Broken Age part 1 launches Jan. 14 for backers only (update)

Double Fine Productions will release the beta version of the first part of Broken Age exclusively to the game's backers on Jan. 14, said studio head Tim Schafer on Twitter today.

"Haven't shipped a game of my own in 4.5 years, an adventure game in 16, a point-n-click in almost 20. Next Tuesday is going to be exciting," he said.

Broken Age, formerly known under the working title "Double Fine Adventure," is the game that Double Fine funded through Kickstarter to the tune of $3.37 million in early 2012. Those funds came from 87,142 backers, and 8,412 individuals jumped on board afterward as "slacker backers." The studio initially planned to release the old-school adventure game that fall, but the company expanded the project's scope with the extra funds.

Then, last July, Schafer announced a new plan: Double Fine would release the first half of Broken Age in January 2014 on Steam Early Access, and would use the income from sales of the Early Access version to fund the remainder of development. At the time, Schafer said the studio was aiming to have the game's second half ready in April or May.

We've reached out to Double Fine to ask when the Early Access version of Broken Age will be available to the public, and we'll update this article with any information we receive.

Update: A Double Fine representative told Polygon that the studio will announce the public Early Access release date on Jan. 14, alongside the backers-only launch.