Night in the Woods is a gorgeous 2D "Adventure/Exploration game from Aquaria's creator
Remember Aquaria, that mermaid based metroidvania you've gotten as part of a few indie bundles now but possibly never played? Well it's creator, Alec Holowka and animator Scott Benson have teamed up to launch a really quite spectacular looking "Adventure/Exploration" 2D platformer where you obtain new abilities to go new places (nowhere is the word metroid mentioned) called Night in the Woods on Kickstarter. They're asking for $50,000 and have an art style to back up that demand, check it out after the cut.
According to the game's creators, the game is about: "Running, jumping and using astral projection to explore the many sides of town of Possum Springs and the surrounding environs. Wasting time around town with your crew of loser friends. Gaining abilities that grant passage to new areas. Discovering the secrets of a large cast of characters and the town itself. Experiencing a big crazy world and the remarkable events unfolding there. Playing bass. Breaking stuff".
Although more broadly it seems to be about the experience of returning from college and realising everyone else has moved on with their lives and the struggle to cope with how things change.
The developers write that unlike many, lets say metroidvanias, Night in the Woods deemphasizes feelings of solitude in return for a town of colorful citizens with relationships, motives and problems.
At the time of writing, the project is already 56% of its way there and it's currently being developed for Mac and PC, with more platforms to follow as inevitable stretch goals.
Thanks, NeoGAF.