Broken Age

78%
Game Brain Score Based on 6,710 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • humor
Broken Age Game Cover
While Broken Age doesn’t break much new ground in the genre, it does deliver a wonderfully enriching adventure that’s buoyed by sharp writing and likeable characters.
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"Broken Age" is a family-friendly, hand-animated adventure game featuring puzzle-solving and an all-star voice cast including Elijah Wood, Jack Black, and Masasa Moyo. Players control two teenagers, Vella and Shay, in separate worlds filled with quirky characters and unexpected adventures. The game requires a 1.7 GHz Dual Core processor, 2 GB RAM, and a graphics card with at least 512 MB VRAM to run on Windows XP Service Pack 3 or later with 2500 MB of available storage.

  • iPad
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  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
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  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Android
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  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Ouya
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
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  • Xbox
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Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

78%
Audience ScoreBased on 6,710 reviews
story2,389 positive mentions
grinding152 negative mentions
  • Beautiful art style and animation that creates a whimsical atmosphere.
  • Engaging story with interesting characters and unexpected plot twists.
  • Clever puzzles that challenge players without being overly frustrating.
  • Act 2 suffers from illogical puzzles that often require trial and error, leading to frustration.
  • The ending feels rushed and leaves many plot threads unresolved.
  • Some puzzles are overly complex and not intuitive, making it difficult to progress without a guide.
  • story5,160 mentions

    The story of "Broken Age" is praised for its engaging and whimsical narrative, featuring two interconnected storylines of protagonists Vella and Shay, each navigating their unique challenges. While the first act is lauded for its rich storytelling and surprising plot twists, many reviewers express disappointment with the second act, citing rushed pacing, unresolved plot threads, and overly complex puzzles that detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the game's beautiful art style, humor, and character development contribute to its charm, making it a recommended play for fans of story-driven adventures.

    • “A great point and click adventure game with a heartwarming and surprising story.”
    • “The story is super engaging and creative, with two separate but connected narratives that keep you hooked.”
    • “I love love love the story, and the voice acting is absolutely incredible.”
    • “The story feels very rushed and somehow a bit incomplete.”
    • “Certainly; act 2 barely has any new locations, while the story concludes so abruptly and with so many loose ends that it really feels like there should’ve been act 3.”
    • “The second half literally makes no sense and the story is something an elementary student could have written.”
  • graphics1,609 mentions

    The graphics of "Broken Age" are widely praised for their stunning hand-painted art style, which evokes a whimsical, storybook aesthetic that captivates players. Many reviewers highlight the vibrant colors, charming character designs, and smooth animations, creating an immersive visual experience that complements the engaging narrative. While some critiques mention occasional issues with background detail and puzzle clarity, the overall consensus is that the game's visuals are a major strength, enhancing its appeal as a modern point-and-click adventure.

    • “The art style is stunning—it's like playing through a beautiful, hand-drawn animation.”
    • “The game's stunning hand-painted graphics and vibrant colors transport players to a whimsical world filled with strange creatures and magical landscapes.”
    • “The art style is beautiful, the story is compelling, and the twist at the end of act I was fantastic.”
    • “I enjoy the characters and animations, the backgrounds however are sometimes crude, almost always static and not the reason to love the graphics.”
    • “The art style wasn't my thing, but more importantly this is a puzzle game only.”
    • “The graphics on the screen of the 'rescue machine' are horrible, this whole rescue thing doesn't feel real, but is very abstract and silly.”
  • humor998 mentions

    The humor in "Broken Age" is widely praised for its clever writing, engaging dialogue, and memorable characters, often evoking laughter through absurdity and wit. Players appreciate the mix of lighthearted and dark humor, with standout moments from quirky characters and well-executed voice acting. While some found the humor inconsistent, many agree that it captures the charm and creativity typical of Double Fine's games, making it a delightful experience for fans of the genre.

    • “The puzzles are clever and satisfying, and the voice acting is really funny.”
    • “I just love how Double Fine designs their characters and writes dialogues: they're funny, clever, exciting, and sincere.”
    • “The writing and humor are top notch, and the characters are very enjoyable, a talking knife was my favorite!”
    • “Unfortunately, it simply is not funny enough, not long enough, and not coherent enough (particularly in the second part).”
    • “Not fun, not funny if you don't like 'lul so random' comedy; the story is garbage and forgettable alongside the characters.”
  • music820 mentions

    The music in "Broken Age" has received widespread acclaim for its beautiful orchestration and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as a standout feature. Composed by Peter McConnell, the music complements the stunning hand-drawn visuals and engaging narrative, creating an immersive experience that resonates with players. Overall, the soundtrack is described as delightful, fitting well with the game's whimsical tone and contributing significantly to its charm.

