Chain Gang Chase is a cooperative game for up to 8 players running on the OUYA console, as well as Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is currently in pre-production, with with a planned release of May 2014.

Players start as escaped convicts running for freedom. They are chained together in one large chain gang, and must work together to avoid trees and other environmental obstacles that block their path. At the end of each level, players encounter a train track which can cut any chains stretched over the track when the train passes.

The project is being managed by Joe Pietruch, a professor with the School of Interactive Games and Media (IGM); in affiliation with the Center of Excellence in Media Arts Games Interaction and Creativity (MAGIC) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY, USA. The project will be published through MAGIC Spell Studios, LLC (part of MAGIC at RIT).

The Kickstarter campaign launched on October 18, 2013 and (as of October 20) has reached 12% of its $10,000 funding goal. The money from the Kickstarter will be used as payment for students who work on the project as part of a co-op experience (think internship) during winter and spring of 2014. The campaign will end at 11:59 PM EST on November 17, 2013.

The Kickstarter campaign is participating in OUYA’s #FreeTheGames fund and, if successful, will receive a matching contribution up to $250,000 from OUYA.

Interesting aspects of the project include support for up to 8 players, the focus on funding student development, and a community map editor that lets anyone create a map that becomes playable in game. One of the Kickstarter reward tiers, named ‘24601!!!!!’ in a nod to Les Miserables, offers backers a chance to have their likeness used as playable characters within the finished game.

Here is a collection of links related to the project:
The Kickstarter Page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/percipient24/chain-gang-chase-ouya-and-pc
The MAGIC Website: http://magic.rit.edu/
The Game’s Website: http://www.chaingangchase.com/
OUYA’s #FreeTheGames Fund: http://www.freethegamesfund.com/