This week in MMO crowdfunding, Book of Travels, named MOP’s Most Anticipated MMO at the tail end of last year, rolled into its closed beta this week, available to backers in the appropriate tiers.
“We’ve limited the content and the features for the beta with the intention of opening up a bite-sized but detailed section of Braided Shore. Not everything we would like to be there is, but we think the heart of the experience is true to the game as it will be by the start of Early Access in October,” Might and Delight writes. “You can expect an experimental online experience that won’t hold your hand. There are several things to do, encounter, and uncover, but you decide which leads (if any) you want to follow. Although we have employed some elements of more traditional digital RPGs, our aim is to create an experience that is more focused on character expression than on numbers, leveling, and combat. The social interactions and the exploration are the stars of the show in Book of Travels, and we build everything else around them.”
Meanwhile, Albion Online counted 500K monthly players and got an Android update, Wakfu is getting a Kickstarter for its 4th season of its anime series, Temtem gave a sneak peek at some of its music, and Elite Dangerous outlined its next fleet carriers beta. Read on for more on what’s been up with MMO crowdfunding over the last week, plus our roundup of all the crowdfunded MMOs we’re following!
Dual Universe
Recent MMO crowdfunding news
Ashes of Creation’s community propels hype through infographics and polls - With Alpha One testing starting this month, Ashes of Creation has a lot to show the world to help bolster confidence in this upcoming MMORPG. The April development video was…
Star Citizen turns its lights on and off, shows off yoga outfits, and plays with gas clouds - This week's video for Star Citizen might not be an attention-grabbing bundle of information for some. Oh, sure, it has some things to talk about and show off, but unless…
Dual Universe’s beta will include new UI features, items, and reworked planets and moons - While Dual Universe is still going to focus on refining and improving the current alpha 3 build of the voxelbox, the team at Novaquark is also hard at work on…
Elite Dangerous outlines more changes to fleet carriers coming in next week’s test - Elite Dangerous' second round of Fleet Carriers beta is raring to go next week. You know this because you read MassivelyOP. But what does it entail? Thank you for asking…
Star Citizen’s April report talks about Pyro planets, a refining station, and player trading - While a fair bit of Star Citizen's monthly report for April was about work for alpha 3.9's release, there are a few intriguing little tidbits to be found in the…
Albion Online adds mobile improvements like a virtual joystick and Outland banks, raises €42K for COVID-19 relief - If you've been exploring Albion Online on mobile or if you just like the option when you're not at home (there was a time when people weren't at home, really,…
Half a million people played Albion Online in April, so its studio is hiring again - Blizzard is far from the only company making bank thanks to millions of gamers stuck at home sheltering from the pandemic right now. Sandbox Interactive, the studio behind Albion Online,…
Dual Universe is rearranging the controls on the Speeder for easier use - The Speeder is the first vehicle you're tasked with assembling in Dual Universe, and as a result it's the introduction to vehicle controls. It is also a hovercraft, though, partway…
Elite: Dangerous’ second round of Fleet Carriers beta starts on May 11 for all platforms - Ready to pilot the Good Ship Eternally in Debt? Or at least test out if that ship name is appropriate? Then your chance is coming as Elite: Dangerous will be…
Legends of Aria patches monthly goals, lets players go berserk in Chaos Zones - Sometimes, you just gotta cut loose and smash every digital face your avatar sees, and now players of Legends of Aria will be able to do just that consequence-free with…
Book of Travels will enter beta testing on May 5 - This is one of those stories that the headline effectively tells the tale. Book of Travels, the charming-looking multiplayer game of world wandering, tea sipping, and general cooperation, is headed…
Pantheon’s devs talk about coin weight, user interface, and climbing - Even from home, the Pantheon team is pushing forward with its efforts to bring this fantasy MMORPG to fruition. Four of the team got together for an April 30th livestream…
Shroud of the Avatar’s goes bunker busting in a galaxy far, far away - If you're the type to have compassion upon deer that claim to have been the subject of a curse, then you are the mark perfect subject for Shroud of the…
City of Titans previews its UE4 engine upgrade and dungeon architect tool - The dev team of City of Titans has checked in with a quick update on what it's working on next as well as a word on how they're coping with…
Temtem
🎵@PlayTemtem Music Sneak Peek🎵
Reworking "Temtem Overture".
