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.

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

"Isn't he...?"

"He's... resting."

*SHADY ACRES*

JOKE STEALER PRO TRIAL VERSION

Damn it Double Fine. You beautiful bastards.

P.S. :D!

Even slime can't stop the :D!

You had me at Final Fantasy: Tactics.

I think the video is amazing, and I really like games of this style, also like some of the new ideas they have for it. I backed it.

Am I just too drunk to see the kickstarter-link to the project or did Patrick seriously not include it in this news?

I will give Brad Muir whatever he wants. Making Brad Muir sad is like making a puppy sad.

Yes, that video was fantastic.

They are still releasing semi-regular content in video form for the first Kickstarter, so I do not feel duped backing this second one before the first one is complete. And I imagine they will be better prepared for changing the project this time around if the final value exceeds whatever they raise for the project.

:D!

Is the Trenched/Iron Brigade title not a running gag anymore?

so a game like xcom....... could be decent ....FF TACTICS.......SIGN ME THE FUCK UP

@kittyvondoom: Why you gotta be like that?

Is that Jeff at 4:17 in the video?

Not backing because Cloud Strife is not a character from the Final Fantasy Tactics games.

That's Tim I think.

The concept actually reminds me a bit of Valkyrie Profile.

Video is good but I wonder if they're doing themselves any favours in the long run with focusing more on Brad and double fine instead of what actually looks like a really fuckin' cool game and idea. Seems like xcom + romance of the three kingdoms to me which could be amazing.

Psyched regardless but seeing these kickstarter popularity contests is kind of ruining my enthusiasm for the platform.

At first, I was excited to see them make original games and continue their studio's fantastic tradition. But then I saw that it would be another Kickstarter initiative. Ok, Is it just me or is this going a little too far...even for a studio like Double Fine.

$313,000 and counting. This is going to blast off!

The attached 2 Player Productions doc is going to make Brad Muir even more internet famous. Hope he still comes around when he's more famous than the Bombers!

VERY IMPORTANT EDIT: :D!

Speaking of Slime, the bloodlines part made me imagine Persona 4 style fusing only you'd keep having to have more kids until you got the right combination you wanted.

Oh I guess reporting on a newly announced project is advertising now. Oh wait. It's you. Nevermind. Trolls gonna troll.

Awesome pitch and video. That is a game I want to play!

This is relevant because why?

Probably a good call not to do that.

Also, here u go.

Only bad people load a save after loosing a soldier in XCOM. Looking forward to this. Raising generation after generation of warriors is really appealing to me. Dead champions should have statues that inspire the young soldiers. It would be also neat if the kid of a great warrior inherits some of their traits and attributes.

How can I know that Brad Muir works for Double Fine and yet still be surprised/tickled when he's revealed as the lead in that Kickstarter video?

I can't be mad at them for going back to the Kickstarter well. Two reasons:

1. Turn-based tactics

2. :D

The video is amazing and the concept is intriguing, consider it backed by me!

Why shouldn't he mention it? Just because Brad Muir is involved. I think it should be in the news, it's sourcing after all.

I'm watching the kickstarter video now and I only just realized that Brad has some massive fang action going on. It's somewhat disturbing to see them on his jolly face.

Concept sounds great. Want to see a bit more before backing it though.

I loved the JOKE STEALER PRO meta-joke that they stole from arrested developement in the kickstarter video. Its meta-meta.

Has he ever done an article about a new Kickstarter? Usually they are in Worth Reading, like 10 of them.

That video is so dumb, and I love it.

Brad Muir, all of my money

Not true, Cloud was in Final Fantasy Tactics.

@phatmac said:

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

They did some articles last year about some of the major ones, including the first one from Double Fine. But the idea that this isn't news when it's made over $300,000 within hours of being put up is nonsensicle.

I fell in love with strategy from fire emblem awakening and im look for more strategy im glad one of my favorite developers is fill that need

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

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.

20 bucks to back is kinda steep but I get paid next week so eh I'll prolly kick in some bones

I like Double Fine's previous games, and I like the tactical strategy genre. They have my $50.

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.

@m2cks said:

It's Brad Muir, so I'm assuming the best :D!

:D