Anyone that loves webcomics, dark humor, and adorably drawn stick-ish figures knows what Cyanide & Happiness is. Beginning in January 2005 with their hilarious webcomic cartoons online, Cyanide & Happiness has exploded using Kickstarter and now has a card game and a fully animated cartoon short that you can find through their website Explosm.net or their mobile app (alongside the daily webcomics.)
Last month they launched a new Kickstarter but this time for a video game!
“The Cyanide & Happiness Adventure Game will complete the gaping hole in your soul, heal the feels in your heart, and wash your dishes.”
The initial goal to be able to produce the game was $300,000, with various stretch goals once the primary goal was met. As of the campaign end on October 5, the Cyanide & Happiness game earned a pledge of $575,377 from 14,971 backers, including myself. (This is the email I received after the campaign ended-)
The guys at C&H provided a handy chart, in case you were wondering what that $300,000 is exactly for-
So, what exactly would a Cyanide & Happiness game entail? I think a better question is what wouldn’t it entail! According to the Kickstarter campaign page, “The game will be a new approach to point-and-click adventures, filled with dark comedy, drama, weirdness, and an apocalypse in the suburbs. This is the first time we’re making something set in the unified C&H Universe, so we’re completely excited to be making this for you!”
If you unfamiliar with the Cyanide & Happiness webcomics and shorts, they consist of dark humor that may push a few buttons, but that is one of the glories of the series. Some comics are darker than other since there are three, formerly four (we miss you Matt,) artists that produce unique comics daily. (@RobDenBleyker, @daveexplosm, & @_kriswilson_) Each artist/author has their own flair, character style, and sense of humor, which really adds to the fun of checking the new comic everyday. Seeing their jokes and memorable characters such as Ted Bear and the Purple-Shirted Eye-Stabber come to life in the fully animated and voiced cartoon shorts has been a gift (thank you, Kickstarter) and it really gets a fan hyped for the video game.
The Cyanide & Happiness Adventure Game (working title) will include already loved characters, but will introduce new characters to make the world come alive. Some information from the game’s Kickstarter page on the world, story, and characters-
The unfortunate thing about the Kickstarter is that they did not reach their stretch goals for launch on consoles, including the Switch. But, considering the success of the card game and everything else Cyanide & Happiness has put out, I can see ports coming at some point in the future. If this game is anything reminiscent of the webcomic and short, it will be one of the most successful indie games on Steam. For a taste of the comedy and whacky characters, here is the TEASER TRAILER for the game! I will admit, I laughed through the entire thing and I am extremely excited.
“Cyanide & Happiness (us) are a kinda sorta well-known animation, comic, and card game company that’s dedicated to world domination and/or making really funny things. Thanks to our amazing fans, we’ve run two successful Kickstarters before, and for this game we’re making all the writing, art, and animation in house like we’ve been doing weekly since 2013.”
I for one am very happy to be a backer for this project, and I will be sure to keep you all updated on news as the game is developed, and chapter one of three is expected to launch December 2018! Make sure you follow us on Twitter and Facebook so you don’t miss any updates, and let us know if you are a backer or excited for the Cyanide & Happiness video game!
Silver Soul Gaming 