Broken World — Chapter I
Broken World is a total overhaul mod which takes the game Dwarf Fortress and transplants it into a modern horror setting inspired by the early to mid-1900s, intermixed with both the tropes of classical horror and more modern interpretations of the monsters lurking in the dark. It seeks to mix the mundane stress of living in a war-torn and impoverished nation, afflicted by high crime, dangerous drugs, and cycles of abuse and trauma, accentuated and contrasted against the world of the supernatural, which prevents the healing of wounds time might otherwise mend while also offering the opportunity to tip the oppressive balance of power if one is willing to sacrifice everything to do it. It emphasizes large-scale, destructive conflicts determined by strategy, politics, and logistics, with exceptional figures working from the shadows and sidelines to influence the outcome. It is a place for the spy, the detective, the hitman, the occultist to flourish, along with the monsters in human skin or the creatures lurking under the bed. Your character can rise high, but never forget that the inexorable movements of history and the inexplicable horrors of the cosmos can crush you even if you do everything right. Do your best to survive, and maybe make a difference before you go. Good luck.
As for its author, I'm Squamous, or the Modsmith, or Squamouss, or maybe something else. Honestly my usernames are all over the place. I've been modding dwarf fortress for years now and I view it as an amazing medium for worldbuilding and storytelling (in addition to being an amazing game in itself!). I focus on atmosphere, aesthetics, and interesting narrative themes to reshape the game into a story of my own design, one I hope stands on its own through the strength of my writing. I treat my work as professionally as I can and am dedicated to bringing a memorable experience to my audience.
You can follow me on Bluesky. I'm still getting used to talking in a public social media forum but if you want to contact me my DMs are open. That said, for stuff like bug reports or feature testing, the Discord might be a better option. It's slow and not geared towards community as much as letting fans keep track of updates, but if you have a problem I'll personally help with troubleshooting. And you can definitely chill there if you want, I try to keep the atmosphere friendly and tolerant. There is also the Patreon, and any patrons are deeply appreciated. Even a dollar helps! Contributions go towards paying for bills, groceries, and saving towards further enhancement of the mod with things like custom soundscapes, music, and some other stuff I'm keeping an eye on.