Upcoming indie title Backbone will let you solve crimes as a raccoon detective in retrofuturistic Vancouver

Everybody loves a good detective story. Whether that comes in the form of a classic hardboiled detective novel or a more recent video game like L.A. Noire, there's something about the tension and drama these tales evoke that keeps people hooked.

Indie developer Eggnut agrees if their first game project is anything to go by. Today, the Canadian game developer launched a Kickstarter project for Backbone, a pixel-art adventure that seeks to emulate the aforementioned detective tales.

In the game, players will take on the role of Howard Lotor, a Raccoon private investigator and a member of a dystopian animal society based in "retrofuturistic" Vancouver.

After speaking with Backbone Project Manager Aleksandra Korabelnikova, it became clear to me that Backbone is a labor of love for the team.

Though the fictional version of Vancouver is not a 1-to-1 emulation of the real city, Eggnut's title draws heavy inspiration from several real-world Vancouver buildings, including the popular Roxy Burger hamburger restaurant.

As far as gameplay goes, Backbone will be a sidescrolling adventure title with an emphasis on storytelling.

Players will have the opportunity to collect evidence, interrogate witnesses and "follow leads on [their] own" without any "hand-holding" using various detective tools, including Lotor's own keen sniffer.

That said, the game will also contain numerous stealth and action sequences to break up what will likely otherwise be an experience heavy in exposition.

Furthermore, from what we've seen in the game's trailer, it seems like there will be a lot more to the world of Backbone than meets the eye.

Indeed, at one point in the 1-minute clip, Lotor's arm transforms into what appears to be a massive, mutated bear claw. Eggnut says players will unlock this ability by using a mysterious object called "The Artifact."

If Backbone sounds like your cup of tea, you can check out the project for yourself on Kickstarter right now. Eggnut is asking for roughly $49,000 at the moment and the project has already successfully raised about $3,332 as of writing.

If you're one of the game's first 250 backers, you'll be able to pledge at the $19 "Early Bird Special" level to get the game. If you're late to the party, you'll need to shell out about $25 to get the game when it launches in July 2019.