TUG (which stands for The Untitled Game) is “a multiplayer open-world sandbox-RPG using new technology and social sciences to directly involve players in the game’s design” from Nerd Kingdom. Nearly six thousand backers have made it possible for TUG to surpass its goal of $215,000 – as of this writing, it’s up to a little over $235,000.

So what’s it all about? I’ll let the designers tell you:

TUG sits at the crossroads where survival sandbox and multiplayer RPGs meet, offering both elegant simplicity and a world of complex secrets for those who desire to seek them out. From freezing, snow-capped mountains to dark, dreary caves, TUG offers a massive procedurally-generated world to explore, full of mystery and danger — but what makes TUG truly unique is its ability to help us learn what you as players enjoy about the game, and to use your interactions to make an amazing world even better.

The project draws inspiration from fun, accessible games we love such as Minecraft, Fable, Animal Crossing, and Zelda, as well as games that feature deeply complex worlds, including Eve Online, Monster Hunter, and Dwarf Fortress.

That all sounds really awesome to me, especially the part about how players contribute to the game just by playing it. The creators are very passionate about creating a completely immersive world and making players an integral part of the game design. It’s also being created on a custom-built engine, which is pretty cool.

TUG boasts the greatest amount of reward tiers that I have ever seen, with some already being sold out. The goodies range from a basic copy of the game for $10 all the way up to $8000 for four tickets to the TUG launch party with the team. In between, you can also get alpha access, beta access, posters, t-shirts, wristbands, special-in game items, and much more.

TUG is slated for a July 2013 alpha release, January 2014 beta release, and a January 2015 release to the public. The game is currently only being created for PC, with Mac and Linux support a stretch goal. Back it here. You can also check out their website, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and Tumblr, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Torchbearer is “a dungeon crawl roleplaying game and love letter to Basic D&D” from The Burning Wheel. The goal set was $14,700, and Torchbearer has far surpassed that – they are closing in on $60,000, and will likely have passed that by the time you read this. Luke describes the game as follows:

Torchbearer is a riff on the early model of fantasy roleplaying games. In it, you take on the role of an adventurer seeking his or her fortune. To earn that fortune, you must explore forlorn ruins, brave terrible monsters, and retrieve forgotten treasures. However, this game is not about being a hero. It is not about fighting for what you believe. This game is about exploration and survival. You may become a hero. You might have to fight for your ideals. But to do either of those things, you must prove yourself in the wilds. Because there are no jobs, no inheritance, no other opportunities for our deadbeat adventurers. This life is their only hope to prosper in this world.

Burning Wheel has been in the RPG business for over ten years, so they have a lot of experience behind them. The game was designed by Thor Olavsrud, editor at Burning Wheel, and is based on the game Mouse Guard from 2008. They describe it as Basic D&D on hard mode.

Rewards:

• $15 – PDF of Torchbearer rulebook
• $35 – Torchbearer roleplaying game hardcover and PDF
• $55 – Same as the $35 level, for Canadian and Mexican backers
• $105 – Five copies of Torchbearer for brick-and-mortar stores
• $140 – Four copies of Torchbearer and PDFs (meant for overseas backers to combine orders and save shipping costs)
• $175 – Ten copies of Torchbearer for brick-and-mortar stores

There were also tiers that offered limited edition books, but those are completely sold out. Torchbearer definitely looks like it will keep players entertained for a long time – and you don’t need anything fancy to play besides character sheets, dice, and pencils.

Torchbearer will be out in July 2013 (for PDF backers) and September 2013 (for physical copies). Back it here. You can also check out their website (and blog), like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and add them on Google+.

Tug and Torchbearer both end tomorrow, May 31, so get in while you still can!