Double Fine have continued their hot streak on crowd-funding website Kickstarter, after their new project Massive Chalice reached its fundraising goal in just five days. Following their trailblazing success with Broken Age – a game which garnered $3.3 million from the public back in March – the developing studio have deservedly captured lightning in a bottle once again and, according to the official Kickstarter page, plan to have Massive Chalice fit for release by September 2014.
From the creative director of XBLA title Iron Brigade, the game is set to follow multiple heroes across different medieval eras. With its roots firmly in the fantasy genre, Massive Chalice is a turn-based tactics game that will launch exclusively for PC, Mac and Linux. From ruling a glorious kingdom to organising your unpredictable army, the game is set to boast an impressive level of depth. In the words of Tim Schafer, “your knowledge and skill will increase over multiple playthroughs, but the details of every game will change based on your decisions and the whims of fate.”
Following his departure from now defunct LucasArts in 2000, Schafer founded the humble developing studio which now boasts serious clout in the action adventure category. Since Psychonauts and Brutal Legend, however, Double Fine has called upon the gaming audience to aid in their mission to revive the genre from its cult, commercially risky status. And now, with Massive Chalice poised to enter development in tandem with Broken Age – which currently has a subject-to-change September release attached – it would seem that the San Francisco based developer have carved out their own loyal following.
Similarly to other projects on the Kickstarter website, Double Fine will offer a series of rewards for gamers who make significant pledges to their endeavour. These include a DRM-free copy of Massive Chalice when its released in September for $20, while players who contribute $50 will be granted with exclusive early access to the game along with concept art, a soundtrack and a ‘making of’ documentary to boot.
Currently, the project has achieved $735,000 from over 23,000 backers with 23 days still remaining on the clock. Not bad, huh? For a brief taste of the creative process over at Double Fine, check out the promotional video below and be sure to drop your thoughts concerning Massive Chalice in the comments.