Broken Roads is the recent party-based RPG released by Australian studio Drop Bear Bytes. In this game, players meet all sorts of characters along their journey, and not all of them are a pleasure to be around. There are distant parents, egotistical buffoons, narcissistic mercenaries, and unfeeling killers out on the roads. Most of them wouldn’t look at you twice, but some would be more than happy to put you in the dirt.

As the game’s narrative designer, I have worked with the team to pick just a few of the NPCs we love to hate, and give you a taste of some of the characters you’ll meet in our post-apocalyptic world.

Louise Evans

As a meat and produce merchant for the farming town of Aldersyde, Louise Evans has never been shy about saying what she thinks in the most uncharming, inflammatory way possible. Louise has always considered everyone to be beneath her, especially her son, Charlie, and his run-away father. She only ordered the Alderman of Aldersyde to take over the town’s leadership because she got sick of the farmers and their endless whinging.

Louise never wanted to stay in Aldersyde, and if you ask her, it was all Charlie’s fault that she was even in this dung-smelling town to begin with. To Louise, Charlie is spineless, useless, and a waste of space.

Louise is a (not so) shining figure of motherhood and kindness in the world of Broken Roads. And, depending on your choices, you may get to discuss the moralities of parenthood and what it means to be a ‘good parent’.

Malcolm Hogan

Malcolm Hogan, of the Hogan House in Merredin, is a boastful man who has only gotten so far in life thanks to nepotism. If he was outside the walls of Merredin, someone would’ve shut his gob with a bullet a long time ago.

Malcolm is always scheming and on the lookout for a lackey he can use to strengthen his election campaign against Governor Angela Smith. He’s a man who relies on confidence and “charm” to cover up his stupidity and inability to really do anything right, besides getting on everyone’s bad side.

You’ll have multiple chances to morally agree or question Malcolm’s schemes and who he may or may not be benefitting with his choices that could change the entirety of Merredin. Vote for Hogan!

Ian Mason

The leader of the aptly named ‘Mason Gang’, Ian is the sleaziest of them all and would win first place five years in a row for the “most punchable face” award. A mercenary for hire, Ian is a narcissist who thinks everyone who doesn’t kiss his feet is jealous of him and wants him dead.

In reality, ‘Deadeye Mason’ as he’s called by everyone else (and not for his marksmanship), is the butt of everyone’s jokes and is only alive because no one reckons he’s worth the bullet. Alive or dead, Ian Mason is a waste of space, through and through.

You can use your Moral Leaning on the Moral Compass to intimidate him and discuss the meaning of contracts and obligations with him, though it may be more of a one-sided conversation.

James Wakefield

James Wakefield is a bad omen. Under all his bravado is a cruel man who kills without mercy, and it’s done in the name of his home city, Brookton.

The problem is, his unwavering loyalty to his people is the whole reason Brookton went up in smoke. If anything, the Brookton townsfolk should be grateful they got James knocking at their door: at least he killed them quickly.

Depending on how hellbent you are on finding him, you may just get the chance to put up your fists and settle the score

These are just a few of the colorful characters you’ll need to keep an eye out for during your time with Broken Roads. We can’t wait to see who else gets on our player’s nerves, and hope you enjoyed this look into the types of people that make up our narrative.