First Screenshot of Hopetown, the “Spiritual Heir” to Disco Elysium, Unveiled

A fresh glimpse into the upcoming role-playing adventure, Hopetown, has just emerged. Longdue Games—a new studio established by former ZA/UM employees—released the very first screenshot of their debut title, promising a narrative experience that echoes the spirit of Disco Elysium while also drawing inspiration from classics like Planescape: Torment.

The shared screenshot introduces us to an intriguing moment: a young woman engaged in conversation with an elderly lady feeding pigeons. In this scene, the elder offers the protagonist a loaf of bread, remarking, “These birds are the neatest creatures on this cursed island, dear.” From here, the dialogue branches into three distinct responses:

• “They give dirt on the ground a chance to soar in the sky. That is worthy of admiration.”
• “Yes, let’s feed the masses! Let it be so. EAT, CELESTIAL RATS!” (Taking the bread)
• “I’d rather lick the trash can.” (Knocking the bread away)

While the dialogue hints at a layered and quirky narrative, commentary from Rock Paper Shotgun suggests that the literary quality seen in this snippet falls short of the high standards set by Disco Elysium. The reviewer's take cautions that one screenshot hardly represents the full script’s potential.

Longdue Games is backed by a team of 12 former ZA/UM staff, bolstered by industry veterans from renowned companies like Rockstar, Bungie, and Brave At Night. The studio aims to craft a “psychogeographic RPG” where every decision reshapes the game world and its diverse inhabitants.

Hopetown is emerging amid a wave of new projects from ex-ZA/UM teams. Other studios such as Dark Math Games and Summer Eternal—latter featuring key Disco Elysium scriptwriters Argo Tuulik and Olga Moskvin—have also announced their own RPG ventures.

As anticipation builds, fans of narrative-driven RPGs will undoubtedly keep a close eye on Hopetown, curious to see if it can live up to its ambitious legacy.