Ice-Pick Lodge has always had a penchant for developing some of the most original ideas in gaming. Take The Void, for example. A game about a lost soul in purgatory where you literally use the universal resource of "color" to solve puzzles, cast spells, progress in the game, restore health, and so on, it, along with the original Pathologic, have become cult classics in the years since their releases. Recently, however, IPL had expressed interest in remaking the latter title, which was released originally in 2005, moving forward with a Kickstarter campaign about two weeks ago.

For those not in the know about Pathologic, it's an atmospheric adventure game about a plague that's been ravaging a village. You step into the role of one of three doctors, all of which have different methods which they believe can save the townsfolk, and you attempt to survive alongside your patients. Some of the stretch goals included in the campaign involve adding a "lucid dreaming" segment for those infected by the plague; offering the player a chance to explore the behemoth structures that stand at the edge of the town, and adding in a sort of prequel for the main game itself.

What's made the game so beloved in the years since its release? Not having played it myself, I can't say for certain, though much attention has been drawn to the dread and abject nihilism that the game world presents the player with, reminding them that there is no way to save everyone, and that there will be no easy way out of the plague, not even through death. It then comes as no surprise that this campaign will hopefully drive the game into a little more public space, or at the very least, get more people talking about the work that IPL has done.