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Double Fine Returns to Kickstarter With Massive Chalice

Trenched designer Brad Muir is pitching a new game with inspiration from XCOM, Fire Emblem, and others.

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Who can argue with that smile?

Double Fine Productions, the studio that put Kickstarter on the map for games by raising millions, is returning to the crowdfunding service to bring another project to life.

Massive Chalice comes from Trenched designer Brad Muir, a developer anyone familiar with Giant Bomb’s videos probably already knows pretty well. Massive Chalice is being pitched as a fantasy strategy game culling inspiration from XCOM, Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy Tactics, and others.

In addition to fighting it out with turn-based battles, players also have to manage a multi-generational layer in which units age, have children that spawn new units, die, etc. The original set of heroes is spawned randomly for each player, with the project’s page citing roguelikes as an inspiration.

Double Fine raised $3.3 million on Kickstarter for its first project, Broken Age, which was previously titled Double Fine Adventure. That game isn’t scheduled to arrive until September, which might lead you to ask why Double Fine is already looking to raise for money to build another game on Kickstarter.

The studio addresses this question on the project page itself.

“Broken Age team only represents a third of our multi-game studio,” said the company. “Double Fine’s goal is for all our teams to remain independent and responsible directly to their players. Kickstarting Massive Chalice allows us to maintain a pure creative vision, put out updates on our own schedule, respond to feedback without roadblocks, and release it all DRM-free.”

Double Fine isn’t the first company to roll from one Kickstarter project to the next, either. After InXile Entertainment raised nearly $3 million for Wasteland 2, the studio drummed up $4.2 million for Torment: Tides of Numenera. Wasteland 2, like Broken Age, has not yet been released.

With Massive Chalice, Double Fine is asking for $725,000, but with $300,000 already raised (as of this writing, anyway), it’s looking likely Massive Chalise will well exceed its original project goal.

The game is currently set for a release on PC, Mac, and Linux in September 2014.

Patrick Klepek on Google+

253 Comments

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raikoh05

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Edited By raikoh05

these games are never coming out are they? Im not kickstarting anything else until I see some finished games.

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geirr

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You had me at :D

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courage_wolf

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Edited By courage_wolf

Looks like Brad Muir got some Crusader Kings in my Fire Emblem. I am ok with this. I look forward to lots of guest appearances from Brad showing off the game.

Having finally just finished the fifth book in A song of Ice and Fire and having nowhere to turn to in order to get my medieval-era aristocratic marriage politicking, I think I'll make this my first funding effort on Kickstarter. It also helps that it mentions X-Com and that Patrick's dive into Fire Emblem and FF Tactics made me want to try a genre I was previously uninterested in.

Crusader Kings 2 is basically Medieval Dynasty Politics: The Game. There is also a kick ass Game of Thrones mod for it. The game takes about 5 hours to learn but once you are in it is the kind of game you will loose your nights and weekends in.

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PatchMaster

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If you don't support this you are a bad person, regardless of how you feel about Kickstarter.

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brodin

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Sweet! I love Double Fine's ability to create some unique games, but they have seemed to reach a niche audience that just wasn't for me. This looks like it's right up the kind of genre I love.

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angouri

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I dunno. No gameplay, no art, just the hope and dream that Double Fine will pull it off? Just saying "we're making "FF Tactics w/ Fire Emblem stuff" isn't enough.

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StarvingGamer

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Edited By StarvingGamer

@mdnthrvst said:

@duffman10: Yeah, I agree. Sounds a bit too much like a personal favor.

GB may be pretty close to Double Fine and Brad Muir, but giving their pretty average Kickstarter campaign coverage where all others were, at most, a blurb on Worth Reading? Double Fine Adventure was noteworthy for being first, but the atmosphere is different now. Why is Massive Chalice worthy of a front-page news post when Patrick and Ryan openly mocked games Camelot Unchained on Twitter, aside from the team being friends with Brad Muir?

