Broken Lines is a story-driven tactical RPG set in an alternate-history version of World War II. Players lead a small squad of soldiers who crash-land behind enemy lines in Eastern Europe and must navigate hostile territory to reach safety. The game emphasizes careful planning, squad coordination, and the consequences of decisions made under pressure.
Gameplay
Combat follows a WeGo structure where players issue orders to the entire squad during a planning phase, after which all units execute their actions simultaneously. This creates tense moments of uncertainty as movements and attacks resolve together. Soldiers have distinct roles, such as close-range fighters or long-range specialists, and positioning matters heavily for cover and flanking opportunities.
The narrative unfolds through a series of missions where choices affect character relationships, available resources, and the overall direction of the story. Permanent consequences for squad members add weight to every engagement, as lost soldiers or altered mental states carry forward. In the included expansion The Dead and the Drunk, undead enemies join the battlefield, turning encounters into three-way conflicts that players can manipulate by drawing zombie hordes toward opposing forces.
Drinking mechanics appear in the expansion, granting temporary perks and abilities at the cost of increased risk. Occult elements introduce new enemy types and boss encounters that require adapted tactics beyond standard firefights.
Game Modes
The primary experience centers on a single-player campaign that branches based on player decisions. Different paths lead to multiple endings, encouraging replays to explore alternate outcomes for the squad. The expansion content integrates directly into this structure, adding supernatural threats and new objectives without creating separate standalone modes.
No competitive or cooperative multiplayer options exist. All play revolves around managing the squad through the main story arc and its expansion content, with difficulty modifiers available to adjust challenge levels from the start.
Narrative and Setting
The alternate-history backdrop places the squad in a war-torn region filled with moral dilemmas and shifting alliances. Without external support, players must scavenge supplies and make hard calls that influence how individual soldiers cope with the stress of constant combat. The expansion layers occult mysteries onto this foundation, forcing the squad to confront both human enemies and reanimated threats while searching for the source of the supernatural outbreak.
Is It Worth Playing?
Broken Lines suits players who enjoy tactical RPGs with strong narrative focus and meaningful choices. The simultaneous resolution combat rewards foresight and adaptability, while the branching campaign provides replay value through varied endings. The expansion expands the scope with zombie encounters and new mechanics that refresh the core loop without overcomplicating it.
Reception has been mostly positive among those who appreciate squad-based strategy and ethical decision-making under fire. The game remains available on PC with its full expansion content included, making it a complete package for fans of the genre seeking a contained, story-heavy experience rather than ongoing live-service elements.
