Hi folks, hope you're enjoying your summer breaks (if applicable). I took a vacation last week, hence this post is a bit behind schedule. But fear not, there are still plenty of video game developers out there looking for a financial boost to make their dreams come true.

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.

Gedda Cake (ends August 11 estimated reward date October 2025)
When the first sentence of a crowdfunding campaign promises "a 2D action adventure metroidvania about Dragons and Cakes," it has my complete attention. Reportedly drawing inspiration from Hollow Knight, Monster Boy, and…Monster Hunter (?), Gedda Cake stars six different dragons that players can swap between at any time. You can check out the available demo to partake of the game's cartoony graphics and elemental combat right now.

Bat Boy (ends August 12 estimated reward date January 2023)
Let's state this upfront: I regret to inform you that Bat Boy has nothing to do with Bat Boy, the half-boy, half-bat made famous by the Weekly World News in the 1990s. However, Bat Boy is an exciting throwback video game where you wield a mighty baseball bat that serves as both your primary weapon and mobility aid. Use it to strike enemies, reflect projectiles, or to bounce your hero to higher ground. There's a demo available right now and having tried the game myself at BitSummit this weekend, it has my blessing.

Black Jewel Reborn (ends August 12 estimated reward date Q4 2022)
Black Jewel began life as a short hack-and-slash game "created in c64 style" five years ago, eventually making its way to Steam. This new version adds a second playable character and will run not just on PC but the NES, Mega Drive, SNES, and Game Boy. All but the Game Boy version will also include co-op multiplayer. And yes, since you're asking, the upper reward tiers include physical cartridges so you can play your copy on authentic hardware.

The Adventures of Panzer 2 (ends August 14 estimated reward date October 2022)
As the title suggests, this is a sequel to The Adventures of Panzer, a new NES game kickstarted last summer. Part 2 is also for the NES and work on the game is already complete, according to the developer, so this campaign is solely to raise funds for producing and shipping physical rewards (such as gray and gold NES cartridges).

Nick Bounty: The Goat in the Grey Fedora (ends August 31 estimated reward date October 2022)
Originally a point & click adventure game made for Flash in 2005, this remaster will replace the pre-rendered backgrounds with fully 3D environments based on the original art assets. The developer overseeing this project touts his years of experience working for Telltale Games as evidence of his commitment and enthusiasm for seeing this revival through to the end.

• kickstarter
• D Feit