We're rolling into the home stretch of 2022 and I don't know if it's coincidental or not but suddenly we are overrun with good-looking video game projects seeking financial support! I had to leave out almost as many listings as I kept, an astonishing ratio. As always, we have no insider information or financial interest in any of these projects, and no one at Retronauts has been compensated for including anything on this page. Also, in light of the ongoing pandemic, we recommend only backing crowdfunding campaigns if you feel comfortable with your own security and stability.
Gemaboy Zero X (ends December 6 estimated reward date January 2023)
The headline calls this a "Time-Travel Cyberpunk Metroidvania Adventure" but Gemaboy Zero X certainly looks like it takes more inspiration from the Mega Man series. Regardless of its themes, this is very much a retro game, with announced versions for Steam, PS4, Switch, plus the NES and Dreamcast.
Rhya's Crusade (ends December 10 estimated reward date November 2023)
I've always avoided adult-themed projects when compiling these lists (you have no idea how many sexually-suggestive visual novels are seeking funding each and every month) but Rhya's Crusade happens to be an exciting run-and-gun action game that happens to include extremely risque extras. Feel free to try the demo for yourself, provided you're of age.
A Profound Waste of Time: Issue #3 (ends December 10 estimated reward date December 2023)
This magazine about video games has already been featured in our pages previously, having successfully funded and published two issues, so now it's time for a third. The next issue will include interviews with Fumito Ueda, Rodney Greenblatt, and Tim Shafer, plus material from Matt Leone about the origins of Street Fighter.
LAN Party (ends December 15 estimated reward date Autumn 2023)
You have to love a high-concept title: LAN Party is about exactly what it says on the cover, documenting the history of early in-person gatherings to play video games over Local Area Networks. While Merritt K stands as the primary author of this project, the final book will include contributions from other writers, including frequent Retronauts-guest Kat Bailey.
Telenet Revival (ends December 26 estimated reward date June 2023)
This Japanese-run project looks to revisit back a quartet of shooting games from Telenet, a developer active from the early 1980s up until the early 2000s before folding in 2007. The "Telenet Shooting Collection," a working title, will bring Granada, Avenger, Gaiares, and Psychic Storm to the Nintendo Switch.
It Only Did Everything (ends December 11 estimated reward date June 2023)
Making his third appearance in this column, author Sandeep Rai is back with another volume dedicated to the history of a defunct Sony game console. This time around, Sandeep's covering the PlayStation 3. I can only hope there will be an entire chapter dedicated to that killer app which took the world by storm, PlayStation Home.
Bat Lizard Bonanza (ends December 15 estimated reward date December 2022!)
While I make a point of highlighting projects with playable demos, in the case of retro shooter Bat Lizard Bonanza, the entire game is complete and available on itch.io right now. So why raise money? Because developer John Vanderhoef wants to produce actual NES cartridges to house his creation, hence the quick estimated turnaround from funding to fulfillment.
Mictlan: Un Viaje (ends December 15 estimated reward date November 2023)
This "semi-open world" adventure is being developed by one man for the Game Boy platform, intended to run on original hardware. The title, Mictlan, comes from Mexican mythology, a multi-layered underworld that souls of the deceased must traverse. If the campaign succeeds, developer Francisco Javier Romero Morato hopes to launch the full game on November 1 next year-the Day of the Dead.