Greetings Retronauts readers, I hope everyone out there is doing well. 2021 is flying by, isn't it? A full third of the year has passed and I'm ready for a new season to be upon us. I'm also ready for this pandemic to pass us by but, sigh, that may take a while longer. But let's not focus on that, let's focus on shiny new video games!

As always, we have no insider information or financial interest in any of these projects (with one semi-exception, see below), 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.

Zoe and the Cursed Dreamer
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
Campaign ends: May 3
Estimated delivery time: March 2024
Minimum pledge to receive the game: $15 US, digital only
Demo available

I'm unsure how to best describe this "cozy open world RPG" with words other than what's already listed on the crowdfunding page. There's combat and magic spells, but there's also fishing and animal taming and social bonds and home decoration...it's an ambitious project! I suppose that 2024 date is a soft estimate...

Invasive Recall
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android
Campaign ends: May 6
Estimated delivery time: May 2022
Minimum pledge to receive the game: €17 (about $21 US, digital only)

Invasive Recall is a "cyberpunk point & click adventure" created by a trio of Swedes who say they're "really fond of huge pixels and retrofuturism." Those are all good words, and the project so far would look right at home with other '90s adventure games. With a visible list of verbs on screen along with an inventory, the game seems directly inspired by any number of point & click classics, though the "Inspiration" photo montage includes the movie Se7en so perhaps Invasive Recall will be on the darker side.

GHOSTS
Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Campaign ends: May 7
Estimated delivery time: February 2022
Minimum pledge to receive the game: £15 (about $21 US, digital only)

As we all grow more nostalgic for the 1990s it has been charming to see a rise in modern FMV games, especially since we all carry high-resolution cameras in our pockets now so the barrier of entry couldn't be any lower. GHOSTS adds a "real-time" twist as the game takes place at 10PM and the software must be played precisely at 10PM in your local time zone. Also there's no saving so the game must be completed in one sitting. Sounds spooky!
Note that a £15 pledge only qualifies for a digital copy of GHOSTS. For physical editions (which will be handled by our friends at Limited Run Games, btw), backers must pledge at least £40 (plus shipping).

Spirit Swap
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
Campaign ends: May 13
Estimated delivery time: October 2022
Minimum pledge to receive the game: $20 US, digital only
Demo available

Full disclosure: Spirit Swap is being made by friends of mine, so I am obviously biased, but I think this looks like a very fun puzzle game and I want them to complete it. I also appreciate how the game doesn't look or sound like anything else on the market as the creative team is leaning into their disparate backgrounds and personal tastes to make something unique! So yeah, I backed it, and I recommend you do the same.

Monster Tribe
Platform: Windows, Nintendo Switch
Campaign ends: May 15
Estimated delivery time: December 2021
Minimum pledge to receive the game: CA$ 15 (about $13 US, digital only)

Monster Tribe is a Pokemon-like strategy RPG, a game with a lot of background and lore according to the Kickstarter page; allegedly "every unique creature in the game will have an individual mini biography." Combat is turn-based but it's also position-based, so monster placement seems as important as choosing the right moves. Also, all the monsters have elements and classes, each with their own characteristics.

Lucy Dreaming
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux (plus mobile stretch goals)
Campaign ends: May 26
Estimated delivery time: May 2022
Minimum pledge to receive the game: £12 (about $17 US, digital only)
Demo available

Our second point & click adventure of the month, this one proclaims itself to be much funnier than the one above, invoking "British comedy classics like Blackadder and Monty Python" as influences. The story centers on a young girl navigating her own dreams, so the environments and situations seem to be of a surreal nature.
Note that a £12 pledge only qualifies for a digital copy. For physical editions, which include a "retro USB cassette in jewel case," backers must pledge at least £40 (plus shipping).

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• fmv games
• point-and-click
• D Feit
• puzzle game