The Shared Hearth: Hard Wired Island

In the distant future of 2020, humanity has spread to space. A meteorite struck Earth’s northern hemisphere in 1996 and the impact caused widespread environmental damage that humanity has yet to fully recover from, but supercharged public interest in space exploration.

The result is Grand Cross, an O’Neill cylinder in the Earth–Moon L5 point. It’s Earth’s gateway to the stars, a launching point for missions to Mars and beyond, and a beacon of hope for its people — but it’s in crisis.

An alliance of space-based corporations known as the Offworld Cartel has moved in. While they sell space exploration as a shared dream they strive for along with everyone else, their true aim is control of Grand Cross and, through it, the future of space settlement. As their influence spreads, so does inequality and crime.

The Cartel has convinced the current government to privatize many of the systems that keep Grand Cross running, and the station is slowly falling apart. Behind the scenes, they have even more underhanded schemes running in secret. If the next election favors the Cartel, they’ll be on their way to becoming the landlords of human space.

Welcome to the world of Hard Wired Island, where the year is 2020, but not the 2020 you know. In this alternate reality, you are residents of a space station in orbit around Earth called Grand Cross. Surrounded by the glimmering lights of a retro-futuristic cyberpunk world, you won't be playing as gun-toting vigilantes taking over the streets with violence but instead as everyday residents of Grand Cross who find themselves caught up in a fight for the future of their home. You pay rent, buy groceries, hang out with friends, and find the time to go on missions in between.

This game offers a different view of the cyberpunk genre that challenges the accepted ideas of that kind of world and what it means to rebel against an oppressive system. Hard Wired Island isn’t about lighting up the streets and stuffing with chrome; it's about exploring the complexities of our society and the choices we make in a world driven by technology and greed.