Today marks the half-way point of 2020 and that seems worthy of a celebration. Why not explore these video game (and related) crowdfunding campaigns as a means to commemorate the end of the longest six months in human history?

As always, we have no insider information or financial interest in any of these projects (with one quasi-exception), and no one at Retronauts has been compensated for including anything on this page. Also, in light of the ongoing pandemic, at this time we recommend only backing crowdfunding campaigns if you feel comfortable with your own security and stability.

Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age 1985-2001
Platform: it's a book
Campaign ends: TODAY
Estimated delivery time: September 2021
Minimum pledge to receive the book: $15 US (digital only)

A follow-up to the original 2003 book Supercade which covered the early history of video games, this new volume promises to pick up where the first volume left off and run all the way up to the early 21st century. Of extra interest to Retronauts readers: the list of Supercade contributors includes our own Jeremy Parish and frequent podcast guest Chris Kohler.
Note that $15 is for a PDF of the finished product; backers looking for an actual book to put on a shelf will need to pledge at least $30.

ACROSS THE WORLDS - Chrono Cross Wayô Piano Collection
Platform: "multiple" unnamed digital formats, compact disc, vinyl
Campaign ends: July 7
Estimated delivery time: December 2020
Minimum pledge to receive the music: €15 (about $17 US - digital only)

Chrono Cross is a 20-year-old video game with a celebrated soundtrack and this campaign is seeking to produce an officially-licensed all-piano cover album of said soundtrack. Original composer Yasunori Mitsuda is not participating in creating this album but he has given Wayô Records the greenlight to go ahead.
Note that €15 is for a digital copy of the album; backers looking for physical formats will have to pledge at least €22 for a CD or €50 for vinyl (or €75 for both).

Classic RPG Battle Royale
Platform: PC, Mac, Linux ("Switch and console ports" is a stretch goal)
Campaign ends: July 14
Estimated delivery time: March 2021
Minimum pledge to receive the game: AU$ 15 (about $11 US)

This looks like a fun mash-up of what's popular in video games right now and what was popular 35 years ago: a "5-player fantasy free-for-all" where each user starts in a town, builds a party, and fulfills quests before eventually eliminating the other squads so their character can become king. Combat is turn-based so the "no scope" crowd need not apply.

Conscript
Platform: Steam ("Releasing on consoles is something I'd love to do in the future")
Campaign ends: July 16
Estimated delivery time: May 2021
Minimum pledge to receive the game: AU$ 18 (about $13 US)
Demo available

"Resident Evil and Silent Hill meet in the trenches of the First World War" is written atop the Kickstarter page for Conscript and those are three things I did not expect to be grouped together. Ok, the first two, sure, but never with the third. Despite its survival horror inspiration, Conscript uses an overhead Metal Gear-esque perspective, because when you're in the trenches first or third person view would be kind of dull.

Sauna 2000
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
Campaign ends: July 22
Estimated delivery time: June 2021
Minimum pledge to receive the game: ¥1,603 (about $15 US)
Demo available

Sauna 2000 does what it says: it's a game about using a sauna and it takes place in the year 2000. That last part informs the game's look which is "late, weird PS1 game." In fact, this project started as part of the Haunted PS1 Demo Disc project but while creating that short version lead developer Amos Sorri decided he would later expand his ideas into a full release - hence this crowdfunding campaign.

Ex-Zodiac
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
Campaign ends: July 23
Estimated delivery time: February 2021
Minimum pledge to receive the game: £10 (about $13 US)
Demo available

I know StarFox is one of those series that fans wish would see better treatment, so here's some good news: this Kickstarter isn't being made by Nintendo. Instead, it's one guy who's making a game that looks better than StarFox: it looks like a loving memory of StarFox. Ex-Zodiac is a low-poly railshooter starring an anthropomorphic mammal, sure, but it's got great colors and (seemingly) runs at a fast, fresh frame-rate. Sole developer Ben Hickling says he's already put two years of his free time into Ex-Zodiac and wants funds to cover the home stretch.

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