Name of the Will hopes for crowdfunding through Kickstarter
What could be better than living in a place called Hope, where everyone appears to be content? The problem is, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, as we'll find out in indie developer Zeigeist Studio's upcoming Name of the Will, which is currently seeking funding through Kickstarter.
It's 2029, and you awaken one day to find yourself in a smiley-faced mask in a community where everyone "wears the same outfit, lives the same repetitive routine, and is happy." Here in this "harmonious society filled with laughter," many of your fellow residents have no interest in the outside world, but you can't escape the nagging feeling that something is wrong, as a "foggy memory starts flickering in your mind." What's more, a mysterious girl named Rita appears to you in "unthinkable ways; she can be a voice or even a hallucination." Who is she, and why is it that an "inexplicable melancholy looms over you whenever she appears?" To find out what's going on and why you're here in Hope, you'll need to "dodge governors, avoid suspicious people, establish connections with your neighbors, and solve puzzles to collect intelligence."
The side-scrolling Name of the Will takes place in a "surreptitious and futuristic world that resembles Hong Kong," presented in a hand-drawn art style with a "surrealist color palette" intended to create "a blended feeling of reality and illusions." As events occur during the game's linear day-night cycle, players must interact with the various inhabitants of Hope, each with their own "unique personality and story; some are kind-hearted conformists; some are reckless con men." How you approach your relationship with them is up to you to decide, as your choices affect not only your own fate but theirs as well. Along the way you'll have to contend with "tons of challenging mechanical puzzles," as well as "the governors who punish suspicious-looking people, surveil your every single move, and can pop into your screen unexpectedly." To avoid being caught in your attempt (if you wish) to uncover the "many secrets and mysteries among them," you can "walk, run, jump, crawl, grab and climb" your way around the community to stay out of sight.
In order to finish production on this game, Zeigeist – comprised of several Hong Kong developers now scattered around the globe – has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $15,000 USD by March 8th. If successful, we could see the full version of Name of the Will released for Windows, Mac and Linux before the end of 2022, with a pair of demos completed before that time.
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