What's this, an update for Broken: a Tragic Romance Game?

Yes!

Hello, folks, I am back from my self-imposed hiatus from ttrpgs this year and hoping to make 2024 a great year. You may have noticed a very long break from finishing the campaign for Broken: a Tragic Romance Game. I'd like to give you some important updates.

First, some huge life updates that effected the work on this game. Shortly after the itch campaign for the digital copy of Broken, I left as a partner of the All Ports Open Network and APON Games. This was an extremely difficult decision that had a lot of ramifications for my work and life. It also left the fate of Broken a little open-ended for a time. 

Unfortunately, there was more bad timing to come. The year 2023 was cataclysmic for my life. My marriage came to a tragic and abrupt end in the early Spring after months of unraveling. I don't want to throw anyone under the bus publicly or make accusations, but let's just say that the end of our marriage would've been the most brutal game of Broken ever played. It wasn't a game, though, and unfortunately changed my life and that of my family and children forever. I took a much needed sabbatical for four months and returned to work in the fall.

In addition to all of this, the person working on the artwork for the Scenarios book had a medical crisis which meant that that piece of artwork took far, far longer to complete than expected. Work on the game Broken came to a crashing halt. My spouse is an editor and writer on the project. Plus, the fact that the subject matter of the game is about the tragic end of a relationship made it just too sensitive for me to continue working on it last year. 

I love the game Broken and I am very proud of it. Obviously I am biased, but I think it's a great game that didn't get enough attention from the community. However, it is also very tied to my marriage and the work we did together on Pod of Love.

The good news is that as you can see, the artwork for the Scenario book is finished! This beautiful image by Marie Toner shows off visually the two characters from Emily Buza's scenario. You've been able to play the Scenario all along in text format. Soon, the work on the book will be completed.

All that's left is to put the image and the rest of the text into layout on the Scenario book and this itch project for Broken will be complete. Meanwhile, I've been working for a long time on my next game: Bizlandia! Bizlandia is now in a free, open play test, and I invite you to check it out. If you like comedy, world-building, or shows like The Office, you're going to really enjoy it.

Thanks to all of you who supported Broken over the years. I'm going to be reaching out to those who I owe a personal game of Broken with, that I know backed the game at that level. If you backed the game at that level and want to play with me, feel free to reach out. I don't want to miss anyone. 

More updates soon, folks!