This Week in Kickstarter we have a surreal point-and-click adventure set in a bird cage, a little device that cooks for you and a pillow that maximizes your sleep potential.
DreamCage 28
A surreal point-and-click adventure with a unique setting and atmosphere.DreamCage 28 is a successor to Big Loop Studios previous success Escape From 26. In both games, your objective is to point-and-click your way through an intricate and surreal world locked away in a bird cage. The supposed god of this universe, "Cage Master", seems to have abandoned the bird cages. Now, the once paradisiacal world has fallen into corruption and decay.
The game features deep characters shaped by their unusual fates, endless puzzles and mini-games, and a compelling story with humor and sadness. The game also has a day/night cycle, and varying weather controlled by someone with machines underneath the cage. Players can build their own caged worlds as well.
DreamCage 28 is certainly an intriguing looking game. The art style and ambience is something that's part whimsical, and yet part unnerving. I like it. I'd like to know a little more about what I'm supposed to actually be doing in the game however. It seems like the team is going for big ideas like corruption and fear in the face of an absent god. I say good luck to them, but I hope the immediate story is just as interesting, lest we get another Bioshock Infinite ordeal where the game makers are so concerned with painting a big picture that they forgot to frame it with a cohesive story. But maybe I'm worrying too much. The absence of a story in the promo doesn't mean there's an absence of a story in the game.
DreamCage 28 has managed to raise $1,406 of its $10,000 goal. The project remains open till May 12, 2015.
Endless Computers
A noble effort to bring the developing world up to speed with computers.
As the Kickstarter page asks "Imagine yourself without a computer." For a good majority of the world, that's a reality. While browsing forums and watching videos might seem like all you do on the Internet, in reality you have access to endless information, potential work, and access to health information at your finger tips on your phone. Seeing this, combined with seeing most people still had a tv, the folks at the Endless Team created Endless Computers.
Endless can use a television as its monitor, and uses a mobile processor to power it. The little desktop pc packs a full OS. Also included are a bevy of other helpful apps like how-to videos, recipes, maternity, and even a pre-installed Wikipedia. The interface, software updates, application installation, localization, the apps themselves, and the way data is treated were all rethought for the emerging markets across the globe. The software is designed to work even without Internet, while remaining robust.
When I saw Endless Computers, I knew before the video was halfway done that I was going to put it in this week's article. Not just because of its lovely design, and great functionality at an affordable price (but those are good too), but because of the good it can do. With the myriad of 3D printers making pancakes, robot dogs, or jetpacks on Kickstarter, it can be easy to forget the amount of people in the world who still don't have internet. Bringing the whole world up to speed could be one of the most important things mankind can accomplish, and I'm glad to see companies taking notice of the buying potential of the rest of the world.
So far Endless Computers has earned $108,813, breaking its $100,000 goal. The project still has till May 15, 2015.
Dimension Drive
A space shooter where you fight on two separate battlefields at once teleporting between them.
Self described as "a comic book-styled space adventure set in a multidimensional universe," Dimension Drive brings a twist to the standard vertical space shooter by switching between spaces on the fly. This allows for frantic gameplay of constantly switching back and forth mowing down enemies and teleporting out of danger. Just make sure you aren't teleporting head-on into something worse!
In the game, a cruel multidimensional alien race threatens the universe. Jackelyne Tywood fights back with The Manticore, a legendary ship capable of teleporting across space and dimensions. The game will be released on Mac, Windows, and Linux in late 2015, completely DRM-free no less. Dimension Drive features artful comic book style cutscenes with dynamic motion.
Dimension Drive looks like a fun space shooter with an intriguing idea for level design. The idea of switching between screens sounds taxing, but ultimately a great idea for testing the dexterity and skill of the player. The examples of progressing through the level using both screens (such as destroying a shield generator on one screen to disable the shield on the other) looks like a fantastic evolution of the standard linear space shooter.
Dimension Drive has currently earned €5,055 of its €30,000 goal. The project has until May 13, 2015.
Meld: A Perfect Meal Every Time
Designed so you can make the perfect dish every time
Meld is designed to upgrade your stove and cookware so your food is always at the perfect temperature. It works by using three pieces: the Meld knob, the clip, and the Meld app. The clip senses the temperature of whatever you're making and is accurate to less than a degree. It's also instant and will tell the difference in the cookware as soon as you add something. The knob, which replaces one of your standard stove knobs, will then automatically rotate to adjust for the perfect temperature. You can track everything on the app, and find recipes and new ways to cook as well. The app exists for iPhone and Android.
Meld is great for bums like myself who want to eat decent food but can't be trusted with fire. The variation of stovetops, power, and how people interpret directions like "golden brown" means many people will inevitably mess up when cooking. The price seems a little too steep however. As much as I want awesomely cooked meals, I don't think I want them enough to spend $100.
Clearly some people are willing to spend that much though, as Meld has already tripled over its goal of $50,000, raising $151,276. The project remains open till May 8, 2015.
Boss Monster: The Next Level
An expansion to the hit original, you play as the Boss Monster and crush the tiny heroes that challenge you.
Inside Boss Monster 2's stylishly retro box, you'll find a full size 160 card set.You take on the role of the end-dungeon boss, luring heroes and squashing them. Players will compete and build their own dungeons. The game can be played on its own or as an expansion to the original.
Of course if half the cards were the same it wouldn't be much of an expansion, so Brotherwise Games laid out some of the new stuff that comes with Boss Monster: The Next Level.
- Dark Heroes - the Hitman, Barbarian, Witch, and Vampire -- can be "paid" to deal more damage to an opponent.
- Hybrid Heroes - the Swordmage, Druid, Archer and Necromancer -- are drawn to two treasure types and feature powerful abilities.
- Epic Spells - like Lightning Bolt! and It's On! -- give you the option to unlock more powerful effects if you meet a prerequisite.
- More cross-table effects, like "cycling" Rooms let you discard cards to affect an opponent's dungeon.
- More access to Spells through Cleric Rooms as well as Mage Rooms.
I confess I haven't played Boss Monster 1, but I really would like to after looking at this game. It's always fun to play the bad guy for a change, and this game supplies that and then some by letting me build my own dungeon too. The price seems reasonable, and the cards look to be of great quality too.
So far Boss Monster: The Next Level has risen $184,121, well beyond its $25,000 goal. The project is winding down to a April 27, 2015 end date.
Chrona: Sleep Smarter, Not Longer
A system made to maximize what little sleep you're getting these days.
Chrona is designed to optimize your sleep. It's a slim memory foam you insert into your pillow case. Using up to date sleep research, the system acts as a "smart pillow" and gets you the most out of your sleep.
Chrona achieves this by playing different frequency sounds specific to where you are in your sleep cycle. The data feeds into your smartphone where you can view your sleep patterns.This means you can track your sleep without the use of wearables. In addition, Chrona plays low frequency notes when you are in deep sleep, helping you stay there. When wake up time approaches, Chrona plays a high frequency sound to bring you into a lighter state of sleep before your alarm goes off. It can also help bring you to wake with a light vibration.
This is something I think everyone can relate to. The way most of our days are set up, there simply isn't enough time for sleep. However, if you could maximize when you were in deep sleep, you could get so much more out of it. Chrona looks like a possible solution to my common sleep lacking nights. Even now as I write this at 12:08am, I could really use it knowing I'm waking up in 5 hours. And I know I'm far from the only person with that problem.
Right now Chrona has raised $39,017 of its $50,000 goal. The project remains open till May 18, 2015.
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!