We’ve been busy building out the SUBNET universe. Here’s what’s landed on Patreon recently—and why you should read each one.
Devlog #7: Back to the Matrix
What’s Inside:
A candid look at how AI tooling is accelerating game development for SUBNET: Contracts. We break down the Monte Carlo simulations used to generate balanced impediment cards, the lessons learned about working with AI rather than relying on it, and how the irony of using LLM technology mirrors the very themes SUBNET explores.
This devlog covers:
- Why AI in creative spaces isn’t something to fear—but to question
- The Matrix: data-driven impediment generation using PowerShell simulations
- Effect mapping, playtesting targets, and the push toward tighter gameplay
- What’s next for the tabletop game
Best for: Game designers, mechanics nerds, and anyone interested in how SUBNET: Contracts is being balanced.
Lore Drop #8: Solving the Human Bottleneck
What’s Inside:
The origin story of the NPU itself—presented as a 2006 design competition submission by a 14-year-old Zak Zyneth.
In this essay, Zak proposes the Globally Connected Brain–Computer Interface (GC-BCI): a neural implant that removes the gap between human thought and information access. You don’t look up information, you just know it.
Zak’s idealistic vision is compelling. But buried in its elegant design is a profound ethical warning: without guardrails, this technology becomes total surveillance. And by 2089, those guardrails have been demolished.
Best for: Anyone wanting to understand the philosophical foundations of SUBNET’s dystopia, and the naivety that enabled it.
Lore Drop #9: How We Became Slaves – A Primer for the Unplugged
What’s Inside:
A sweeping historical account written by Byron Alexis, founder of the Ghosteur movement. This essay traces the slow decay of human autonomy from 2006 to 2258:
- How convenience bred complacency
- The rollout of EQUiP and the silencing of the old internet
- The ESOS Riots and their brutal suppression
- The rise of The Crust above crumbling slums
- The emergence of Ghosteurs as the only remaining resistance
Byron’s perspective is bitter and unflinching. He’s lived through the collapse of freedom and refuses to romanticize it. This is essential reading for understanding slum culture and why the Ghosteur movement exists.
Best for: World-building enthusiasts, those interested in resistance narratives, and readers who want the hard truth about SUBNET’s inequality.
Lore Drop #10: Transaction V0ID
What’s Inside:
The origin story of V0ID—the black-market drug that silences the NPU and offers the rarest commodity in 2258: freedom from observation.
This lore drop covers:
- How Axion Bioscience was contracted to create a neural stabilizer for CNDD patients
- The discovery that the compound (AB-7743) actually disconnects the implant—creating silence
- The leak that brought V0ID to the streets of Cinderbank
- The Blackdrop Epidemic of 2091, when a contaminated batch left 300 people gormed
- Why V0ID remains ubiquitous in the slums despite being Schedule 1 Neurochemical
Includes technical details on V0ID’s four distribution forms (injectable, powder, patches, resin), pharmacological effects, and the users who risk everything for a few hours of genuine thought.
Best for: Those interested in black-market economies, pharmaceutical worldbuilding, and the philosophy of enforced connection.
Join Us on Patreon
These posts—and many more—are available exclusively on Patreon. New lore drops and devlogs arrive regularly, giving you early access to the full SUBNET universe and insights into how the game is being built.
Support SUBNET and gain access to:
- Regular lore drops and devlogs
- Early playtesting materials for SUBNET: Contracts
- Behind-the-scenes worldbuilding discussions
- Character dossiers and location deep-dives