Today, the game I will be focusing on is a Kickstarter project for The Cyanide and Happiness Adventure Game. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Cyanide and Happiness began as a web comic several years ago and has gradually expanded into a video series on Youtube, card game, and now a traditional point-and-click adventure game. With both their Youtube show and card game being products of extremely successful Kickstarter campaigns, the Cyanide and Happiness team is no stranger to crowdfunding and now plan to take their accrued experience and success into the world of video games. The team has stated that their signature brand of unpredictable, dark and messed-up humor will be in full effect with this game and that many familiar characters from the comics will make cameo appearances.
The game itself is planned to follow the exploits of a kid named Coop, who is struggling to survive the perils of high school in the midst of a nightmare -fueled apocalypse. Players will guide Coop through various puzzles and character interactions, with gameplay in the vein of traditional point-and-click adventure games like Secret of Monkey Island and Kings Quest. Along the way, players will encounter new and familiar faces as they explore a game that the C&H team says will tie the entire Cyanide and Happiness material into one cohesive world. The game is touted to be a rich, complete experience with a fully fleshed out narrative, hidden secrets, and side quests that the developers state will not be locked behind pay-walls or micro-transactions. The C&H team also alleviates any fears fans of the series may have about the writing, stating that the game will not hold back when it comes to the shocking, twisted humor the series is famous for.
The Cyanide and Happiness team will be enlisting the help of game developers Roger Barr and Jacob West for the creation of their video game. Both Roger and Jacob have strong experience in the indie-game development scene, with Roger being a member of Skeleton Crew Studios and who’s credits include games such as Abobo’s Big Adventure and upcoming game Grave Chase. The team also aims to heavily involve the community, stating that a post-campaign development forum will be created to keep all backers updated and invested over the course of game development. The game is planned to be episodic, with the first chapter currently slated for December of 2018 and following chapters to follow.
Currently, the Kickstarter campaign is set to succeed, with their projected goal of $300,000 being exceeded by nearly 100K and 18 days left of the campaign as of 9/16. The team has set several stretch goals, with exceeded funds enabling the inclusion of a longer story, more side quests, and additional game platforms. A variety of different backer rewards are offered, with tiers including soundtracks, physical copies, and even character likeness included in-game.
The Cyanide and Happiness team’s past Kickstarter success inspires strong confidence in this game being developed and released as a complete and quality product. For fans of the comics and card game, and those who have a warped sense of humor and enjoy adventure games that harken back to past classics, I strongly recommend backing this campaign.