This Kickstarter, which launched yesterday and is already fully funded, seems to be getting some traction in the games media, and for good reason.
It's a rogue-like with a very nice artstyle that seems heavily influenced by Mike Mignolia (of Hellboy fame), where the twist isn't that you'll eventually die (you will), but that your party consists of people with individual personalities, quirks and outright insanities that develop and change based on what they're going through. What do you do if one of your characters keeps mumbling about how you're all going to die, bringing the morale of the party down? What do you do when you wake up after sleeping, only to find that your fighter has eaten the entire party's rations during the night because of an irrational fear of hunger? Should you really bring along that character with a phobia against undead when you're raiding a crypt?
From the description on the Kickstarter page:
Features:Uncompromising, unforgiving, and unconventional, we present a fresh take on the dungeon crawler that elevates the importance of sound tactics and a character's mental state over their gear.
You will recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes through twisted forests, forgotten warrens, ruined crypts and beyond. You'll battle not only unimaginable foes, but stress, famine, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark. Uncover strange mysteries, and pit the heroes against an array of fearsome monsters with an innovative strategic turn-based combat system.
You will have to tend to characters’ spirits as much as you do to their Hit Points. But in these grim situations, you'll find opportunities for true heroism!
Darkest Dungeon is not a game where every hero wins the day with shiny armor and a smile. It is a game about hard trade-offs, nearly certain demise, and heroic reversals.
Do you have what it takes to survive in the forgotten corners of the Darkest Dungeon?
The estimated release date is the beginning of 2015.
- The Affliction System – heroes' personalities are paramount! Contend with paranoia, abusiveness, fear, irrationality, and a host of gameplay-meaningful quirks
- Striking hand-drawn gothic crowquill art style
- Innovative turn-based combat pits you against a host of diabolical monsters
- Classic CRPG and roguelike features, including meaningful permadeath, procedural dungeons, and incredible replay
- A distinctive game world featuring over a dozen unique playable character classes such as the Plague Doctor, the Highwayman, and even the Leper!
- Town meta-game – tend to your heroes wounds, both corporeal and cerebral
- Loot! Gold, jewels, heirlooms, and mystical trinkets. Not to mention upgradable armor, weapons, and consumable supplies.
- Things That Once Seen Can Never Be Unseen...
I'm in at the Adventurer level.