Back the Game!
It’s a game about exploration, conversation, and excavation — in the world and in your mind.
You won’t roll dice to see if you hit with your magical blade; you’ll use words like daggers, finding the weak spots in your target’s armor. You won’t have a tank, healer, or crowd control in your adventuring party; but the voices in your head, and companions at your side, will fight with you and against you all the same. You’ll reach the darkest depths of the soul and the brightest zeniths of human connection.
Just do it quick, before the end of the world.
IN THE MEDIA
Hopetown has captured attention across the gaming world, with coverage from major media outlets, critics, and indie fans alike. From glowing previews to in-depth interviews, the game’s bold narrative and unique mechanics are already sparking conversation.
HOPETOWN features on various platforms; such as The Guardian
Disco Elysium ‘spiritual successor’ in development at new video game studio
Hopetown Brings Back Disco Elysium's Narrator And A Founding Member Of ZA/UM
HOPETOWN features on various platforms; such as The Guardian
TALES FROM THE UNDERGROUND
Hopetown is inspired by narrative-first RPGs such as Disco Elysium and Kentucky Route Zero, and is being built by some of the key talent behind these games, such as Martin Luiga – founder of the ZA/UM Cultural Movement and writer of several characters on Disco Elysium,
Lenval Brown – the narrator of Disco Elysium, Piotr Sobolewski – oversaw all technical development on Disco Elysium as CEO of the Knights of U, Ben Babbitt – one of the trio of game developers that created Kentucky Route Zero, and Paweł Błaszcak, music composer on the original soundtracks of The Witcher & The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
These games, and the RPG genre as a whole have been home to some of the most beloved stories and characters in gaming history. From feeding a canine companion an iguana kebab, to whistling on a swingset with a fellow detective, there’s a strong legacy of rich narrative and unforgettable moments in the genre.
With Hopetown, we aim to continue that legacy. We’re drawing inspiration from modern classics, while paying tribute to days gone by — but making something new and resonant. And we’re doing it in a safe, healthy, and sustainable way: there’s a lot of chaos, prejudice, exploitation, and worse in the world.
A STORY-RICH RPG SET IN A
POST-FLARE WORLD
Decades ago, a coronal mass ejection sparked an impossibly huge solar flare and subsequent geomagnetic storm, wiping out electronics and global communications for what felt like years. With no salvation to be found in the skies, humanity looked under its feet: a resurgence of mining swept the globe, rebuilding economies in the shadow of collapse and setting the stage for Hopetown’s story.
LIFE IN A DYSTOPIAN MINING TOWN
The village where our story begins is one of the hundreds of company towns that sprouted in the aftermath — a mix of small-town charm and big-time mining operations, teeming with life above and below the surface. In the years since the flare, it had slowly depleted the region’s mineral (and spiritual) reserves, and was destined to be another casualty of capitalism resurrected...
...until they found the quicksilver.
GREED, POWER, AND CONSEQUENCE
The network of mineshafts, nearly depleted of precious ore, blossomed glittering treasure seemingly overnight. The parched and raw terrain sprouted green richer than any dale or highland. Residents of the town above, and workers in the mine below, say “everything burns brighter” these days. New riches brought hope — and with it, tension. In Hopetown, nothing glitters without cost.
TENSION BENEATH THE SURFACE
What burns bright eventually burns out of control. Workplace tensions became shouting matches, which escalated to brawls. Pressure bubbled under the surface, spilling above ground, but management didn’t seem to mind as long as the work continued — until the incident five days ago. Now people are dead, others are missing, but even worse: mining operations have screeched to a halt.
A POWDER KEG OF CHOICES THAT MATTER
The town is a powder keg, and everything is a match. It’s all chaos, threatening to explode into something bigger. The situation needs to be dealt with, swept under the rug, and forgotten about.
Every choice, every action, every story — each is a thread in the vast, tangled web of existence. Tug one, and the whole universe moves. Every moment carries weight, sending ripples outward to reshape lives, places, and possibilities far beyond its origin. Everything transforms everything else, and so everything matters.
WHAT YOU TOUCH, YOU CHANGE
All that you touch, you change; all that you change, changes you. Alter a world, and you alter the person. Change the person, and maybe you change everything.
Hopetown explores layered dualities, from above and below to light and dark, wealth and scarcity, and conscious and subconscious, through gameplay and story. These forces are not always simple opposites, but dynamic, interdependent systems. The mine serves as both a physical space and a metaphor for the tensions that shape its world.
WHERE TRUTH GETS COMPLICATED
But darkness offers more than just fear: it becomes a space of intimacy, reflection, and hidden connection, where vulnerability and unspoken truths can surface. You’ll explore not just what is true, but which truths (and lies) you choose to wield.
The team also includes advisory contributors, such as one of the trio behind Kentucky Route Zero, a music composer behind some of the soundtrack of The Witcher and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and the former Head of Publishing at Epic Games. It is our hope that by reaching stretch goals, we will have the budget to involve these individuals in the development and funding of the game at a larger scale.
Astri Lohne has worked as an artist and illustrator professionally for almost a decade with studios like Blizzard, Wizards of the Coast and Sharkmob. She's aways been a devotee of single-player, narrative-driven games, and jumped at the opportunity to bring her experience and passion to creating a new world.
Daniel Silverthorn is a freewheeling writer who's zigzagged through studio animation, journalism and underground theatre. He's devoted to bold storytelling and eager to bring Longdue's vision to life.
Grant Roberts has been an RPG fanatic since the first Ultimas and Bard's Tales, designing and writing games for over 20 years. Along the way, he's voiced an alien slug, shipped a Marvel MMO, adapted an Iñupiaq story into a BAFTA-winning puzzle platformer, and elated/ enraged the fans of Destiny and DC Comics.
Lenval Brown is the lead singer of the ska & rap band Maroon Town, though he's most famous in the video game world for his unforgettable performance as the narrator in Disco Elysium. Lenval is inhabiting another iconic role in Hopetown, and working with the narrative team to bring the game's characters to life.
Martin Luiga was a founding member and editor-in-chief of the ZA/UM Cultural Association. He designed and wrote several characters in Disco Elysium, and is
one of that world's first contributors. Martin has loved RPGs for decades,
but his current intellectual interests are psychoanalysis and critique of history.
Piotr Sobolewski is a game designer, university lecturer, and has been making games since Flash MX 2004. He's passionate about connecting psychology and neuroscience with game design. Piotr holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, and is credited in many games including Disco Elysium.
Varia Chernova loves RPGs, video games and all things character-driven. Her film and theatre background led her to work on indies like Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall. Now on Hopetown, she's crafting characters, encounters and storylines — aiming for plenty of "Wait… did that just happen?" moments along the way.
Will Sims focuses on more than just making hires—he creates thoughtful, inclusive processes that help teams grow with the right people. He finds smart, sustainable ways to connect great talent with great opportunities. Head over to the “Join the Team” section if you’re open to something new.
Astri Lohne has worked as an artist and illustrator professionally for almost a decade with studios like Blizzard, Wizards of the Coast and Sharkmob. She's aways been a devotee of single-player, narrative-driven games, and jumped at the opportunity to bring her experience and passion to creating a new world.
Longdue is hiring!
We're looking for passionate, creative minds to join us on this journey. If you’re ready to push boundaries and make your mark, explore our open positions below.