Blowing the goal of $40,000 out of the water.
Mindwave is an upcoming WarioWare-like game in which players join a giant game show. They must master various minigames and slowly climb the levels in hopes of winning the cash prize of $10 million (in the game, not real life, sadly).
Despite not being able to beat the final-level boss, I loved my time with the demo. The level that I came across was inspired by one of the other contestants in the game show, whom I had met in the lobby beforehand. All of her minigames were cute, high-octane fun, like trying to grab a cat that was dashing across the screen, attempting to catch sweets that were falling from the sky, and even beating someone else at Tetris.
But I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed tackling the weird and wonderful minigames. Last month’s demo received over 4,000 Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam, and players enjoyed it so much that the game’s Kickstarter campaign exceeded its original fundraising goal of $40,000.
The funding period lasted from January 14 to February 14, and within this time, it managed to raise $443,442. The initial goal was to raise just $40,000, but then there were stretch goals beyond that which, if achieved, would bring something new to the game. $60,000 would allow the devs to implement gamepad support. $90,000 would add an extra microgame collection, which could only be unlocked after beating the main story. Then, the higher goals of $120,000, $160,000, and $200,000 all promised to add substantial features like multiple DLCs and Steam Workshop modding.
But the top goal of $260,000 offers the most interesting new feature, an online versus mode. “A 1v1 online versus mode where you can play through your opponent’s minigames,” the description says. “Perform well enough to throw off their flow and win! This mode will be released post-launch as a free update.” I’m not sure whether this would essentially work like Mario Maker in that players can make their own microgames, or if you can select pre-made options, but a 1v1 mode for a game as chaotic as this one sure sounds fun.
The developers also outlined how the money raised via the Kickstarter will be spent. Over half will go directly to development, 29% for taxes, 10% for rewards, and 9% for fees. But while everything seems pretty well planned out, with all the upcoming content and fund allocation, the developers want to point out that things can go wrong during game development, so players need to manage their expectations.
“This is the first time our team has worked on a project of this scale, so it’s quite possible that we mess a few things up,” the devs say. “Making games is hard as hell. Money troubles, health issues, technical hurdles, just about anything could happen. Above all, though, we truly believe in Mindwave’s vision. If the final version ends up anything like the game that exists in our minds, we’re confident that it’ll be something really special, and we’re fully committed to making that dream a reality.”
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