The fact that this is a second Kickstarter from Double Fine while Broken Age is still currently in development and that they make a strong case directly addressing that issue in their pitch video is somewhat unique. Granted, inXile did something similar with Wasteland > Torment, but Double Fine is such a personality-driven company that it lends their situation a significantly more compelling human-interest angle.

You say Double Fine is doing X and everyone stops to listen (at least on this site). Most people here probably don't even know who inXile is.

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vigorousjammer

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Edited By vigorousjammer

Brad Muir, Turn-based strategy, "Colon Dee"...

SIGN ME UP!

Edit: also, holy shit... there's going to be 10,459 names in the credits currently.
I think we may end up having a world record here for the highest number of names listed in credits.

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Draxyle

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Edited By Draxyle

@mdnthrvst said:

@duffman10: Yeah, I agree. Sounds a bit too much like a personal favor.

GB may be pretty close to Double Fine and Brad Muir, but giving their pretty average Kickstarter campaign coverage where all others were, at most, a blurb on Worth Reading? Double Fine Adventure was noteworthy for being first, but the atmosphere is different now. Why is Massive Chalice worthy of a front-page news post when Patrick and Ryan openly mocked games Camelot Unchained on Twitter, aside from the team being friends with Brad Muir?

The fact that this is a second Kickstarter from Double Fine while Broken Age is still currently in development and that they make a strong case directly addressing that issue in their pitch video is somewhat unique. Granted, inXile did something similar with Wasteland > Torment, but Double Fine is such a personality-driven company that it lends their situation a significantly more compelling human-interest angle.

You say Double Fine is doing X and everyone stops to listen (at least on this site). Most people here probably don't even know who inXile is.

This, and considering the relationship GB has with DoubleFine and the community at large, I think this is less of a "favor" (they don't need the help, really), and more of a "Giantbomb fans would like to see this". We love us some Brad Muir on this site.

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extragingerbrew

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Edited By extragingerbrew

You had me at Brad Muir. Dude is legit.

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allodude

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Edited By allodude

I find it super interesting to hear pitches from designers in the industry. For some reason, I find it really cool to just listen to their ideas and try to wrap my mind around the concept and their vision, and I can't help but wish for their success. What I'm saying is that I'd be a terribly generous investor.

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golguin

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Edited By golguin

Did they even ship their last KickStarter? I realize they have multiple teams at Double Fine but this still rubs me, a little bit, the wrong way.

People who backed Broken Age have been getting regular updates on its development via the videos made by 2 Player Productions. I supported their first kickstarter so I've been seeing the game develop and all that good stuff. People generally don't talk about its development outside the "special forum" so that's why you haven't really heard anything about it.

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ezdude

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So, it sounds like Infinity Blade x Fire Emblem.

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ZAcKHINN

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I backed this 'cause it sounds rad, but mostly because I want MORE BRAD MUIR ON QUICK LOOKS!

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golguin

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Edited By golguin

@echoecho said:

@m2cks said:

@selfconfessedcynic said:

@phatmac said:

You had me at Final Fantasy: Tactics.

Fucking A man - the moment they invoked those words I was sold.

And yet he draws Cloud from FF7- unless he was referring to Cloud's cameo role in Wrath of the Lions! In that case, that shows a very dedicated Tactics fan- another reason to love Brad Muir. I'm totally on board with this game concept.

I thought Cloud was a secret party member in the original PS1 version as well? Only ever got about halfway through the game, myself.

But anyhoo, I'm fairly certain he only drew Cloud because he's pretty much the poster child for Final Fantasy at this point, and would be more recognizable than a super-cartoony Ramza.

Yes, Cloud is in the original FFT for PS1. I should know because I got his stupid materia blade from the top of that volcano, leveled him up, learned all his job abilities, and he was still terrible. My summoner girl named Lily was a summoner/calculator and she could kill EVERYONE on the game grid with a single holy calc on her first turn. The only person to survive would be Cid thanks to his Excalibur that absorbs holy.

Oh, I also just backed the game for $20.

