15 Cool Kickstarter Games You Can Invest in Right Now

By Shari Spiro

Whatever gaming type floats your boat, there is a crowd-funding effort underway to make it happen. Kickstarter has opened doors previously shut to indie developers, and now whether you enjoy a good console/online video game or prefer strategy board games, you have options. As a Kickstarter printer ourselves, we are always astounded at the number of unique concepts that we run across.

In that spirit, we bring you 15 Cool Kickstarter Games You Can Invest in Right Now. But remember, Kickstarter projects run on a limited time basis, so if you want to get in on the action, you’ll have to act quickly.

1. Among the Sleep

TARGET: $200,000

We can identify with that feeling there’s a monster in the closet waiting to come after us. How many times did you hide under the covers knowing that certain danger awaited and the only protection was your blanket? Among the Sleep is a horror adventure capitalizing on this fear. It’s told from the perspective of a two-year-old child, and the object is to hide and avoid whatever danger lurks at the nightmare intersection of dreams and reality. Available for PC, Mac, and Linux.

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2. LaserTag for James Bond, not Robocop

TARGET: $10,000 (FUNDED)

LaserTag for James Bond, not Robocop may be an odd name for a game, but we definitely see the potential. Instead of going full body armor for a game of LaserTag with your friends or frat brothers/sorority sisters, this allows for a more covert operation. Basically, you wear the sensor under your everyday clothes or in your shirt pocket. Guns are effective from one to 20 feet, but they, too, promise discretion, so no fear of being arrested. All you really need is an infrared light that oscillates at 38kHz. (A remote control will work just fine, according to the Kickstarter project page.) Play in coffee shops, supermarkets, classrooms, and campus centers. Your move, creep!

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3. Jagged Alliance: Flashback

TARGET: $350,000

Jagged Alliance: Flashback is a tactical, turn-based 3D experience that returns the classic series to its roots on platforms that include Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux. In other words, there isn’t an excuse to keep from jumping on board if Cold War action and espionage is your thing. The development team has worked on a dense roster of hit games including Watchmen: The End Is Nigh, Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway, and Star Wars: The Old Republic. For a full global experience, the game will be available in English, German, Russian, French, and Italian.

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4. Teramyyd Earthsphere

TARGET: $20,000 (FUNDED)

Teramyyd Earthsphere is a turn-based fantasy and adventure board game for two to six players. The object: you either battle sky pirates or become one. Pillage and plunder, or serve and protect — it’s all up to you. The game has some pretty cool piece designs including dragons, ships, and the gorgeous sky city of Aeriopolis. While you’ve still got some time to invest, the campaign has already earned four times its $20,000 goal, so it doesn’t need your investment to become a reality, but we’re pretty certain the gang at IO Worlds would appreciate it.

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5. RatRace Board Game

TARGET: $775

RatRace Board Game is for the introvert in all of us. Half-calendar, half-game, it allows you to make a three-dimensional cutout of yourself and then slog through the work week on a decorative board that represents the current month. With a different card for all 12 months, mini-3D-you can traverse across important events, picking up rewards on your way to slay the month’s dragon, which could symbolize anything from a test to a presentation at work — basically, any major challenge that you have to overcome. In all, this Kickstarter game you can invest in is a fun way to plan your work week.

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6. A Small Favor

TARGET: $30,000

The concept of A Small Favor is a little Han Solo-esque, which we really dig. In the game, you are an alien assassin on the run from a slimeball gangster (think Jabba the Hut). The game is a DRM-free, 2D side-scrolling adventure that allows you to play on PC and MAC. We really like the fun, bare bones storyline, and the graphics are the right mix of old school and fresh. The development team behind it is ClickShake Games, and they’re reportedly working on mobile versions that will be available later for Android and iOS at an unspecified date.

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7. A Study in Emerald

TARGET: $46,461 (FUNDED)

Based on the short story by best-selling author Neil Gaiman, A Study in Emerald is a beautifully designed board game. With a look from renowned designer Martin Wallace, the contest sets players in an alternate reality where the Old Ones reign supreme, and where agents like Sherlock Holmes and arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty are used as pawns in a constantly evolving story of intrigue and horror.

