Broken Age

 PC
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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  1. Multiplayer.it
    May 13, 2015
    89
    Playing through Broken Age brings the player back in time, to the good old graphic adventure days. Double Fine made us wait probably too long, but the final result is a game that you shouldn't miss if you love this kind of videogame.
  2. IGN Italia
    May 6, 2015
    85
    A good graphic adventure with some balancing issues and a disappointing second half in terms of narration.
  3. Game Over Online
    May 5, 2015
    82
    Overall, Broken Age is a fine game.
  5. Pelit (Finland)
    Jun 14, 2015
    80
    Broken Age doesn’t quite reach the heights of Psychonauts or Grim Fandango, but it still manages to be a solid and fun old school adventure game. [June 2015]
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  6. 3DJuegos
    May 5, 2015
    80
    Broken Age is a great adventure game with an amazing art style and funny characters.
  7. Kill Screen
    Apr 29, 2015
    80
    Rather than relying on the same emotional tricks, Schafer and Double Fine opted to tell a different kind of story; like Shay and Vella, they learned from those that came before without feeling compelled to follow in their predecessors’ exact footsteps. As a result, Broken Age is a resounding success; a charming, quietly subversive, and ultimately uplifting parable about finding beauty in the broken.
  8. Washington Post
    Apr 28, 2015
    80
    Though there were plenty of puzzles with outlandish solutions that left me unimpressed by their logic, my grousing never caused me to lose sight of the fact that Broken Age’s esprit is charming enough that I could imagine returning to it again.
  9. Polygon
    Apr 27, 2015
    80
    Taken as a whole, Broken Age is still a easy-to-recommend, extremely charming game with some lovely messages about growing up. But it isn't quite the landmark achievement in video game narrative I spent its year-long intermission hoping for.
  10. Riot Pixels
    Jun 15, 2015
    79
    There are two almost independent episodes living under one name. The first one is a beautiful, smart, exciting adventure game that is pure happiness, though it is short and without an ending. The second part is… Well, simply ignore it. Repeat after me: you do not need to play Part Two.
  11. GameStar
    Apr 30, 2015
    78
    Solely thanks to its fantastic presentation and the sympathetic characters Broken Age can still warm my heart, but the great love is gone.
  12. InsideGamer.nl
    May 7, 2015
    75
    Broken Age: The Complete Adventure feels as a great adventure, thanks to its moving storyline, charming humor and high production value. This is a classic point-and-click- adventure with a great design and dito voice-overs. It is such a pity that halfway through the game a lot of content is re-used and puzzles make you walk a around for no reason.
  13. GamingTrend
    May 3, 2015
    75
    Despite long stretches of anger-inducing logic in Act II, Broken Age as a whole is a poignant and clever adventure game that is worth playing through, even if it never lives up to the promise of its midpoint.

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

User Reviews

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User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 130 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 130
  2. Mixed: 48 out of 130
  3. Negative: 20 out of 130
  1. Morgenstern72
    Jun 28, 2015
    4
    First, I am a backer. Which means: for every positive review I am considered a fanboy, for every negative review I just did not understandFirst, I am a backer. Which means: for every positive review I am considered a fanboy, for every negative review I just did not understand what I was backing.

    That sad: a funny old-style adventure was promised. They got 10 times the money they asked for. They needed an enormous amount of time to deliver the game, were other companies that got way less money delivered real gems. Well, that would all be ok if the result was a gem too. It is not, sadly.

    While the graphic style appeals to me and the voice acting is superb, the story starts very interesting in act 1 just to succumb to complete meaninglessness. Every "Oh, what's that?"-moment in the first act was deeply disappointing explained in act 2.

    The puzzles did not get harder, just much more painful to solve which much trial and error and revisiting the same locations over and over.

    The game ended for me after ~10 hours of playtime with a real bad written ending. This game only achieved one thing for me: never buy a game again where Tim Schaefer is involved. He betrayed the trust of his backer and his legitimacy as a story writer. He finished writing the story after more than 3 years according to his own words. 3 years for that short story with so few good ideas? Wow.

    I can recommend the game if you want to enjoy the graphic style and voice acting. I also recommend to stop at the second time the characters start over on a split screen. Your expectations of a good story unfolding will be disappointed and you will see already often visited screens over and over again to solve some really boring puzzles. It's just sad....    … Full Review »
  2. ritardedartkid
    Nov 8, 2015
    7
    There was certainly a lot of hype around this game and as a backer I was along for the ride. Fast forward 3 years and we finally have aThere was certainly a lot of hype around this game and as a backer I was along for the ride. Fast forward 3 years and we finally have a completed game. After playing both acts I would say that the game is decent, but not a must have. There’s certainly a lot of charm from the hand painted artwork to the dialogue and music, but charm doesn’t make a great game. While act 1 was fun and full of potential, act 2 felt disconnected. The puzzles became illogical, the story was inconsistent, and there was too much running back and forth across maps. All in all, this was a bit of a letdown for me. I still recommend it, but have realistic expectations - this isn’t a magical unicorn that will single handedly save adventure games.… Full Review »
  3. Vitoner
    May 3, 2015
    8
    This is NOT a bad game, in fact it's one of the best graphic adventures I've played recently. The problem here is that it is not theThis is NOT a bad game, in fact it's one of the best graphic adventures I've played recently. The problem here is that it is not the groundbreaking masterpiece fans of Grim Fandango and other old glories were waiting for.
    It is funny, witty, entertaining and hard enough for newcomers to the genre (a little bit too much on the easy side for veterans, especially the first half). Puzzles are fun and well done (especially near the end of the game). The score and the art are amazing, the game is trurly a joy to look at and listen to. Voice acting is excellent and the game features people like Jack Black, Will Wheaton and Elijah Wood.
    However, there are flaws. Some characters are a little "glossed over". They come and go very quickly in Act 1 and when they return in Act 2, you basically won't talk to them after the first dialogue. The character played by Jack Black is the best example: funny, interesting and full of potential "wasted" in 2 dialogues and 1 puzzle. Despite the development time, the game offers a little selection of settings (screens) compared to the average old G.A. (what you see in Act 1 is basically what you'll get in Act 2 along with a handful of new locations). Also, the ending feels rushed and generic. I was truly disappointed by it because it sort of gives closure to everything in the lazyest way possible (you'll see) and abrupts the game in a point where I was excited to see what was coming next (again, you'll see).
    I won't mention backtracking as a flaw because it is inevitable in some sort of way in a G.A. I think it is only more evident here because of the restricted number of screens.
    For the record: I am not a backer, but I've watched the Making of documentary on Youtube. I know what Double Fine has been through while making this game, but that is not an excuse for its shortcomings.

    I give Broken Age an 8/10 that would have been a 7.5/10 if it weren't for the art and the music.

    PROS
    + Art style
    + Voice acting
    + Orchestral score
    + Puzzles are hard enough for newcomers to the genre
    + Classic Tim Schafer dialogues

    CONS
    - Puzzles are fairly easy for veterans of the genre
    - Some NPCs could have been used more
    - Very few screens
    - The ending feels generic and rushed    … Full Review »
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