About this project
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
$5,545,991
- An exploration-focused, side-scrolling platformer featuring RPG and crafting elements. Koji Igarashi, the namesake of "Igavania"-style games, is leading the project, with Michiru Yamane composing the music and Inti Creates leading the development.
- The game will be developed for Steam (PC/Mac/Linux), GOG.com (PC/Mac/Linux), XBOX One, Playstation 4, Wii U, and PS Vita.
- For the first time on Kickstarter, backers will have the option to receive physical retail copies for all supported platforms: PC / XB1 / PS4 / Wii U / Vita.
You are Miriam, an orphan scarred by an alchemist curse which slowly crystallizes your skin. You must battle your way through a demon-filled castle summoned by Gebel, your old friend whose body has become more crystal than flesh.
All copies of the game from $60+ tiers will include Special Edition backer-only content:
- The mighty swordwhip
- A super-powerful hidden boss
- A Backer Edition slipcase (for physical tiers)
Miss the boat? You can back the project at the $28-500 tiers via Paypal/Stripe:
You can also see localizations of this Kickstarter campaign in the following languages, courtesy of Playism:
- 日本語 [http://igavania.com/jp/]
- Deutsch [http://igavania.com/de]
- Français [http://igavania.com/fr]
After our launch, backers amassed a trove of stretch goals and achievements. Here’s a recap of the big stuff:
We launched and ended this historical campaign with live streams courtesy of twitch.tv. Check out the archived streams below:
In addition to funding the creation of physical discs, the main purpose of this Kickstarter is to fund stretch goals, which will help IGA expand his vision for this game:
Stretch goals are only the beginning. Unlock enough backer achievements by submitting fanart, making cool things, and joining us on social media, and you’ll unlock Backer Inventory items that will change the campaign and trigger exclusive rewards.
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bloodstained-Ritual-of-the-Night/674733866005672
- Twitter Follows: http://twitter.com/swordorwhip
- Twitter Retweets: https://twitter.com/swordorwhip/status/597809779285757952
- Tumblr Followers: http://iga-bloodstained.tumblr.com
- Tumblr Notes (likes and reblogs): http://iga-bloodstained.tumblr.com/post/119453840101/iga-is-building-a-new-castle-igavania-com
- YouTube Subscribers: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOU-IZLwstnFKxX3m3_P4fQ
- YouTube Views: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWrD0QMZc_s
Each inventory item you unlock with your fellow backers will change the Kickstarter, from unlocking the basement stretch goals to getting IGA to cosplay for your amusement. Get 60 achievements and you’ll earn a new costume.
When you back the Kickstarter at the $100+ level, you'll be eligible to select a Credits Clan. Your name will be displayed under the clan of your choice!
Miriam
Picked up as an orphan by an Alchemist at a young age, she became a host for the dark Alchemists’ curse. Although the magi-crystals were fused with her body at a young age, for 10 years she lay sleeping while the curse matured to its full form. It was during this period that the demons arrived, meaning that she missed their appearance and awoke with a mild form of amnesia, not quite fully understanding what happened to her.
She is a woman of few words but strong of purpose. Her youth is deceiving, making her seem confrontational and quick to judge, though in reality she is constantly evaluating her next step. The pain she felt as an orphaned child fuels her compassionate desire to protect her loved ones and friends.
Gebel
Original host for the magi-crystal curse that summons demons to the planet. Gebel (JEE-bill) was the only one to survive its effects at such a high level. He destroyed the guild that created him, but in doing so realized he was no longer human and had no place on Earth. This in turn, lead him to summon the demon castle from hell to appear on the planet.
It is said that his real purpose in summoning the castle was to give Miriam a place of her own, but as his Magi-crystal disease progressed, he soon forgot his own reasoning. The more he surrounded himself with hell-spawn, the quicker the magi-crystals engulfed his body. He continues to plot the downfall of man, and how to best convince (or use) Miriam to achieve his dark ambition.
Johannes
A member of the defunct Alchemist guild and Gebel’s best friend. Johannes (yo-HAH-nis) was the only Alchemist who dissented with the plan to call demons to the earth to cement Alchemy as the prevalent philosophy. His rejection of the other Alchemists’ scheme is what kept him from sharing their fate. He has a vague understanding that Miriam’s awakening and the demon castle’s appearance are no mere coincidence.
