Crowdfunding is something that is often met with skepticism or flat-out hate these days within the games industry. The idea initially sounds amazing with people able to directly back the projects they want that may never get made through traditional means, getting special rewards if they support it enough.
But, a long history of con-men and broken promises has shattered that idealized dream. People have been burned enough that even honest crowdfunding projects are looked at less fondly. But this bad reputation isn’t entirely accurate as the number of incredible games that have come from crowdfunding easily outweighs the failure. So, rather than ragging on crowdfunding like the others, here are some of the best games that were made through the support of the people.
10/10 Outer Wilds
Sometimes crowdfunding isn’t enough on its own to make a game, but it can certainly be a lot of help, such was the case for Outer Wilds. Outer Wilds is a sci-fi narrative exploration game that sees you exploring a tiny solar system, trying to solve mysteries and ancient history all while stuck in a time loop.
The game got initial funding from a Fig campaign after its alpha as a college project got a good amount of attention, but this proved only a tiny step as afterward the project was picked up by Annapurna Interactive who gave a much larger budget. Since release, the game has earned lots of praise for its unique mechanics and story, with some calling it one of the best of all time.
9/10 Night in the Woods
Crowdfunding is important for indies in that it allows for games to be made that would be too niche for general audiences or publishers, niche experiences that are still powerful and important such as Night in the Woods. Night in the Woods sees you control Mae, a college dropout, as they return home to figure out who they are.
Night in the Woods was a massive Kickstarter success, getting its funding in little over a day and getting far more funding than required to help polish up the game. Night in the Woods is a game with an important story to tell of mental health, being an outcast, and finding yourself in a way that feels real, but through crowdfunding, it managed to still be told.
8/10 Bug Fables
Crowdfunding is something that allows for developers to listen to what fans truly want, so if a franchise has begun to falter and fail, indies can sweep in to give them everything they want, such as with Bug Fables. Bug Fables is an RPG in the style of Paper Mario following 3 bug adventurers as they team up on a grand quest.
After a bit of long development with progress and brainstorming posted on Tumblr, Bug Fables posted an Indiegogo with a demo that managed to just reach its funding. The game was released to plenty of praise from those who had wished for something like the older Paper Mario games but also for the unique mechanics it brings and the wonderful cast of characters.
7/10 A Hat in Time
On the topic of crowdfunding giving people a taste of things the industry is lacking, we have another appeal to the people with A Hat in Time. A Hat in Time is a 3D platformer that sees you controlling a strange kid going across a mysterious land to collect timepieces to fuel your spaceship.
The game struck a positive note with people and the Kickstarter was a massive success, getting ten times their funding request! The game itself has become quite beloved with its unique world and level design, lovable characters, and wonderful platforming, not to mention the small revival of 3D platformers that came with it.
6/10 Monster Prom
Crowdfunding is all about new and strange ideas, breaking the mold with innovation and that is something games certainly need, and some projects deliver excellently on that, such as Monster Prom. Monster Prom is a multiplayer dating sim that sees up to four players all competing to try to woo a certain monstrous classmate through strange silly events.
The unique idea led to the Kickstarter being a massive success, getting four times its funding which allowed for loads of extra content and voice acting. The game itself has become beloved for its strange but humorous writing and hilarious cast of characters, the multiplayer aspect only making it all shine brighter.
5/10 Shovel Knight
Sometimes innovation isn’t what people want. Sometimes people just want a taste of the past, and that’s exactly what Shovel Knight gave them. Shovel Knight is a 2D platformer in the style of old NES games, seeing the player having to take out eight knights with their trusty shovel.
Shovel Knight was a massive Kickstarter success as it got six times its funding and managed to add in a lot more content. The game itself has become a face for indie games as not only is the game itself great for perfectly emulating its inspirations while also adding something new, but the game has also spun off into a massive franchise with three more games and many cameos.
4/10 Psychonauts 2
It’s not just indies that can get help from crowdfunding. Sometimes even larger studios can make use of it to help a game be as good as it possibly can be and this ended up being the case for Psychonauts 2. Psychonauts 2 was the long-awaited sequel to the original Psychonauts, a 3D platformer that saw you enter the minds of others to solve their problems.
The project was announced with a Kickstarter that helped the studio get what they needed to make a truly modern game… But even that wasn’t enough as they found themselves with development trouble and delays until finally they were picked up by Microsoft. But it was worth it in the end as Psychonauts 2 gave fans everything they wanted and more.
3/10 Omori
Despite the praises crowdfunding is getting here, it’s not a perfect system. Just like any other method of game-making, complications can always arise and crowdfunding can sometimes make them worse, like in the case of Omori. Omori is a game that sees you take control of a strange reclusive teen as you explore both their dreams and reality in order to figure out what is going on and why everything is the way it is.
Despite being a runaway Kickstarter success, Omori found itself with extreme development problems. It ended up taking 6 years to make with little to no communication which made some people think it was a scam. But upon release, all of that was forgotten as the game was quickly beloved for the incredible story it had to tell.
2/10 Hollow Knight
Sometimes crowdfunding can strike gold and find something that gamers have been craving for ages, something that can influence the whole industry for ages to come. This was the case for Hollow Knight and its success. Hollow Knight is a Metroidvania that sees you delving into a lost kingdom of bugs to explore around and uncover the mysteries of the kingdom.
The kickstarter of the game proved a decent success with close to double the funding needed, allowing them to create a lot more content for the game. The game was released to universal praise for the wonderful art direction, fantastic combat, interesting world, and sheer amount of content it had. It was so popular, it kicked off a boom of indie Metroidvania games.
1/10 Undertale
Sometimes crowdfunded games overshoot their goal and end up a lot more popular and bigger than people expected. The goals sometimes get overshot by a lot more, and then you have cases like Undertale. Undertale is an RPG that sees you falling into an underground full of monsters, left with the choice of whether to kill or spare them as you try to get home.
Undertale is perhaps the biggest crowdfunding success in gaming as with its unique premise and fourth wall breaks, the game easily earned 10 times its funding and made development quite secure. The game itself has gone on to be perhaps one of the most important games ever made, becoming beloved widely for its characters, story, and unique mechanics to the point that it is instantly recognizable in all of pop culture.
