So this is a surprise: Goldenflame Dragon has launched a Kickstarter campaign for The Dark Unknown, which he is calling The Quest for Art.

The Dark Unknown is a free old school RPG inspired by and in the style of games such as Ultima. You play as a young hero of the realm, the younger child of the King, called upon when your brother declares himself in rebellion. Fight monsters, learn spells, solve puzzles and figure out the true meaning behind these events. It has been a personal project of mine for over 8 years now, and as it nears completion it is time to put all the pieces together.

Ultima was known for many things- great gameplay, great storytelling, but it was also known for the things that came with the game. Maps, trinkets… and the manuals, journals from inside the game world, with incredible art and writing that sucked you in before you ever turned the computer on to start to play.

This is what I am here trying to recreate. But to do that, I need art.

Goldenflame Dragon is partnering with Indi Martin of Tortoise & Hare Creations; we’ve seen the fruits of that partnership already, actually.

Just what, exactly, is this money for?

Art! Well, to be more precise:

• Approximately 25 more black and white pieces, ranging from 1.5″x1.5″ to 4″x3″, to be used as chapter headers and illustrations
• One large color piece, to be the art for the cover of the game box

I would love to have Indi finish illustrating the rest of the Almanac, the in-story book that will be a part of the game. But artists need to eat, and this is a free project that I am making on my own time. With your help, we can have Indi’s art making the Almanac as good as it can be.

And in case you need a refresher on what The Dark Unknown is all about:

The Dark Unknown is a turn based, top down (tiled) RPG, played in the browser. All input is handled via the keyboard, with letters assigned to commands: A for Attack, C for Cast, and so on. You progress in the game by visiting the various towns and talking to NPCs, using a keyword system- words that they will respond to will appear in blue as they talk to you. You will visit over a dozen dungeons, caves, towers, and other adventure locations as you explore the world and try to get to the bottom of your brother’s shocking betrayal.

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The entire game is a love letter to Ultima and Ultima fans, and I hope people have as much fun playing it as I’ve had making it. The plot, dialogue, code, and music are all written and composed by me. The game will be freely available on the web when it is finished, with a physical “collector’s” edition for those interested.

Since The Dark Unknown is free, the Kickstarter rewards don’t include copies of the game. What they do include, however, are…art! For a minimum spend of $5 USD, you’ll receive a postcard-sized pop culture portrait by Indi Martin. Prints of Dark Unknown-specific artwork are available from $19 USD.

So…if you’ve been following the efforts of The Dark Unknown, you should consider chipping in. Goldenflame has set a pretty low goal for himself, and should easily be able to reach it. What will Goldenflame be able to do if he exceeds his base goal? Stay tuned.