Homestuck ended more than a year ago, but the webcomic’s universe lives on with the release of its first video game. The first part of Hiveswap, a Kickstarter project that got $2 million in funding back in 2012, will launch at last on Sept. 14.
The four-part game mines from the adventure game classics of the 1990s; it’s even set in 1994 to hammer in the influence. Fans of the comic’s ... unique art style can expect something similar in Hiveswap, which is “hand-animated,” according to a press release.
Knowledge of the extremely involved, dimension-spanning Homestuck isn’t required for getting through Hiveswap; the game is set in the same world, but its story is only marginally related. Hiveswap instead starts with an original character who seeks to return to Earth after getting trapped on a another planet.
Better yet, for fans of Undertale, Toby Fox contributed to the Hiveswap soundtrack. Consider that a return to his roots, as his first claim to fame was his work on the related MS Paint Adventures franchise.
Both the soundtrack and the game will be available on PC and Mac via Steam and the Humble Store. The remaining three episodes aren’t dated, but backers are likely used to waiting at this point. Criticism grew as Kickstarter updates grew slim over the years, and the game was delayed several times. It was originally slated for a June 2014 release, then pushed into mid-2015; it also changed developers twice, and even switched from 3D to 2D graphics late in development.
For some perspective on the wait: We profiled Hiveswap and Homestuck way back in 2012, not long after we launched. (Man, Hiveswap has been kicking around nearly as long as Polygon has, folks.)
