RENOIR (PC, PS4, XOne) is a story-driven 2.5D puzzle platformer that draws a deep drag of inspiration from the film noir genre — the classic Hollywood crime dramas from the 1940s and 50s. Our mission is to drench our video game in that one-and-only mood and aesthetic of film noir, while adding our own unique flavor to the mix: the characters, the gameplay and, of course, the story...
“If the entire game is painted with the same kind of visual nuance and atmospheric density present in the Kickstarter trailer then this could easily be a fan-favorite platformer for ages to come.” — One Angry Gamer
"These film noir-inspired areas feature stunning contrasts between light and darkness, all fully realized with the graphics powerhouse Unreal Engine 4. With gorgeous 2.5 dimensional visuals and an expansive storyline, Renoir’s fictional city feels like a living, breathing entity in itself." — Indie Ruckus
“We will be keeping you up to date as soon as possible with RENOIR, this looks like a dark diamond of a title and one I will definitely be adding to my game library.” — Xbox One UK
If you are as excited about our vision as we are, help us breathe life into our game! Share this news on your social networks. A big-clap o’ thanks from our team!
"I could see there was nothing good waiting for me here..."
James Renoir is a private detective with a dark knot of a past struggling to stay afloat in a city sunk to the floor by crime and corruption. As a former police detective, Renoir makes his living doing the only thing he knows: investigating, digging, exposing...
One night, a night like any other, Renoir gets ready to meet an informant. He needs a new slice of evidence to his latest case. Renoir has done more meets like this than he can even remember. He’s relaxed. Too relaxed. And the night turns new pretty fast. Renoir is caught off-guard; shot by a who-knows-who and left to die with the gunshot echo of a why.
But Renoir’s journey ain’t over...
James Renoir wakes up. Nothing looks unusual - not the place, not his condition.
Except that he’s dead.
And so the wheels of the gameplay and the story start their turn.
Renoir must find out what happened and why, but he quickly finds he can’t communicate with the living — shock gives way to that hollow sense of ‘alone’. No one but he can find the clues that’ll bring the answers; that can lead him to his killer...
High contrast between light and dark is at the core of the noir style, as it is in our game. In his new state, Renoir can’t expose himself to direct light. More than ever, he must keep to the shadows. The tricky process of tracking safe passage through darkness is at the heart of our gameplay…
But there is one thing that aids him. In order to solve a whole myriad of different environmental puzzles, Renoir can call upon a new ability — at the site of any violent crime or fatal accident, Renoir can use the souls of the victims to help him.
How? For a brief window of time, the player can ‘become’ a victim and perform a set of actions, which, once set in motion, will help Renoir negotiate all kinds of obstacles. And as the victims, these lighter souls, are less vulnerable to the pain of light, he can use them to open up safe passages for him through the shadows.
Let's take the following example from our gameplay video:
Renoir is on the crime scene with two victims and his path is blocked by lights and steam from an exhaust pipe.
The player can temporarily embody the first victim, which can be controlled the same way as Renoir. He can climb the ladder, pass through the window light (unlike Renoir, victims may be exposed to light for a limited amout of time), drop down the ladder and ultimately turn off the light. All performed actions are preserved in the exact order and timing in which they were executed.
When controlling the second victim, preserved actions of the first one are automatically replayed and the player can use this fact to his advantage. He can wait until the previously controlled victim switches off the light, then he climbs up the dropped ladder, jumps through the light (due to the fact he did not pass the first light), closes the valve which will result in shutting off the flow of the steam. All these actions are preserved.
Finally, the player can take control of Renoir again and replay all previous actions together. If done right, the path will be cleared for Renoir so that he can move on.
And so you have one of the fundamental mechanics of our puzzle system, which will be deployed and scaled throughout the game. This relatively simple example is only the beginning of what we have prepared.
As you can see, thorough timing and careful planning will be valuable traits during puzzle-solving in RENOIR. While controlling the victims, the player must literally cooperate with his future self to succeed.
The game is a passenger and the story is driving with the window down: James narrates through monologues and special flashback sequences that hang a naked bulb over his own past, and the even darker secrets of the city. But more than anything, Renoir needs clues.
Gameplay style & inspiration
We call RENOIR a platformer but realize this classification can be a little misleading. There will be no frenetic action; no constant jumping. You can expect a much slower, almost adventure-like pace to the gameplay as you focus on exploration and the details of the puzzle-solving. If you like Limbo, Braid or Swapper, you get the picture. And although RENOIR is different in so many ways, these masterpieces were a great source of inspiration for us.
Current status
We have been working on RENOIR part-time over the last 6 months — shaping its visual style, testing various gameplay prototypes and tailoring its story.
So far we have a prototype with challenging and fun core gameplay mechanics along with a finalized visual style of the game. We’ve also completed the story backbone and designed some of the key game locations.
A lot of work has been done, but we are still in an early phase of development. Some 18 months of full-time work lies ahead before we can complete the whole game. That includes designing secondary gameplay mechanics, locations, puzzles, story sequences and a good deal more.
