Bilge Junction

My body burned in the cold,

until I felt nothing.

When I opened my eyes,

I was back where I started…

Welcome to Bilge Junction, population 8: a dying town on the arctic highway. With the promise of a cheap roof over your head, you ran from your problems and wound up here.
But winter's setting in, and the fire keeps burning. A storm is on its way. There's something lurking in the pipeline that built the town. In three days' time, it's bound to escape.

Enter a world with a life of its own. 

The townsfolk of Bilge Junction follow their own routines from day to day. The town works on its own rules. As the storm draws closer, Bilge Junction grows more erratic with each passing hour.

Survive. Explore. Earn the townsfolks' respect.

Weather the harsh climate and earn your keep, learning what makes each person here tick. Hear out their stories, gain their trust, and survive together.

Discover what lies beneath the surface of Bilge Junction.

And whatever you do, don't let the fire go out.

Bilge Junction was initially developed over a span of 5 weeks for IndieCade's Climate Jam 2024. The premise was meant to express several experiences I personally had when returning to my hometown, as well as confront the destructive, extractive, colonial past and present of Alaska. Inspirations include ThreeStep, Pathologic, Chulip, and Paper Mario.

Credits
Gage Tilly - Director
Will B. Francis - Narrative Designer, Engineer
Jorge Zamora Salguero - Composer, Sound Designer
Luke Cravey - Artist
David Norton - Narrative Designer