Permaban

Permaban is a forum moderation game set in 2007. You are an unpaid moderator on a dying internet forum, interpreting rules, making judgment calls and handling users who object to your decisions. Every ban needs a rule citation, and moderation tools each have a cost. Being too strict can drive regulars away; being too lenient can leave the board vulnerable to raids, scams and flame wars.

Moderate the forum

You review posts and decide whether to ban, warn, censor, investigate, scan a link, lock a thread, issue an IP ban, nuke a thread or leave it alone. You must cite the correct rule for every ban, warning or IP ban. The spam filter is unreliable, moderation policies can contradict one another, and you can track ban evaders and sockpuppets. One bad shift can draw the admins’ attention.

A campaign shift has no timer: the queue waits while you decide. Between shifts, you handle appeals using the original post as your only evidence, read DMs, forum drama and user complaints, and respond to requests from other moderators. The people you ban may return to argue, while fellow moderators remember your answers and admins change the rules.

The desktop

The forum is one window on a usable 2007 desktop. It includes a browser, a media player with a playlist, a paint program, a file explorer and a calculator. Most of these tools are optional, but they conceal secrets: unexpected numbers in the calculator, archives to open, and a Flash game portal that becomes the job for one night. The machine also contains three playable games, including one you must beat as part of that night’s work.

Campaign and endless mode

A campaign takes about 40–80 minutes, depending on how much you read and explore the desktop. Progress saves between campaign shifts, so the campaign remains saved when you close the game. Endless mode brings escalating chaos, with a break every twenty posts or six minutes, whichever comes first.

Forum content

The game includes over 700 handmade forum posts, recurring users and moderator drama, multiple board themes inspired by classic forums, 28 achievements and retro desktop sounds, including a boot screen. Its soundtrack is played from the period media player, where you choose the playlist. The posts include harassment, threats, attempts to expose people and cruel behavior. The writing uses 2007 forum slang and typos, and the game stays in that year.