Day For Night Games’ Kickstarter for The Black Glove is coming to a close within the week. Despite stellar coverage and an incredible team with a resume to-die-for, the numbers still aren’t reaching their mark, but why?

Day For Night Games is an indie developer being helmed by some of the hands that forged BioShock and BioShock Infinite. Since these powerhouse titles have been released, Irrational Games has disbanded. In leaving, some of their creators wanted to stay together and make more games with immersive environments and compelling narratives. Now, they’ve come to the public in order to bring their first endeavor, The Black Glove, to gamers without any compromise to their artistic vision.

 The Black Glove promises player autonomy like never seen in a game such as itself. The Black Glove is a murky and eerie tale of a theater that must be brought back to relevance. Players alter the talent, muses, and quite literal past of the three artists who inhabit The Equinox, the game’s stage. In addition, a tale as old as time,  Minotaur and the Labyrinth myth,  has been rejuvenated in a vital mini game and adding an arcade flair. The Black Glove is story based and promises a twist and to revolutionize the immersion experience in a way that even BioShock could not. If there were ever a team to fulfill such a claim, it is Day For Night Games.

“We’ve been convinced since the start that Kickstarter backing is the only way we’ll be able to make The Black Glove an uncompromisingly original game. The financial and creative independence will allow us to create something unlike anything you’ve ever played before. Something weird and immersive, cinematic and interactive. We really want to try to push the narrative genre to the next level by giving the player a direct hand in altering the story and world around them.” – Joe Fielder of Day For Night Games 

Through traditional investment methods there is no doubt that Day For Night Games’ creators couldn’t have proposed a labor of love that is so complex and abstract. And perhaps that’s the misstep to the pitch; potential backers aren’t sure what they’re getting into, as the nature of this title is married to its mystery.

Ironically, a common critique about Kickstarter is that the more adventurous and ground breaking projects are too often cast aside. While knock-off series and more mainstream projects become well (and often over) funded. It leaves many of us who want to see more diversity in the gaming industry cast aside while another generic FPS or a newish side-scrolling platformer is given the go.

While there are examples of some extraordinary games being made through the power of crowd funding, the fact remains that people are growing jaded to the concept, and in turn less frequently backing obscure concepts. Backers are more and more likely to pay money for a re-skinned classic game than that of a more cryptic title. It’s kind of a shame when viewing it this light, as the stranger side of gaming won’t likely get the green light from traditional investors. Crowd funding is our way to take the risks that the big guys won’t take, at a much lower cost.

Fielder was reached for comment and had this to say:

“If people want to play The Black Glove, then backing the Kickstarter is the only way it’s going to happen.” Day For Night is also adamant about being involved with their backers and open to their desires and concerns.We have a ton of surprises left but we still a LONG way to go to meet our fundraising goal, so we could really use all the support we can get. If people have backed already, I’d ask them to possibly consider all the cool rewards we have at higher tiers. A tweet or message to friends on Twitter or Facebook is great, too. Even leaving a comment is a big help, since it lets us know what people want to know more about and aids the project’s popularity on Kickstarter. Honestly, anything people can do is greatly appreciated by the entire team.”

If you’re interested in funding this project, or just learning more, reach out to the team via The Black Glove’s Kickstarter, or Day For Night Games’ Twitter!

Sources: Kickstarter, Another Castle