Exploration: Bloodstained's story unfolds as you explore Gebel's hellish castle; a sprawling structure that features a variety of locations. As you explore the massive castle you'll find warp gates that will allow you to travel quickly without having to backtrack too much.
RPG Elements: It's not an Igavania without leveling, and Bloodstained will be no exception. In addition to the classic elements everyone’s come to expect, enemies in Bloodstained will drop a wide variety of items, materials, and magi-crystals necessary to create the items that will get you safely through Gebel’s castle.
Crafting: As you explore, fight enemies, and complete quests you will gain experience and become more powerful, acquiring a variety of weapons along the way. Enemies will also drop materials you can use to craft new weapons and abilities using Miriam's training in alchemy.
Risks and challenges
Darkness lurks around every corner, seeking to corrupt all that it touches. The world is torn between those in power and those the powerful would destroy, and both sides are held in thrall by the demons lust and avarice. Games get delayed sometimes, and it would be dishonest of us to promise you this one won't be.
But Inti Creates has shipped more than 30 games on eight different platforms, and Koji Igarashi personally oversaw the production and design of one of Japan's most legendary franchises. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the kind of game they love to make, and they've got a lot of experience making them.
Between us, the people behind this Kickstarter have helped to launch and fulfill several of the biggest, most complicated gaming Kickstarters ever launched. We've spent months trying to get this one right because we believe in the game (and really, really want to play it.) We’re certain the game will be made, and that you’ll get all the rewards you’ve backed for.
IGA has worked for more than a year to prepare and gather support for this game because fans have asked him for it. Now that he's come to you for help, his goal is to make the game you've been waiting for. By backing this campaign, you'll become a part of the process. During and after the campaign he hopes to keep you involved, whether it's voting on swords and whips, telling us how you play his games—as fast as possible, or exploring every hidden passage—or helping us find the perfect style for the graphics.
Finally, the possibility exists that a man scarred by unfeeling, power-mad alchemists could summon a hell-castle filled with demons across the street from Inti Creates headquarters in Tokyo. IGA has as much experience handling that risk as any game designer on earth, but we estimate that it might set production back slightly (depending on whether or not he's allowed to backdash).
Learn about accountability on KickstarterFAQ
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Yes! They can be mixed and matched with different platforms, too, so it gets you two Kickstarter-edition copies.
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Building out the custom shaders that will define this game's visual style will take some time, so we can't show you in-game screenshots just yet. We've put this concept art together just to give you a general idea of the game's feel and layout.
We'll be talking to backers all through the development process, and showing you the progress we're making. Using UE4 allows us a great deal of flexibility, and Inti Creates can't wait to show you just what they can wring out of it.
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Yes! Simply select the highest tier you want, and then add any lower tiers to your pledge total. For example, if you want the collectors box ($250) plus an extra physical copy ($60), you should pledge $310. Also add the shipping cost of each tier if outside the United States.
During the survey process (which will happen after the Kickstarter is complete) you'll be allowed to apply your funds to specific tiers.
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Yes. For $28-$500 tiers you can pledge via Paypal at https://fulfillment.fangamer.com/bloodstained
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Yes. All add-on tiers are self-contained, and any applicable shipping fees will apply for each added-on tier.
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No. Add-on tiers do not inherit anything from the previous tier you have backed.
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All eligible backers will receive a survey sometime AFTER the Kickstarter has ended. You'll be able to select which version (or versions) of the game you would like to receive.
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Yes, you will have a chance to upgrade your pledge in our survey after the kickstarter ends, as well as add-on additional tiers!
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There will indeed be a physical release of the game in the future. However, the Kickstarter-exclusive box set is a celebration for fans willing to support IGA in his time of need, so the retail version of the game will not contain any of the Kickstarter-exclusive bonus content.
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Reward tiers which include physical copies of the game can choose the Steam platform disc or the GOG platform disc. For either version, your download key will be emailed to you in advance of the physical release for participation in the beta. When the game is released, the corresponding disc will be shipped to you.
