Sci-fi mystery Europa 2022 launches Kickstarter mission

A rogue crewman, a sabotaged spaceship, a mission gone wrong. And here you are: stuck on the iciest moon of Jupiter, forced to unravel an ominous mystery whilst desperately trying to survive... This is Europa 2022, an indie 3D adventure currently seeking funds on Kickstarter.

The story takes place in the near future. You and your crew of four have been sent on a mission to Europa, Jupiter's icy moon, in the hope of finding extraterrestrial life in our solar system. Things soon take a turn for the worse, however, as a traitor among your crew has sabotaged all communication lines, causing you to land your ship, The Andromeda, in silence on the moon's surface. For the rest of the game you will need to “solve your way through puzzles, point-and-click style” to reveal the nature of this mystery.

Dayv Hackenberger, the man behind Europa 2022, has designed the game to be a blend between classic adventures and more modern action-adventures such as Uncharted or The Last of Us. The game won't include any shooting, however, instead opting for a more traditional adventure-esque mode of gameplay. As Hackenberger puts it: “Consider it a faster-paced, 3D adventure game, with the heart and soul of a point and click!”

Alongside the actual game, an ARG (Alternate Reality Game) is being developed. It will consist of “websites, social media, cryptography, and in-game rewards for your exploration/sleuthing work”. But for those who just wish to play the game, it is not necessary to play the ARG as well.

In order to finish the game in time for December 2014, Hackenberger is appealing to adventure game fans for help in raising $10,000 on Kickstarter. Backers who pay $10 or more will receive a digital download of the game for Windows, Mac, or Linux once it is released, and those who are willing to fork out the extra money for the higher tiers can choose anything from a comic book to an in-game character of themselves.

You can support the game and find out more information at Europa 2022's Kickstarter and Facebook pages. There is also a Steam Greenlight page for the game where you can vote to have the game included in Steam's catalogue.