Image: Snaptic

It is accepted wisdom that for a game to be a crowdfunding success, it needs to be from a well-known developer, or at least have a compelling playable demo. Y2K-styled puzzle platformer Snaptic had neither of those, and still hit its (admittedly low) initial target on Kickstarter within hours of going live. What it did have was a mesmerizing gameplay trailer that went viral a few months prior. If you haven't seen it yet? Please carve out seven minutes of your busy day to enjoy it.

Now, to be fair, there technically is a demo for Snaptic, or at least a pre-alpha prototype. It's just paywalled on Patreon, so most of you won't have played it. I certainly haven't. But the video there tells me everything I'd need to know. First, the game absolutely revels in the Y2K/Frutiger Aero of an era of computers gone by. Second, the cutscenes, dialogue, and writing are top-notch (and remind me more than a bit of ENA: Dream BBQ), and third, the platforming and puzzles look fun and creative, with the ability to blink your character's body out of existence and snap to surfaces as a magnetic rolling sphere, or roll through glass pipes in that form.

There's also some really clever UI stuff happening. The second, shorter trailer (viewable below) shows off using desktop-style resizable windows to reveal secrets in the 3D world, and the gameplay above has a remarkably clever puzzle based around band-selecting multiple points on the screen. It also looks like it might be a surprisingly heavy, story-driven adventure, as the denizens of an abandoned computer-world find out why their laptop home had been offline for so long, and why they've been cut off from the internet.

If the game sticks to its original design plan, I'd be more than happy to get more of what I'm seeing above. But the game is already well on its way to filling out its funding stretch goals, including expanded levels, Steam Workshop mod support, two guest musicians (including Celeste composer Lena Raine), and some proper boss fights if it hits $300k. Honestly, I'd be surprised if it didn't clear that boundary. Even more interesting is the promise of even more live-action FMV segments if the game hits the $400k mark.

Snaptic is one of those long-haul passion projects. The game has been in the works for some time, and even if you back the Kickstarter (£12/$15 for a copy of the game at launch), their conservative estimate is a December 2028 release. While you can only trust your gut on projects like this, I've got a good feeling about this one. My only fear is that if they hit every possible stretch goal, development might stretch even further, but if it looks and plays as well as that trailer? I won't mind the wait.