Double Fine is bringing back Amnesia Fortnight, its experimental game jam, through a Kickstarter campaign that gives supporters a direct say in the studio’s next project.
CEO Tim Schafer announced today that the event will return on August 31 as a live game jam. Backers will hear pitches from teams across Double Fine and vote on which ideas become four new prototypes.
After those prototypes are created, backers will choose one for additional development, polishing and eventual release. The process will also be documented by 2 Player Productions.
Amnesia Fortnight traditionally divides Double Fine into small teams that build games over a two-week period. Schafer said the studio wants to revive that public-facing approach now that it is independent again.
“Everyone at Double Fine gets to pitch a game,” Schafer explained. Kickstarter supporters will be able to vote on the prototypes and then help select the project that receives more development time.
The initiative also reflects the studio’s current financial position. Schafer compared it with the period after Brutal Legend, when a planned sequel was cancelled by EA and smaller projects developed during Amnesia Fortnights helped keep Double Fine operating.
Double Fine is already working on several games, but Schafer said it needs additional time and financial runway to complete them. A promising idea from the jam could potentially help extend that runway while giving the team another project to develop.
Microsoft acquired Double Fine in 2019. During that partnership, the studio released Psychonauts 2, Keeper and Kiln under the Xbox umbrella.
Double Fine was later spun off alongside Compulsion Games, Undead Labs and Ninja Theory during a major Xbox restructuring that led to 1,600 company-wide layoffs in June. Double Fine also experienced its own layoffs last month as it completed its separation from Xbox.
Schafer said Double Fine now owns its intellectual property and publishing rights. He added that purchasing any of the studio’s games helps support the company.
For fans interested in following the campaign, the newly posted Kickstarter page contains the project details. More gaming news is available through the RETROCADE Arcade Blog, while readers exploring their own creative cabinet projects can browse the DIY arcade kits and arcade and pinball plans.
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