The Eyes of Ara set sights on Kickstarter

Written by Jack Allin — June 2, 2015 at 12:42

Old, abandoned buildings can be the perfect setting for first-person exploration adventures, and indie Australian developer Ben Droste is hoping that proves true once again when it opens up the castle doors of The Eyes of Ara, currently seeking crowdfunding through Kickstarter.

The isolated castle in question has been "abandoned for many years, and few but the most foolhardy ever approach its weathered walls." Just recently, however, troubling signs of activity have resumed once more, as "a powerful radio signal has suddenly begun broadcasting from the castle, and the locals have reported sightings of strange lights moving in the mist." It's now up to you to venture inside to discover what has awoken, and to reveal the castle's many long-held hidden secrets.

Inspired in part by classic first-person puzzle-adventures like Myst, The Eyes of Ara is rendered in realtime 3D and promises to include a focus on exploration-based puzzles and environmental storytelling. Rather than interacting with other characters to propel the story along, players will discover what happened through observation, puzzle-solving and item collection, as "hurriedly abandoned rooms, cluttered desks, and cobweb covered trinkets all serve to tell a visual story and give insight into the lives of the castle's former occupants." Players will progress in a semi-linear fashion through the castle's main environments, including its great halls and antechambers, bedrooms and library, and its towers, each with "countless hidden keepsakes to collect, secret bonus rooms, and advanced bonus puzzles that once solved will reveal the final secret."

In order to make this game a reality, the developer is looking to raise $15,000 by July 1st. A minimum $10 pledge will secure a downloadable copy of the game for PC and Mac upon completion, which is currently targeted for July 2016. To learn more about the game and support its crowdfunding efforts, visit the Kickstarter page for complete details. You can also vote for the game's Greenlight campaign on Steam.