Don’t Starve’s not the cutest, nor the cuddliest, of computer games. It is, after all, a desperate virtual attempt not to starve, all while being hunted by foul nightmares. One small respite in the game is your walking handbag Otto von Chesterfield esquire. Chester for short.
Chester’s became a fan favourite during the game’s long alpha and developer Klei are looking to monetise that love. They’re making Chester into a cuddly toy and they’ve taken to Kickstarter to fund the process.
The campaign’s been up for less than a day and it’s already passed its $15,000 goal.
For a breakdown of the plush you should watch the Kickstarter video:
Video only conveys so much. For a real dissection of the cuddly Chester you need a blueprint:
Chester’s large enough that you can use its cavernous chest to store your phone, beer, a kitten – anything you might need to fend off intruders.
The campaign is your opportunity to get hold of a lot of Don’t Starve merchandise. As well as Chester, which is a pledge reward from $40 and above, there are a set of 12 Don’t Starve figurines to collect. They’re available in blind-boxes, meaning you don’t know which figurine you’re getting when you buy. Getting all 12, and the full set of 14 random accessories, could become extremely pricey. Unless you opt for the $500 tier, where you’re rewarded with the full set of 12, a display box, and the 14 accessories.
There’s also a special edition Shadow Chester plushie if you pledge £150. There are only 100 being made so if you want a limited edition niche game teddy, this is the way to go.
Finally if you want a framed and signed piece of custom artwork then you only need to stump up $1,700. Only.
With the goal already passed and another 31 days on the campaign’s calendar we should start looking at the stretch goals. Klei have only announced the first goal so far: at $25,000 they’ll add Shadow Chester to the game.
This campaign may run and run, unlocking a fair block of new content for the game.
Hopefully the success of the Chester campaign will see further merchandise released for Klei’s franchises. I’d love to buy some framed artwork of Mark of the Ninja and Incognita.