Indie developers Red Hook Studios have just launched a Kickstarter campaign for their latest RPG Darkest Dungeon, set for release on PC and Mac.
The title looks to be one for the hardcore RPG fans where you’ll find plenty of “hard trade-offs, nearly certain demise, and heroic reversals”. Adopting a semi-traditional turn-based battle system, the RPG player will feel at home while experimenting with tactical party positioning.The game does, however promise some quirks to the classic format. In addition to the player having to attend to the health and equipment of their heroes, the game places emphasis on the maintenance of your party’s mental state. The Affliction System allows your party to develop stress-based conditions such as phobias and emotional baggage. This, added to personality traits of each character, can lead to some interesting intra-party interactions including abandonment or in-group theft.
The game will feature roguelike procedurally-generated dungeons to explore which promise to get more brutal as you descend further, but offer greater rewards if conquered. With stylised gothic visuals and haunting music, the game offers a distinct atmosphere that looks to appeal to the player’s inner brave adventurer.
Red Hook appear to be holding back on releasing full details with regards to the features of the game, instead teasing their audience with small periodic snippets of what they can expect on release. Currently there are only concrete plans for a PC and Mac release although the developers show an interest in branching to other platforms.
With almost $50,000 already pledged of their $75,000 target on the first day of their Kickstarter, Darkest Dungeon is set to be completed with plans on releasing it Q4 this year. However, they have stated that they will be releasing the game on Steam’s Early Access if the development goes over schedule so as to ensure backers will be able to get a copy of the game in good time. Visit the Kickstarter site for more information or to donate.
