Longdue announces crowdfunding for Disco Elysium spiritual successor

Longdue, the studio founded with contributors to Disco Elysium and other industry veterans, announced the crowdfunding pre-launch for its debut game, Hopetown.

A limited number of registrations for the pre-launch are available on Longdue’s website, at www.longduegames.com, with those that register early getting first access to a limited set of backer rewards when the campaign goes live.

Merging the raw emotional depth and psychological intricacy of Disco Elysium with the philosophical richness and narrative complexity of Planescape: Torment, this new psychological RPG will invite players into an unforgettable world where stories are weapons, choices ripple through the environment, and light and darkness collide—not just between its denizens, but within them too, the company said.

Contributors include Piotr Sobolewsk, who previously oversaw pivotal contributions to the core systems that defined Disco Elysium. These groundbreaking mechanics, celebrated for their depth and ingenuity, reimagined how RPGs handle narrative, choice, and player agency.

Now, Sobolewsk is building on those foundations, applying the lessons learned from Disco Elysium to help the Longdue team craft bold, innovative designs at the heart of Hopetown – shaping a new vision for what narrative-driven RPGs can achieve.

“Having overseen the team of 15 that was credited with ‘saving’ Disco Elysium and which worked on it for nearly six years, pre- and post-release, I’m excited to work with the Longdue team to create a rich RPG experience to serve fans of the genre,” Sobolewsk said in a statement.

With more talent set to be unveiled as part of the crowdfunding launch, Longdue is building an all-star ensemble to deliver a narrative-first RPG that will further the genre of psychological, narrative-first RPGs, the company said. But the studio isn’t just assembling talent—it’s setting the stage for unforgettable moments. Fans should prepare for surprises that will rekindle their love for what made Disco Elysium so unique, including some very familiar voices that will resonate deeply with the community.

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.

Building on the legacies of Disco Elysium and Planescape: Torment, Hopetown introduces systems that redefine player agency. The psychogeography system transforms 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?

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.

Backing Hopetown isn’t just about funding—it’s about building a community, backing a vision and casting a vote, the company said. 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.

Those who register in time for the pre-launch crowdfunding campaign via Longdue’s website, at www.longduegames.com, will gain first access to a limited number of rewards that will be available privately shortly before the crowdfunding campaign goes public.

Contributors from Disco Elysium: Seven people who worked on Disco Elysium across production, narrative and writing, world design, sound, audio, and technical design have contributed to Hopetown to date, bringing their expertise, learnings, and knowledge to this bold new project.

An All-Star Team of RPG Talent: Supported by industry veterans with credits on Cult of the Lamb, The Witcher universe, Yes, Your Grace, and more, Longdue is combining the raw creative energy of Disco Elysium with the best talent in the RPG space to deliver something truly extraordinary.

A Spiritual Successor: Drawing inspiration from the narrative depth of Disco Elysium and the philosophical complexity of Planescape: Torment, Hopetown redefines what a psychological RPG can achieve.

Groundbreaking Mechanics: Introducing innovative systems like psychogeography, where emotions and memories reshape the world, and a journalism RPG system, which empowers players to craft stories that influence perception, inspire rebellion, or enforce complacency.