CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold
A branching narrative space game where every decision matters. Available now on Steam. One developer.
Quick Facts
- Title
- CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold
- Developer
- Dero Lavigne
- Publisher
- Martinez AI Studios
- Based in
- Texas, USA
- Genre
- Narrative sci-fi adventure / space trader / choose-your-own-adventure
- Platforms
- Steam / PC
- Release
- Available now on Steam
- Price
- See the Steam store page.
- Engine
- Custom JavaScript + Three.js (Steam PC client)
- Length
- 6–10 hours first run; completionist play can extend well past that when chasing every branch, ending, and secret outcome
- Languages
- English UI + branching Spanish localization (HUD + wiki)
- 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 girl is in danger. The universe is breaking. You have a ship. Rescue Lyra, fight the Black Fleet, and reach the Starforge.
Short (60 words)
CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold is a Steam space narrative about Lyra, the Guardians, the Black Fleet, and the Rift. Choices record on branching timelines while you fly realtime combat, trade commodities, outfit 42 playable hulls, hire 32 crew members, escalate system threat, mine Asterion machines, chase six named bosses, and pursue 4 main endings + 1 secret outcome with 30+ epilogue variants — all included in the Steam release.
Long (150 words)
CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold is a PC space narrative game from solo developer Dero Lavigne. You play a pilot pulled into the fight over Lyra, the Guardians, the Black Fleet, and the Starforge.
The game's core mechanic tracks major decisions as visible branches, letting players revisit choices and see how abandoned routes still echo through the campaign. Other characters remember what you did, and the route to the Starforge changes with you.
The game includes 300+ scripted story scenes across main arcs, endings, tribunal machine missions, DLC hooks, and mirrored Spanish content.
You manage warp fuel across 34 linked systems bucketed into seven exploration regions — 21 of them expose MARKET/STATION services when landed. Forty-two playable hull IDs, thirty-two crew perks stacking passive bonuses, thirteen Asterion fabricators culminating in Fold resonator upgrades, six bounty villains with scripted loot tiers, escalating threat ladders, 140 Steam achievements, and a composed 21-track soundtrack. Four main endings (Sacred Timeline, Multiverse, Another Life, Burn) branch into 30+ epilogue variants tracked in your save — full story included, no separate epilogue purchases on Steam.
Keyboard and mouse flight anchor the desktop HUD, with cinematic systems, accessibility sliders, and a branching narrative structure built for long-form PC play.
Steam store copy (paste-ready)
Use these blocks in Steamworks. Numbers match data/story.js and achievements as of the Steam PC release. Do not paste Steam Partner ID or Steamworks legal name into public fact sheets — use Publisher/Developer trade names only (see Quick Facts).
Short description (~300 chars)
Branching narrative space RPG: revisit any decision, fly 42 ships through 34 systems, fight six named bosses, and chase four main endings with 30+ epilogue variants. 300+ scenes, 140 Steam achievements, 21-track soundtrack. Solo dev. Full story included — no epilogue DLC.
About — endings paragraph
At the Starforge, choose among four main endings — Sacred Timeline, Multiverse, Another Life, and Burn the tree — plus a rare fifth secret outcome. Each main path continues into a full Chapter 5 epilogue with branching scenes that react to crew, factions, and your revisit history (30+ distinct outcomes tracked in your save). Copy shorthand: 4 main endings + 1 secret outcome. Every ending and epilogue ships in the base Steam release — no paywalls, no cut story DLC.
Key features bullet (endings line)
Four main endings with 30+ epilogue variants — Sacred Timeline, Multiverse, Another Life, and Burn — plus a rare fifth secret outcome (4 main endings + 1 secret outcome); full epilogues included
Features Bullet List
- Rift branching — timeline ledger + revisit affordances tracked per save JSON
- 300+ scripted narrative scenes across main arcs, endings, tribunal machine beats, DLC hooks, and Haven jobs
- Four main endings + 1 secret outcome — Sacred Timeline, Multiverse, Another Life, and Burn — with 30+ epilogue variants plus a rare fifth secret outcome; full epilogues included on Steam
- Realtime 3D dogfights — lasers, shotgun spreads, EMP / SEEKER / NUKE missiles, hostile escalation
- 42 purchasable / flyable ships with rarity-based slot grids up through tier‑7 caps
- 32 hireable crew perks with stacking econ / combat modifiers and chatter lines
- Seven regions · 34 systems · 21 full-service docks woven into deterministic trade hashes
- Reputation + rumor layers that change Haven cantina chatter, hunts, patrol density
- 140 Steam achievements across story, combat, exploration, economy, crew, timeline, and secret routes — including Apex Sector, Pacifist, Stargazer, and dedication milestones
- Base fabricator — thirteen craftable Asterion machines + Fold Resonator chain
- Autosave everywhere + Steam Cloud saves
- 21-track composed soundtrack (Across the Silent Stars) plus realtime SFX
- Steam-first PC release — the public web build has been retired from the site
Screenshots & Media
Screenshots available on request. Email press@edgeofthefold.com for the full media pack (high-res PNGs, 1080p GIFs of combat and branch revisit, raw gameplay footage).
The Pitch
"There have been seventeen broken branches before yours. In sixteen of them, a pilot like you took the offered power. Sixteen branches collapsed. One — the seventh — refused. That refusal is the only reason the Guardians still exist. You are pilot number eighteen."
You play an independent pilot. A girl is in danger. The universe is breaking. You have a ship. The enemy is coming. Your first decision is simple: rescue Lyra, run from the Black Fleet, gather allies, and reach the Starforge before reality collapses.
The Guardians fight to keep the Rift from collapsing reality. The Black Fleet wants Lyra, the Starforge, and the power waiting beyond the final route.
You can side with the Guardians. Side with Vex, a woman who exists across seventeen broken branches simultaneously. Side with the Black Fleet, if you're willing to wear their mark. Or refuse to choose and live with all of it.
The game ends one of four main ways, plus a rare fifth secret outcome. None of the four is canon. All are yours.
About the Developer
Dero Lavigne is an indie developer based in Texas. CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold is his first commercial release.
The game was built over several months by one developer, with the public website now preserved as the lore, guide, soundtrack, and press hub for the Steam release.
Inspirations include the Loki TV series for reality-breaking stakes, Galaxy on Fire 2 for its sense of a living galaxy, and Disco Elysium for its commitment to dialogue as gameplay.
"I wanted a simple story with immediate pressure: a girl is in danger, the universe is breaking, and your ship is the only thing moving fast enough to matter."
Links
- Steam: CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold on Steam
- CONTRABAND 2: Beyond the Fold — in development
- Studio: martinezaistudios.com
- Steam curator — Dero Lavigne: Follow for indie narrative picks
- Steam curator — Martinez AI Studios: Follow for studio releases
- 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.
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
Where can people play?
The browser build has been retired from this website. CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold is available now on Steam for PC.
How long did it take to make?
Roughly 3 months of focused full-time authoring, iterated weekly since — tens of thousands of lines across game systems, data, wiki, and tooling. Hundreds of scripted scenes were authored with bilingual coverage.
Why no engine?
Control and speed. The project began with a lightweight custom stack and now keeps the public site focused on lore, guides, press, and Steam discovery.
What's the business model?
Steam is the official PC release. See the store page for price and updates.
Any plans for a native version?
Yes. Steam / PC is the official release of CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold. CONTRABAND 2: Beyond the Fold is in development in Godot; it has no store page yet.
How can I support the developer?
Share the game. Write about it. Stream it. Buy it on Steam. Support on Ko-fi if you feel like it. Follow CONTRABAND 2 development on this site.