    • “The music perfectly complements the game's visuals, creating a truly immersive experience for players.”
    • “The soundtrack is fantastic and not a problem to listen to on loop (with maybe one or two exceptions).”
    • “The music in Broken Age is phenomenal.”
    • “I wouldn't buy the music as a standalone.”
    • “Music felt a little all-over-the-place here, it didn't know if it wanted to be epic, or simple background music.”
    • “There is no opening sequence, no central score, so the music stays just in the background.”
  • gameplay754 mentions

    The gameplay of "Broken Age" is primarily a point-and-click adventure that features a dual-character mechanic, allowing players to switch between two protagonists to solve puzzles. While the art and story are praised for their creativity and charm, many reviewers found the puzzles to be overly simplistic, vague, or frustrating, leading to a mixed reception regarding the overall gameplay experience. The game is noted for its engaging narrative and visuals, but some players felt that the gameplay mechanics were lacking depth and could benefit from clearer instructions and more innovative puzzle design.

    • “The gameplay of Broken Age is focused on exploration, puzzle-solving, and dialogue choices.”
    • “Great game, with likable characters, fun environments, and mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay is engaging and rewarding through the abundant player interactions and the logical puzzles of the first act.”
    • “The gameplay is filled with repetitive illogical trial and error puzzles that further damage the story quality, if there was any.”
    • “Said tedium peaking with an unbelievably atrocious obstacle of misdirection where after hours of completing puzzles the player is faced with an hour-long sequence that cannot be fully completed without using a mechanic that the game never indicated would be relevant for this kind of situation.”
    • “The negatives here are storytelling and gameplay; the story, which is elegantly and subtly told throughout act 1, is thrown in your face in the beginning of act 2 and then comes to a grinding halt, and the puzzles throughout are horribly designed.”
  • grinding154 mentions

    The reviews highlight a significant issue with grinding in the game, particularly in the second act, where many puzzles are described as tedious, overly complex, and frustratingly illogical. Players often found themselves engaged in repetitive tasks and trial-and-error mechanics that detracted from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of labor rather than fun. While some puzzles were well-designed and engaging, the latter half of the game suffered from a lack of clarity and excessive backtracking, making the experience feel more like a chore than an adventure.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “But unfortunately that is not the case, and properly finishing this story requires the player to labor through a tedious and quickly disinteresting gauntlet of compounding puzzle elements long after the plot has blown most of its intrigue.”
    • “The 2nd act brings a big twist to their story but also tedious and downright annoying puzzles that require a lot of trial and error.”
    • “The wiring puzzles are irritating and tedious, and most of the rest of the puzzles are illogical chores that are primarily solved with trial and error.”
  • atmosphere122 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charm, beauty, and immersive qualities, enhanced by excellent art, music, and voice acting. Reviewers highlight the unique blend of whimsical and sinister elements, creating a captivating environment that draws players into its narrative. While some note the game's simplicity and short length, the overall ambiance and artistic vision make it a standout experience in the point-and-click genre.

    • “Delightful, sinister, innocent, atmospheric--this is just the game for you if you're looking to solve mysteries in a wonderfully and beautifully rendered point and click game.”
    • “A beautifully crafted world with a cozy magical atmosphere and interesting characters.”
    • “The game oozes atmosphere with great characters, great environments all realized with a beautiful art style.”
    • “The light atmosphere of the game is quickly clouded when you realize they're actually feeding girls to Mog Chothra.”
    • “It might be worth playing if you catch it on a sale for the art and atmosphere alone, but otherwise, stay far away from it.”
    • “The atmosphere and story are phenomenal, but it'll only have you playing a few hours (3-4 hours tops).”
  • emotional100 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Broken Age" is widely praised for its heartwarming and touching narrative, complemented by stunning visuals and engaging voice acting. Players appreciate the blend of humor and heartfelt moments, although some feel that the emotional depth diminishes in the second act, leaving a sense of unsatisfaction. Overall, the game successfully evokes strong feelings, making it a memorable experience for fans of story-driven adventures.

