Drawing inspiration from the beloved top-down adventure games we grew up with, Blossom Tales is a refreshing combination of classic Action-RPG gameplay and modern design. Players can expect a one-of-a-kind experience as they explore hand-crafted dungeons that cleverly combine pre-designed layouts and randomized areas, all while using the handy target-lock system to take out specific enemies, lock onto a boss’ weak spot, and interact with puzzle elements and game world objects. The young Lily will also keep players on their toes by occasionally introducing enemies, story events, and more as she helps her Grandpa tell the tale.
Featuring a vibrant world to get lost in, challenging quests to complete, and memorable characters to meet, our hope is for players to feel as though they've been transported back to the glorious days when pixelated visuals and chiptune music captivated us for hours on end.
We plan on releasing Blossom Tales in late 2015 for the PC followed by an iOS release. We are aiming to bring Blossom Tales to Macs, Linux, Wii U, PS Vita, Nintendo 3DS and Android but we cannot guarantee them at this time.
A delightful mix of "Zelda" and "Princess Bride", Blossom Tales' narrative will unfold in the form of a fable being passed down from grandfather to granddaughter. Unable to resist her adorable plea, the old storyteller weaves a tale where a heroic warrior named Lily finally becomes one of the esteemed Knights of the Rose. However, that same day the evil wizard Crocus places the King into an everlasting sleep with one of his dreaded spells, forcing Lily to go on a grand quest in search of a remedy.
Of course, the spirited listener can't resist occasionally chiming in with her own ideas that almost always affect the story and gameplay. This will result in a unique storytelling experience as enemies and allies show up out of nowhere, quests take a radical turn, and even dungeons change-- all due to a spontaneous suggestion or two from the granddaughter.
An Unforgettable World -- Fierce snow beasts, creepy undead monsters, and cackling witches are a few of the many remarkable characters and menacing foes you'll meet as you explore abandoned grottos, enchanted forests, and dragon-infested caverns.
An Unpredictable Story -- Although the tale is being told by Grandpa, you can expect his lively granddaughter to occasionally chime in and affect the game. For instance, a quiet trip through a cemetery can quickly change if little Lily decides that an army of undead should rise and attack!
Classic ARPG Gameplay -- Zelda being the most obvious inspiration, Blossom Tales offers a fun, familiar experience via an arsenal of unique spells and weapons, dungeons with combat and puzzle challenges, and a rich interconnected world.
A One-of-a-Kind Adventure -- Blossom Tales will do more than fill you with nostalgia as you enjoy a fresh mix of fun gameplay elements. For example, the handy target-lock system will prove useful to adventurers as they explore dungeons with both randomly-generated areas and pre-designed layouts, resulting in an adventures that feels unlike any other.
Easy To Learn, Fun To Master -- Accessible enough for any gamer while also providing enough depth for those seeking a challenge. Whether you grew up with the classics or this is your first ARPG, you’ll be captivated by the engaging gameplay, charming characters, and hard-won rewards.
Primary weapon - Classic Sword and Shield combo to hack away foes and block oncoming dangers.
Secondary tools - Several weapons and items to discover during your travels, such as a Bow n Arrow, torch, and magical wand.
Target-Lock - Keep an eye on an enemy by using the targeting system. Very handy when combined with ranged weapons.
Special Abilities - Elemental attacks, sword and shield charge attacks, dash and spinning sword attacks, and more.
Puzzles and Dungeons - Solve clever challenges by pushing/pulling blocks and bouncing on surfaces as you traverse enemy-infested dungeons-- some of them randomly-generated.
Castle Pixel is an independent game developer stuck in the '90s making awesome retro games with today's technology!
Our goal is to provide memorable adventures that we would have run straight home from school to play if we were still kids. Games that anyone can jump right into while still offering a formidable, rewarding experience. Games that fill you with warm, fuzzy nostalgia while feeling new via fun, exciting gameplay. Most importantly, games that give players the same joy our favorite pixelated games did and still do today. We hope you love playing our games as much as we love making them!
