Hopetown’s Debut Teaser Drops as Studio Expands Disco Elysium Talent
Emanuela
(11. March 2025 17:41
)
Hopetown's Debut Teaser Drops as Studio Expands Disco Elysium Talent
Kickstarter release date of March 17th announced as ex-ZA/UM founding member joins the team
London, U.K. - March 11th, 2025 – Longdue has unveiled the atmospheric debut teaser for its in-development 'psychogeographic' RPG, Hopetown, alongside new details about the key talent shaping the project. The studio is also excited to announce that Hopetown's Kickstarter campaign will launch on March 17th, with a pre-launch page featuring a limited set of early-backer rewards live now.
Longdue can reveal that Lenval Brown, the unmistakable voice of Disco Elysium's narrator, whose unique timbre and gravitas are instantly recognisable to those in the know, will be closely involved in the project and voice a key character in the game, as teased in the latest trailer for Hopetown.
"It feels good to be back—to step into something new," says Lenval Brown. "There's nothing like bringing a world to life, shaping a story that's been waiting to be spoken into existence."
Martin Luiga, founding member of the ZA/UM Cultural Association, writer of the first short story in the Disco Elysium universe and writer of 7 characters in Disco Elysium, has also joined the Longdue team.
"I am pleased to share my experiences with Longdue to help them craft the narrative and systems for Hopetown, playing to the strengths that the narrative RPG genre has achieved thus far and attempting to innovate upon them to tell a rich story based in equal parts on what has been, what is and what could be," said Martin. "I am confident that the team can deliver a worthy addition to the canon of Western RPGs. I call upon the fans of the RPG and adventure genre to back the Hopetown Kickstarter to help us make the game."
Lenval and Martin are joined by Piotr Sobolewski, who oversaw a team of 15 that worked on Disco Elysium and were instrumental in shaping the game's signature mad, gnarly energy into something smooth, cohesive, and deeply immersive. Alongside them, a growing roster of creative talent from the RPG space and beyond and beyond is bringing Hopetown to life.
"At Longdue, we've built—and continue to build—a team with real horsepower: Disco Elysium contributors, AAA stalwarts, indie artisans—all champing at the bit to unleash their talents," says Grant Roberts, Narrative Lead at Longdue, "Hopetown is what happens when you bring those minds together: a rich, reactive world, razor-sharp writing, and an RPG that purrs with depth and atmosphere."
The studio is excited to share more about Hopetown when its Kickstarter launches on March 17th, including deeper insights into the team behind the game, its psychogeographic and journalism mechanics, the mining town setting, and more
What Is Hopetown?
In Hopetown, words are your deadliest weapon, and every choice leaves its mark. Set in a mining town caught between decay and transformation, shaped by ambition, exploitation, and the fragile systems that bind society together, you step into the role of a rogue journalist—a chaotic, self-destructive provocateur who sees humanity as inherently selfish and cruel. Unapologetically cynical and dangerously unhinged, you thrive on poking at bruises, pulling at loose threads, and watching what unravels.
A Town of Contrasts
The town itself is an arena of extremes. The suffocating darkness of the mine's depths mirrors the buried truths of its inhabitants, while the surface world—glittering with the promise of progress—is steeped in corruption and power plays. It's a place where survival depends on who controls the story, and where every decision ripples outward, reshaping not just the world, but yourself.
Innovative Mechanics
Building on the legacies of Disco Elysium and Planescape: Torment, Hopetown introduces systems that creatively explore player agency. The psychogeography system is pivotal in how players interact with the game world: emotions, memories, and conversations replace traditional mechanics like keys and levers, becoming the tools that unlock doors, alter landscapes, and reshape relationships. Progress isn't just about solving puzzles or finding items—it's about navigating the protagonist's fractured psyche and the ripples it creates in the environment.
Meanwhile, a new journalism-based RPG system gives you the tools to craft stories that shape the world—and yourself. Will you embrace chaos as a gonzo journalist, spinning wild, attention-grabbing narratives? Will you twist reality as a conspiracist, bending events to suit your worldview? Or will you dig deep as a calculated investigator, exposing brutal truths to spark rebellion—or sow complacency?
A Crucible of Choices
The mining town is more than a setting—it's a crucible. What truths will you reveal? What lies will you tell? Will your words inspire hope or destruction? Will you reshape the systems of power, or will they consume you?
Every Word Matters
This is a game where everything transforms everything else. Every word you choose matters. Every decision carries weight. And every story you tell changes the world—and the fragile systems that hold it together.
Why Back Hopetown?
Backing Hopetown isn't just about funding—it's about building a community, backing a vision and casting a vote. Longdue is an independent studio daring to create the kinds of games bigger studios won't or can't make—games that challenge their players and let players challenge the games back. With Hopetown, Longdue is building a movement for Disco-Like narrative-driven RPGs that don't shy away from complexity, emotion, or ambition.