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8. SUPREMACY 2020

TARGET: $30,000

SUPREMACY 2020 updates the classic Cold War game for a modern age. The board is cleanly designed and the strategy is not unlike what you see on the nightly news. Countries must form alliances, threaten, bluff, and negotiate their way to global superiority. What kind of regime will you be? The game comes with 95 cards, eight dice, rules, money, two reference cards, two reference maps, six supply bases, and 380 plastic game pieces. You pick one of six entities — United States, Commonwealth, European Union, China, Japan, or the Russian Federation — and then decide how you want to lead.

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9. A.N.N.E.

TARGET: $70,000

From Gamesbymo, A.N.N.E. is a mashup of those 8- and 16-bit classics that used to keep you from doing your homework after school. It’s brought to life in a side-scroll epic that’ll scratch the itch you have for old school video gaming. How old school? The company likes to think of it as “Metroidvania,” a description which pretty much sums up what you can expect.

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10. Zomba: Surviving Wasteland

TARGET: $50,000

What do you get when you cross The Legend of Zelda with every horrific zombie tale you’ve ever heard? Why, none other than the 16-bit RPG Zomba: Surviving Wasteland, of course! The story follows Max, who wakes up in the Coachella Valley containment prison of Southern California. The place is designed to house “the infects” of society. Unlike Zelda, Max forgoes the magic for some good old-fashioned hardware to fight his battles.

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11. Dog Sled Saga

TARGET: $6,000

Fans of the Iditarod, rejoice! The world famous dog sled race can now (sorta) come to life from the comfort of your home desktop or mobile device. A side-scroll racing game in the classic SNES style, Dog Sled Saga gives you the thrill of the race without the dangers of the frostbite. If the funding goal is reached, you’ll be able to play this one on Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS — whatever pulls your sled.

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12. Theme Park Studio

TARGET: $80,000

Theme Park Studio is for all you who would like to ride a roller coaster, but don’t wish to end up as a breaking news story. There have been games like this one in the past, but few that pull it off with the enhanced graphics and fluidity. More than a simple design game, TPS allows you to create, design, and experience the ultimate theme park attractions, all without the necessity of purchasing a season pass.

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13. The Tale of ALLTYNEX

TARGET: $4,999 (FUNDED)

Japan’s epic shooting game trilogy The Tale of ALLTYNEX has finally come to the United States in an English language version. The best comparison we can make for Nyu Media Ltd’s masterpiece is that it looks like arcade favorite Galaga on steroids. Elegantly designed space chaos and action-packed mayhem play out across the galaxy with fantastic weaponry and explosions in unique 2.5D combat.

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14. Paranormal: The Town

TARGET: $3,000

If you like Paranormal Activity, The Blair Witch Project, or any type of found-footage horror film, then it’s safe to say your inner gamer will go for Paranormal: The Town, which allows first-person camera control to experience hidden horrors waiting behind every corner. The setting for this one is in a bizarre and unpredictable world that is never the same place twice. The game pulls this off through randomly generated content, so that no matter where you are — high school, graveyard, city streets, or bar — you’re never safe from what’s lurking in the shadows.

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15. Nexersys King of the Ring

TARGET: $150,000

With Nexersys King of the Ring, you can take your workout from the gym to the arcade with an interactive experience that allows you to use your own striking and MMA skills to emerge a champion. Nexersys had already unleashed the “controller” apparatus as a piece of gym equipment endorsed by none other than UFC fighting legend Chael Sonnen. Now they’ve blended that experience with a full contact gaming experience that goes one step beyond the MMA games you’ve previously played on your mobile devices or consoles. Here you actually have to beat the best to be the best.

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What cool, unique, or just down-right-interesting Kickstarter games did we leave out? Share your recommendations below!

Tagged as: board games, cool stuff, kickstarter, kickstarter games, mmogs