Back in 2009, The Swapper looked promising but rough. The core concept was there and you could see how the instant cloning mechanic would make for a fun twist on the typical platformer experience.
Four years later, Facepalm Games is showing off a great new trailer and letting folks know that their sci-fi sidescroller will be hitting Steam next month. In this age of people Kickstarting games left and right, you have to think that money has made a big difference to the continued evolution of The Swapper. In Facepalm's case, some of that money's coming from Indie Fund, the conglomeration of superstar game-makers that help promising devs finish their games.
But The Swapper also makes it clear how the backing from Indie Fund differs from a random crowdfunded game. When people who have made good games—in this case, Braid, Sword & Sworcery, World of Goo and Journey—select an in-development project to support, there's a level of trust implicit in that choice. Simply put, they know what it takes.
And with buzzed-about games like Monaco, Antichamber and Faraway as part of their portfolio—maybe you can't give money to Indie Fund game before they release as with a Kickstarter project, but their track record makes a great case for giving these titles cash once they're out in the world. The Swapper looks like it'll keep up that trend.