Kickstarter backers are typically very patient. You put your money down and then wait for weeks or months for the rewards. When backing a game, however, it can be hard to be patient, as the only tangible reward is usually receipt of the game itself.
Nearly two years ago, Tim Schafer and his studio Double Fine drew gamer attention after he promised to revive a (mostly) long-dead genre, the point-and-click adventure, with the help of Kickstarter. These games were beloved by fans in the 80s and 90s for their creative writing and story-telling, as well as their vexing puzzles. And the man partially responsible for such influential titles as Full Throttle and the Secret of Monkey Island was promising fans they could have another taste of those games once again.
See also: 7 Kickstarter Gaming Sensations: Where Are They Now?
It's been two years, and backers have been rewarded with the first half of Broken Age, a fanciful adventure game starring two characters: Shay and Vella. While the partial game they've received is well-polished and fun, it also brings up a question of whether adventure games can still exist in the modern gaming climate because of the somewhat old-school mechanics at their core.

Image: Double Fine

Broken Age is an eye-catching specimen of what adventure games can become. While we've seen games like The Secret of Monkey Island receive the full HD remake treatment, Broken Age is a fresh-faced youngster by comparison. The detailed worlds the two protagonists explore look like vivid paintings; Vella's capers through a town made of sun-kissed clouds are especially breathtaking.
The characters are also charming, whether they are vital to the story or only deliver a few lines. Every single one looks hand-drawn, a style choice that gives each some unusual, lovable quirks. It was almost if DoubleFine spent time crafting each one to be memorable, from the huggable yarn people that are Shay's playmates to the bizarrely costumed women from a town that smells like dead fish.
But the characters do more than look sharp. Double Fine secured a lot of great voice talent (and probably paid a lot for it), so you'll hear the likes of Elijah Wood, Jack Black, nerd icon Wil Wheaton, Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward, and game voice veterans Jennifer Hale and Masasa Moyo. The characters sound honest and evoke empathy when they need to, and absurd when it works as well. This isn't nearly as cheeky as prior adventure games like Day of the Tentacle, but there are some great laughs as well, especially a few found accidentally.

Image: Double Fine

This review won't spoil the plot, since the game is currently only available to Kickstarter backers. Shay and Vella are two characters stuck in situations out of their control, and neither is content with sitting around and letting life happen. In Shay's case, it's being mothered by his spaceship's AI even as he becomes a teenager. In Vella's case, it's trying to avoid becoming an offering to a monster, a tradition her village has worked out in trade for protection.
Each has their own take on disrupting things around them, whether it's making alliances with unsavory characters or turning to violence to solve problems. You'll find each character's journey unique and creative. Each person's chapter takes about two to three hours, ending on a dramatic cliffhanger.
Most of the gameplay takes place by talking to characters and interacting with objects; tried-and-true adventure game tropes. Every item you pick up, no matter how weird and esoteric, will eventually have a purpose — sometimes more than one.
Some of the puzzles are truly vexing, and took us a lot of trial and error or, sometimes, stepping away from the computer. While Double Fine has certainly streamlined the process of traditional adventure games, when you select a verb like "push," "pick up" or "open" before interacting with any objects, Broken Age can still feel like a legacy adventure game. The process of finding the right object to go exactly the right way is definitely an exercise in creative thinking, but it can also feel like something most other games have left behind.

Broken Age: Vella in Shellmound.
Contrast these mechanics to how a studio like Telltale Games has started evolving episodic point-and-click games. Telltale seems to be moving away from object-based puzzles and fetch-quests, and more toward decision-based dialogue and sequences. It's a change that fits better with the times.
Still, if you're buying Broken Age for love of a lost genre, you won't be disappointed. The only thing that may let you down is how abruptly the game ends, and how long we have to wait — closer to the end of the year — for the final chapter.
Broken Age Part I is out Jan. 28 for PC, Mac and Linux. It costs $25 for both parts.
The Good
Beautiful visuals and hand-drawn characters
Interesting and Unique Story
The Bad
Game is far too short, with a while for the next chapter
Some mechanics feel more like legacy technology, only included because they need to be
The Bottom Line: Broken Age is a refreshing take on adventure games, though only Part 1 is available — we wish we could play the whole thing now.