Conan Meets Mario and Zelda in Savage: The Shard of Gosen

Those susceptible to the wily charms of the nostalgia bug without any spare cash to burn, take note: It might be best if you hid your wallet for the duration of this article.  2D action platformer Savage: The Shard of Gosen will soon enter the last week of its Kickstarter campaign, with the intended $6,000 finish line close in sight. “I’m in the final 3rd of my Kickstarter,” said Matt Fitzgerald, the game’s solo developer, “and I’ve also reached a third of my funding, so it looks like the campaign is in step to hit full funding – but anything can happen. I’m definitely starting to bite at my nails, haha!”

Taking heavy inspiration from Robert E. Howard’s Conan books – and NES-era classics such as Super Mario Bros. 2, Zelda 2, and the Castlevania series – Savage thrusts players into a brutal world of barbarians and mercenaries with two goals in mind: Survival, and Revenge. When asked about how Savage stands out amongst the Kickstarter crowd, Fitzgerald stated that, “with this game, I’m trying to create something I’ve always wanted to play, but [I've] never found anything that quite scratches that itch I’m trying to provide. If you are of a like mind, then yeah, this game is definitely worth backing.”

Commenting on the campaign’s eventual outcome, Fitzgerald is already grateful for the journey thus far. “Regardless of whether the Kickstarter succeeds or fails, I’ve met some real quality people I otherwise wouldn’t have, so that right there has made this whole experience totally worth the 16+ hour days.” Savage: The Shard of Gosen  is targeting a release on Windows PC later this year. (The game is currently looking for votes on Steam Greenlight as well.) A multiplatform release across Android, Ouya, and Mac OSX are currently only on the table as stretch goals. More information and project updates can be found here.