CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold
A branching narrative space game where every decision rewinds. Free. Browser-based. One developer.
Quick Facts
- Title
- CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold
- Developer
- David Martinez (solo dev)
- Based in
- Irving, Texas, USA
- Genre
- Narrative sci-fi adventure / space trader / choose-your-own-adventure
- Platforms
- Web browser (desktop and mobile)
- Release
- April 2026
- Price
- Free. Optional paid epilogues ($4.99 each) — not yet enabled.
- Engine
- None. Vanilla JavaScript + Web Audio API
- Length
- 6–10 hours first run; 25+ hours for completionists
- Languages
- English
- Age rating
- T — implied violence, existential themes, no gore or sexual content
- Website
- edgeofthefold.com
- Contact
- press@edgeofthefold.com
Descriptions
Very short (25 words)
A free browser-based space game where every decision branches the Sacred Timeline. Rewind any moment. 4 endings. 97 narrative scenes.
Short (60 words)
CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold is a free browser-based narrative space game where every decision is recorded on the Sacred Timeline. You can rewind any past moment to fork reality, the old version preserved as a ghost branch. Features 97 narrative scenes across 5 chapters + 4 unique epilogues, real ship combat, a trading economy, 11 hireable crew members, and 35 achievements.
Long (150 words)
CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold is a browser-based space narrative game from solo developer David Martinez. You play a cargo pilot who accepts a sealed crate with no manifest — a single decision that fractures reality into parallel branches.
The game's core mechanic is the Sacred Timeline: every decision is recorded as a visual node, and players can rewind any past moment to fork history. The old branch stays visible as a ghost, preserved but no longer active. Other characters reference what you did in the branches you abandoned.
The game features 97 hand-written narrative scenes across 5 chapters plus 4 unique epilogues, real ship-to-ship combat, a galaxy of 6 regions and 120+ star systems, 11 hireable crew members with stacking bonuses, and 35 achievements. It runs entirely in a browser tab with no install, no ads, and no account required. Inspired by Loki, Galaxy on Fire 2, and Disco Elysium.
Features Bullet List
- Branching Sacred Timeline — every decision is recorded, every past moment is rewindable
- 97 narrative scenes across 5 chapters + 4 unique epilogues + 4 side quests
- 4 distinct endings with full epilogue chapters that respond to how you got there
- Real turn-based ship combat with 14 abilities across 6 ship classes
- 31 ships to fly, from starter skiffs to legendary unique vessels
- 11 hireable crew members with stacking passive bonuses and unique dialogue
- 6 regions, 120+ star systems, 700+ planets with procedural markets and encounters
- 12 unique NPC encounters at planets — merchants, pilots, hunters, children, strangers
- 35 achievements across 4 tiers, including hidden and legendary
- Reputation system across 4 factions with special +80 events per faction
- Multi-slot saves with export/import, auto-save, and cloud sync
- Procedural audio — no licensed music, six-layer ambient soundtrack generated at runtime
- No install, no account, free forever — open the URL and play
- Mobile optimized with touch controls, iOS safe areas, responsive layout
Screenshots & Media
Screenshots available on request. Email press@edgeofthefold.com for the full media pack (high-res PNGs, 1080p GIFs of combat and timeline rewind, raw gameplay footage).
The Pitch
"There have been seventeen timelines before yours. In sixteen of them, a pilot like you took the offered power. Sixteen timelines collapsed. One — the seventh — refused. That refusal is the only reason the Weavers still exist. You are pilot number eighteen."
You play a cargo pilot. A sealed crate. A job that doesn't smell right. Your first decision — open the crate, deliver the crate, sell its contents — starts a chain that reaches into seventeen alternate versions of the same war.
The Weavers are guardians of a single Sacred Timeline. They have rewound the current war with the Scourge forty-one times. Each rewind weakens the prison holding something ancient in the Fold. Something that is almost free.
You can side with the Weavers. Side with Vex, a woman who exists across seventeen timelines simultaneously. Side with the Scourge, if you're willing to wear their mark. Or refuse to choose and live with all of it.
The game ends one of four ways. None is canon. All are yours.
About the Developer
David Martinez is an indie developer based in Irving, Texas. CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold is his first commercial release.
The game was built over several months using only vanilla JavaScript, CSS, and HTML — no framework, no game engine, no middleware. The entire game is under 120KB of code and runs instantly in any modern browser.
Inspirations include the Loki TV series for its branching timeline cosmology, Galaxy on Fire 2 for its sense of a living galaxy, and Disco Elysium for its commitment to dialogue as gameplay.
"I wanted to build something where your mistakes are still real after you undo them. A game where the branches you didn't take still exist somewhere, and the game knows it."
Links
- Play: edgeofthefold.com/play
- Wiki / Lore: edgeofthefold.com/wiki
- Dev blog: edgeofthefold.com/wiki/devlog
- Support on Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/edgeofthefold
- Contact: press@edgeofthefold.com
For Streamers & Content Creators
Full permission granted to stream, record, monetize, and share content featuring CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold. No revenue sharing required. No key needed — the game is free. Just go.
If you feature the game in a video or stream, a credit link to edgeofthefold.com is appreciated but not required.
If you'd like a shoutout on the game's main site or Ko-fi channel, email press@edgeofthefold.com with your stream/video link.
FAQ
Is this really free?
Yes. The full base game (prologue + 4 chapters + side quests + 4 epilogues) is completely free. No ads. No install. Paid cosmetic packs are being considered for the future, but all narrative content is free forever.
How long did it take to make?
Roughly 3 months of full-time development, solo. ~10,000 lines of code, 97 narrative scenes hand-written, 20 wiki pages.
Why no engine?
Size and speed. A Unity WebGL build would be 20-50MB. The entire game + wiki + landing page fits in ~200KB zipped. The whole thing loads in under 2 seconds on a modern phone. Vanilla web standards also mean zero vendor lock-in — this game will still work in 10 years.
What's the business model?
Free core game, optional cosmetics and epilogue unlocks, Ko-fi donations. Monetization is disabled by default at launch. Revenue goal is to fund continued development, not to gate content.
Any plans for a native version?
Not at this time. The browser version works on desktop and mobile with full touch support. A Steam version is being evaluated for the future.
How can I support the developer?
Share the game. Write about it. Stream it. Buy a Ko-fi coffee if you feel like it. Report bugs. That's it.