The Team
Rob Maher @r0bbieTheRobot Artist, animator, programmer, and game designer with the dream of being a game developer since his childhood days of playing NES with his older brother. Rob helped create the acclaimed 2D retro platformer Rex Rocket as well as small iOS titles like Not Quite Red. He is now a full-time indie developer and anxious to put his many skills and awesome imagination to use toward bringing Blossom Tales to life.
Tyler Bud @kidexodus By day, a mild mannered student at The University of Toronto-- but by night you'll find him scouring the city, illuminated by the glow of his laptop screen as he slings 1s and 0s into his latest project. A programmer of various languages for almost 10 years now, Tyler has worked on several games including sci-fi platformer Rex Rocket and tiny roguelike Not Quite Red.
Alex Wiklund
Sound Cloud Alex is involved in the demoscene and is a member of the legendary group Fairlight (FLT). He's been making music for numerous demos on all different platforms and is also involved in the game industry, including 10 commercial game projects.
Miguel Vidaure miguelvidaure.com Miguel fell in love with a game's ability to paint memorable worlds while playing classic gems like Chrono Trigger and Ocarina of Time as a kid. With a UCSC degree in 'Game Narratives and Design" and nearly 20 game projects under his belt (including Rex Rocket), he is the perfect storyteller for providing colorful dialogue, characters, and more for Blossom Tales.
Our last Kickstarter project was Rex Rocket, a 2D action-platformer that nearly doubled its modest goal of $6K last May. It then only took us a little over a year to deliver the laser blasting, robot smashing space adventure to backers and Steam. Since then, Rex Rocket has received great reviews for it's challenging gameplay, charming visuals, and lighthearted humor. We've set a much higher goal this time because we want to create an even bigger adventure with Blossom Tales!
Rex Rocket quotes and review scores:
"As a game designed to cater to nostalgia, Rex Rocket serves both as a wonderful reminder of those platforming glory days and a welcoming addition to the modern gaming scene." - Another Castle
(4/5 stars)
"You’ll hearken back to games like Metroid and the much newer Cave Story. But this game is something new, and it’s wonderful." - Fist Full of Potions (BUY)
"One of the very best and most polished run-and-gun/exploration platformers I have played in years. It's silly sc-fi plot and the odd, clever puzzle here and there only add to the overall joy." - IndieGames.com
"Rex Rocket isn't just a love-letter to the golden-era of games, it's a solid addition to any modern action gamers' library...an undeniably perfect combination of the best mechanics from the old and the new." - Cue Indie Review
"Considering the amount of games based on retro ideologies making themselves a success recently, Rex Rocket sits comfortably in that realm, as it should." -
G3AR (8/10)
"Not going to lie. I die a lot. I make little progress. But, man, I still think it's a lot of fun!" - Vinny from Giant Bomb
"With a hint of Mega Man and a hint of Castlevania, Rex Rocket might just be what you're looking for." - Ohnorobo (OH YES!)
Video games are not only costly but very time-consuming to develop, especially with a team as small as ours. Yes, we wrapped up Rex Rocket with only a few grand, but not without suffering a few financial hardships and sacrifices along the way. In short: Rex took more money/effort to produce than we anticipated and we'd prefer not to make the same mistake again.
Just to give you all an idea of why we're asking for a bit more this time around, here's pretty much how it's going to be spent. Note: Numbers based on if we hit exactly $45K:
About 8% goes to Kickstarter and Amazon, collectively. (~$3,600)
About a third of the total will go toward US taxes. (~$15,000)
About 10-15% will be used to produce and ship pledge rewards. (~$5,500)
That leaves us with about $21,000 to spend on development.
We are very passionate about Blossom Tales and know it will be an awesome, memorable adventure. This is why we once again are asking the community to help us fund this project that we've already put plenty of time and effort toward....
Hard Copy Of Blossom Tales -- Add $50 (Shipping Included)
Digital Copy of Rex Rocket -- Add $10
If you've already backed us, go to "Manage Pledge" and add the desired amount to your total. Keep your original pledge tier the same. We will contact you once the campaign is over so you can specify your desired add-ons.