I muted a bunch of tracks so you can hear the most important parts in detail. The recorded little percussions fit really nice there.Enjoy! 💙#temtem #gamemusic #vgm pic.twitter.com/BZznv3ykQK
— Damian Sanchez 🎮🎧 @ 🏰 #Arbury 🏰 (@_damiansanchez) May 4, 2020
Campaigns and crowdfunded MMOs we’re watching
3001SQ (Société des Mondes Virtuels) – Kickstarter unsuccessful, dev halted in 2018.
AdventureQuest 3D (Artix Entertainment) – Raised 368k; beta began Oct 2016.
Albion Online (Sandbox) – Launched July 2017, hit Steam May 2018.
Antraxx (Team Antraxx) – Kickstarter canceled.
Ascent: The Space Game (Fluffy Kitten Studios) – Successful KS. Fully launched 2016.
Ashes of Creation (Intrepid Studios) – Successful KS. Alpha zero.
Book of Travels (Might and Delight) – Kickstarted successfully. Closed beta.
Broke Protocol (Cylinder) – Unsuccessful KS. In free early access.
Camelot Unchained (City State) – Kickstarter successful; open donations/packages.
Caribbean Conquest (Invenio) – First KS canceled, second ended unsuccessfully.
Codename Reality (Orode) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
Contested Space (Zon)
Crowfall (ArtCraft) – Kickstarter win, open packages, Indiegogo crowdfunding ongoing.
Chronicles of Elyria (Soulbound) – Kickstarter. Abandoned March 2020.
City of Heroes Homecoming (Homecoming) – Monthly donation rounds.
City of Titans (Missing Worlds Media) – Successful KS; Issue 0 delayed into 2019.
Day of Dragons (Beawesome) – Kickstarter successful.
Descent Underground (Descendent Studios) – Successful KS.
Destiny’s Sword (2Dogs) – Kickstarter successful June 2019; demo avail now.
Divergence Online (Stained Glass Llama) – Abandoned in early access.
Dogma: Eternal Night (Prelude Games Factory): Kickstarter. Probably dead.
Dragon of Legends (Thrive Games) – Successful Kickstarter.
Dual Universe (Novaquark) – Kickstarter funded, donor platform. Backer alpha.
Eco (Strange Loop Games) – Funded, now in alpha.
Edengrad (Huckleberry Games) – Kickstarter funded. Abandoned, then not, then again.
Elite: Dangerous (Frontier Developments) – Funded and fully launched.
Empyrion Online (Eleon) – Kickstarter canceled; launched on Steam early access.
Endless Trials (Fire Hurts) – Kickstarter canceled.
Epic Space (EpicSpace.net)
EverFeud (PSB) – Kickstarter canceled.
Ever, Jane (3 Turn Productions) – Now in open beta.
Fractured (Dynamight) – Kickstarter successful. Alpha 2.
Global Adventures (SubaGames) – Kickstarter funded.
Gloria Victis (Black Eye Games) – Open donations, no end date; in early access.
Greed Monger (Greed Monger) – Abandoned, now allegedly in refund process.
Grim Dawn (Crate Entertainment) – Funded and launched.
Guardians of Ember (Runewaker) – Funded and launched.
Guns of Icarus (Muse) – Funded and launched.
Hero’s Song (Pixelmage) – KS canceled; Indiegogo. Canceled w/ refunds.
Infinity: Battlescape (I-Novae Studios)
HEX (HEX Entertainment) – Funded and launched.