PHYSICAL STEAM DISCS are Steam-only, pre-load data discs. The disc will require your Steam key to use and will not be DRM-free. You will receive one Steam key per physical copy. Since your key is emailed early, you will not receive the key with the disc.
PHYSICAL GOG DISCS will contain GOG's DRM-free installer. You will receive one GOG key per physical copy. Since your key is emailed early, you will not receive the key with the disc. The GOG key may be required to access content such as updates, patches, and multiplayer modes. The physical disc and the key constitute a single copy of the game.
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Because this is an Igavania game, the gameplay and feel of traditional 2D games is non-negotiable. Even so, IGA decided to go with 2.5D for this project for both financial and artistic reasons. A 2.5D world built on Unreal Engine 4 was the right choice to balance development time, graphical fidelity, budget, and scope.
At the same time, IGA is very excited about exploring the paths a 2.5D style opens up within the classic Igavania formula. As he begins a new chapter of his career as a developer, he's looking forward to trying things that will enhance, rather than detract from, that core gameplay.
However, we would NEVER discount the fans' love for that classic style. The development team is looking forward to working with backers every step of the way to decide on custom shaders that will give the game a distinctive, hand-crafted look, so there are no surprises. Games like Guilty Gear and Strider are proof that 2.5D can be handled in a way that honors a classic aesthetic while allowing for new possibilities; that’s what IGA hopes to achieve with this project.
That said, one section of the castle will feature an area that Miriam can traverse in beautiful retro graphics. We are dubbing this section “the 8-bit level” although it may be close to 16 bit or 32 bit depending on how we mix it with the full game. While a full-blown 8-bit game doesn't fit into the full budget, backer support allows us to have fun with the development and create a little retro magic in our game.
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Shipping is free within the United States. If you live outside the U.S., shipping will be added to your pledge amount during checkout, so you pay for it all together.
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The Kickstarter Edition of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night won't be sold at retail. It comes in an exclusive slipcase and it's preloaded with backer-exclusive content—the Swordwhip, the only weapon powerful enough to unite Teams Sword and Whip, and a super-secret boss who you'll have to foil to earn it.
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Yes. You can, for example, get a Steam digital key and a PS4 physical copy. This only occurs on the tiers where you get both a physical and digital copy.
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We've added a digital $60 tier with the bonus boss and Swordwhip, so all digital versions in the $60, $125, $175, and $250+ tiers include the bonus content.
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No, you must choose Steam or GOG as one of your platforms and back at the $60+ tier. If you wish to add the beta as an add-on purchase, you must add-on any of the $60+ PC versions.
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Yep, that's exactly how it'll work!
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Yep! For any of the discs or download codes that require a region, you'll receive a survey sometime after the Kickstarter has ended that you can use to select your console's region.
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The final version of Bloodstained will be playable in six languages:
-English
-Japanese
-German
-French
-Spanish
-ItalianVoice acting tracks will be available in Japanese and English, each selectable from the beginning.
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Dracula is part of a different legacy. Bloodstained is a new project, and IGA is excited to take this opportunity to introduce new enemies. Of course, he'll need your help—over the course of the campaign IGA plans to talk to backers about his new villains, and a new selection of demons and classic b-movie monsters is definitely still in the tarot cards.
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Because you've reached the stretch goal for IGA's biggest castle, we're planning for a map that's bigger than any of the previous Igavania titles!
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That would be the super-talented Yuji Natsume from Inti Creates!
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We thought it was a perfect fit to describe the stained glass curse that spreads, like a virus, across the host's body. That explains "Stained," at least. As for the rest of the title, IGA has always been a big fan of blood. (And naming the game "Igavania" was a bit too embarrassing for IGA.)
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You’d really want us to spoil it for you? Even though Lord IGA knows the idea of an inverted castle stretch goal would bring in money, he’d rather keep that one as a question mark for now to value creative integrity, first.
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We probably won't know until about six months before release.
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All eligible backers will receive a survey soon after the Kickstarter has ended. You'll be able to select under which Credits Clan you'd like your name to appear in the credits, if you'd like!
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We've tried figuring it out, but since we began this project he's been extremely guarded around mirrors.
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Funding period
- (32 days)