Summary
Planned platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One (see ‘Planned platforms’ for details)
Estimated release date: January 2017
Powered by Unreal Engine 4
We draw upon several hallmarks of film noir in our game which you’ll recognize straight away. Some of the most brilliant sources have fed into our vision.
Out of the Past (1947), The Big Combo (1955), The Big Sleep (1946), Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950)
Our fictional city is a grim place to live in for pretty much everyone. Its history reads like an urban reboot of Dante’s Inferno: soaring crime rates, a police force as corrupt as they are incompetent, citizens living and breathing misery... all beneath a powerful clique of untouchables that pretend they care.
James is a hardboiled detective who ain’t a cynic for no reason; he’s got a past that eats him while his future kicks back and laughs. His job is to stave off the stink in this city, but it’s never out of his nostrils. There’s only one person that ever got under his skin; made him feel something under there. And only the booze would shut out her illusion.
Supernatural elements?
You might say that a plot with a life-after-death detective isn’t exactly the kind of gritty realism that we normally associate with noir. But you’d be mistaken; as some of the most famous noir movies were in fact narrated by a dead man. We loved this narrative dynamic and took it to the next level; it’s a scintillating setup for both a compelling story and a novelty-rich gameplay experience.
PC
Mac
Linux
PS4*
Xbox One*
* Release must be approved by the platform holder
We would like to see RENOIR on all major gaming platforms and the fact we’re using Unreal Engine 4 does make that possible.
We want to avoid crazy stretch goals for different ports. It is in our best interest to get RENOIR to as many players as possible. But we are a small independent studio with limited resources so we need to move forward one step at a time.
We’re primarily targeting Windows PC; with Mac and Linux soon after.
We do plan to release RENOIR on PS4 and Xbox One, but for that we’ll of course need the thumbs up from Sony and Microsoft. Even if everything goes according to plan, we expect some delay between PC and console releases due to the additional testing, certification etc. that’s needed.
In the event we can’t finish or release the game on your preferred platform for whatever reason, we will offer you to choose from one of the other available platforms, or we’ll give you your money back.
One of the main goals of our Kickstarter campaign is to reinforce the awesome community that has grown around RENOIR to this day — you’re massively welcome to join us. Come find us on:
Every mention to your friends, every post on your social networks or your blog is a tremendous help to us.
Our official hashtag is: #renoirgame
Social achievements
If our campaign is successful, for each milestone reached on our social networks we will pick someone who shared a link to our Kickstarter page and reward them with a random special gift: a t-shirt, hip flask or hand-painted figure of James Renoir. Don’t forget to use our official hashtag and mark posts as public so we can find you!
Here’s an example of a post that would feed nicely into this little competition of ours: Story-driven noir puzzle-platformer RENOIR is now on Kickstarter, please support it: http://kck.st/1GJC0TL #renoirgame
Please note: These special gifts will be distributed when the Kickstarter rewards roll out.
We have been working on RENOIR part-time for the last 6 months to shape our vision into something intriguing and accessible. During that time, RENOIR has become an integral part of our lives; no doubt about it.
Besides all the work we’ve done in our spare time, we invested most of our funds from previous projects into RENOIR. We are completely fine with that, but before we drip more of our lifeblood into this project, we need to know that RENOIR is a game you find appealing; one you think is worth playing. Your support will be a clear signal to us that we’re building something special here and that we’re moving in the right direction.
Of course, if we are to deliver the best game possible to our players, we are also going to need to switch to full-time development; to focus our minds and time exclusively on RENOIR. Needless to say, we simply don’t have the resources to fund 18 months of development in this mode. That’s another reason we are coming to you for help.
Without your support, it is unlikely RENOIR will ever see the light of day. So if you like what you see so far, in all its glorious incompleteness, we’d be over the moon if you could show that love and help us! Thank you for backing, and for spreading the word!
Funding
Our goal of £39,000 does not represent the entire budget of the game: we have already invested a considerable amount of our own money into development and this sum will help us to cover the majority of future costs necessary to complete the game. The remainder of the funds will be covered by our co-founders, for which successful Kickstarter will be assurance there is a demand for this kind of game.
Every penny raised from the campaign will be used exclusively for development, with the exception of Kickstarter fees, taxes and the resources needed to manufacture rewards. Any extra money raised will allow us to make RENOIR even better.
More about specific rewards
(£20 or more) Latest digital issue of the Indie Game Magazine
Thanks to our collaboration with Indie Game Magazine, we can offer you the latest digital issue of the best source for #IndieGame News & Reviews (PDF version available).
(£30 or more) Membership in the closed testing group
In addition to our internal testing, we plan to share a small part of the game (a few puzzles) with our closed testing group during the development. RENOIR is a linear story-driven game, so we don't plan anything like beta / early-access, but if you like this sort of thing, you can get involved and be a part of the development process!
(£200 or more) Handmade figure of James Renoir (very limited edition)
An approximately
20 cm (7.9 inch) tall figure will be cast from high quality resin. Each figure will be unique - hand painted with acrylic paints using airbrush / paint brushes and sealed with multiple coats of varnish. Very limited edition (only about 30 pieces).