Legends of Aria (Citadel Studios) – Kickstarted as Shards Online. Early access.
Life is Feudal (Bitbox): Indiegogo ended. Currently in beta.
LUX (Chimera) – Kickstarter canceled.
Maestros of the Anthymn (String Theory) – Kickstarter canceled.
Maguss (Maguss) – Indiegogo successful; open beta.
Mekria (Infinity Online Studios) – Kickstarter canceled.
Midair (Archetype Studios) – Kickstarter successful.
Nebula Online (Mizar Games) Kickstarter canceled; launched in November.
Neo’s Land (NeoJac Entertainment) – Open donations, no end date.
Novus AEterno (Taitale Studios)
Oath (Ready-Up) – Kickstarter funded.
Occupy White Walls (Stikipixels) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
OrbusVR (Ad Alternum) – KS funded March 2017. In early access.
Overpower (Hydrant Games) – Kickstarter unfunded; heading to early access.
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen (Visionary Realms) – Open donations. Pre-alpha.
Pantropy (Brain Stone GmbH): First Kickstarter canceled, second funded.
Past Fate (Icy North): Kickstarter unsuccessful.
Pathfinder Online (GoblinWorks) – Doom, mostly.
Path of Titans (Alderon) – Indiegogo.
Planet Nomads (Craneballs) – Kickstarted, early access launched sans multiplayer.
Playcraft (Bebop Games) – Kickstarter funded May 2019.
Pixel Starships (SavySoda)
Project Gorgon (Elder Game) – Kickstarted in three tries + Indiegogo. Early access.
Project Oasis World (POW) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
Pumpkin Online (Monique) – Downgrading from MMORPG.
RAW (Killerwhale) – Kickstarter canceled by Kickstarter.
ROKH (Darewise) – Kickstarter canceled; in early access but not active dev.
RUiN (Tarhead Studio) – Kickstarter successful.
Sacrament (Ferocity Unbound) – Kickstarter failed; Patreon ongoing.
Saga of Lucimia (Stormhaven) – Indiegogo. Intermittent pre-alphas.
Seed (Klang Games) – Kickstarter launching in 2020.
Shadow’s Kiss (Clockwork Throne) – Ongoing Patreon, Kickstarter funded.
Ship of Heroes (Heroic) – Kickstarter canceled, beta expected before 2020.
Shroud of the Avatar (Portalarium) – Soft launch July 2016. Launch March 2018.
Spycursion (Defun) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
Squadron 42 (Cloud Imperium) – Beta delayed until at least 2020.
Star Citizen (Cloud Imperium) – Ongoing donations/packages. Backer alpha.
Starfighter Infinity (Ben Olding) – Kickstarter funded. Early access.
Swords ‘n Magic and Stuff (Kindred) – Kickstarter funded.
Temtem (Crema) – Kickstarter fully funded; now in early access.
The Exiled (Fairytale Distillery) – fka Das Tal; KS unsuccessful. Early access.
The Flower of Knighthood – Kickstarter canceled.
The Realm: Reawakened (Stephen Nichols) – Ongoing GoFundMe.
The Repopulation (Idea Fabrik) – Kickstarted twice by A&B. Back in alpha.
The Stomping Land (Alex Fundora) – Abandoned.
Trials of Ascension (Dragonfire) – Latest Kickstarter failed.
TUG (Nerd Kingdom) – Totally abandoned without a word. Now considered a scam.
Vigor Roads (NeuronHaze) – Kickstarter unsuccessful; early access planned for 2017.
War of Rights (Campfire Games) – Successful Kickstarter; in early access.
Zenith (Ramen) – Kickstarter successfully funded.
Pantheon
Yes, some crowdfunded MMOs most definitely do succeed. But others crash and burn, and you need to hear about the whole spectrum of games that sought your money early in exchange for the promise of input and transparency. And that’s exactly what Make My MMO does every Saturday. Help us keep ’em accountable, would ya?
