UK indie dev Kickstarts 'God game' Maia

Simon Roth, a UK indie dev who worked with Terry Cavanagh on VVVVVV and Mode 7 Games, has launched a Kickstarter for a new sci-fi game called Maia.

Set in 2113, the human race has begun to explore and colonize a turbulent world called Maia. The game is a colony management simulator — a "God game," as Roth calls it. Players must keep colonists safe and satisfied by mining, constructing homes and providing protection. Maia takes heavy influence from '70's sci-fi aesthetics, and as reported by Eurogamer, Roth has likened it to a first-person Dwarf Fortress.

Maia is currently in early alpha and is expected to ship during summer 2013. According to the game's Kickstarter page, "development will continue indefinitely, with regular updates, and swathes of new content every month." The Kickstarter's bottom tiers are already sold out, although backers can still pledge £10 or more to receive benefits.

The Kickstarter campaign is currently seeking £100,042 (about $160,277 USD) and will come to an end on Nov. 28. At the time of this posting, fundraising was already almost a fifth complete, almost three days after launch. If funded, the game will be available for PC, Mac and Linux.