Pixeljam Independently Crowdfunds Dino Run Revamp

Because they are “so indie,” as the crowdfunding video states, studio Pixeljam avoided platforms such as Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, opting to raise funds for an upgraded version of Dino Run on their own.

Dino Run DX expands and improves over its predecessor, Dino Run SE , in a variety of ways. The game, which is about a dinosaur fleeing from an erupting volcano and other sources of death, is a retro-style multiplayer racer. SE had speedruns, multiplayer maps, multiple sets of levels, and hats to provide customization options for the dinosaurs.

Pixeljam has listed several funding goals for the DX variant, each unlocking additional improvements. The first tier improves the social aspects of the game. Pixeljam wants to reduce chat spam and cut down on fake accounts that often plague the current version. Alongside these upgrades, they’ll integrate Steam leaderboards and achievements. Further down the upgrade roadmap lists more customization options and a level editor.

The studio explains why it didn’t use a third-party crowdfunding platform in an FAQ section on the website.

“Our needs for this project do not fit in with the all-or-nothing model, and more importantly we’re concerned with the lack of transparency in most crowdfunding campaigns today,” they write. Having learned from their previous crowdfunding efforts and knowing that some people mistrust campaigns like that, they decided to take a better-paced approach. Avoiding the pressures of a limited, 30-day Kickstarter, Pixeljam plans to steadily progress on DX and keep fans informed.

Similarly to established crowdfunding platforms, the studio lists several backer rewards. Contributing $5 or $10 secures one or two copies of Dino Run DX . They estimate to deliver those by August 27, and send a Steam key when Dino Run DX arrives on the service in late-September. There’s also a subscription option to stay updated. There’s no particular end goal set, but the campaign is approaching $5,000.

Check out the crowdfunding pagefor more information pertaining to Dino Run DX .