- ๐ Hope In The City Gets Its Release Date! - 17 September 2026
Big news, everyone: Hope In The City launches November 10th, 2026 and it's coming day one on XBOX, alongside Steam!The announcement was made today as part of XBOX's Tokyo Game Show 2026 lineup, sharing the stage with 17 other titles during the XBOX Direct at TGS (running September 17โ21).What's confirmed:๐
Release date: November 10th, 2026๐ฎ Day one on XBOX: launching simultaneously on XBOX Series X|S and XBOX on PC with XBOX Play Anywhere support.๐ฌ New trailer: premiered alongside the announcement, with fresh looks at Hope's story and the mystery at its core๐ Age rating: ESRB Teen | PEGI 12This one means a lot to us. Here's what our Creative Director, Judith Cheung, had to say:"Hope in the City has been such a special project for our team, and we're incredibly excited to finally bring Hope's story to players on XBOX and PC. We set out to create a different kind of mystery, where obsโฆ
- ๐ Hope In The City Is Nominated in Three Categories at the gamescom dev awards - 20 August 2026
We're thrilled to share that Hope in the City has been nominated in not one, not two, but three categories at the gamescom dev awards 2026:โจ Most Innovative Game (powered by Epic Games) โจ Best Sound Design โจ Most Promising GameIt's an incredible honor to see Hope's journey recognized alongside so many talented developers from around the world.If you're attending gamescom, join us for the awards ceremony:๐
Monday, August 24 ๐ 4:45 PM โ 5:45 PM ๐ Keynote StageThank you to everyone who has played the demo, shared feedback, and supported the game so far. โค๏ธ๐ฎ The Hope in the City demo is available now on Steam, try it now!#gamescom #gamescom2026 #gamescomdevawards #HopeInTheCity #IndieGame #NarrativeGame
- ๐ Two BIC Nominations for Hope in the City! - 19 August 2026
Thank You, Busan! ๐What an incredible week at Busan Indie Connect 2026!We received such a warm welcome from players, creators, and fellow developers in Korea, and we're grateful to everyone who stopped by our booth to play Hope in the City, share feedback, and support the game.We're also honored to have received nominations for:๐ Excellence in Narrative ๐ Excellence in Social ImpactThese nominations mean a great deal to our team, especially for a game that aims to tell a meaningful and deeply human story.While our time in Busan has come to an end, the BIC Online Festival is still running on Steam until August 28. If you haven't checked it out yet, there's still time to discover some amazing indie gamesโand don't forget to add Hope in the City to your wishlist! Want to see what BIC 2026 was like? Check out the official event recap: Thank you again, Busan. We had an amazing time and caโฆ
- ๐ญ Hope in the City is Featured in the Choices Matter Festival! - 10 August 2026
What does choice mean when the world keeps telling you what your choices should be? It's a question the developers behind Hope in the City will be answering today on the Choices Matter Festival. The featured video will premiere TODAY at 3:30 PM PDT, please tune in! You'll get to hear from the creators of the game in a never-before-seen segment exclusive to the Choices Matter Festival. And if you havenโt played the demo yet, this is the perfect time to step into Hopeโs world. ๐ฎ PLAY THE FREE DEMOYou'll get a sneak peek into the first act of the game!
