Overview
The fans were right all along. When publishers declared isometric CRPGs dead, Kickstarter proved otherwise. Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity raised $4 million; inXile’s Wasteland 2 broke records; Larian’s Divinity: Original Sin became a phenomenon. Veterans returned to make games publishers refused to fund. The renaissance validated patient fans who kept playing Baldur’s Gate while the industry chased other trends.
Fast facts
- Catalyst: Double Fine Adventure (2012).
- Peak: Pillars of Eternity (2015).
- Culmination: Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023).
- Key platform: Kickstarter, Fig.
Kickstarter pioneers
| Project |
Year |
Raised |
| Wasteland 2 |
2012 |
$2.9 million |
| Project Eternity |
2012 |
$4.16 million |
| Torment: Tides |
2013 |
$4.19 million |
| Pillars II |
2017 |
$4.4 million |
Key releases
| Title |
Year |
Developer |
| Divinity: Original Sin |
2014 |
Larian |
| Pillars of Eternity |
2015 |
Obsidian |
| Tyranny |
2016 |
Obsidian |
| Pathfinder: Kingmaker |
2018 |
Owlcat |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 |
2023 |
Larian |
Design trends
| Revival |
Innovation |
| Turn-based combat |
Strategic depth |
| Party management |
Classic feel |
| Reactivity |
Modern standards |
| Writing quality |
Literary ambition |
Publisher response
| Reaction |
Example |
| Initial scepticism |
Genre “dead” |
| Crowdfunding proof |
Audience exists |
| Eventual investment |
Larian funding |
| AAA return |
Baldur’s Gate 3 |
Baldur’s Gate 3 impact
| Achievement |
Significance |
| Critical acclaim |
Universal praise |
| Commercial success |
15+ million sales |
| GOTY awards |
Industry recognition |
| Genre validation |
CRPG mainstream again |
See also