MUD developer launches Dungeon of Elements Kickstarter

Indie game developer Frogdice has launched a $20,000 Kickstarter to fund Dungeon of Elements, merging an RPG dungeon crawler with classic tile matching mechanics. At $13,000 with 22 days to go, the Kickstarter is well on its way to achieving its goal by June 19.

In Dungeon of Elements, players take on the role of an alchemist exploring a huge world for rare elements. They will battle monsters in 45 different environments while gathering materials and basic gear. Back in the lab, they perform experiments that unlock recipes for items based on the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Dungeon of Elements takes place in the world of Primordiax – a fantasy world shared by all of Frogdice’s games. This dates back to Threshold RPG, a text MUD RPG launched in 1996 that is still enjoyed by thousands of players. Threshold is a contemporary of RetroMUD and is one of the most successful pay-for-play platforms in MUD history.

The game reflects Frogdice’s design philosophy of taking casual game elements and merging them into core game genres. The studio’s goal is to appeal to core gamers while also creating a gateway to introduce casual players to more core games. CEO & President of Frogdice Games, Michael Hartman, explained:

We love playing RPGs and we really want to introduce new people to the genre with Dungeon of Elements. The tile matching puzzle mechanic is fantastic for combat because it is familiar and inviting to casual players, but as any hardcore player can attest, it can be used to create extremely complex and engaging gameplay.

For a list of the benefits offered to Kickstarter funders, see the list.

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$15 – RIBBIT

1 digital copy of Dungeon of Elements for PC. No DRM! ($5 less than the retail price of $20)
Thank you from the team of Dungeon of Elements.
Access to a private forum for DoE development and discussion.

$30 – KROQUE

Your name on the DoE website THANK YOU! page.
Everything from previous tier.
Dungeon of Elements wallpaper pack. Gorgeous full color artwork.

$50 – Harlequin Frog

Everything from previous tier.
From this tier forward, you also get ANOTHER GAME! =>
1 digital copy of Tower of Elements for PC or Mac (match 3, tower defense game). No DRM! (Retail: $10)
Dungeon of Elements digital art book. 20+ pages. Concept art. Design sketches. Full color high resolution portraits.

$65 – Glass Frog

Everything from previous tier.
Dungeon of Elements digital poster.
$15 worth of Medallions (virtual currency used in our F2P online games, Threshold RPG, Coin ‘n Carry, and all future online games).

$80 – Tomato Frog

Everything from previous tier.
Additional copy of Dungeon of Elements. (Total: 2)
About Medallions: Medallions are the virtual currency used in all of Frogdice’s online games. This includes Threshold RPG, Coin ‘n Carry, and all future online games we will create. You can enjoy these Medallions in any of our online games.

$100 – Horned Frog

Everything from previous tier.
Additional $35 worth of Medallions (Total: $50)
Your name included in the credits of the game.
Hunter’s Bow weapon. This is the only bow in Dungeon of Elements. Added to all copies of DoE you receive as a backer reward. Exclusive to this tier and above.

$150 – Leap Frog

Everything from previous tier.
2nd copy of Tower of Elements.
Frogdice Fans Mailing List: Special mailing list where we share announcements with fans before we release the information to the public. Upcoming games. Content updates to existing games. Surveys or polls on game development. Etc. (Average of 1 mail per month, and usually less. This isn’t a mailing list for spam or self-promotion.)

$200 – Goliath Frog (limit 100)

Everything from previous tier.
Additional $100 worth of Medallions (Total: $150)
Personalized letter signed by the entire team personally thanking you for your support.
Special “Froggie” pet for all copies of DoE you receive as a reward. All characters begin the game with this pet. Exclusive to this tier and above.

$350 – Peacock Frog (limit 50)

Everything from previous tier.
Additional copy of Dungeon of Elements. (Total: 3)
Additional $100 worth of Medallions (Total: $250)

$500 – Poison Dart Frog (limit 20)

Everything from previous tier.
Additional $100 worth of Medallions (Total: $350)
Name your own in-game Achievement. (Subject to approval.)
Charybdis, Battleaxe of Fury weapon. Added to all copies of DoE you receive as a backer reward. Exclusive to this tier and above.

$1,000 – Tree Frog (limit 10)

Everything from previous tier.
Additional copy of Dungeon of Elements. (Total: 4)
Additional $250 worth of Medallions (Total: $600)
Special “Sparkie Doll” blue dragon, in-game, plushie-like pet for all copies of DoE you receive as a reward. All characters begin the game with this pet. Exclusive to this tier and above.
Invitation to the Dungeon of Elements launch party in Lexington, KY. Launch party will be part of FroggaCon (August 2-4, 2013), the annual fan convention for players of Frogdice games. Must be 18 years or older for this portion of the reward.

$2,000 – Bullfrog (limit 5)

Everything from previous tier.
Additional copy of Dungeon of Elements. (Total: 5)
Additional $250 worth of Medallions (Total: $850)
Guardian Shield offhand item. Crafting recipe unlocked for every character on creation. This is an artifact shield originally from Threshold RPG. Exclusive to this tier and above.

$5,000 – Pacman Frog (limit 5)

Everything from previous tier.
Additional copy of Dungeon of Elements. (Total: 6)
Additional $500 worth of Medallions (Total: $1,350)
Work with our designers and artists to design your own weapon or offhand item in Dungeon of Elements. Item must be similar in creation time to existing artifact items in DoE. Subject to developer approval. All Pacman/Frog In Residence copies of DoE will include ALL custom weapons designed as part of this reward. As more people back this tier and above, everyone gets more fancy gear!

$10,000 – Frog in Residence (limit 2)

Everything from previous tier.
Additional $2,500 worth of Medallions (Total: $3,850)
Additional copy of Dungeon of Elements. (Total: 7)
Guest of Honor for Dungeon of Elements launch party/FroggaCon in Lexington, KY. You will be celebrated and held in high esteem throughout the event. Must be 18 years or older for this portion of the reward.
Your character (or one of your design) will be created and featured prominently in our next game. (Charcter design must be suitable for the game theme and subject to approval by the design team of that game). We have not announced that game, but it is tentatively scheduled for release in October 2013. This also means you learn about the game long before anyone else!