- The Hope in the City Demo Is Live! - 10 August 2026
๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ โ ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ฆ! หsteamhappyหYour apartment is trashed. Your parents are gone. You're 17, and the only clues are the ones you draw in the notebook you carry everywhere.๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก, ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐.๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ:
- Hope in the City Playtest is Live! - 23 July 2026
๐ Hope in the City Playtest is Live!๐ Join the Hope in the City PlaytestWe're continuing to gather feedback from players and would love to have you join the investigation. Play on FirstLook.gg:https://hope-in-the-city.firstlook.gg/signup/playtester๐ฎ Hope in the City will also be available on G.Round from September 10โ24, 2026.๐ https://gameround.co/testingJoin our Discord Your feedback will help us identify bugs, technical issues, and polish the game ahead of launch. Share your thoughts with the teamโwe'd love to hear from you!๐Lofty Sky Games DiscordThank you for helping us make Hope in the City the best it can be. We really appreciate your time and feedback! โค๏ธ
- Hope in the City is an Official Selection at BIC Festival 2026! - 17 July 2026
๐ Hope in the City is an Official Selection at BIC Festival 2026!We're honoured to be part of Busan Indie Connect this year with the story of Hope, 17, who comes home to find her parents gone โ a mystery that grows darker at every turn...๐ Wishlist on Steam: ๐ฌ Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/rWt4cJn
- Hope in the City Featured in the 2026 The Indie Premier Digital Showcase! - 1 July 2026
We're excited to share that Hope in the City is featured today in the 2026 The Indie Premier Digital Showcase!๐บ Tune in live tonight at 7:00 PM ET on The Indie Premier's official YouTube channel.Don't forget to wishlist and follow Hope in the City on Steam to stay updated!
- Hope in the City ร Women Led Games ร Summer Game Fest โ Developer Commentary - 9 June 2026
Hi everyone!As seen during the Women Led Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest, have a look at our Hope in the City exclusive Dev Commentary video.Creative Director Judith Cheung shares the story behind Hope in the City and her collaboration with Executive Producer and Writer Masha Yujiao Loftus and notebook artist Calista Antonio โ and how the game is connected to their lived experiences, family histories, and creative choices that shaped Hope's world and investigation.If Hope in the City is on your radar, an early wishlist helps us more than you might think.๐ Wishlist on SteamIf you missed our previous announcement, join our Lofty Sky Games community Discord: ๐ https://discord.com/invite/rWt4cJnThank you so much for following the game and supporting us.-The Lofty Sky Games Team
- Watch Our Exclusive Dev Commentary at the Women-Led Games Showcase! - 3 June 2026
We are thrilled to announce that Hope in the City is part of the official Women-Led Games Showcase going live on June 4! ๐
Date: June 4thโฐ Time: 4 PM PT | 7 PM ETTo celebrate the event, our Creative Director, Judith Cheung, has put together an exclusive Developer Commentary video. ๐ https://store.steampowered.com/sale/womenledgamessummer2026Tune in to watch Judith share a behind-the-scenes look at the game's non-linear mystery, our authentic representation philosophy, and a deep dive into our notebook mechanics.Don't miss itโset your reminder and come support incredible games led by talented women worldwide! ๐
- ๐ฌ Our new gameplay trailer just dropped! - 2 June 2026
As just seen in the Best Indie Summer Showcase, have a look at the new gameplay trailer for a closer look at updated gameplay and new cutscene material. Gather clues, record observations, and piece together the truth using sketches in Hope's notebook. ๐ Don't forget to wishlist and follow the game if you haven't already!
- Inside Hope in the City: Our Team Talks Story, Investigation & Hand-Drawn Art - 1 June 2026
We joined the Insider Gaming Show on May 28, 2026, for a 30-minute conversation with Creative Director Judith Cheung and Game Director Jason Loftus.They dive into the story, investigative mechanics, and hand-drawn visual approach behind Hope in the City โ set in Northeast China, where 17-year-old Hope Song investigates her parents' disappearance. Gather clues, record observations, and piece together the truth using sketches in Hope's notebook. Have a listen! Wishlist Hope in the City if you haven't already โ it means the world to us.
- New Screenshots & GIFs โ Steam Page Updated - 13 April 2026
Hope's parents have vanished. No message, no explanation.In Hope in the City, you play as Hope โ searching for hidden clues, using your deductive power to form critical insights, and achieving breakthroughs that uncover the dark world lurking beneath the city's surface.We've updated our Steam page with new screenshots and GIFs. Take a look โ and add it to your wishlist. It helps more than you'd think.
