On October 5th, 2017, independent game developer Gears for Breakfast released its kickstarter title: A Hat in Time, a “Cute-as-heck” 3D platforming collect-a-thon that draws its inspiration from the Nintendo 64 era of games. The game’s recent release comes after nearly three and a half years since the initial kickstarter was created.
Since its release, the game has maintained an overwhelmingly positive rating on Steam, boasting a proud ninety-eight percent positive review rate out of over 2000 reviews as of November 17, 2017-- those not including Steam content curators.
A Hat in Time is one of many Kickstarter games pitched that “re-creates” the experience of older games, invoking elements from retro platformers. Unlike many others however, the game is one of the few projects to not only succeed in its efforts, but also to escape the trap of being left abandoned by its developers due to a long development cycle.
Prominent Kickstarter failures including the infamous Mighty No. 9, a game that failed to deliver on all fronts. This game, alongside many others, caused Kickstarter to be recognized by many as a place where shoddy, unfinished work is born. And while many similar scams may be birthed on the platform, A Hat in Time’s recent acclaim prove that Kickstarter is still capable of helping aspiring creators release successful projects.
Since its release, the game has maintained an overwhelmingly positive rating on Steam, boasting a proud ninety-eight percent positive review rate out of over 2000 reviews as of November 17, 2017-- those not including Steam content curators.
A Hat in Time is one of many Kickstarter games pitched that “re-creates” the experience of older games, invoking elements from retro platformers. Unlike many others however, the game is one of the few projects to not only succeed in its efforts, but also to escape the trap of being left abandoned by its developers due to a long development cycle.
Prominent Kickstarter failures including the infamous Mighty No. 9, a game that failed to deliver on all fronts. This game, alongside many others, caused Kickstarter to be recognized by many as a place where shoddy, unfinished work is born. And while many similar scams may be birthed on the platform, A Hat in Time’s recent acclaim prove that Kickstarter is still capable of helping aspiring creators release successful projects.
However, the game does have its faults. There does appear to be some missing features from the Kickstarter, specifically some of the stretch goals. There are only four worlds to discover, not the promised seven, and there no two player co-op play feature. That being said, Gears for Breakfast has outfitted the game with Steam workshop compatibility, meaning that users can create their own content to play and share with others to potentially fill some of the lost content.
In spite these faults, A Hat in Time still captivates its audience by simply being a fun experience. The art of the game is cartoony, full of vibrant colors, where even some of the darker levels showcase vivid colors. Quirky characters also inhabit the game world. Alongside the protagonist, Hat Kid, A Hat in Time character roster includes a disco loving penguin named DJ Grooves and a vigilante antagonist known as Moustache Girl.
The game’s core mechanics are reminiscent of platformers such as Banjo and Kazooie and Mario 64, with the same emphasis on platforming, exploring and collecting. It also offers its own spins on the genre, including the switch between various hats in order to accomplish certain tasks and the badge system, allowing players to tweak their gameplay experience.
A Hat in Time is, simply put, a fun game. In spite of its lengthy development cycle, it certainly delivers a worthwhile experience to its audiences in terms of content and value. Full of nostalgia and fun, the game has been worth the wait.
A Hat in Time is currently available on the Steam store for 29.99 USD.
In spite these faults, A Hat in Time still captivates its audience by simply being a fun experience. The art of the game is cartoony, full of vibrant colors, where even some of the darker levels showcase vivid colors. Quirky characters also inhabit the game world. Alongside the protagonist, Hat Kid, A Hat in Time character roster includes a disco loving penguin named DJ Grooves and a vigilante antagonist known as Moustache Girl.
The game’s core mechanics are reminiscent of platformers such as Banjo and Kazooie and Mario 64, with the same emphasis on platforming, exploring and collecting. It also offers its own spins on the genre, including the switch between various hats in order to accomplish certain tasks and the badge system, allowing players to tweak their gameplay experience.
A Hat in Time is, simply put, a fun game. In spite of its lengthy development cycle, it certainly delivers a worthwhile experience to its audiences in terms of content and value. Full of nostalgia and fun, the game has been worth the wait.
A Hat in Time is currently available on the Steam store for 29.99 USD.