Ahh. Another end of month and another indie Kickstarter campaign to get excited about. It’s always thrilling to discover and support neat little projects hidden in the intricately rich gaming culture of Montreal.
Today’s Gaming Montreal puts the spotlight on the turn-based strategy game Highlands, the first title developed by Montreal’s Burrito Studio.
Here’s a tiny glimpse of the game in their teaser trailer:
“In Highlands you play the heirs of a powerful family. After being sent in exile by your foes who sneakily took over your flying citadel with an army of treacherous bots, you need to regain what is rightfully yours, find powerful allies and rally the population on the way”
I had the opportunity to meet some of team while they were showcasing their game during this year’s Montreal Comiccon. I was instantly taken by its visually stunning hand-drawn graphics and unique character illustration. But beneath it’s evocative and lively Fable-esque imagery lies a dark task:defeat your enemies and take back what was stolen.
Littered with fantasy motifs and RPG elements, Highlands draws inspiration from the classic board game ‘RISK’ while offering a refreshing take on popular strategy games such as Heroes of Might and Magic and Crusader Kings. Rather than amassing massive faceless armies, you get to recruit playable characters that’ll interact and develop alongside you throughout your journey to regain what was taken from you. You also have the strenuous task of keeping your populace fed, spirited and ready to face the foes.
The game spans four areas; from the vivid countryside to the dark industrial under city, and bonus!: the entire game is set in the clouds. Boasting an item crafting system and card-based combat, Highlands offers four distinct character classes: Combatants, Academics, Mechanics and Leaders, that’ll aid in achieving your goal.
Up for the challenge? Head over to support their Kickstarter campaign which started today, and while you’re at it, pop over to the ambitious young team’s blog over here to keep up to date with the latest news, progress and development of their first game.
Now go forth and show some love!