You can now back Abide, the next game from Judero and Mashina developer, on Kickstarter

Talha & Jack Co, the creators of handcrafted weirdities, Judero and Mashina, are going to Kickstarter once again for funding of their next game, Abide, a horror game about breaking curfew at a rehabilitation retreat. They’re looking for £25,000 to offset the cost of development, warning that, if they’re unable to make their goal, the project might not be successful due to the ongoing censorship of digital marketplaces.

Alongside the launch of the Kickstarter campaign, they’ve released a trailer showing off Abide. It looks fantastic.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Judero when I played it for review, but I loved its vision. I knew what to make of Mashina, but I didn’t entirely jibe with it. On the other hand, Abide looks like it’s right up my alley. The trailer does a great job of showing off something that looks comforting, but with a sinister undercurrent.

CLAY BENEATH THE FINGERNAILS

Like their previous games, the art in Abide is handcrafted. The interesting difference is that it is entirely 3D. They’re using Reality Scan to create 3D models from the physical figurines, and the result is a creepy mix of realistic and lo-fi.

The game has you building relationships with the other patients at the retreat during the day and investigating them covertly at night. Talha & Jack Co has said that they’re embracing horror tropes for this one, but doing away with character clichés. According to the press release, they “have consulted with clinical therapists throughout the pre-production” to make sure they get their “eccentric cast of criminals, creeps, and lost souls.”

Sounds rad. I’ll probably always have some level of interest in the games from Talha & Jack, but Abide is the first that I have actual excitement for. Psychological horror might be the perfect genre for them.

As mentioned, they’re seeking £25,000, and the Kickstarter runs from now until February 28th. I’m hoping they reach their goal, but times are pretty tough these days. As it stands, they say, “All the dolls are made. All the models are scanned in. The stories are written, the voice actors have been contacted, and the first lines have even been recorded.” They just need to pull it all together.

I should ask Jonathan “Mighty Crunch” Holmes if he’s voice acting in this one. He was Tungsten in Mashina.