As a long time fan of games like Loom, Monkey Island, The Dig, Myst and many more, I can honestly say that I am incredibly excited for Jengo the game. For those who do not know (shame on you), it is a brand new point and click adventure that is being developed by South African developer, Robot Wizard.

In the two years since being announced, Jengo the game has found a publisher with Playdius Entertainment, conducted a global voice search for characters, and even debuted to wild applause at Gamescom. Needless to say, the game is being received incredibly well by both critics and gamers alike. As great as the reception has been, however, the reality of the situation is that the developers need additional funding in order for Jengo the game to see the light of day.

With the above in mind, the hard working team at Robot Wizard have announced that they have partnered with Fig, “a community funding and publishing platform for independent video games”. They even released a truly superb (music) video to go along with the announcement, one filled with some of the most gorgeous art and visual graphics yet seen for Jengo the game (or any stylised game, for that matter).

For all intent and purpose, Fig seems to be a lot like Kickstarter or Indiegogo whereby fans can back games to get exclusive rewards. However, there is one fundamental and unique difference between Fig and other platforms: you can also invest in games to earn returns from game sales. Thus making the investment one worthy of consideration, as the success of the game may potentially result in future capital gain.

Putting the idea of investing in games aside, the primary aim of the Jengo the game Fig campaign is to help Robot Wizard with the finances required to get the game to launch. Whether you invest in the game or simply back one of the rewards, you will still be assisting the development of one of the most visually striking and promising games to emerge from the South African landscape. Every little bit helps.

Just in case you are still on the fence about the game (you really should not be at this point), then you simply must check out the video below about “why you’ll love it”. It is hilarious and makes me want the game even more.

With everything I have seen about the game, and having interacted and worked with some of the members of the development team, I am proud to say that I have already backed the game. I was lucky enough to snap up one of the last reward tiers that will see me pixel-ised in the game as a none-playable character (NPC). I am very excited about this.

In terms of rewards, Jengo the game has everything from buying a single copy of the game on Steam, through to the now pre-sold out USD $1000 tier whereby you get your own voiced character in the game, one central to the storyline (I honestly would have backed this option via VIP pass if it was still available. You hear that Robot Wizard? *hint hint*).

So what are you waiting for? Let us help get  Jengo the game funded. Simply head on over to Fig and make your pledge. Once 400 backers have supported the campaign, it will be green lit by Fig. The rest, as they say, will be history.

[Source: Fig, Robot Wizard]

View Author Profile

Owner, founder and editor-in-chief at Vamers, Hans has a vested interest in geek culture and the interactive entertainment industry. With a Masters degree in Communications and Ludology, he is well read and versed in matters relating to video games and communication media, among many other topics of interest.