    • “A great point-and-click adventure game with a heartwarming and surprising story.”
    • “The art, animation, and cinematics are great, the voice acting is great, the pop culture references and jokes are great, and the story actively made me cry (happy tears, not sad ones).”
    • “With exceptional art, a touching and well-written story (with quite a few unexpected twists!), and clever puzzles that provide a decent challenge while never tricking you with illogical solutions, I highly recommend Broken Age to any adventure fan.”
    • “The fact that you basically have to sit through every single dialogue option for every single person/item makes it feel like they are intentionally trying to draw out this boring story as long as possible, and I had enough.”
  • character development80 mentions

    Character development in the game is notably strong in Act 1, with well-portrayed and likable characters, but many players feel that it diminishes significantly in Act 2, where the main characters, Shay and Vella, experience little to no growth. While the character designs are praised for their charm and creativity, some reviews express disappointment over the lack of depth and meaningful storytelling in the latter part of the game. Overall, the game showcases a mix of engaging character interactions and missed opportunities for deeper development.

    • “The character development shown in act 1 was amazing, as both characters were portrayed well enough and can both seem highly likable.”
    • “The story is so fun, it has funny and heavy moments, and they did a good job of executing a story with complex elements and character development.”
    • “This is the best character development and plot I've seen in a long, long time.”
    • “Vella, on the other hand, has pretty much no character development.”
    • “What caught me by surprise is how all character development from Act 1 was seemingly replaced by almost nothing at all.”
    • “Despite the brilliant setup in Act 1, neither of the two main characters undergo much, if any, character development in Act 2.”
  • replayability66 mentions

    Overall, the game has limited replayability, primarily due to its linear structure and short playtime, with many players noting that once the puzzles are solved, subsequent playthroughs become trivial. While some enjoy revisiting the game for its story and achievements, the consensus is that it lacks significant replay value, making it less appealing for those seeking a longer-lasting experience. Despite its charm and artistic qualities, the game's short duration and minimal replay incentives have led to mixed feelings about its overall value.

    • “For such a short game, the achievements are really fun and give a ton of replay value.”
    • “Beautiful artwork, great voice acting, intriguing plot, compelling characters, excellent replay value, fun puzzles.”
    • “Replayability isn't high (especially once you get all achievements), but I tend to find myself revisiting this once a year or so just because I enjoy the game.”
    • “If you really must play this, do not pay full price; it will not last you more than 6 hours and lacks any replay value with the characters being mostly uninteresting on the whole.”
    • “To sum it up, this 'game' is way too short and way too easy to be a $25 game... and it has almost zero replayability. I still to this day break out Monkey Island and give it a run on my tablet every now and then... I just don't see it with this game... unless they wow me with chapter two... I really got to ask where did the money go?”
    • “We're talking 5 hours of gameplay at most, with little or no replayability.”
  • optimization20 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance and stunning visuals, even on less powerful hardware. However, there are criticisms regarding inconsistent art style and some poor voice casting, which detracts from the overall experience. While the voice acting features standout performances from notable actors, some reviews indicate that certain elements feel under-optimized, particularly for mobile platforms.

    • “Everything runs smoothly with the performance never being a problem.”
    • “Moreover, Broken Age has absolutely gorgeous visuals and it runs smoothly even if your computer isn't brand new and built for gaming - a combination that is much too rare in games.”
    • “Superb presentation, immaculate graphics, great script and sublime performances.”
    • “There are many interesting elements to the art, which I enjoyed occasionally, but the style is not consistent, and visual elements do not cohere well (not to mention that the resources seem to be optimized for mobile, with low resolutions and color depths).”
    • “The voices were poorly cast, and the performances were pretty bad, even for 2010s game standards.”
    • “There are many interesting elements to the art, which I enjoyed occasionally, but the style is not consistent, and visual elements do not cohere well (not to mention that the resources seem to be optimized for mobile, with low resolutions and color depths).”
  • stability10 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with no game-breaking glitches or unwinnable scenarios reported. However, some users have noted occasional graphical glitches and brief freezes, indicating that while the engine performs well, it shows signs of age. The beautiful environments are a highlight, but the spine rig's limitations may affect the overall experience.

    • “The spine rig is starting to show its age and frequently glitches.”
    • “The engine is excellent, but it sometimes freezes for a very short time.”
    • “Have had some graphical glitches but definitely a really fun game!”
  • monetization8 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for being misleading, as players feel the game is incomplete and relies on in-app purchases to access additional content. Reviewers express disappointment in the advertising, which they believe falsely represents the game's quality and experience. Overall, there is a sentiment that the monetization approach detracts from the game's integrity and value.

    • “I think Tim Schafer should be ashamed to fool people into buying something that isn't complete and then charge them an in-app purchase to play the rest of the game.”
    • “Is half-done, simple puzzles, misleading advertising 'is a classic adventure game like in the old times!' - totally a lie.”
    • “You can see that just from the advertising previews.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

73% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
4-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 94 analyzed playthroughs

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