In less than 7 hours, a '90s action RPG created by a single person was funded on Kickstarter

Maple Forest is a new addition to the trend where you can play as a heroic Fox. It has received a positive reception even though it hasn't been released yet. Maple Forest, which was shared on Kickstarter on September 30th, reached its funding target of $36,000 within seven hours. It has since raised an additional $26,000. I can understand why: the game looks adorable and everyone loves having a fox as a protagonist after Tunic's success. Plus, a plushie featuring the cutesy character is up for grabs. No one would miss this opportunity.

You are dropped on a island, Maple Island, which has begun to sink. You can probably guess that it's up to you to find out why. We don't know why Maple Forest has chosen to make us a fox, but I imagine this is one of many quirks they plan to offer. The elder of the isle says that the spirit on top of the mountain can only help you, but that you will need to navigate a treacherous journey through a sealed shrine. It's a great formula for an action-packed RPG, even if the storyline is a little basic.

But what makes Maple Forest impressive, especially in an already-oversaturated market of action RPGs, is the fact it has been entirely created by a single person. According to the Kickstarter page, James Bergeron is the only developer who has created everything, including the soundtrack, from scratch. Bergeron says in the Kickstarter description that "every pixel, every note, and every bit of Maple Forest are 100% me", which is a great example of the passion and effort put into creating the game.

Even though the project has been funded in just seven hours, there are still many stretch goals that can be achieved. These stretch goals directly affect the content of the games, such as upgrading the Fox's home and unlocking the bestiary of the old hero. One of the biggest stretch goals is to be able to travel from the mainland to the surrounding islands, where the adventure continues. But there's an hefty $75,000 payment barrier before we can get there. The price tag is not unreasonable, given the amount of work that this stretch goal will require. If Maple Forest continues to gain more backers as it is currently doing, the sky's the limit.

The only downside to Maple Forest is that we haven't been given an exact release date. We've been given only a window for Summer 2025. I'm as eager to play the game as anyone else, but there's a long wait before we're able to do so. Bergeron confirmed on Kickstarter that a large portion of the artwork and the main engine for the game are complete.

The project's backers can expect quarterly updates, along with beta demos. If you're curious about the Maple Forest world, this is your best chance to explore little fragments before they unravel into a single adventure. The Kickstarter will close October 29, so you still have plenty of time to invest in this sweet little adventure.