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Animasta

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Edited By Animasta

Having finally just finished the fifth book in A song of Ice and Fire and having nowhere to turn to in order to get my medieval-era aristocratic marriage politicking, I think I'll make this my first funding effort on Kickstarter. It also helps that it mentions X-Com and that Patrick's dive into Fire Emblem and FF Tactics made me want to try a genre I was previously uninterested in.

try crusader kings 2

(there is a game of thrones mod for it in fact)

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CommanderGermanShepard

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So they spent all their last kickstarter money on the promo video for the next kickstarter?

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rockman10

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Edited By rockman10

Go Brad Muir!

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Swifdemon

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This will be the first project I've ever backed on kickstarter.

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Dooley

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I would be honored to be apart of ANYTHING Brad Muir is doing, pledged $50 :D!

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bushlemon

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:D

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shodan2020

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Edited By shodan2020

You had me at Brad Muir and Final Fantasy Tactics.

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Elwoodan

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:D

Also, as they have now said multiple places, they are using Kickstarter the same way other companies use publishers/investors. Rather than have a giant EA logo on the front of this game and be forced to work with another company that doesn't have Doublefine's best interests at heart, they are just going directly to the consumers who will eventually buy the game. Sure, it's a risk, giving money to a game that is sight-unseen, but based on their past work this is a risk I (and it seems like many others) are willing to take.

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ultrapeanut

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I was probably going to back this because Brad is so awesome, but then I saw JOKE STEALER PRO TRIAL VERSION and knew I was definitely going to.

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san_salvador

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I just hope Brad is fine. :(

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Zecks23

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Fantastic news, they got my money =)

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Dryker

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Edited By Dryker

Damn it! I haven't pledged yet. I can't decide between $50 or $100; HD documentaries only, or HD documentaries and MY OWN HOUSE NAME, SIGIL, AND CASTLE... decided.

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YoThatLimp

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Ellboy

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Edited By Ellboy

In for $100. Love Brad, love tactics and strategery.

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YoThatLimp

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Edited By YoThatLimp

I don't understand why Double Fine gets special treatment when it comes to releasing a kickstarter and GB reporting on it.

Could it be that this type of game is in Ryan and Patrick wheel house with all of the Xcom and Fire Emblem love? Not to mention that Brad Muir is one of the most golden of duders so they are more or less catering to their audience when writing about it.

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korwin

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Wait... Brad has a false tooth?

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BurgerTrench

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Edited By BurgerTrench

I really, really like Brad, and want this to be a success but I can't help feeling they should have waited until they got Broken Age out the door.

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Gooba

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HAO TO GIVES BRAD MUIR MAI MONEYS!

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MEATBALL

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The game sounds really awesome and Brad Muir's smile makes me want to give them all the money in the world. But I think I'm going to hold off between the fact I'm tight on funds and still haven't got Broken Age yet, I'll probably get in on some slackerbacker action at a later date.

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ShadowMarth

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Edited By ShadowMarth

This is such a ludicrously perfect nexus of my interests. And so was Brazen. Clearly Brad Muir is my favorite developer now.

Although seriously how the fuck is this more marketable than Brazen? For reals? Oh well can't complain.

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SpoogeMcduck

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Really want to give them money but my jobs up in the air right now so I'm holding off on buying anything. I got in on the Broken Age kickstarter and I've already gotten my moneys worth just from the production diary videos.

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MormonWarrior

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Edited By MormonWarrior

I love the things DoubleFine does...at least as far as their videos and personalities go. Mostly their games are charming and not that great. I still need to go back and finish Costume Quest and Trenched Iron Brigade but I didn't like Psychonauts at all though I'm a big platforming buff and Stacking never clicked.

I love that Patrick refuses to call the game Iron Brigade multiple times on this page.

