It’s hard to crowdfund a game, let alone make it! You have hundreds, if not thousands, of backers beckoning for it to come out and the responsibilities and stretch rewards to maintain. You have to communicate constantly, and the crazy thing with game development, anything can go wrong. So, it’s quite incredible that these KickStarter games were able to leave a mark on gaming history. Some you may not have known were crowdfunded!
Undertale
You might be surprised to know this, but Undertale was crowdfunded before you could even say, “I am filled with determination!” 2,398 backers pledged $51,124 to help bring Undertale to millions of gamers around the world. It’s funny to think it only had a mere $5000 goal. Since it’s launch on PC, it has been ported to every modern platform, has been critically acclaimed, and Undertale’s Megalovania has been listened to millions upon millions of times with many covers out there from fans of the game and even Video Games Live.
One of the main characters, Sans, has made it to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with a Mii costume, and Undertale has gained a Japanese following as Megalovania is a featured song in the taiko drum rhythm game Taiko No Tatsujin: Drum ‘n Fun. Toby Fox has never disclosed how much he has made, but with the game’s internet fame, he must be pretty wealthy! I’ve recently played the game for the first time after discounting it as a meme and nothing more for years, and I absolutely loved my time with it. I even talk about that in this article.
Shovel Knight
It’s hard to imagine a gaming world without Shovel Knight nowadays, but it was first funded on KickStarter for $311,502 with many stretch goals that Yacht Club Games just finished with the release of King of Cards late last year. It impressed fans and critics with its precise platforming, excellent level design, and sprite-based art style. The developers spent seven years on the project and had four expansions, a fighting game, and a card game included within King of Cards.
What must have helped with the development costs were the 2 million units sold across all platforms (according to PC Gamer), with most copies actually sold on Switch! The main character has appeared in so many games to the point of saturation, such as Blade Strangers, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Yooka Laylee, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and much more. Shovel Knight also has two more upcoming games in the works!
Divinity: Original Sin Series
Larian Studios’ major RPG hit, Divinity: Original Sin, was first KickStarted with $944,282 and 19,541 backers, and it has been received incredibly well by the gaming community. Players enjoy the game’s free-flowing storyline and incredibly robust battle system. In 2014, the game received over 100 Game of the Year awards across many websites, and it has an 87 Metacritic score.
It’s Enhanced Edition, one year later, had an even higher 94 Metacritic score! The game’s sequel eventually found its way onto Switch, too. The series became a best-seller for Larian Studios, and WCCFTech reported that the sequel made $85 million in revenue (and that was even before the Switch release). That’s a massive jump from the first game’s initial $944,282 crowdfunding!
What did we miss? And what were you surprised by, if any? Let us know in the comments below!
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