Broforce

Lore & Background

Development of Broforce began in April 2012 as a game jam entry titled 'Rambros' for Ludum Dare 23, where it won first prize for 'fun'. Positive feedback led the team to continue development, adding a cooperative mode with a second character, Brommando, which evolved into the core concept of collecting bros. The game was released in Early Access on Steam on 7 April 2014, with a full release on 15 October 2015 for Microsoft Windows and OS X, followed by a Linux port two days later. A PlayStation 4 version launched on 1 March 2016, a Nintendo Switch port on 6 September 2018, and an Xbox One version on 8 August 2023.

The game's aesthetic and themes draw from game director Evan Greenwood's love for 1980s and 1990s action films, incorporating elements such as traveling to outer space, fighting a dinosaur, and racing sharks. The developers chose to include female characters as part of the existing team rather than as a separate or token group. A free demo called 'Brototype' was released, and a standalone expansion based on The Expendables 3, titled The Expendabros, was released in August 2014 and later made free-to-play until 31 December of that year. The game was expanded in February 2015 with Alien Infestation, and on its full release added the ability to fight Satan. The final expansion, Broforce Forever, was released on 8 August 2023, adding more playable characters and missions.

Reader's Guide

Broforce is significant as a loving parody of 1980s action cinema, blending hypermasculine tropes with cooperative gameplay and fully destructible environments. Its development from a game jam entry to a full release through Early Access reflects community support and iterative design. The game's roster of dozens of characters, each with unique attacks based on fictional heroes, and its random assignment of characters upon death or rescue, adds replayability. The developers balanced the genre's remorseless violence with a modern perspective on war, aiming to challenge 'bro culture' stereotypes by emphasizing righteousness and positive manliness. The game received positive reviews, with IGN awarding it 8.8 out of 10, calling it 'a brilliant ode to action cinema and retro gaming,' and The Escapist giving it four and a half stars out of five, describing it as 'a silly, but sincere love letter to iconic action movies.' Its legacy includes multiple platform releases and a final expansion in 2023, cementing its place as a cult classic in the run and gun genre.

Did You Know?

• Broforce began as a game jam entry called 'Rambros' for Ludum Dare 23 in April 2012, winning first prize for 'fun'.
• The game's characters are parodies of action heroes such as John Rambo, Ellen Ripley, and the T-800, with names like 'Rambro' and 'Brominator'.
• A free demo called 'Brototype' was released from the developer's website, sampling gameplay but not the narrative.