10 Crowdfunded Games That Actually Delivered

Hyper Light Drifter

Crowdfunded Games That Actually Delivered

Hyper Light Drifter has similarities to many games of the past. Whether that be in the stunning pixel-art style of the game, or the action RPG mechanics that might remind you of the likes of Diablo, there’s plenty to enjoy. It’s often described as a combination of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Diablo, so if you like anything in those games, you might enjoy Hyper Light Drifter.

It’s also one of the most successful crowdfunded games of all time. Alex Preston, the game’s creator, initially aimed to only get around $27,000 dollars through Kickstarter. However, the phase ended up making more than $600,000, which is more than 20 times the initial goal. The PC version has also settled at 84 on Metacritic, and fan reviews are almost entirely positive. 

Pillars of Eternity

Crowdfunded Games That Actually Delivered

Before its release on PC in March 2015, Pillars of Eternity held the record for the video game that made the most money from crowdfunding. Its initial $1.1 million goal was lofty, but the game ended up taking just shy of $4 million from 73,986 backers. It comes as no surprise, then, that a sequel released earlier this year. Reviews from both the press and players also prove how much of a success it was, sitting at 8.3 from more than 2000 user reviews on Metacritic.

The game is an old-school, isometric RPG from Obsidian, and it’s phenomenal in almost every aspect. The compelling story, beautiful visuals, and engaging combat kept it in line with the likes of Baldur’s Gate that inspired it. The new sequel built on both the gameplay and the crowdfunding legacy, garnering support to the figure of $4.5 million in just one day.

Torment: Tides Of Numenera

Crowdfunded Games That Actually Delivered

Torment: Tides Of Numenera is another game that set a record for the amount of money taken during a Kickstarter campaign. While it reached its $900,000 goal in just six hours, it went on to make more than $4 million. It may have taken a while to release, being pushed back to Feb. 2017 after an initial release window of Dec. 2014, but that was probably due to the added scope that the funding allowed for. When it finally released, it settled at 81 on Metacritic.

As a spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment, Tide of Numenera is an RPG set in the titular fantasy world. Rather than focusing on combat and inventory management, like other popular RPGs, it is a story-driven experience that puts interaction with the characters that inhabit the world at the center of everything you do.

FTL: Faster Than Light

Crowdfunded Games That Actually Delivered

FTL: Faster Than Light has the perfect balance between difficulty and reward. It is a rogue-like game that sees you control a spaceship and set out on a journey of discovery. The wonderfully designed, randomized levels, and the ship customization options, are enough to make the threat of permanent death worth facing. It’s certainly tough, but the controls are intuitive and the gameplay is consistently enjoyable. It made $200,542 from 9,818 backers before it came to PC in 2012, with iOS being the only platform it’s come to since. Subset Games’ second title, Into the Breach, released earlier in 2018 to an even higher level of critical and commercial praise.

Divinity: Original Sin Series

Crowdfunded Games That Actually Delivered

Both Divinity: Original Sin and its sequel have been Kickstarter successes. The fantasy RPG series started on PC in the summer of 2014, after making $944,282 from the crowdfunding phase. It should be no surprise that just a few years later, the second game’s 42,713 backers funded the game to the tune of $2,032,434, even though the aim was only slightly higher than that of the original.

Critics lauded the second game’s wonderfully realized world, deep combat, and varied cast of interesting characters. It is considered to be one of the best RPGs of the last few years, and sold more than a million copies during its first month on sale. The two games sit at 94 and 93 respectively on Metacritic, and the second game was an honorable mention in our best multiplayer experiences of 2017 list. The Divinity series is an example of how well crowdfunding can work.

Shovel Knight

Crowdfunded Games That Actually Delivered

On Shovel Knight’s Kickstarter page, the developers refer to the title as “A groundbreaking love letter to 8 bits!” and that couldn’t be more true. You’ll probably know just what it’s like, since it is on almost any platform imaginable at this point,  but should you not, it is a stunningly designed 2D platformer with challenging gameplay and a beautiful style. It’s also a wonderful throwback to the platformers of old. We were also glowing in our review, like many publications, giving it five out of five.

It made a modest $311,502, with an initial goal of just $75,000, but the money has clearly been spent wisely. Not only is it a quality experience, but the game has made its way to every console and handheld, and even Amazon Fire TV. Two additional campaigns have also been released, with another to follow this year, so there’s loads of content for anyone who backed it early to return to.

Elite Dangerous

Crowdfunded Games That Actually Delivered

Elite Dangerous is the fourth game in the Elite series, but was crowdfunded after the developer was unable to secure a funding deal. Before its release at the end of 2014, the Kickstarter campaign made £1,578,316, from 25,681 backers. That’s a huge amount of money, compared to other crowdfunded video games, but it was actually just over the initial goal. The game was able to sell 500,000 copies by April 2015, however, earning the developers an estimated $22 million dollars. If you’ve not played it before, Elite Dangerous is an online-focused space adventure that sees you trade and fight other players in a map that’s based on our own Milky Way.

Undertale

Crowdfunded Games That Actually Delivered

Having taken just $51,124 from 2,398 backers during its funding phase, Undertale might not initially seem like that much of a success. However, since its goal was set at just $5000, the fact of the matter is that Undertale actually made more than 10 times what it aimed to. 

It’s also a fantastic little game. It’s a charming RPG that follows a young child who has fallen into a secluded region below the surface of the Earth, called the Underground. During your journey to return to the surface, you come across loads of interesting characters and enemies to take on. It was praised across the board, critically, when it released, with the focus being on the excellent writing and combat. It hit 92/100 on Metacritic when it was on PC, and has since made its way to PS4, PS Vita, and Nintendo Switch.

Night in the Woods

Crowdfunded Games That Actually Delivered

Night in the Woods smashed its funding target on Kickstarter in just over a day, going on to get over 400% of the initial $50,000 goal with 7,000 backers. The game sees you play as Mae, a young feline who returns to her hometown after college to find that not everything is how she remembers, or how she hoped. She wants to mess around, break things, and generally be a nuisance, but her friends now have jobs and responsibilities – things which Mae is trying her best to ignore.

The gameplay varies throughout, switching from light platforming, to rhythm game, to puzzle game at a moment’s notice. However, it’s the characters and writing that stand out. The conversations between characters feel incredibly natural, and your ability to decide who Mae spends her time with makes the tale more compelling. It’s sweet, funny, beautiful, and it’s no surprise that it was a successful crowdfunding campaign, making its way to PS4, PC, Switch, and Xbox One. The PC version hit 88 on Metacritic, and we named it our Best Indie of 2017 late last year.

The Banner Saga

Crowdfunded Games That Actually Delivered

It’s pretty clear that The Banner Saga was a success just looking at the fact that we’re now awaiting the release of a third game in the series. The original was released in early 2014 for PC and mobile after a successful Kickstarter campaign that saw it take $723,886, which was more than seven times the target.

The game is a tactical, turn-based RPG set in a world inspired by Norse mythology. Following the stories of two different characters, the fates of which can be impacted by the choices you make, you face off against a race called Dredge that despises humans. The combination of the great combat system, compelling story, and beautiful art style make it a wonderful experience. Since its initial release, it’s come to PS4 and Xbox One, and it’s coming to Switch sometime in 2018. Each of the games have also reviewed well, both settling at over 80 on Metacritic.