Why hello, you exceptional person you! I am extremely pleased that you decided to grace our project page with your presence, and humbly request that you check out our introduction video above if you haven't already!

Update: Test out the tutorial level from the video for yourself by downloading the demo here: http://www.starnixstudios.com/demo/DustBunnyDemo_4-20-12.zip
*Please note there is no audio in this version, and you can use the mouse scroll wheel to move the camera further/closer.

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What are you doing?!

Well, what are you doing? I'm writing about our Kickstarter project.

Okay, so what should you be doing?

Good question, but I reckon I should probably be toiling away on Dust Bunny, the epic physics-based puzzle platformer adventure game that we're developing for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. Why am I not doing that now? Because we need your help!

So tell us about the game?

You got it! Beyond the aforementioned epic physics-based puzzle platformer adventure generalized description I gave you a second ago (I really love alliteration), I can tell you this: you're a dust bunny. Hah! Betcha never saw that one coming!

Before you hit me, the game starts out being based on being able to roll your character around, a small dust bunny trying to escape out from underneath the bed it was born under, and into that big sunny world outside! You'll build up momentum to get over and around obstacles, and you'll have to fend off baddies along the way. As you get further along, and progress through the subsequent rooms you find in your home, you'll have to use some of the abilities you gain as you grow through each level to get past certain obstacles, including tricks you learn from the bosses! Boost your way over jumps, blast your way through blockades, bounce yourself to new heights! Sniff out hidden pieces of dust to make your bunny even stronger!

I heard people like bullet points:

• Realistic Physics Model
• Fun Boss Battles
• Level Up Your Character
• Wicked Power-Ups
• Detailed Environments
• Brain-Tickling Puzzles
• Killer Soundtrack

Tell us a cool story!

Normally, much like yourself perhaps, I'm stuck grinding out my day at a regular job doing something that I really don't feel like I'm the best fit for. Then we, the Dust Bunny dev team, get back to our respective homes, and pick up work on the games we love to make until well past whatever a normal bedtime is, or maybe even until it's time to leave for our day-job's duties again.

Why would we do this to ourselves? Because we have a passion for making games, and we want to have a say in how our games are made, which means we can't just go work for some big corporate game company (most of us have done that already). We don't want to toil away for some executive board's game design that's built specifically to garner the maximum amount of revenue, ignoring any fun or creative design along the way just because it didn't "fit the profile." Maybe we like fun? Don't you?

The solution was to form our own company, which we call StarNix Studios. SNS is a place where we can safely work on projects that entertain both developer and gamer alike. Well, sadly, we won't be able to keep doing this forever, at least not this way. We're just regular Joe's and Jane's, and so far everything we have to work with has come out of our own pockets. We need more software licenses, which are expensive, we need sleep, and we need to eat (some of us really need to shower), and our goal to be completely self-sufficient beyond Dust Bunny's release means that we really have to be successful with funding here.

We all want to do this for a living, but on our terms. But, without some big corporate funding or your standard evil-doer publisher backing us, the chances are usually slim. That's why we've turned to you, the incredibly awesome Kickstarter community. We're relying on your generosity and also on you spreading the word (don't worry, we'll do our best too!) to make this project a massive success!

Alright, alright!

Sorry, I just get all excited when it comes to making games. I love to do this! I've done it since the 3rd grade! Seriously, I can't express to you how much ... sorry.

Beyond that, check out the reward for access to the dev builds and learn about the game the fun way, by playing it! There's lots more to pick from, too, including the full final game, having yourself in the game, and even getting to hang out with us in person, there's something for everybody over there, and every single little bit gets us one step closer to our goal of taking over the wo... err, creating games that are both fun to make and to play!

I hope you've thoroughly enjoyed reading about our project! Feel free to check out our website over at: http://www.starnixstudios.com but I dare say there's even more info here!

StarNix Studios' Dust Bunny team is:

William Long - Programmer
Danny Vink - Programmer
Craig Reid - Texture Artist
Henry Martin - 3D Artist
Ed Akselrud - 3D Artist
Rida Shelekov - Audio

FAQ

Q. I have an idea for Dust Bunny, how do I contribute?

A. Shoot us a message by using the link at the top of the page, we'd love to hear from you! If your idea gets used, you'll be credited for your work!

Q. How often can we expect updates?

A. The goal is to have a solid update once a week for you. We're not perfect, we're a small team, and if we run into a troublesome game mechanic, we might go a bit over our planned time.

Q. What if you get waaaay over-funded?

A. Now we're talking! Our funding goal is based on the cost of software licenses and other various costs that we've incurred while trying to produce the best product possible for you all. If by chance we happen to blow our goal out of the water (we can hope), then the plan is to drop  the day jobs so we can focus 200% (we're already giving 110%) on the project! For everyone to be able to work full-time on Dust Bunny, we would have to raise about $200k... no small number, but a necessary evil to make sure food is on the table.

Q. Well, why should we care about that?

A. Because for starters, that means you get the final game that much sooner! And who doesn't want to get their mitts on a hot copy of Dust Bunny the second it's released?! Not only that, but that means we'll also be free to spend more time tweaking and perfecting the game, adding more levels, and as a result, learn more for our future projects that you'll be wanting to check out too! We'll also be able to target additional platforms, such as XBLA/PSN, a version playable from any web browser, and also hire folks to help us out with localization, which means the game gets out to even more people!

Q. So in those images above, it looks like there's a bit to be desired... 

A. Yup, those are simply some of the environments as they sit now. They shall be filled with awesome props to form the amazing adventures of dust bunnies everywhere! We just wanted to show you some of the progress we've made so far to give you a taste for the style of Dust Bunny. :)

Q. Why don't you have a Lead Programmer/Artist/etc like most game companies?

A. Because that just isn't how we work. We do our best to make sure everyone has an equal say in matters whenever feasible.