Indivisible

About

Indivisble is a 2D Action-RPG from Lab Zero, previously known for their 2D fighting game Skullgirls. In October 2015, Lab Zero started an Indiegogo fundraiser for the game, asking for $1.5 million in funds in order to create the game, which succeeded on December 2nd of that year following an extension.

History

Indivisible^[1] is inspired by classic games such as Valkyrie Profile and Metroid. The game follows the protagonist Ajna, a girl raised in a remote village who discovers a mysterious power in herself: the power to absorb certain individuals into her being, which in return allows her to summon them into battle and grant Ajna new weapons and abilities. Following events in the game, Ajna sets out on a globe-spanning quest.

Indivisible will be built in Lab Zero’s own Z-Engine, the same engine used for Skullgirls, due to its flexibility and ability to function with most computers. With animation, Skullgirls also laid the groundwork for Indivisible, which uses the same production method (shown below, left). Lab Zero will also be working with Scarlet Moon Productions to give Indivisible a soundtrack from Japanese game music composer Hiroki Kikuta (shown below, right).

Indiegogo Campaign

The Indivisible Indiegogo campaign^[2] began on 9:00 AM ET / 6:00 AM PT on October 5th, 2015, and would initially continue until November 15th. Per an agreement, Lab Zero was required to raise $1,500,000 in order to have 505 Games provide the remaining $2,000,000 needed to complete the game, adding up to a total budget of $3,500,000. The campaign was a fixed funding campaign, meaning that the money would only be donated if the $1,500,000 would be raised by the deadline; Indivisible would not be made if the goal wasn't met.

Along with the start of the campaign, Lab Zero released a trailer for the game (shown above). Prototypes for the game were also made available, initially only for Windows,^[3] and then for Mac,^[4] Linux,^[5] and the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Throughout the campaign, Lab Zero released more info on the game as milestones were met. Backer rewards varied from audio and art files to merchandise to ultimately being able to create something in the game or dine with the creators (shown below, right).

Online Presence

Crossover Characters

On November 3rd, Lab Zero shared in an article on Polygon^[6] that Indivisible would feature seven crossover characters from its own and other franchises. Most notable among these was Annie from Lab Zero's own Skullgirls, and Shovel Knight from the game of the same name (shown below, left). Lab Zero subsequently also shared this info on its Twitter^[7] and Facebook^[8] pages. As the campaign continued, Lab Zero continued to reveal several more crossover characters from other franchises, including Shantae from the similar titled game series.

Extended Deadline

On November 6th, Lab Zero shared in a Reddit AMA^[9] that the campaign deadline would be extended if they raised $900,000 before the deadline; by that date, Indivisible still hadn't reached 50% of its goal, a pace at which the game wouldn't receive the necessary funds. On November 11th, 4 days before the deadline, the $900,000 milestone was met, and Lab Zero subsequently extended the deadline by 20 days (shown below).

Crowdfunding Succeeded

On December 2nd, the Indivisible Indiegogo campaign met its required amount of $1.5 million, slightly over 3 days before the deadline (shown below). The pacing of the donations went up during the final stretch, with the final $100,000 being met in a couple of hours. When the goal was met, Lab Zero also introduced 2 stretch goals: Another hour of music at $1.65 million, and an animated opening at $1.9 million; the first which was already made the next day. The crowdfunding eventually ended with a final amount of $1,907,275 raised.

Reception

The game was highly anticipated by users and critics alike. Gamegrumps reviewed the prototype and called it "Impressive" (below) in a video that was viewed and upvoted respectively more than 550,000 and 17,000 times by November 2015. Many other online video game critics asked their followers and readers to help fund the game, including Matt from YoVideogames.^[10] Over 1,300 people tweeted their support.^[11] In addition, users began drawing fanart featuring Ajna to spread support within the fan communities.^[12] Alongside, various fans also praised the game for its diverse cast containing a large variety in physiques and ethical backgrounds.

However, some wondered if the campaign's struggles came from the misconception that $1.5million was a lot of money to attempt to raise and more than what was necessary for an indie game. In an interview with Eurogamer, Mike Zaimont of Lab Zero explained that the costs were mostly to pay for staff and that they were not inflated at all.^[13]

Fanart

Search Interest

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External References