Early concept art by Oliver Zavala. This art pre-dated the escaping miners storyline that the game is currently based around. 2014 was a very exciting year for me. This, the Broken Contract Design Blog, was launched in late January 2014. With each month that past, the project evolved. What began as a rough set of rules and a couple pages of story developed into a thematic rule set and a much deeper setting with many paths for future adventures. The first two pieces of art conceived by Oliver Zavala helped frame the context for future artists, Samuel Alcarez and John "Geng" Gendall. One of the earliest play testing nights at my old place in Chicago. Over the months I hosted play testing sessions in my home, Next Dimension Games (RIP) and Dimo's Pizza (all in Chicago), and got a lot of great feedback that inspired better scenarios, and a more dynamic set of rules. I used Miniature Addicts Anonymous regularly to solicit feedback on art and sculpts, and found most...

Breaker concept sketch by Geng Gendall based on Nick Tape of the hardcore punk band, Coke Bust. Breakers are workers that have raised their tools as weapons and thrown off their shackles for a chance at freedom. As oppressed and subjugated workers, they needed to be easily identified as such. Several of my friends have commented that they wished the characters in Broken Contract looked more "from the future" which I feel is tough to do without making them either "high tech" with mechanical suits or skin tight compression pants covered in protective pads similar to how Infinity models look in their fitted armor. For myself, the indentured "mudders" from the Jaynestown episode of Firefly or the downtrodden forced laborers from the Seam in the Hunger Games really exemplify how I envision the potential future portrayed in the game. Carhartt gear might not seem very sci-fi but the term "overall" for protective clothes put over other clothes is th...

Over the last few weeks I've allowed two worlds to collide. My two greatest loves have long been tabletop gaming and punk music. As far back as 3rd grade when I was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons by my older cousins, I've wanted to be involved in the gaming industry. In the late 80's though, I discovered hardcore punk and eventually started playing in bands and running my own record label as a hobby. My two loves vied for my attention as I juggled touring and putting out records with working in game stores and making time to game. At various points one would dominate over the other largely because my two loves rarely intermingle. For me both loves are sort of all encompassing as they are such time intensive interests. Get It Away s/t EP record cover. Get It Away featured Anton Zaleski of Hyacinth Games on vocals. The art was drawn by Colin Swanson-White and the record was released on Third Party Records around 2002. Third Party Records is the record label I...

Enforcer concept art by Oliver Zavala. The background on this site only gives you an introduction to the back story and tells you a tiny bit about Breakers and Security Officers. It is a very myopic look at a much grander storyline, and that is by design. Still, I think for those of you who are following this project, its worth giving you insight into the bigger picture. When I originally brainstormed the idea behind Broken Contract, it revolved around Breakers and Enforcers. The Breaker concept has been fairly constant, Breakers being workers who have broken their contracts with the corporations they work for by attempting to desert and flee towards a new life free of indentured servitude. The original nemesis though, was not the Security Officers, it was the Enforcers. Contract Enforcers come from private bounty hunting firms that are paid to bring Breakers back to work.Though I can think of all sorts of great story lines, cool equipment, and variant scenarios involving Enfor...

Breakers      Breakers are fugitives that have chosen to ignore the contracts that they consigned themselves to in a desperate attempt to live a free life. They see themselves as escaped slaves using the corporations’ misleading promises and harsh treatment to justify their actions. The corporations paint a much different picture, one where Contracted are good, lawful citizens and the breakers are simple criminals.      Corporations have become a law unto themselves. Lawbreakers therefore are disloyal, the lowest of the low because they broke contract. There are many ways to break contract, running away is just the most obvious. Most contracts include provisions and clauses enough to shift planetary gravity if they were still on paper. To the corporations a contract is the basis of all civilization. It’s not a corporations fault if they neglect to mention that most contract laborers shipped in from nearby worlds are given the most dangerous jobs, ch...

Breaker with Pneumatic Drill. Concept art by Oliver Zavala “…Around 2218AD Mankind spread to the stars. They called it “A New Age of Exploration” . The Global Conglomerate of Earth had begun the scientific exploration of space in earnest. Resources on Earth were facing complete depletion and massive polluted zones had forced overcrowding. Food shortages, deplorable living conditions, and the violent suppression of worker’s rights had been sparking riots for decades. Earth was in its twilight and the corporate heads could no longer maintain their wealth and supremacy. Humanity needed room to expand and new resources to consume, and the corporations needed new markets to exploit. The first concerted colonization of space was set to begin. Skip ahead to 2277AD . That’s when we saw “ The Great Colonization” . The colonization of space over the next fifty years created genuine excitement planet-wide. It was common for fit and hopeful youths to volunteer for the colony ships and b...