This Week In Kickstarter we've got a personalized sunrise, a game thats part Uncharted and part Dark Souls, and custom audio for tabletop gaming.
Little Devil Inside
Part Dark Souls, part Uncharted, and part Wind Waker, this is a strong looking indie game of supernatural investigation!Little Devil Inside is a 3D action adventure RPG where you discover a world that exists beyond. You'll fight humans, demons, and monsters of all kinds. However the main focus is taking in the enriching atmosphere in the games peculiar and engaging art style. Little Devil Inside tells the ordinary day to day of the extraordinary jobs these characters have. The game can be played solo or in co-op.
A world players will become familiar with through interactions rather than predefined plot points, and a reward based combat system are the crux of the gameplay. Player will be free to make their own choices, though there will be a main plot for players to follow. There will be several guided missions and mini-missions, but the way to the end is up to the player.
We wish to put our efforts and focus on all the means to an end where players can engage and experience the world and the happenings that arise in the world - to an extent where the main plot may not be very relevant at times.
Players will hack and slash, blast and confront various threats in combat, while coping with the "nothing is free" survival system. You'll need to work for rewards and even basic survival. Players can also buy, trade, or find various weapons and items to make use of. You can upgrade your sword or rifle, buy and earn vehicles for your party, and upgrade those vehicles for speed, power, and maneuverability.
This is one of the strongest looking games I have seen on Kickstarter. The presentation, immersive world, and engaging graphics grabbed me instantly. The combat looks exciting, and seems to have a real weight to it. The game looks fantastic at 60fps, and I could see myself losing hours upon hours exploring the interesting world with friends, or on my own.
Little Devil Inside has raised $27,355 of its $250,000 at the time of writing. The Kickstarter has until May 25, 2015.
Wakē - Welcome to the Dawn of Bedroom Robotics
A modern alarm clock that wakes you with a custom sunrise and focused sounds.Wakē is a new take on the classic alarm clock that takes away the angry buzzing common to most alarm clocks, opting for a modern take that gently wakes you up, without disturbing another person in your bed. The device takes only a minute to set up above your bed. When it's time to wake up, Wakē uses a body heat sensor to detect where you are. It then uses a focuses beam of sound and light to wake you without waking your partner. The effect is such that it should feel like you naturally awoke.
Wakē starts with a dim light and soft sound, both of which gradually intensify until you awaken, leaving your partner to continue snoozing, reportedly even if they are close to you.
I have to admit I'm intrigued by the little device, using such a simple approach to assist in an age old problem. The worst part in the morning is getting up and the aggressive screaming of your alarm clock, though helpful in the waking part, sucks in making your morning in less of a living hell. This product could be a great solution to that every day aspect of life. Indeed in retrospect, it seems a tad odd that we see innovations every day in the entertainment areas of life, yet little in the most basic things like waking up.
At the time of writing Wakē has earned $67,078 of its $100,000 goal. The project has until May 30, 2015.
Realmsound Project 2.0
Custom ambiance for tabletop gaming!Recognizing how common it is to use soundtracks from fantasy films and YouTube playlists of "Epic Fantasy Orchestral 1 Hour," The Orange County Gaming Group thought up a solution, ambient audio catering to various scenarios, wrapped in a single package: The Realsound Project.
Ground shaking thunder, the charging of an orc hoard, a sorrowful howl of an undead, and other ambient music and sound come with the Realmsound Project. Music is split into two categories: Actual and Ambient. Actual means music and sound that is supposed be happening in-game created by characters (aka diagetic sound). Ambient is music used by the GM to establish a mood for the adventure.
While tabletop largely thrives on using your own imagination to create the world, I think having what amounts to a tabletop catering soundboard would be very useful for narrative driven games. Giving the GM the power to DJ sound he/she thinks will better establish the mood could really bring imagination driven play to a new level. I can think of a number of D&D and Star Wars: Edge of the Empire runs that something like this could really aid.
