Fighting an alternate reality WWII
Broken Lines brings engrossing TRPG to PC and Switch
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Just because it's available on Nintendo Switch doesn't mean
Broken Lines is a kid-friendly game. The game play, dialogue and story are aimed at adults. |
Sometimes, though, you just want to see a story play out and focus on group dynamics. If you want to go that route – maybe before you come back and challenge yourself on a more difficult setting – Broken Lines, a new TRPG from developer PortaPlay and publisher Super.com set in an alternate reality WWII, puts a special focus on story and relationships, with an accessible story and pause-and-play game play that takes some of the typical “hardcore” requirements out of the genre.
Don't misunderstand – Broken Lines still provides a challenge, one that can be scaled up or down from the difficulty tab in the settings menu, depending on your preference. But it's a nice accessible introduction to the genre for those who might not have played a lot of TRPGs in the past. Or a nice reintroduction for those who tried them out and found them either lacking in the story department, or just too difficult to advance and enjoy the story.
Some of the first TRPGs to enter American homes were on the original Nintendo Entertainment

If you're looking for a WWII experience, one where group dynamics and troop morale is just as important as an enigmatic enemy, Broken Lines is worth checking out. It should be equally fun for TRPG stalwarts who are looking for something outside the standard medieval swordplay and fantasy settings that tend to define the genre, but that can still offer a gameplay and tactical challenge. There's a few places where the game could stand some polish, to be sure, but overall it is a fun, challenging – and pretty – gameplay experience. You can download Broken Lines for the Nintendo Switch, through that console's eShop, or for PC through Steam or GOG.com. For more information and links to online shops check out brokenlinesgame.com.
(Originally published in the March 25, 2020 editions of the, now defunct, Grayson Journal-Enquirer and Olive Hill Times newspapers.)
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