Our small team is working hard to spread the word about Blossom Tales and you can help too! Sharing this page on your Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and other social media pages is a HUGE help to and so we'd greatly appreciate it. If you're a member of the press or have your own gaming blog/channel and would like to interview the Castle Pixel team, hello@castlepixel.com!
Risks and challenges
Having proven our ability to deliver with Rex Rocket, we are confident that with the necessary funds our incredible team can once again provide a game that's even bigger and better than promised. Of course, we still face the same difficulties that come with any creative project and so this time we decided on a higher goal to meet our needs as full-time indie devs. Thus, without a successful Kickstarter campaign it is unlikely that Blossom Tales will ever see the light of day-- but if funded, you can undoubtedly expect to go on an amazing, colorful adventure soon!
+ BOOK OF THANKS - Get your name in the 'Great Book of Thanks', a sacred tome tended to by the Sisters of the Rose and kept within White Blossom Castle's grand library! You’ll definitely want to show your friends!
+ DIGITAL COPY - Go on an amazingly colorful adventure with your own digital copy! This will include both a DRM-Free and Steam version of the game if we’re Greenlit, including Early Access on Steam.
+ PDF INSTRUCTION MANUAL - A unique digital manual with gameplay hints, gorgeous artwork, and more! A
must-have for any Knight of the Rose preparing to go on a grand quest!
+ EXCLUSIVE WALLPAPER - Receive a one-of-a-kind Blossom Tales wallpaper to decorate your desktop
with! We promise it will mesmerize you with its abounding colors and beauty!
+ ROUND TABLE DEV POLLS - Help us make Blossom Tales the best adventure ever by taking part in our
Kickstarter dev polls and voicing your opinion on certain design decisions!
+ BETA TESTER - Guaranteed access to the beta testing dungeon, err, chambers of Castle Pixel where
you can play early versions of Blossom Tales! You’ll get to share what you
love and/or dislike so far to help us improve the game!
+ NAME IN CREDITS - Get your name in the beta testers section of the credits! You’ll definitely want to
put this in your resume when you apply to that amazing game dev job someday!
+ FULL OST - Get the official soundtrack prepared by chiptune master Wiklund, a Swedish
video game musician that's been active in the demoscene since 2008!
+ EXTRA COPY - Get an extra copy of the game for your best 'bud'! Now you’ll have someone to
share all kinds of secrets, item locations, boss strategies and more!
+ EXCLUSIVE ARMOR - Receive the Kickstarter-exclusive alternate suit of armor for Lily to wear during
her grand adventure! Your friends who don’t have it will surely watch in jealousy
as you strut around in your Rosey Guard armor!
+ DEV STREAMS - Join us for Bi-Weekly dev meetings where we'll cover all progress made on the game and everything else under the sun!
+ BECOME A FRIENDLY ZOMBIE - Have a zombie named after you! Most undead you find in the Kingdom of Blossom will try to eat Lily’s juicy brains. However, somewhere in the kingdom there’s a strange group of nice, more sophisticated zombies that are tired of human flesh!
+ DIGITAL MASTER MAP - Get a vibrant map that lets you see the amazing overworld in its entirely! It will
also show the locations of items, dungeon entrances, and other secrets!
+ EXCLUSIVE SWORD - Wield a powerful Kickstarter-exclusive sword, the Flower Bringer! Don’t be
fooled by the name-- this incredible weapon is able to inflict extra damage
and shoot flowery projectiles that leave quite a sting!
+ BECOME A SISTER OF THE ROSE - Have a Sister of the Rose named after you! Sisters belong to a holy order that follows the path of the Rose and serve the Kingdom of Blossom. Upon joining, they must choose to join the sect of either Water, Light, or Earth.
+ BECOME A ROSY GUARD - Have a Rosy Guard named after you! These royal defenders are sworn to protect the Kingdom of Blossom and King Orchid. Rosy Guards can be seen patrolling the streets of White Blossom Castle and other villages throughout the kingdom!