Appkettle: The Smart Kettle with Vision
The smartest kettle you'll ever meet. Volume, temperature, and timing all controlled by your phone.Appkettle was created to be convenient, timesaving, useful, simple, and pretty to look at too. Volume and temperature are linked to the app in real-time. This allows the users to interact, view and control the temperature, volume, timings and energy usage.
The makers of Appkettle have laid out a list of other reasons to be interested in the device. These include:
- Pick A Temperature - Select any beverage temperature.
- Schedule - Pick any time, any day and the beverage temperature to suit you.
- Brew Timing - understand brew times and automate the timer to run just after removing the kettle from the base.
- Save Preferences - Save your favorite beverage name and temperature, then schedule with a tap of your finger ready for your next brew moment.
- Improve Taste - Set the kettle to boil and cool for the exact drink temperature, to remove any potential impurities within the water, maximizing taste and flavor
Overall I like the Appkettle, but I'm not sure it's something I'd necessarily consider buying. £109 seems a bit steep a price for control over functions I never really had problems with before. Perhaps tea fanatics may find more enjoyment than me.
As of the time of writing the Appkettle has raised £43,251 of its £165,000 goal. Donations close May 5, 2015.
HYDAWAY™ | A Pocket-Sized Water Bottle Fit for any Adventure
A handy way to keep hydrated without having to use non-biodegradable plastic water bottles!HYDAWAY is easy to use and reusable. It's designed for active lifestyles to keep hydrated without needing to buy plastic water bottles repeatedly. Instead, you can use Hydaway as a refillable, but collapsable water bottle, and feel good about reducing the amount of plastic sitting in land fills.
Hydaway is 100% BPA free, taste and odor free, compact, easy to store, and dishwasher safe. It comes in several colors as well.
Hydaway looks like a fantastic answer to a very real problem. What I think I like most about it is how little thought needs to be put into bringing it with you. Just collapse it and put it in your backpack or pocket. Where a regular water bottle you'd either need to carry or stick somewhere in your backpack, this can be out of sight and out of mind.
That's a real way to get people on board with a solution, when they don't have to really do anything. Having color options is always a plus and, at least form the demonstrations, the product doesn't look like you should have to worry about any leaks.
Hydaway currently sits at $7,039 of its $20,000 goal at the time of writing. The project has until May 15, 2015.
Tower Unite
A massively social space for gamers to meet, play, and share. Available for Mac and Windows.An all-in-one community-based social game for online multiplayer games, entertainment and other activities. You can play various online games with friends, customize your wardrobe, furnish your condo, etc. You can swap movement items like jetpacks, wings, and rollerblade. You can even go to a nightclub and listen to music that DJs upload. New activities and additions plan to be added as well.
Tower Unite is up for grabs at just $15. According to the Kickstarter page you will
- Never lose your in-game items.
- Never worry about server shutdowns.
- Host your own Tower Unite servers.
- Receive constant feature additions and developer support.
- Fully customize your PC experience with advanced graphical settings, 4K support, and of course FOV controls.
- Interact in new ways with gamepad support, and additional peripheral support in future updates such as Vive, Oculus Rift, and others to be announced.
I'm underselling this game by using this comparison, but this thought seemed to stay with me thought the entire +9 minute video: Tower Unite is Playstation Home done right (for the most part). It's preexistence as a Garry's Mod proves it can be done well, and sharing your various YouTube videos and music is an awesome idea. One concern I have is that I fear they may put the cart before the horse with the games taking a backseat to the social functions.
I believe in the idea of an online hubspace, but the games need to be solid enough to make me want to go there in the first place. People often gather in the hub area of Dragon Ball Xenoverse just to chill, change clothes, do the Ginyu Force pose, or whatever. But the main game is what's making them log on in the first place. The games don't need to be Mass Effect, just fun enough that I'd feel okay playing them over something else. And I have great respect for the teams firm stance on microtransactions, subscriptions and premium currency. It is a bold move to make for an MMO in this day and age, and I think it was the right call.
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!