Rewards preview
T-Shirt (£40+), Hip flask (£100+)
Playing cards (£100+)
We are Soulbound Games, an independent studio from Zlín, Czech Republic, founded in 2013. Even with our small team, our goal is to deliver unforgettable experiences to the player.
The core of our team
Friends who help us on specialized tasks
Game development is a risky business, no doubt about it. If you want top-notch results and a game that actually gets somewhere (we want, we want), your team needs to be skilled in a whole bunch of different fields… from aesthetics to project management and an awful lot in between.
Sure, our team has experience working on small game projects, but we’re the first to admit we haven’t created a game as big and ambitious as RENOIR (yet!). We are learning a lot on the fly and the project is a significant challenge for us, but it’s the growl in our bellies for an outstanding result that drives us forward every day and night.
We know the road ahead is going to be hard, but we will continue to do as we’ve always done: everything we can to bring you the best game possible.
Will you join us for the ride?
Wow, you are still reading? Thanks; well, I guess that’s a start.
Ermm… so, we hope RENOIR is something that intrigues you and, oh yes, we would be super-excited to hear your feedback; now and any time along the road. So if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to write us in the comment section or mailbox. We will be really glad to answer.
We already have several offers to help with translation, but whether we take them up depends on how strong the demand for a particular language will be. Let us know!
● (new) Second digital copy of RENOIR for your friend + printable gift card with game artwork
● (new) Latest digital issue of the Indie Game Magazine (PDF version available)
● Deluxe Digital Edition of RENOIR for you
(with Soundtrack and PDF Artbook)
● Thank you note in game credits
● (new) Membership in the closed testing group (access to the test level and special feedback forum)
● Deluxe Digital Edition of RENOIR
(with Soundtrack and PDF Artbook)
● Latest digital issue of the Indie Game Magazine (PDF version available)
● Thank you note in game credits
POLICEMAN ON DUTY (~$59)
---- Early bird tier ----
● (new) RENOIR T-shirt
● (new) RENOIR poster (A2)
● Membership in the closed testing group
● Deluxe Digital Edition of RENOIR
(with Soundtrack and PDF Artbook)
● Latest digital issue of the Indie Game Magazine (PDF version available)
● Thank you note in game credits
● Membership in the closed testing group
● Deluxe Digital Edition of RENOIR
(with Soundtrack and PDF Artbook)
● Latest digital issue of the Indie Game Magazine (PDF version available)
● Thank you note in game credits
● (new) RENOIR hip flask (no alcohol included)
● (new) RENOIR playing cards
● RENOIR T-shirt
● RENOIR poster (A2)
● Membership in the closed testing group
● Deluxe Digital Edition of RENOIR
(with Soundtrack and PDF Artbook)
● Latest digital issue of the Indie Game Magazine (PDF version available)
● Thank you note in game credits
● (new) Handmade & hand painted figure of James Renoir (very limited edition)
● (new) RENOIR poster (A2) signed by authors
● RENOIR hip flask (no alcohol included)
● RENOIR playing cards
● RENOIR T-shirt
● Membership in the closed testing group
● Deluxe Digital Edition of RENOIR
(with Soundtrack and PDF Artbook)
● Latest digital issue of the Indie Game Magazine (PDF version available)
● Thank you note in game credits
● (new) Co-producer of RENOIR
- your name along with the team in game credits
- you will be VIP guest at RENOIR launch party*
● (new) Story about you in city newspaper (you are the cream of society, of course you will be glorified)
● Handmade & hand painted figure of James Renoir (very limited edition)
● RENOIR hip flask (no alcohol included)
● RENOIR playing cards
● RENOIR poster (A2) signed by authors
● RENOIR T-shirt
● Membership in the closed testing group
● 3x Deluxe Digital Edition of RENOIR
(with Soundtrack and PDF Artbook)
● Latest digital issue of the Indie Game Magazine (PDF version available)
● (new) In-game painted portrait of you in the city hall as the Councilor
● Co-producer of RENOIR
- your name along with the team in game credits
- you will be VIP guest at RENOIR launch party*
● Handmade & hand painted figure of James Renoir (very limited edition)
● RENOIR hip flask (no alcohol included)
● RENOIR playing cards
● RENOIR poster (A2) signed by authors
● RENOIR T-shirt
● Membership in the closed testing group
● 5x Deluxe Digital Edition of RENOIR
(with Soundtrack and PDF Artbook)
● Latest digital issue of the Indie Game Magazine (PDF version available)
● (new) You will be one and only PRODUCER of RENOIR!
- your name at the begining of the game
- you can design your own in-game puzzle
- you can call us or even visit our studio if you like*
- you will be VIP guest at RENOIR launch party*
● (new) Big in-game painted portrait of you in the city hall as the Mayor
● Handmade & hand painted figure of James Renoir (#1 of a very limited edition)
● RENOIR hip flask (no alcohol included, but you can get a refill in our office)
● RENOIR playing cards
● RENOIR poster (A2) with personal dedication to you
● RENOIR T-shirt
● Membership in the closed testing group
● 10x Deluxe Digital Edition of RENOIR
(with Soundtrack and PDF Artbook)
● Latest digital issue of the Indie Game Magazine (PDF version available)
