World Overview
JunkRats takes place in a ruined world shaped by infection, collapse, and the struggle to survive within the remains of a fallen city.
The events of JunkRats occur years after The Collapse of civilization caused by a mutating infection known as the Forsaken Virus.
When the outbreak spread, it rapidly consumed cities and corrupted nearly all living organisms. Governments collapsed, evacuation efforts failed, and large regions of the world were abandoned. Over time the remains of civilization decayed into fractured districts, unstable structures, and empty infrastructure left to rot.
Across the ruins, infected creatures known as the Forsaken roam freely through collapsed buildings and broken streets. Their presence has transformed much of the surface into a hostile wasteland where survival is rare.
Humanity did not vanish entirely, but most of it was wiped out. The largest remaining population now lives inside a massive crater formed when part of the city collapsed during early attempts to contain the outbreak.
Life After the Collapse
The surface world is unstable and dangerous.
Years of structural failure have left buildings weakened and entire districts fractured. Streets have sunk, structures lean at dangerous angles, and parts of the ruined city continue to collapse without warning. In some areas the infection has spread through the environment itself, overtaking concrete, tunnels, and forgotten infrastructure.
Despite these dangers, the surface still holds valuable remnants of the old world. Scrap, machinery, tools, and medical supplies remain scattered throughout the ruins. Recovering these resources is essential for keeping the surviving population alive.
The Underground
The largest surviving settlement is known as The Underground
The settlement was built inside a massive crater created during the early days of the outbreak when an attempt to destroy infected sections of the city caused part of the district to collapse. Survivors gradually rebuilt within the crater, forming a structured community inside the exposed collapse zone of the ruined city.
Homes, workshops, walkways, and defensive structures were assembled from salvaged materials taken from the surrounding ruins. Over time the crater developed into a functioning settlement supported by recovered power systems, filtration equipment, and reinforced infrastructure.
Life inside the Underground offers stability compared to the surface, but it is heavily regulated. Resources are tightly controlled, movement is monitored, and survival depends on maintaining the systems that keep the settlement operating.
Runners
To keep the settlement alive, resources must still be recovered from the surface.
This task falls to scavengers known as Runners. Runners are sent into the ruins to retrieve scrap, equipment, and other supplies needed to sustain the crater settlement.
These expeditions are extremely dangerous. Forsaken activity, unstable buildings, and hostile environments make every run a risk. Many Runners never return.
Despite the danger, the role is essential. The materials brought back from the surface allow the Underground to repair infrastructure, maintain power, and continue supporting the last major population of survivors.