Hopetown: The Spiritual Successor to Disco Elysium Starring a Hungover Journalist — First Details Revealed
Longdue Games, a studio formed by former developers from ZA/UM, Rockstar Games, and Bungie, has unveiled early details about Hopetown, a narrative-driven RPG reminiscent of Disco Elysium. While the team prepares to launch a crowdfunding campaign, they've shared key features of the project to build anticipation.
Described as a nonlinear RPG where words are your primary weapon and every choice has consequences, Hopetown places players in the role of a hungover rogue journalist arriving in a run-down mining town embroiled in tragedy. The aftermath of a deadly incident has turned the town into a powder keg, ready to explode.
Enter you: middle child of one of the richest men on the planet. You've drifted through life knowing only luxury and power, shielded by privilege and surrounded by sycophants. Your stiletto wit and sandpaper charm have kept everyone at arm's length, except others as insufferable as you.
So here you are, exiled by your family after yet another scandal. You've just stepped off an impossibly long train ride, wheeling an overpriced suitcase across the muddy cobblestone and nursing a four-star hangover. Your mission, or punishment, seems simple enough: figure out what happened, cover it up, and spin a better story. You’re a journalist, after all.
The core gameplay revolves around piecing together the story and writing an article. "Will you spark chaos as a gonzo journalist, twist events as a conspiracist, or reveal brutal truths as a calculated investigator? Every choice shapes the story, and now’s your chance to help us shape ours," reads the game’s description.
One of the standout features is the "psychogeography" system, where "emotions, memories, and conversations" take center stage. The protagonist will also engage in frequent internal monologues, adding layers of introspection to the narrative.
This is the kind of bold, complex, and deeply personal game bigger studios won’t make. At Longdue, we’re crafting narrative-driven RPGs that respect your choices and challenge you to think deeply.
In addition to Longdue Games, other studios like Dark Math Games and Summer Eternal have also been established in the wake of ZA/UM’s shakeup, each promising their own response to Disco Elysium. None of these projects have release dates yet.
