Wicked Fox Games launches Kickstarter for Rise of Elements

Indie game studio Wicked Fox Games has launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for its inaugural title, the match-3 RPG Rise of Elements.

The game is a narrative-rich, champion-led competitive RPG wrapped around a PvP elemental Match-3 puzzle mechanic. The Kickstarter campaign offers backer rewards including exclusive skins, closed playtesting and early access, physical items and other perks depending on the support tier. The campaign runs March 4 to April 3, 2025.

Rise of Elements is the fully realized version of a prototype first created by Wicked Fox CEO Terry Redfield and another member of the current team nearly a decade ago. Rise of Elements is the spiritual successor to the 2015 puzzle battler Force of Elements.

Rise of Elements players compete in Argos’ Tournament of Champions in a quest to achieve mastery of the elements and rid the world of Aetheron of the Void’s impending threat. It can be played competitively or more methodically through various single-player or multiplayer modes, including Timed, Moves, and Story modes, with the possibility of additional modes in the future.

“Inspired by games like the Puzzle Quest franchise, Rise of Elements was born out of the lack of casual games that promoted soft competitive play with deep narrative,” said Redfield, in a statement. “That was a request we heard consistently from Candy Crush players while I was working at King as the creative director of new IP, which led me to designing this game. We reached twenty percent of our funding goal in the first 24 hours, so we believe there is plenty of demand for such a game.”

Redfield added, “Now that we have our first Kickstarter campaign launched, the team is turning its attention to Fires at Night. It’s a good illustration of where we want to steer the studio and already has some nice underground buzz. In-line with our interest in the legends and mythology of different cultures, Fires at Night is a bite-sized narrative RPG with survival elements. The first ‘story’ in what we hope to be a series, is inspired by the team’s Hawaiian roots and the stories they were told as children that we’d like to share with the world.”

Players select from a roster of diverse champions, each with their own set of moves, strengths and weaknesses, and special elemental abilities. The variety of champions, attributes, and play styles adds layers of tactical strategy to the elemental gem-based gameplay. Wicked Fox plans to lean into this aspect for future expansion, potentially releasing new champions and battle arenas, as well as collaborations.

Currently, the game contains one such collaboration with the streamer and TV host Trisha Hershberger, who has teamed up with the studio to voice and create the champion Cordelia, the enthusiastic inventor. Another collaboration in the works is with streamer and voice actress Lily Ki, also known as LilyPichu, on future champion Emily, Queen of the Dead. Backers for Rise of Elements will be able to follow along on the development of these champions and more.

In an interview at the Dice Summit, Redfield said the team is focused on telling stories about diverse topics and cultures.

“One of the studio’s primary focuses is to create diverse characters and relatable stories – often rooted in a culture’s mythology, that will resonate and be accessible to a broad range of players,” said Redfield. “We truly enjoy working with these creators and our community to further develop these distinctive and detailed characters.”

Rise of Elements is just the first title from Wicked Fox Games. Founded in 2024 by Redfield and CTO Caerie Houchins, the leadership team has held pivotal roles on numerous hit games, including Valorant, Candy Crush, Dungeons and Dragons, League of Legends and Psychonauts. The studio has several other projects underway in various stages of design and pre-production and is actively seeking funding and/or strategic partnerships.

Slated for release in the second half of 2026, Rise of Elements is expected to launch as a premium PC (Steam) and web-based game, with plans to bring it to additional platforms.

Founded in 2024, Wicked Fox Games wants to make fun and captivating games that tell diverse storiesrepresenting people and players from all walks of life. The fully remote studio is built on a foundation of core values that champion empowerment, inclusivity, and a playful spirit. The company has less than 30 people. It is looking for funding.

Redfield is an industry veteran with well over two decades of experience who has held lead roles (designer, art director, creative director and studio lead) on games like the award-winning Psychonauts, Gardens of Time, Dungeons and Dragons, Candy Crush, and League of Legends. Her creative portfolio spans various segments of the gaming landscape, including core, midcore, and casual titles (single and massively multiplayer) across console, PC, and mobile platforms.

Houchins has a remarkable 24-year career in the tech industry. She is a former Riot Games senior engineering manager, where she worked on Valorant. An engineering leader since 2007, Houchins is passionate about fostering growth and collaboration in her teams. In 2022, she pursued her other lifelong dream and became a professional magician, earning membership in the prestigious Academy of Magical Arts. You can witness her captivating performances in the cellar at The Magic Castle on any given day.

Wicked Fox Games has to build awareness and trust as a new company in the games industry, and it needs to find funding from a suitable publisher that is aligned with the team’s vision for the future of Wicked Fox Games.