If you’re a fan of visual novels and have yet to check out Dischan’s Dysfunctional Systems, do yourself a favor and check out the first episode, Learning to Manage Chaos. If you’re not convinced, check out our impressions of the first episode. It’s currently available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and iOS. And since the game was successfully Greenlit on Steam, you can pick it up there, as well, and snag some achievements. For those of you who have played the first episode, it surely left you dying for a more satisfying conclusion to Winter’s story. You’ll be excited to hear that through the power of crowdfunding, you may soon get just that.
For those of you not familiar with Dysfunctional Systems, it’s a series of visual novels that focuses on the story of Winter Harrison. Winter is a “mediator” in training who is learning how to resolve chaotic situations in different worlds. It is the job of mediators to leave their own utopian world in order to enter other worlds that have fallen into chaos and help restore order by resolving whatever conflict the world may be facing. In Learning to Manage Chaos, the first episode of the series, Winter is paired with her mentor Cyrus to try to mediate Brighton, an impoverished country oppressed by their wealthy neighbor Gabrea. The episode features an intriguing story, interesting characters, some awesome artwork, and a great soundtrack, to boot.
However, Learning to Manage Chaos is only the beginning, and Dischan has planned several more episodes in the series. As a result, they have now turned to Kickstarter to help fund two more episodes. The second episode (projected for release in September 2014) will focus on Winter’s life at the academy where she is studying to become a mediator. There will be new playable characters introduced, and Dischan promises it will be quite a bit longer than the first episode. The episode will also feature more decisions and a focus on character relationships. The third and final episode (projected for release in March 2015) will wrap up the trilogy and offer a satisfying conclusion. Like the second episode, the third episode will also be much longer than the first.
Dischan has been showing off concept art and music since the launch of the campaign, and the character designs have evolved based on feedback from the fans (see above). Be sure to check out the concept art featured below, and hop over to the Kickstater page for even more artwork and some samples from the soundtrack.
No stretch goals have been announced yet for the project, but Dischan promises to reveal these should they reach their funding goal. There are also some great rewards and extras for backing, ranging from digital artbooks, soundtracks, and even some physical media for the higher tiers. (All of these are, of course, in addition to the episodes themselves.) With a pledge of $30 CAD ($27.03 USD), you can get the entire Dysfunctional Systems trilogy. And any package that includes the first episode of the series will allow you to download it immediately. So if you want to check out the first episode, why not kill two birds with one stone and donate $5 CAD ($4.50 USD)?
If you’re looking for more info, be sure to head over to the Dysfunctional Systems Kickstarter page. I can say for sure that I will be backing this project after having played the first episode. As of this writing, the Kickstarter campaign is 60% of the way towards its goal, with two weeks to go. So if Dysfunctional Systems has caught your interest, don’t miss your chance to back the project!
