James – Journey of Existence Heads to Kickstarter

Fans of hand-drawn animation will want to pay close attention, as this new Kickstarter project will undoubtedly peak your interest. James – Journey of Existence is a new game in the works by Andrew Hlynka, the one man behind one-man-studio Dust Scratch Games. Journey of Existence is incredibly unique in that it is a hand-drawn, hand-animated 3D adventure/platformer. What the heck does that even mean, you ask? Check out the trailer below:

“Graphics in games rely on the artist, and we’ve seen a ton of different styles over the years. But it’s hard to make something new when the methods used haven’t changed for so long,” Hlynka stated, commenting on the game’s art style. “I’m not saying that all games should look like this, or that this is better than 3D animation, but it’s different and opens up potential not possible before, and that’s something gaming could really use right now.”

As an example of just how much work Dust Scratch Games is putting into the project, the Kickstarter page notes that it takes 1,166 hand-drawn frames to fully animate the different parts of main protagonist James’ body in his current state. The pledge campaign will last until the end of January, with the initial goal asking for $5,000. Stretch goals currently range from expanding the game’s release platforms to additional expanded content (if the highest tier goals are met.) James – Journey of Existence is shooting for a September 2014 release on PC if funded, with additional support for Mac and Linux possible if the initial stretch goal is met. Additional information and a playable demo can be found on the Dust Scratch Games website, with an extended demo available to those who back the project at the $1 tier.