tl;dr presents: The Summary

The next installment in the acclaimed BoUT-series will be unleashed  beginning of 2015 and it will be filled to the brim with puzzles, eccentric characters and the trademark BoUT-humor. But we want to do more; more epic, more shiny, more community involvement, more... of everything!

Yet, to achieve this, we will need your bow. And your axe.  And your pledge. And a rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle...

Update #1: Funding goal reached; New Video!

Update #2: Paypal, New Rewards & Valentine’s Wishes

Update #3: Story-Video; Stretch Goal reached

Update #4: New Video & Humble Weekly Sale

Update #5: The Music of BoUT2; Second Stretch-Goal reached!

Update #6: Our 10 Game Design Rules; New Reward-Tiers!

Update #7: Projection Mapping Video & much more

Update #8: Looking for the Wizard of Vlog - Paid internship at German game developer

Update #9: Frequently Asked Questions

Update #10: Homestretch – The last 5 Days; KING Art‘s To-Do List

The Book of Unwritten Tales 1 and The Critter Chronicles

BoUT1 tells the story of four heroes in a strange and wicked fantasy world. It is one of the most successful and critically acclaimed point-and-click adventure games of the last decade.

The main game was followed by the stand-alone add-on "The Critter Chronicles",  a prequel to the story of the original game.

Minstrels from all over the world sang praise and frolicked when they played BoUT1:

• IGN 9/10: "You simply can’t ask for a better adventure game."
• Kotaku: "[…] a showcase for a game type that many of us have lost track of."
• Screw attack 9/10: "[…] reminds me why I fell in love with point’n’click games in the first place."
• The Escapist 5/5: "Smart, funny, well-crafted and has tons of heart."
• Adventure Gamers 4.5/5: "[…]an epic adventure […] with some of the most endearing game characters of all time."

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2

After "The Critter Chronicles" explored the past of our heroes, we wanted to continue the epic story of The Book of Unwritten Tales 1 and show their future adventures. But we have taken our time, because expectations are high – both our own and from the community.

In our humble opinion, these are the key ingredients for a great BoUT2 game:

• A fantasy adventure story with about 20 hours of pointing and clicking
• The trademark BoUT-humor, lovingly spoofing WoW, LotR, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Discworld, D&D, The Hobbit and many more
• Hundreds of weird, yet oddly logical puzzles and our well-proven "Multi-Character-Gameplay"
• The established four playable characters Wilbur, Nate, Ivo und Critter
• Numerous beautiful locations, improved through today's computer alchemy - and your pledge! (see Goals - Projection Mapping)
• An ensemble of quirky characters, both well-established and hot off the drawing board
• An epic soundtrack with many new compositions

How and when will BoUT2 be made available?

Thanks to our brothers in arms at Nordic Games, the core game is already fully funded and will be released beginning of 2015. It will be out on PC, Mac, Linux, in English and German, and there will be a DRM-free version available (boxed and digital).

In fall 2014 we will make the game available chapter by chapter via Steam Early Access. All backers who have pledged $25 or more automatically have the opportunity to receive the game via Steam Early Access for free.

The full game consists of five chapters, each with a playtime of around 3 to 4 hours, so just like BoUT1 it will be one of the biggest adventure games out there. It will be big and it will be wicked. But we would love to push it even further – and that’s where you come in.

There are many things that are common in big games, but usually aren’t done in adventure games, because they are too costly for a niche genre. Everyone has come to terms with that. But how about we collectively ignore this so-called fact?

These are the four things we would like to achieve with your help:

BoUT 2 Enhanced & Kickstarter-Edition ($65,000)

• Projection-Mapping: Legend tells of a clever technique that makes the locations in the game look even better and allows for more dynamic camera movements. Yet the system requirements remain untouched. It's real world magic.
• Kickstarter-Edition: We will create all the rewards, including the limited "Kickstarter-Edition" of the game, featuring a special box, a high-quality artbook, the soundtrack and a BoUT mouse pad. This edition will only be available during the crowdfunding phase. Other rewards including a Critter plushie and a Critter puppet, posters and additional in-game assets.

