URBN_LGND.exe Jam

Concept: “A mid level exec has lapsed into a coma after an unwise deep dive into the sewer levels of the net. When he came back up, it was with a permanent look of horror and endless babbling about ‘the woman’, yelping in terror at random moments, reacting to something that no-one else could see. He’s actually infected with the BANSHEE virus. It hijacks the carrier’s audio and visual implants, terrorising them until their brains overload and shut down.”

Content: A gig that takes a party of punks into an exec’s dying mind in search of important data.

Writing: A swirl of informative exposition and characterful style to situate a game group inside the mind of their target and all the horrors residing there. 

Art/Design: Colorful one- and two-column text layouts, with each page having its own aesthetic and an accompanying illustration.  

Usability: Text is easily readable across pages and assorted font choices, with each page’s organization recognizable through text size and color distinctions for headings/labels and body content.

Concept: “>> Welcome to the twisted amalgamation of junky code and depravity that we call The Net, where non-euclidean labyrinthine nooks and crannies will leave you feeling both bewildered and exhilarated. But don't be fooled, for there is still a twisted structure lurking within the chaos, with some arcane notion of up and down.”

Content: A collection of Net-focused locations, tables, NPCs, enemies, and rules for app-like scripting.

Writing: Bursts of intense and ominous detail that shines light on myriad dimensions of the Net that punks might seek out or otherwise come across..

Art/Design: Pixelated and monospace fonts appear throughout on a number of distinct page layouts with a variety of color and graphic elements.

Usability: Despite the variety of layouts, text is consistently readable–pages with complex graphic elements keep text on simpler backgrounds. Note: text content for the scripting rules page is not searchable/selectable.

Concept: “A Fungal themed Zine to Cy_Borg, It contains: 3 Enemies; 4 Themed Items; Hallucination condition.”

Content: A cluster of mushroom-based threats and loot.

Writing: Brief mechanics-focused stat blocks with thematically potent names and descriptions.

Art/Design: Two pages of bright pink and blue with green, with the first page having a fungal background image. 

Usability: Color scheme and layout feel appropriately chaotic for the theme, but color intensity and relative lack of consistent organization may lead some readers to overlook important elements (e.g., small-text Hallucination rule just above the 3rd party license on p. 1).

Concept: “A gnashing, winged nightmare that lurks where the pines grow. A rogue A.I. with a cybernetic body and a deer-like skull. A thing that should not exist and cannot be killed.”

Content: A destructive monster to deceive and potentially devour a party of punks.

Writing: Brief, intriguing features and stats and an extensive back story to situate the creature (or its urban legend) within CY.

Art/Design: Title page includes a neon pink-and-purple illustration of the devil, while page two includes text content in a single-column layout. Main version of the supplement includes color and font highlights, while an accessible version does not.

Usability: In both versions of the supplement, specific kinds and sections of content are recognizable and easily distinguishable from others.

Concept: “To most in the upper echelons of Cy, this saviour is a myth. But still those under-blocks that it inhabits and pollutes are left alone, and those who live close revere it as a watchful penitent god, to whom those who sin must be taken.”

Content: A mythical vehicle of righteous vengeance and its acolytes.

Writing: Descriptions and NPC stats oozing with classic British grimdark sci-fi flavor.

Art/Design: Two two-page spreads, one of which resembles a set of propaganda posters on a wall, and the other sports a large illustration of the landship messiah rolling down a street amid its followers. 

Usability: High-contrast text with consistent distinctions of content blocks, headings/labels, and types of content.

Concept: “A vital drive, loaded with data worth millions to the Virid Vipers gangster coalition, has been lost in the sewers of CY. Something down there apparently ate the agent they had carrying it. Fortunately, the geo-tag still works, and the slumlord whose territory it was lost in is desperate for someone to find it before the Vipers toss him into the dank and filthy tunnels to find the thing himself. There's just one lethal detail that's been overlooked, lurking in the sewage…”

Content: A dungeon crawl to recover valuable cybertech from a monster stalking the sewers.

Writing: Imaginative descriptions make each area of the mission seem unique and dangerous, with relevant NPCs pursuing their own agendas.

Art/Design: Single column of text with black-on-white scheme, occasionally complemented by NPC portrait illustrations. A colorful, stripped-down map of the sewers is also provided.

Usability: Font choices are easily readable, and headings, labels, and key information are consistently bolded for visual emphasis. Movement table notes procedural logic for optimal use.

Concept: “Quack Quack! Compatible with CY_BORG and made for the URBN_LGND.exe jam.”

Content: A vending machine that provides an assortment of items–some trinkets, some useful items, and potentially more.

Writing: Inventive item names offer entertaining potential, and vending machine rumor/secret extends that significantly.

Art/Design: Three-column layout of basic info, vending machine contents, and a glitch-like illustration of a vending machine below a lucky duck icon.

Usability: Visually, content is extremely easy to navigate and identify. File is provided as an image, so text cannot be selected/searched or recognized by a screen reader.

Concept: “In the alleys and streets of the Cy, rumors of rats with intelligence far above normal exist. Some say it's a miracle, that they must've been blessed by whatever god they believe in, others say they are failed experiments, and affronts to nature.”

Content: A verminous creature at home in the alleys and gutters of CY.

Writing: Inventive mechanics and descriptive rumors provide GMs a variety of qualities to emphasize at a table.

