Hopetown: Disco Elysium's Spiritual Successor Unveiled

Hopetown, a nonlinear RPG from Longdue Games, offers a captivating new approach to narrative-driven gameplay. Founded by former employees of ZA/UM, Rockstar Games, and Bungie, the studio has unveiled a first look at its mechanics, hinting at a spiritual successor to the acclaimed Disco Elysium. The game plunges players into the shoes of a journalist who awakens in a remote mining town, nursing a brutal hangover. The mystery begins: players must unravel the events of the previous night and navigate escalating local tensions, facing difficult choices that could either quell the conflict or exacerbate it.

Early screenshots showcase a dialogue-rich experience where player choices profoundly shape the narrative. Multiple character archetypes are available, each providing unique dialogue options and approaches to conversation. A simple example: interacting with an elderly woman feeding pigeons allows players to select various conversational tones, resulting in distinct outcomes.

Longdue Games is gearing up for a Kickstarter campaign to fund Hopetown's development, with a project page already live on the platform. While a release date remains unannounced, anticipation is steadily growing amongst fans of narrative-focused RPGs.

Hopetown isn't alone in its inspiration from Disco Elysium. Dark Math Games and Summer Eternal are also developing their own psychological RPGs, adding to the burgeoning genre.