This Week in Kickstarter – Zombies, Ghosts, and Shark(tooth) Oh My!

This Week in Kickstarter we've got a way to brew coffee in your car, a horror game where you record ghosts, and an indie game about the zombie apocalypse. 

Indef

Humans are an endangered species after a virus nearly infects all of mankind.

After 87% of humanity has been infected by an unknown virus, you are one of the last left living. To survive, your character will have to be merciless. Betrayal and cannibalism are not off the list of options in this game. The world features a number of quests, characters, and tasks to complete.

Indef is cross-platform and can be played on PC, Mac, Linus, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. Zombies can shout to attract more dangerous zombies, and players will have to search for medicine and hunt for food.

The combat in this game looks rather dull, and I'm wondering what's the purpose of a shot gun or rifle if the pistol and one shot a zombie anyway?  I suppose the more dangerous one's may bring a challenge, but I'm not sensing any kind of challenge here, at least not with what's been presented. The multi-layered perspective looks nice, and the simple art style works to the game's strength of mobile/PC parity.

I think the developer is making a mistake having no plot in the game however. Without a plot the "MAD" actions my character takes have no context or weight, and therefore your hook of a world gone mad falls flat. Even just a little part in the beginning showing my life before this all started could go a long way towards showing how far I've sunk for survival.

Also, I don't mean to pick on the person who wrote this, but it's abundantly clear English is not their first language. That's perfectly fine but when pitching a game people need to know what they're funding, and some of the sentences I'm not 100% sure what the writer is saying.

I think there is some potential here for a fun distraction game on mobile, but the developer needs to expand and tighten up combat a little. And if you want people to fund you, you need to be clear what it is you're talking about. I like the idea of this tiny world I can explore when I have a free moment, so if this could get some serious polish, I'd be willing to buy it.

Forever Spin

A simple, elegant top that's built to last forever.

Aiming to get spinning tops back in the spotlight, Forever Spin is putting premium on the top market. Made in Canada and with aerospace-grade lathes, these tops are carved out of solid pieces of metal for precision and quality.

With this design quality, the top will last long and look aesthetically pleasing as a desk topper. Flipping the spinning area over doubles as a display. The spinning area is made of a "diamond-like" surface that has the lowest coefficient of friction possible. In other words, once you let 'er rip that sucker is going to spin and then some.

Paying for a classy looking desktop is one thing, but holy crap these tops are something else. A Damascus steel or solid 24k gold top? If someone is willing to pay that, then I can't really say this is a bad idea, and true to their word these tops do look pretty nice. I've never spent a night with my friends in our high-rise New York apartment spinning a top as we drink wine, but I'm sure that's what a person who can afford a Black Zirconium top would find fun. The spinning base is actually kind of interesting though, it would be coll to spin a top on that and watch it go.

Sylvio 2

An open world horror game where you record the dead with a portable camera.

Sylvio 2 is a single player, first person horror game set in an open world, and even broad daylight. You'll receive missions from the living and the dead. But be careful, some might try to hurt you if you get too close, so watch out.

Players take the role of a ghost recorder, exploring the remains of a park after a forest fire burned so much of it to the ground, and heavy rainstorms have flooded the place. You'll solve puzzles, explore the land, and search for spiritual activity.

What an interesting concept. It's almost like an audio version of Fatal Frame or something. The exploration I saw in the trailer made me hopeful for more than just a big open sandbox, but a place I'd want to explore! The lucid dreaming could make some interesting encounters, such as seeing the ghosts take a more physical form, or watching the landscape change, anything is possible really. But the idea is great and I'm interested to know more.

Mojoe

A travel mug-sized portable coffee maker that brews fresh coffee and tea on the go via car, wall, or rechargeable battery.

The Mojoe is a travel mug that brews coffee and tea on the go. Simply throw in the coffee and water, and hit brew. The Mojoe fits in car cupholders. It provides multiple power options as well, such as powering it through your car.

You can also store your coffee ahead of time and just brew it when you want. Water of any temperature can be used, as the device will heat it up to 200ºF. The water and coffee remain separate until you decide to start. You can load sugar and creamer before or after you start.

Mojoe seems like a really handy tool to have for your morning commute. I typically walk to work, and in the winter months having something like the Mojoe would be really useful for shaving time off my morning, since I could just make my coffee while I walk to work. Having all the ingredients there, but separate, and ready to go is fantastic and really makes this device handy without much prep. It's multiple ways of charging also make it very beneficial.

Magination

A magnetic, experimental, and creative game akin to a deck of cards.

Magination is less a game and more a tool for endless possible games, the same way a deck of cards or a set of dice are. The differently shaped magnetic pieces interact in interesting ways, allowing you to come up with your own games, or even just mess around. The pieces can even be used to build structures or figures.

There are three pieces in Magination. The single dot, the longer double, and the curved triple. These three interact by pushing and pulling on each other, and can be used to create a variety of games for any number of players. To really push the possibilities, Magination has its own online community where people can look up and rate games they've tried, or post their own.

I really like the concept behind Magination, and I could see it becoming a really fun Christmas present for kids. Even just for its potential educational value to children who can learn about magnets makes it really cool to me. Add to that the craziest game I could ever imagine playing at a party and Magination looks like a real good time. I seriously doubt their proposed community will be all that thriving, but the charm in this is figuring things out on your own anyway.

Sharktooth

Survive in style wearing a necklace pendant with real and practical application.

Sharktooth is your all in one fashionable survival necklace. Need a wrench, it can be it. Need a knife, it can cut it. With a micro-tooth saw, the necklace can make fine clean cuts. It can even be worn as an earring if you want.

The necklace can be a saw, a hammer punch, a flat head turner, and as you can guess an arrowhead too. It's designed to be whatever ever you need it to be when you need it and be ready at a moments notice.

There really isn't too much to say about this one, other than it certainly looks cool and if you're the outdoorsy type, this product could be of real value to you. It easily blends in with rugged survival gear and creates an interesting conversation piece in regular clothes. And being made in the U.S.A. doesn't hurt either.

Disclaimer: The author (Bryan Heraghty) does not back any Kickstarter projects he writes about, nor are any of these inclusions sponsoring TechRaptor. These projects are included solely because the author thinks they are interesting.

What are your thoughts on some of the Kickstarters we saw this week? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below! If you have a game or technology Kickstarter you think deserves attention, you can either comment below, email TechRaptor, or tweet @techraptr or @greyhoodedbryan your suggestion!