Double Fine has announced a brand new Kickstarter for a strategy game called MASSIVE CHALICE. The newly revealed project is said to be inspired by various tactics games like Fire Emblem and XCOM where units do combat on a grid system, like a more awesome version of chess. In the game, players will take control of an immortal ruler who has to command their kingdom and establish bloodlines, using their starting pool of heroes to create future characters.
The Kickstarter page outlines the core concepts of the game:
- Your story emerges as you defend against attacks, complete quests, and respond to randomized events in your attempt to preserve the kingdom.
- Line of sight and fog of war mechanics come into play as your squad explores beautiful dynamic 3D battlefields where danger may lurk behind any corner.
- Distinct, customizable heroes learn new melee, ranged, and arcane abilities as they age and gain combat experience.
- Arrange marriage alliances to ensure your heroic bloodlines can handle any future combat situation.
- Battle alongside your ancestors by equipping your heroes with uniquely powerful Bloodline Relics.
- Invest your resources in forging new weapons and armor—and gamble on polluting a bloodline by researching dangerous demonic artifacts.
Being created using Double Fine’s own Buddha 3D engine, the game promises to be highly replayable with completely randomized character rosters and events. Currently the game is set to be released on Windows, Mac, and Linux, but the studio is considering other platforms should they get enough funding.
This isn’t Double Fine’s first attempt at using the popular crowd funding site: their last pitch (now known as Broken Age) was first launched back in February 2012 and asked for $400,000 and ended with over $3.75 million dollars pledged within a month, setting several records for Kickstarter.
At publishing time, the project is already almost half way to achieving its $725,000 goal.
