The builders behind Spartan Fist and Hot Tin Roof are again with a brand new game: SkateBird. I performed a little bit little bit of it earlier this 12 months at PAX East, and was delighted by its can-do optimism and low-fi “birb-hop” soundtrack. Now, this moderately beautiful skating game a couple of tiny fowl making an attempt their greatest is fluttering over to Kickstarter to assist kick-flip it in direction of a ultimate launch someday in June 2020. And if you happen to merely can’t wait that lengthy, you’ll be able to check out a free demo proper now. Here’s a shiny new trailer for it.
Now, I’ll admit I in all probability spent extra time falling over than efficiently pulling off tips once I performed this sandbox skater again on the finish of March, however I nonetheless very a lot loved what I performed of it. One of probably the most charming issues about it’s that each single considered one of its bird-sized challenges has been constructed out of various home goods, with objects like flexible drink straws remodeling into makeshift grind rails, and staplers and erasers turning into budding kick-flip alternatives.
I additionally discovered it very tough to not faucet my ft alongside to its catchy, hip-hop soundtrack, and I might fairly fortunately hearken to the trailer’s The Heron observe for hours. If songs within the fashion of Baz Luhrman’s Sunscreen aren’t your specific jam, although, you’ll additionally be capable of drop in your individual MP3s to hearken to as you roll round every of its bird-sized skate parks.
SkateBird isn’t only a massive outdated sandbox game. As properly as having a swell time simply noodling round its numerous programs, you’ll even be working towards increase your fowl skating follower depend by finishing numerous challenges. The extra birds that flock to your skate park to see your expertise in motion, the extra you’ll be capable of do and discover. Eventually, you’ll additionally be capable of host your individual fowl skating occasions, which in flip will unlock new areas to ollie in, in addition to extra secret hats, mixtapes and clothes equipment to seek out.
Before that, although, devs Glass Bottom Games are hoping to boost $20,000 to assist push SkateBird over the ending line. If all goes in keeping with plan, they might even launch the game earlier than than their Kickstarter’s June 2020-dated reward tiers may recommend, however there’s additionally an opportunity it might find yourself being pushed again a bit, too.
“Believe it or not, we really can finish the game on $20k,” Glass Bottom Games’ Megan Fox writes. “That gets us to, roughly, late Q1/early Q2 2020, which is about when we want to launch SkateBird. All the reward tiers say June, but ideally we’d launch a bit earlier than that. We’re not giving a more specific date because, depending on how this funds, we may expand scope slightly, which would bump the release date back some. We want to make it clear, though, that we aren’t going to run up stretch-goals forever. If, somehow, this makes it past $100k? We’re not doing any more stretch goals past that. We’ve seen how expanding scope can destroy a game, and SkateBird needs to stay small and cozy to be true to birbs.”
See our E3 2019 tag for extra protection from the present. Our Brendy and Matt are on the market in Los Angeles, taking part in games and taking names. They’ve additionally been liveblogging the big announcement events with fiercely opposing stances.
