day of funding. It even broke Kickstarter for the first few hours of the campaign.
Shenmue III will finally end the untold saga that fans have been clamoring for in any form for the past decade. No matter what fate awaits Ryo and his quest for sailors, we can rest easy knowing that the saga many have been waiting for will finally be ending. While Shenmue III is one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns, it did only achieve about half of its stretch goals, which went all the way up to $11 million. The developers have launched a slacker-backer campaign to give those who missed the Kickstarter a chance to pledge. So far slacker-backers have helped raise enough money to hit the $6,500,000 stretch goal which will add ragdoll reactions to the battle system.
Here is everything (and it is a lot) that will be added to the game thanks to these stretch goals: Shenmue 1 & 2 cinema shorts, Spanish translation, German translation, Italian translation, French translation, Rapport system, Skill Tree system, Baisha Village expanded mini-games, Baisha Village expanded infiltration mission, Baisha Village expanded additional quest, Baisha Village expanded battle event, Baisha Village expanded perspective system, Portuguese translation, and Expanded Advance Free Battle. The game will be releasing on Windows PC and PS4 in late 2017.
