Retro, retro modern and all-new gaming Kickstarters

While the Switch (and Switch 2) seem like a license to print money for established developers and publishers with rereleases, revamps and makeovers, there are plenty of startups looking for cash to fund their original projects. 

And many more are going retro, looking to the Neo Geo, Mega Drive and other platforms for some classy nostalgia, these are my favourites, but do drop us a message if you want yours, or one you like, listed!

2026:

Hyper Sentinel Fusion (All formats, coming soon) Shmup 

Combo Devils (Mega Drive) Platform Action

Escape 2049 (Mega Drive) Brawler 

Starlair (Switch 2, PlayStation) Metroidvania

Shadow Gangs Zero (Neo Geo et al) Beat 'em up

2025: A few more as retro gaming gets interesting again:

Quantic River (Steam Deck)

Maiden of the Dark (Game Boy) (Nearly funded, still live) 

Metal Mack (Mega Drive and Neo Geo) (Funded, still live) 

Retro PlayStation Magazine 

Joe & Mac Retro Collection (Funded) 

Nightmare Busters Rebirth

Operation Highjump (Funded)

2024 Update: Some fresh gaming and related projects here. 

2023 Update: A few campaigns for Switch, PlayStation or other formats that have caught my eye recently:

Mariachi Legends (Switch Physical option, funded, ongoing)

Ratatan (Switch, PS5, from the Patapon team)

Tavern Talk (Switch, Funded, Completed)

Rune Fencer Illyia (Coming to Switch, January 2024) 

Previous games:

Born Punk (Insert Disk 22) Possible Switch version

In progress:
Colors Live (art with stylus, funded day one)
Dawn for the End (retro game, funded)
Vernal Edge (1/4 funded day one, looking at a 2023 release)

KS Finished:

Hatch Tales: Chicken Wiggle (Jools Whattam, classic 3DS platformer HD port, funded)
Afterlight (Silent Road) Possible Switch version - Failed
Under Stranger Stars (USS) Switch stretch goal
Lunark (Canari Games) Switch version possible - Nearly funded, last days
Summer in Mara (Chibig) 31K goal - gorgeous looking aquatic adventure - FUNDED
Bubsy: Paws on Fire (Accolade) £20K goal, quarter funded day one
Chained Echoes (CE) Possible Switch stretch goal

Evergate (Stone Lantern) Switch version by 2020

NOISZ re:||VERSE (NoizMakers) Rhythm Bullet Hell Funded, missed Switch goal

One Step from Eden (Thomas Moon Kang) - Deck-building action game - FUNDED

Enferi (The Hatchling) - Funding failed

SwitchBlades Side Rails (stylish rail hardware accessory, pictured) - neat idea.

Hyper Parasite (Troglobytes) - failed
Bushiden (Pixel Arc) Added Switch goal - funded
Log Jammers (Mega Cat) Funded
Onmo (Jonas Manke) Possible Switch goal funded - due late 2019
Hazelnut Bastille (ALoftStudio) Switch stretch goal funded - due 2020
Monster Sanctuary (Moi Rai) Switch goal succeeded - due 2020

The Darkside Detective Season 2 (Spooky Doorway)  Funded

Grimshade (Asterion/TaleRock) $100K goal reached, coming 2019

Hamsterdam (Muse Games) FUNDED (you can still contribute)

Thief's Roulette (Malik Brown) Danganronpa-like FUNDED
Masquerada (Witching Hour) FUNDED
Sol705 (Land Patricio) Graphic adventure, £25K Stretch goal FUNDED
198X (Hi-Bit) £41K goal FUNDED
The Good Life (Swery White Owl) $800K stretch goal FUNDED
The Mystery of Woolley Mountain (Lightfoot) FUNDED



Funded:

The Seashore (RPG) Boomerang Games FUNDED

Eat All The Things (Arcade) Stami Studio

Skull Pirates (Action RPG) Luc Bernard
Masquerada: Songs and Shadows (RPG) Witching Hour
XenoCrisis (Arcade) Bitmap Bureau