How revivals work: price the next milestone, not the wish
A revival is a new game in the spirit of a classic, made by a maker here. It never uses the original's code, art, music or name. Nobody prices the whole dream up front: makers price the next playable milestone, and backers pay only for milestones that are finished.
1. Asking is free, and every classic has a size
Each classic gets a size class with a typical cost, so expectations start out realistic. These assume about $25 an hour for a maker using AI; the first real revivals will correct them.
| Class | Like | Typical total |
|---|---|---|
| S1 Arcade | Atari, one screen | $100 to $500 |
| S2 Classic | NES, several levels | $500 to $2,000 |
| S3 Big classic | Super Nintendo RPG, strategy campaign | $2,000 to $10,000 |
| S4 3D or online | 3D, multiplayer | $10,000 to $50,000 |
| S5 Massive | MMO | Never one price. Only a chain of smaller milestones, the first like "a small online town where 20 people meet and trade" |
2. Demand you can see
Each classic's page shows how many people asked, what they'd chip in against its class's typical cost, and how many makers said "I'd build this". Once it has at least 10 confirmed requests and the intended support reaches the bottom of its range, it becomes Ready for makers and the makers who said "I'd build this" get an email. No money is taken at this step.
3. Makers scope to the money coming
- Each proposal brings a playable prototype and a milestone plan, with a price and a date for every milestone.
- More backing unlocks more milestones.
- Backers pay only per finished milestone.
- When several makers propose, the backers choose.
4. A standard, and a ladder for makers coming
- New makers can take S1 and S2 revivals.
- After one delivered revival, S3.
- After three, with good ratings, S4.
- Every milestone must be playable, come with a devlog entry and a short video, and use none of the original's assets.
The ladder gives beginners a bar to climb; the existing games listed here show what the top looks like.
Proposals and milestone payments are not open yet. Until they are, requests and "I'd build this" are how players and makers find each other.
Request a revival See what's wanted
These pages explain how the site works. They are not legal advice.