Video games have gone through a number of changes over the decades, but few things have impacted the industry as much as crowdfunding. Thanks to tools like Kickstarter, potential video game developers can create whatever game they want, so long as enough fans had an interest.
It’s also why something that started off as a small demo on Newgrounds.com is quickly on its way to becoming its own game. Friday Friday Night Funkin’ was a small rhythm game Ninjamuffin99, PhantomArcade, evilsk8r, and KawaiSprite created in the style of games like PaRappa The Rappa. First released in late 2020, it has earned cult hit status with rhythm game fans everywhere singing its praises. The devs of the game initially made small updates so fans could check in and play the new levels, but with each new addition, it became clear they had something special on their hands.
Eventually, places like YouTube started to become full of people covering the killer soundtrack. It’s become one of the most played games on Twitch. This cult hit is slowly gaining popularity and by year’s end could become one of 2021’s most popular games. The developers began a Kickstarter so they could turn this into a bonafide released title, and as of this writing, Friday Night Funkin: The Full Ass Game has funded $2 million.
Friday Night Funkin wouldn’t be the first game from Newgrounds to become its own title — indie hits like Alien Hominid and Castle Crashers were born out of Newgrounds. But Friday Night Funkin‘s rise is an example of how the industry of video games is changing thanks to crowdfunding. We haven’t seen a game in the style of Friday Night Funkin in years and we can only assume it’s due to studios feeling there wasn’t a reason to put money into that kind of project. It’s an unfortunate gap from AAA developers that indie games are managing to fill.
The message from fans, though, is clear: Friday Night Funkin is a great game and they want to see more of it. For anyone that wants to give it a try, they can still play it on Newgrounds. It’s a fun game worth playing for the soundtrack alone and a ton of work has already gone into it. The best part is that it’s very likely the final product is even better. With the money being raised through its Kickstarter, we might have a game of the year contender on our hands.