Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse announced on Kickstarter

Revolution Software is asking for $400,000 on Kickstarter to fund development of Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse, a new, original 2D point-and-click adventure in the Broken Sword series. It's set for release on PC, Mac, iOS, and Android in early 2013, with a $15 pledge netting backers a digital copy of the game, along with access to exclusive digital content that includes developer diaries, game artwork, and archive videos.

Unlike the last two games in the series, The Serpent's Curse will feature hand-drawn 2D visuals, with characters that have been modeled in 3D, but outputted as 2D sprites. Artists from Disney, Dreamworks, Nickelodeon, Universal, Aardman, Sony, and 20th Century Fox are said to be working on the title, with many of the original development team, including Rolf Saxon (the voice of George), returning.

The Serpent's Curse will star George Stobbart, an American lawyer, and Nico Collard, a freelance journalist. The pair are sent to Paris to investigate the theft of a mysterious painting, but it's not long before the case turns sour, and they uncover dark forces and conspiracies from across Europe.

While Revolution is asking for $400,000 to help fund the project, the developer has already invested over $500,000 of its own money. Speaking to GameSpot, Revolution's managing director Charles Cecil explained that the studio's move to Kickstarter was based on "the strength of being able to control the development, and the finances, and marketing…when you work with a publisher that's funding a game, there are milestones to reach, which puts you into a kind of straight jacket. The great thing about doing it this way is that we can make a judgment."

Cecil also hinted at the game coming to XBLA and PSN in the future. "I'd very much hope Broken Sword goes onto PSN, or XBLA, or both", he said "The thing is, at the moment we can't make a commitment. If the project reaches its target, I'd certainly aim to be on one of those two."

For more on Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse, check out our interview with Revolution Software's managing director, Charles Cecil.