Art/Design: Single-column layout of white and yellow text on a blue background.

Usability: Font choices and decoration consistently employed for distinct kinds and sections of content.

Concept: “This six-page PDF contains the adventure Raised by Wolves, which sees players taking on a job in an abandoned capsule condo scheduled for demolition, and facing a cult determined to resurrect their (literally) corrupted leader.”

Content: A job to deal with a noise complaint, along with a new class: the Feral Foundling.

Writing: Lots of concise details and snippets that bring the mission location and the optional class to life.

Art/Design: Six two-page spreads with three- to four-column layouts of content on most pages. Several different color schemes and aesthetics differentiate distinct areas of focus (apartment building map; job details; key location; class).

Usability: Each spread makes use of a consistent visual grammar to indicate distinct sections of content and headings/labels, with high-contrast text/background throughout. Text is not embedded, so searching for or selecting text is not possible.

Concept: “A homebrew antagonist for Cy_Borg. An antagonist that can provide some interesting interactions and possibly fun character arc. Created for the URBN_LGND jam.”

Content: A digital nightmare to haunt a table of punks.

Writing: A mix of ominous description and creative mechanics to affect the afflicted player.

Art/Design: Brightly colored text and black-on-white over a black and white static-y image of a creeping figure in silhouette.

Usability: Text contrast and font choices, along with whitespace/indentation, make for easy reading/navigation.

Concept: “BASILISK DISTRO STATION is broadcasting now… Corrupted data filtered through radio transmitters in precise patterns has the potential to scramble the human mind. Psionic data pushed through this same process has the potential to bring into reality the THOUGHTFORM; a shadowy mess of thoughts manifested as glitched reality.“

Content: A psionically-themed monster and cybertech item.

Writing: Concise, immersive descriptions and succinct mechanics for the ‘thoughtform’ creature and the ‘psionjack’ cybertech.

Art/Design: White-on-black spread with four columns of content accentuated with white character art designs and two dark illustrations.

Usability: Content is arranged to clearly distinguish specific sections and labels. Supplement is provided in pdf, png, and plain text versions.

Concept: “An assassin has been pulling off hits that no one would have dreamed possible. They have been infiltrating secure locations across Central and The Hills. The punks have a job: take out the assassin. Figuring out who they are working for or how they have been able to access VIPs across Cy would be good, too. The punks have a location: a lucky SecOp tagged the assassin and tracked them to a nearby slum. Are they ready for what is waiting for them? Can they possibly be ready to get pulled into The Backrooms?”

Content: A gig to take down an assassin in a disorienting locale. Mission details provided in full-color and black-and-white versions, along with a player handout of the location map.

Writing: Helpful, descriptive explanations provide GMs with the means to run this mission successfully.

Art/Design: Tri-fold pamphlet layout offers mission info across three internal panels (along with an abstract map of the Backrooms), while key NPC and additional app info is provided on outer panels.

Usability: Layout and color scheme allow for easy navigation and recognition of each content element.

Concept: “A 14+6 page Murder Mystery with: d6 Rumors, 3+ Cases, Puzzles, 4 Big Maps, 3+ NPCs, & 1 Killer Bunnyman; Inspired by the BUNNYMAN urban legend for CY Borg's Urban Legend Jam.”

Content: A mission to hunt a serial killer across a series of ominous locations. “Digital” and “print” editions provided along with an asset/maps booklet.

Writing: Vivid descriptions and helpful guidance for GMs make for a dark but entertaining experience.

Art/Design: Primarily a dark color scheme, with white text on black and black text on white/gray elements, while pink and red accent headings and images. Numerous scenic illustrations and NPC portraits bring myriad dimensions of the mystery to life.

Usability: Fonts in both “digital” and “print” editions are readable and fully embedded, which facilitates searching or selecting text–especially content that is arranged perpendicular to the default orientation.

Concept: “In this adventure, you will face close encounters with the rulers of CY_. Assault their ghostly dwellings but, behold! The Hills abound in living Urban Legends. These sophisticated terrors are inspired by the ancient Colombian tradition. <<Will you take the chance to overthrow a lord of dark legend?>>”

Content: A heist to retrieve untold riches from a well-secured mansion.

Writing: Unbelievable amounts of detail regarding the job parameters, NPCs, random encounters, locations, and dialogue with multiple outcomes.

Art/Design: Mostly single-column text layout over a background pattern made from a simple color-coded map of the region.

Usability: Text is high-contrast and in a readable font, with consistent presentation throughout of headings and labels. Map is provided at multiple points in the document, which reduces the need to flip through entire file to make use of it.

Concept: “DO YOU WISH TO SEE THE UNKNOWN? A dash of conspiratorial thinking for your next CY_BORG game. Contains a table of weird things to find on the NET, two UFO themed enemies, equipment, and a bunch of references to sci-fi and horror.”

Content: A zine featuring governmental and alien menaces, a table of interesting net discoveries, and several items.

Writing: A balanced mix of unsettling horror and tongue-in-cheek humor presented as a mostly in-universe document.

Art/Design: Dark gray on light yellow/tan scheme (reflecting printed homemade zine aesthetic) with one- and two-column layouts of text, accompanied by cartoon and silhouette illustrations of enemies, items, and more.

Usability: High fore/ground contrast and font choices make for easy reading, with larger headings and handwritten marginal notes consistently applied throughout.