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Deadline closes in on Shadowgate, Samaritan Paradox fundraisers

Lori and Corey Cole's Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption isn't the only high profile Kickstarter to finish soon, as the sun is setting on the campaign for Zojoi's "reimagined" Shadowgate campaign as well, along with indie developer Petter Ljungqvist's Indiegogo fundraising appeal for The Samaritan Paradox.

Shadowgate

They just don't make 'em like they used to... sometimes they make 'em better. That's now true of Shadowgate, Zojoi's modernized reimagining of the classic horror adventure. Originally launched in 1987 and since ported to a variety of platforms, the latest Shadowgate incarnation is not just another re-release, but an updated version complete with hi-res hand-painted artwork, environmental animations, intuitive command-based interface, two different soundtrack modes, in-game hint system, and all-new puzzles. Along with the same compelling story and monster- and trap-filled gameplay that made the original so successful, of course.

For those who missed out the first time around, Shadowgate sends players "from room to room through the labyrinths of the living castle, confronting the devilish denizens and confounding the fiendish traps laid by the Warlock Lord." As the last descendant in a line of heroic kings, players must collect a variety of objects and three ancient artifacts to assemble the "Staff of Ages - the only weapon that can stop the traitorous sorcerer's plan of unleashing the Behemoth, a titan of tremendous power, on an unsuspecting world."

The name Zojoi may not ring any bells, but designers Dave Marsh and Karl Roelofs are no strangers to the game, having worked together on the original Shadowgate at ICOM Simulations. In order to complete this enhanced version for PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices, however, they've created a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of reaching $120,000 by November 25th. At time of writing, the appeal has reached just over 70% of its target, so a big push in the final week will be needed to put the total over the top. Pledge rewards begin as low as $15 for a DRM-free Windows or Mac download upon completion next November, with higher tiers adding various additional kinds of digital and physical extras.

According to Zojoi, there's still a chance we'll see their reimagined Shadowgate if the Kickstarter campaign falls short, though other funding opportunities would be necessary in its place, making the game's future far from guaranteed. To learn more about the new and improved Shadowgate or to pledge to the campaign, check out the Kickstarter page for full details, and drop by the developer's website as well.

The Samaritan Paradox

While Shadowgate may be an old game getting a new look, Petter Ljungqvist's The Samaritan Paradox is a new game with an old-school look. Set in 1980s Sweden, this "interactive detective story" stars Ord Salamon, who's helping Sara Bergwall find a book her father Jonatan wrote just before he died. He soon discovers that "Jonatan was investigating the weapons industry, and more specifically some covert affairs with foreign dictatorships. But more questions arise. What is the book about, and why does Sara want Ord to find it for her? Did her Alzheimer's-stricken mother know the secret before she grew too demented to share it? And how did Jonatan actually die?"

Described as a "mix of Stieg Larsson and the Brothers Grimm", The Samaritan Paradox features a traditional 2D pixel art style and possibly full voice acting. The latter is dependent on whether the game meets its modest $3,500 fundraiding goal on Indiegogo by December 5th. Ljungqvist is still committed to releasing the game before the end of 2013 in any case, but he'll need the additional funds to finance professional quality voiceovers.

Pledge rewards for The Samaritan Paradox are fairly spartan, as befits a nearly one-man production like this, ranging from $10 for a free download of the game upon completion to getting your name in the credits and even having a character portrait based on your likeness at the upper tiers.

To learn more about this game or pledge to the campaign, visit the Indiegogo fundraising page. Note that all funds contributed to this campaign are granted to the developer, regardless of whether it meets its target goal.

WHERE CAN I DOWNLOAD Shadowgate (2014)

Shadowgate (2014) is available at:

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