+ DIGITAL ART BOOK - Receive a gorgeous art book showing the best of Blossom Tales! This includes
in-game art for characters, items, towns, dungeons, and more!
+ SUBMIT LORE - Write a short story to be included as one of the many books and tomes scattered throughout Blossom! The dying words of a lost soldier or incantation for a magic spell-- up to you!
+ BECOME A HERO OF THE PAST - Write a message left behind by great warriors of the past! These messages can be delivered as inscriptions, signs, letters, and notes. They can offer sound wisdom or just say something very heroic, all as long as it fits within the game world!
+ BECOME A POD KID - Have one of the Pod kids named after you and crafted in your likeness! The Pods are magical creatures who make their homes on the Dewdrop fields within the Kingdom of Blossom!
+ BECOME A TALKING TREE - Have a Talking Tree named after you! Your roots will sink deep and your branches shall sway in the wind! The Talking Trees of Blossom will offer hints to guide Lily on her quest across the Kingdom of Blossom!
+ BECOME A WANDERING GHOST - Have one of the ancient spirits that wander the fields and homes of Wiltvale named after you! You may even get to write a haunting line or two of dialogue as long as it fits within the game world!
+ BECOME A TALKING SKULL - Have a talking skull named after you! Legends speak of a witch so hideous that even other witches didn’t want to befriend her. Lonely, she cast a spell on a few human skulls she had lying around to keep her company. Although the witch is long gone, these skulls can still be found somewhere in the Kingdom of Blossom chatting away!
+ BECOME A SHOP OWNER - Have a shop named after you! There are a number of shops in the Kingdom of Blossom, and one of them will have a sign post up front that says ‘YourName Item Store’!
+ BLOSSOM TALES T-SHIRT - Walk around in style while sporting a cool LTD Blossom Tales T-shirt! Rumors
say that wearing it while playing the game will unlock a special ending! [cough]
+ TOMBSTONE NAME -Get your name and a short inscription on a gravestone somewhere in the game!
You'll definitely want to show your hot new girlfriend, or at least your mom!
+ 3 DIGITAL COPIES - 3 copies are better than 2! Now you can hook your TWO best 'buds' up with a
copy of the game and have heated discussions on which power-up is the best! (Does NOT stack with previous digital copy rewards)
+ SPECIAL THANKS - Shed a tear and let out a satisfied sigh as you watch your name scroll across
the screen in the 'SPECIAL THANKS' section of the endings credits!
+ BECOME A BARD - Have one of the famed bards named after you! These talented musicians roam the Kingdom of Blossom singing ballads of heroism, bravery, and flowers they like!
+ HARD COVER ART BOOK - Get a beautiful hard cover art book that you can display proudly on your coffee table!
+ SACRED MEMORIAL - Have a sacred Stone memorial inscribed in your honor somewhere in the game! If you ask me, that sounds way cooler than just a gravestone...right?!
+ BECOME A BANDIT BOSS - Have one of the 5 Bandit bosses named after you! The Bandit quest lines are part of a major side-quest where Lily must venture into dangerous bandit hideouts and bring their vile leaders to justice!
+ EASTER EGG CREATOR - Design your own Easter Egg to be included in Blossom Tales where you can reference your favorite game, movie, flower type, whatever!
+ ENEMY DESIGNER - Design your own enemy as long as it fits the world of Blossom! That means no
green, gooey space creatures or flying robots that zap you with their hands! ;)
+ NAME A PET - Give one of the many dogs or cats in Blossom Tales a name! You can name
it after your own pet, a teacher you hate, your great grandpa, etc!
+ 4 DIGITAL COPIES - For the cool kids that have plenty of friends, now you can share 3 copies of
the game and have a party where you all play Blossom Tales together! Woo! (Does NOT stack with previous digital copy rewards)
+ QUEST CREATOR - Now’s your chance to put on your ‘Narrative Designer’ cap for a day as you help us create
a unique side-quest or challenge (within reason) for all to play and enjoy!
