Hey everyone, thanks for the wishlist. Quick update: the Steam build is still cooking, but the browser version went live on itch today, so you can play Permaban right now while you wait.
A forum moderator simulator set in 2007. You moderate a phpBB-style community, deciding what to do with each post: warn, ban, lock, or leave alone.
The clearly bannable posts are the easy ones. The interesting tension is the long-time user with 4,000 rep posting something at 2am that's borderline-but-not-quite. Plus a burnout meter that prevents spam-clicking, so you actually have to read each post.
Full Windows XP-style interface (not a theme, the whole UI)
4 forum skins: phpBB, vBulletin, InvisionFree, ProBoards
Campaign mode + endless after you finish
A multi-phase deterministic storyline around one specific user
Era mechanics: popup ads, IM nudges, a desktop assistant that pesters you, a music player to manage
Original Tone.js synth soundtrack, different track per forum skin
New mechanics on the desktop
Popup Adware / Desktop Malware: click anywhere on a popup ad except the X and you "install" adware. Shortcuts pile up on the desktop. Aggressive ad windows spawn every few seconds. You have to right-click the icon and delete it to make it stop. Three adware infections at once and the system BSODs.
Interweb Exploder 7 tabbed browsing: open new tabs from the browser, navigate to parody websites (YourTube, MySpace, Blagger, eFlay, Wickedpedia, Rules of the Interweb). Switching tabs means posts pile up unmoderated. Some sites contain clues for sockpuppet investigations.
New apps on the XP desktop
NSM Messenger archive: the IM client becomes openable. 12+ contacts with full conversation histories, era-correct status icons (Online / Away / Busy / Appear Offline), nudge button that shakes the window. Some DMs reveal sockpuppet rings or follow-ups to forum drama.
Multimedia File Viewer: images, audio, and video files in My Documents become openable. Pictures launch Winblows Pitcher and Fax Viewer. MP3s launch Winump with a fake spectrum analyzer. AVIs launch Winblows Mediocre Player with a buffering bar that never quite finishes.
Macroshaft Flash Reader: a Flash player window with five fully animated parody shorts (Numpy Numpy, All Your Base, LaRoy Jankins, Strong Lad email, Gerbster Gerbster). Vector-drawn, era-perfect.
Screen Smasher 2003: Desktop Destroyer parody. Six weapons (chainsaw, shotgun, BB gun, torch, drill, bug splat), fake desktop wallpaper, damage decals. Using it for short bursts reduces burnout, capped per wave so it's a decompression tool, not a free reset.
GrimeWire and eMutt: two parody P2P file-sharing clients (LimeWire and eMule). Search for fake files, watch downloads stall at 87%, occasionally land on virus bait that the link scanner flags. Successful downloads land in My Documents and open in the multimedia viewers above.
Expanded content
More posts and multimedia.
Steam cloud save & achievements.
3 additional forum skins (Simple Machines Forum, early XenForo, Invision Power Board 2) - 7 total
8-10 era-faithful Winump tracks by canonical parody artists (Blinkin Spark, Backstab Boys, My Chemical Bromance, Wink-182, Nickelrefund, S1mp B1zcuit, numpy numpy, The Kilowatts, Adolescence)
Wave-end Shareable Signature Generator: pick a template (phpBB classic, vBulletin chunky, GeoCities glitter, Counter-Snipe clan tag, Final Fallacy frame, RuinScape skill cape), auto-fill your wave stats, download as a 468x100 PNG ready to paste anywhere
The browser version on itch keeps the core loop tight. The Steam version turns the desktop around the forum into its own playable space.
Two reasons:
1. It's free and immediate. No reason to wait if you want a taste of the gameplay loop.
2. Your feedback in the next few weeks shapes the Steam build directly. Bugs, balance, content gaps, all of it goes into what ships here.
If you've already wishlisted, that helps a ton when the Steam build goes live. If you're new and you enjoy the itch version, the wishlist button is right above this post.
Thanks for sticking around.