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ripelivejam

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you had me @ final fantasy tactics x10000000000

also hnnnnnnnngg

also double fine: the company that makes all the games you wish everyone else made

also throwing money at screen but nothings happening etc etc etc

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GaspoweR

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@dvorak said:

@duffman10 said:

I think this game sounds cool and I backed. But I think this article is ethically troubling. I don't believe GB covered the last two really big kickstarters (Torment and Project Eternity) except for a mention of Eternity in Worth Reading. I would understand the discrepancy if Patrick was super interested in the game itself but the article doesn't show any particular interest in the game mechanics. If anything, this article reads more like a press release. The one critique (personally I don't think DF is doing anything wrong here) here is dealt with quickly by repeating DF's own statement and not looking deeper. This article does give the sense of it is being written because GB is friendly with DF. GB can do it but I find it troubling.

While I don't believe there to be any unfair collusion, you're totally right in that this is extremely unusual in itself. With virtually zero coverage of the successive games to top DFA's original take, what else is someone supposed to think. It demonstrates clear bias, not only that they would put up a puff piece on a Kickstarter, but one right at it's launch. I hope Giant Bomb never reviews any other Double Fine games at this point, because regardless of anyone's intentions, there's no one left on staff that could give an unbiased opinion.

I mean hell, I'm backing this, and I'm sure that any other person that visits this site already knew about the Kickstarter or would find out in the coming month of typical KS media barrage. They'll probably even talk to Brad Muir on some live program about it before or during E3, so what's the point of the article?

Then again, it's video games so who gives a shit right? I don't really care in the end, I'm still going to use both GB and buy the game anyway. But this is just another example of how 'games journalism' is nothing more than enthusiast press.

Yeah, I never really thought of GB being purely run by "games journalists" though and I do recall recall the staff not necessarily labeling themselves as such. It's not like we can't take them seriously but at the same time can sort of expect the kind of stuff that can come out of GB considering how super transparent they are with their dealings in the industry. Remember the site did review and gave three stars to Ms. Splosion Man and also to The Cave, the former being a Twisted Pixel game that did bring about an awkward moment between Brad and Chainsaw during one of the live shows after the review came out and the latter game being the most recent Double Fine product. Both companies are known friends of the site and at least with these examples I can't question their credibility and at the very least for now I can trust that they can still do their job without their relationships in the industry affect review scores and such.

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JazGalaxy

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Did they even ship their last KickStarter? I realize they have multiple teams at Double Fine but this still rubs me, a little bit, the wrong way.

Unless it also rubs you the wrong way for Gamestop to have you pre-order, like, Halo 5 and Fortza 5 at the same time... then I think you should probably just ignore it.

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marblecmoney

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I love that the mention Brazen in the video; that prototype they put out was really cool! Massive Chalice also sounds pretty cool so I went ahead and backed it.

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SonofSeth

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I... I think I might have to back my first Kickstarter...

Heh, I just did.

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anbumakura

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Edited By anbumakura

I was a little skeptical seeing another Kickstarter from Double Fine when Broken Age hasn't even come out yet, but the moment I saw Brad's face, it immediately turned it around for me. My face could have matched his with the smile I had. That video is freaking magnificent. :D

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GnaTSoL

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I wish this stuff would happen more often, just as long as pledging/giving full price value of the game gave you the reward of receiving the game. That way I fund and get the games, the world I, truly want always.

Tis the future me-thinks.

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Coafi

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I don't get the Jokestealer Pro joke part. Anyone care to explain?

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benpicko

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Edited By benpicko

P.S. The kickstarter video is AMAZING and you should watch it. Twice.

Just started watching it and I'm pissing myself at 'JOKE STEALER TRIAL VERSION'

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CzarTim

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@coafi: Arrested Development Season Four reference.

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Krathoon

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Edited By Krathoon

<Takes deep breath. Releases deep breath.> It is time to stand on you own two feet, Double Fine. Do not Kickstart when you have not finished your other Kickstart.

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wadtomaton

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If I physically had $10k I'd drop it on that tier reward in a heartbeat. Playing boardgames with double fine sounds like the type of dream that makes me change the sheets >_>;;;