Are we sure it's September? My children are back in school, true, but the weather still feels like summer to me. Maybe it'll make sense once the NFL season kicks off; call me when the Giants are 0-2.

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. To the best of my ability I have not (and never will) endorse any campaign built around AI-generated assets. Also, in light of the ongoing pandemic, we recommend only backing crowdfunding campaigns if you feel comfortable with your own security and stability.

Dark Cave Legend (ends Sep 8 estimated reward date Dec 2025)
I am most intrigued by this "fast-paced puzzle game" for NES as it already has a sequel on the way, its own tie-in board game, and the developers made up their own language to add flavor to the game's exotic island setting. In fact, you can even order supplemental materials for the game written in the fake language. Commitment to the bit!

Sword of the Apocalypse (ends Sep 11 estimated reward date Jan 2026)
A project from a longtime member of the Retronauts community gets an immediate recommendation from me, especially once that's designed for a retro platform and offers a demo on itch.io.

Retro Game Zine Issue 011, 012 & 2025 ANNUAL (ends Sep 13 estimated reward date Nov 2025)
We've featured many works from Darren Hupke in the past but let me just add for the record that I met him in person at Long Island Retro Gaming Expo last month and he gifted me a back issue of Retro Game Zine (specifically #7 about Final Fantasy Mystic Quest). I trust that does not violate any journalistic ethical standard.

The Cult of Blood (ends Sep 28 estimated reward date Feb 2026)
Based on the classic tale Carmilla and drawing from the early Castlevania titles, this passion project for the Game Boy Color looks strong for a debut. The lead developer proudly lists his son as "quality assurance" although is that kid old enough to learn about vampires? They drink human blood!

OTHERSIDE (ends Sep 29 estimated reward date Oct 2026)
A very impressive indie Metroidvania—purportedly "hand drawn"—led by two experienced developers working on their first project as a team. Their influences are plentiful and obvious given the genre although I appreciate their shoutout to Chants of Sennaar, an underappreciated gem from 2023.

• kickstarter
• metroidvania
• indie
• game boy color
• magazines