Side-quests & Outfits ($95,000)

• Side quests: Similar to RPGs there will be optional puzzle chains besides the main puzzles, that you can choose to solve, but don't have to.
• Outfits: For solving side quests you will receive not only achievements, but also pieces of clothing that characters can equip, and that you can combine in different ways to create unique outfits.

Production blog, Behind-the-scenes & Orchestra recording ($145,000)

• Production blog & Making-of Videos: We will hire another brave warrior who will be responsible for creating a production blog and regular video updates, so that you get an exclusive insight into the development process of an adventure game. At least one blog post per week, at least one video per month.

• Orchestra recordings: For the first time several of Benny Oschmann's much-loved music tracks for the game will be recorded with a live orchestra.

BoUT 2 - Director's Cut ($235,000)

• Orchestra Recordings - The Return of the Orchestra: The complete soundtrack of the game will be recorded with a live orchestra. Our composer Benny Oschmann will cry one tear of joy for each pledge given.
• More animations: We will incorporate more special, context-dependent animations.
• More facial expressions: We'll give the characters in the game a wider range of facial expressions, so they can even express complex feelings like bitter-sweet love-hate.
• More "shots": We will integrate additional camera angles and close-ups into the game, so you can truly savor the wider range of facial expressions.

The Fellowship of Unwritten Tales

KING Art is an independent game developer from Bremen, Germany. We've been in business for 14 years and have successfully developed more than 40 games.

In early 2013 we started our first Kickstarter campaign for our turn-based strategy game "Battle Worlds: Kronos". Battle Worlds was released with German punctuality and offers everything we had promised (and more). Since its release in November last year we are working on the game with the community and will keep improving it in the future.

We Support Crowdfunding

We think the idea of crowdfunding deserves to be supported. With our last game, Battle Worlds: Kronos, we joined Brian Fargo's initiative "Kicking it forward". This means we invest 5% of the profit we make with Battle Worlds: Kronos back into the crowdfunding community. We've supported dozens of games so far and looking forward to support other developers even more this year.

I want to join your quest!

Great! We are trying to let the community participate in the development process as much as possible. If we reach the third stretch goal, the "Behind-the-Scenes" coverage will get a whole new dimension (hopefully not a Dungeon Dimension). There would be a staff member exclusively responsible for keeping you, the backers, up to date!

Until then we can stay in contact here:

• The BoUT Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnwrittenTales
• The BoUT homepage: http://www.unwritten-tales.com
• The BoUT forum: http://forum.kingart-games.com
• KING Art on Twitter: @KingArtGames

FAQ

What languages are supported?
There will be at least an English and a German version (voices & subtitles). But we hope we'll be able to ship several languages more (subtitles).

Can I get a Steam/GoG key?
We're planning to release the game on Steam and GoG. If both agree and provide us with keys (they did in the past), we will let you choose which one you would prefer.

When will the game be released again?
If you pledge more than 25 USD, you receive the full game upon release beginning of 2015 (as a box + download, or just as a download, depending on the pledge-level you choose). For the download-version you can choose between the Steam-Version or the DRM-free version. All boxed versions are always DRM-free.

How does the Steam Early Access work again?
If you pledge more than 25 USD you also have the chance to participate in the Steam Early Access phase starting in fall 2014 and get the game chapter by chapter before the full release. The key for the Steam Early Access version of the game will of course also unlock the full game once it’s released. So if you want to give us early feedback about the game, or simply play it as soon as possible, opt into the Steam Early Access and watch The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 grow.

Why should you pledge?
Because they buried LucasArts and now it is up to others to carry and look at and use the torch. And because with your help we can push the boundaries of the so-called niche-genre we all love.

Do I have to play BoUT1, to understand BoUT2?
There are of course a lot of references to the original game, but the story of BoUT2 can be enjoyed independently from what previously happened in the world of BoUT. And hey, there is still plenty of time to play the original, and it's well worth it.

Legal

German law shall apply to the exclusion of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods.