Kickstarter is an independent fundraising website that helps regular people like you and me raise money to do things they’ve always wanted, be it film a movie, or maybe even make an app.

Austinites James Curry, Wiley Wiggins, and Scott Lee have teamed together to create an iPad game the likes of which have never been seen. Lots of people get paid decent salaries to create mobile games, but these guys are doing it in their spare time, and they’re ready to start on some of the more pricey parts of the game. Kickstarter has allowed them to raise money for their game, but also has turned into a neat little marketing tool.

With 21 days left in their Kickstarter campaign, Karakasa Games (as they are called) is already halfway to their goal, with two donors pledging $1000 along with other donations adding up to over $10,000. They’ve been featured on gaming websites BoingBoing and Kotaku, bringing more notoriety and donations to Thunderbeam. They’ve shown us that raising money doesn’t have to be behind closed doors, and we can even turn it into a nice little marketing tool for the future of the game. I, for one, can’t wait to play it!

Take a look at the Thunderbeam Kickstarter campaign, and maybe even donate!