Witchmarsh Announced, Kickstarter Campaign Launched

If a side-scrolling action-RPG that pits you as a detective dealing with a supernatural threat while searching for missing people in the 1920s Massachussets sounds right up your alley, you might want to check Witchmarsh’s Kickstarter campaign. The game has already surpassed its $50,000 funding goal, and cites well-loved classic titles such as Wizardry and Baldur’s Gate as inspirations, and while it’s pretty clear that the mechanics are going to be very different, the Iglenook team seems to genuinely be mimicking those games’ commitment to character progression and player agency:

Features

• A mix of modern and classic RPGs, with branching dialogue and responsive, tactical combat. Play singleplayer or with friends in 2-4 player Co-op.
• Dripping with Jazz Age style, featuring music by Francisco Cerda, composer on Gunpoint and Jamestown.
• A massive character creation sandbox with over 50 unlockable abilities* across five spellbooks. Mix and match attributes, perks, items and weapons to create a unique team of adventurers. Or simply use one of the many templates to dive straight into the action.
• A game for seasoned RPG fans as well as players new to the genre. Optional bosses and challenges for those brave enough to seek them out.
• Over ten* playable characters. Watch your choice in personalities result in conflict, friendships, wisecracks… romance?
• A dynamic hidden item system ensures no two trips to Witchmarsh are the same.

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After selecting an investigator you’ll proceed to the character creation screen. Utilise a wide range of perks, skills and abilities to sculpt a team of PIs that fits the way you want to play.

All this flexibility clears the way for quirky and surprising character builds. How about turning the Scribe into a capable melee fighter, or embarking on a single-character run? These self-imposed challenges are part of what makes RPGs great, and we can’t wait to see what people come up with.

Don’t worry if all this seems a bit complicated: character templates are available should you wish to get straight into the action.

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Abilities
There are a total of five ability schools and five attributes in Witchmarsh. How you combine these will determine your characters’ playstyle, as well as the secrets and clues they will uncover.

Mix the craft attribute with fire and water and you’ll unlock the power of elemental sorcery. Swap spirit for craft and your spellbook will take on ritualistic themes; drawing power from ancient forces and the marsh itself.

Given we’re talking about a Kickstarter campaign and a team many of us aren’t familiar with, it only seems fair to also quote the Risks and Challenges section of the campaign:

We’ve invested a lot of time into planning, researching and building the game’s core systems. We’ve factored in the cost of fulfilling rewards, and our stretch goals are all achievable within the allotted time.

The greatest risk we face, besides not reaching our funding goal, is a slight delay in order to ensure that we’re shipping a top quality product.

If we greatly exceed our funding goals we may have to slightly push back the release date as well. As every penny pledged will be put back into the game, adding new features will take extra time to code, animate and properly test.

Witchmarsh would be our first release; however, Lou and Joe hold a combined total of 7 years in the CGI industry. They’re used to delivering lengthy projects on time and to specifications. Matt (Leth) will also be working with us closely to ensure development is on track and to handle the trickier aspects of the code.

Witchmarsh can’t become a reality without your support, so we’re eternally grateful for every pledge we receive. Thank you!