Update []: The crowdfunding campaign for the promising RPG/bullet hell hybrid Bel's Fanfare is now live over on Kickstarter.
Launching yesterday (February 4th), the campaign has impressively already managed to hit its €40,000 goal, and a couple of stretch goals in less than 24 hours, raising €121,344 in total so far. As there are still 31 days left to go on the campaign, we expect that number will continue to rise, as word of the game spreads and the developers try to hit some of its remaining stretch goals.
If you want to back the project, there are currently a multitude of options to pick from. These range from digital editions for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Steam, and PS4/5 (priced between €18 and €30 depending on which rewards you pick) to physical editions with figurines of the game's main character. The estimated release date is October 2027, but as always with Kickstarters, this is simply a "forecast, and could be subject to change, depending on any number of risks and challenges.
Here are some more details on the story:
"The Witch of the Sea, once a symbol of prestige in the world of magic, has fallen into decadence. Its rooms overflow with aura and its passengers suffer the consequences.
In a desperate attempt to save the ship, Captain Popplar calls upon the demon Belceboo, who, forever bound to the boiler room, is forced to power the vessel's engine.
For many years, Belceboo and his many children have been left forgotten in the depths of The Witch of the Sea. Now, he has the chance to send his favorite daughter Bel to the outside, where she will serve the captain as the new aura cleaner.
Before parting, Belceboo grants Bel a final gift: the Ukoback gong-shield, an old family heirloom capable of disrupting and absorbing aura.
To the passengers, Bel is restoring the ship to its former glory, but in secret, she is setting in motion a plan to free her family from their imprisonment."
You can back the project here.
Original Story []: Chibig, the Spanish indie studio behind games like Summer in Mara, Mika and the Witch's Mountain, and the upcoming Kickstarter-backed Metroidvania Elusive, has announced a brand new project that looks set to combine Zelda-esque 3D exploration with battle encounters inspired by the world of bullet-hell shooters.
Bel's Fanfare, as the project is called, was unveiled yesterday on social media (January 15th) and, similar to Elusive, will be seeking funding through Kickstarter to pay for its production costs. It is described as an "immersive RPG" with "combat inspired by the Zelda 3D classics," and features some frankly stunning background art and character designs that could potentially trick you into thinking it is a lost PS2 title.
According to the pre-launch Kickstarter landing page, it appears to currently be in development for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Steam, and PS4/5, with the crowdfunding campaign to support the project being set to launch on February 3rd.
Right now, details about the story are being kept mostly under wraps. However, the official announcement mentions that players will take control of a small demon-like character named Bel, an "aura cleaner for the once-luxurious vessel The Witch of the Sea".
Their job is to "purify the rooms of the cruise ship" by helping the otherworldly passengers deal with their spiritual traumas. To do this, the player is equipped with an item called the Ukobach gong-shield, which will help them to solve puzzles around the ship, absorb aura, and block incoming attacks while battling the physical manifestations of their problems in bullet-hell-esque arenas.
It all looks incredibly promising, and we can't wait to see more of the project in the future.