- Hope in the City joins Steam Detective Fest! ๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธ - 12 January 2026
Hello everyone!We are excited to announce that Hope in the City is officially part of the Steam Detective Fest! From now until January 19, Steam is celebrating the best in mystery and investigation, and we are honored to be featured.๐ Join the InvestigationIf you love deep narratives, secrets, and piecing together the truth, please consider adding Hope in the City to your Wishlist. It is the best way to support our development and ensure you don't miss the launch!๐งช Become a Playtester!Want to help us shape the game? We are planning future closed playtests, and we want YOU to be a part of them.To get your chance to test early builds and provide feedback, join our official Discord community. This is where we will announce all upcoming playtest opportunities:๐ https://discord.com/invite/rWt4cJnThank you for being part of this journey. Now, grab your magnifying glass and enjoy the festivโฆ
- Check Out Hope In the City Featured in the Best Indie Game Winter Showcase! - 9 December 2025
๐ฃWeโre excited to share that Hope in the City is featured in the Big Winter Showcase! Get ready as we reveal never-before-seen gameplay from Hope in the City in Best Indie Game Winter Showcase. ๐ฅ If youโve been waiting to see whatโs next this is the one to watch!๐บ Watch it here:
- The Sketchbook of Hope in the City: Where Thoughts Become Discoveries - 20 November 2025
In this post, weโre exploring one of the defining features of Hope in the CityโHopeโs Sketchbook, a space where thoughts, memories, and discoveries intertwine. This mechanic sits at the core of how players experience the story, turning reflection itself into a form of gameplay.Mysteries in Hope in the City arenโt just solvedโtheyโre understood. The Sketchbook allows players to gather fragments of information, connect ideas, and form insights that shape how the story unfolds. From the beginning, the team envisioned it as more than a menu or interface. Itโs a glimpse into the protagonistโs inner world, where thoughts are fluid and connections spark new meaning.The art direction reflects that internal space. Unlike the cinematic realism of the city, the Sketchbookโs visuals are expressive and conceptual, inspired by hand-drawn notes and layered paper textures. Itโs intentionally imperfectโโฆ
- Playtest Hope in the Cityโs Closed Alpha + Get a Free Game! - 22 October 2025
Weโre inviting you to take part in the Closed Alpha for Hope in the City! This early prototype focuses on one of the gameโs core mechanics: Crafting insights by combining thoughts in the protagonistโs sketchbookโa key tool for solving mysteries.What to ExpectThis is a concept prototype, not a full slice of the game. Itโs designed to get early feedback on the usability and design of the Sketchbook UI. Itโs very early and may contain bugs Sound, music, UI, lighting, and camera are not final The scope is smaller and more constrained than the finished game Your feedback will directly help us improve this feature and shape the final experience. Bonus for Playtesters Everyone who joins our Discord and plays the Closed Alpha will receive a FREE copy of our previous game, Join the Discord to get access: https://discord.com/invite/rWt4cJnWe canโt wait to hear your thoughts and share this early sโฆ
- Introducing Hope: A Visual Exploration of Our Protagonist - 8 October 2025
In Hope in the City, everything begins with Hope โ our 17-year-old protagonist searching for answers after her parentsโ disappearance. When we started designing her, we wanted her visual identity to reflect who she is at the start of the story: someone still untouched by the cynicism of the world sheโs about to uncover. Many of the people she meets along the way have been shaped โ and in some cases scarred โ by the cityโs secrets. By contrast, Hope needed to stand out as a figure of sincerity and determination, visually distinct from the characters hardened by their environment. Where the cityโs architecture and environments are built on sharp and often harsh angular motifs, Hopeโs design leans softer and simpler. Her lines are cleaner and more open, reflecting her innocence and clarity as she faces a world far more complicated than she is prepared for. These early concept sketches fromโฆ
- Dev Blog: The Art Behind Hope in the City - 2 July 2025
In Hope in the City, the art style does more than set the toneโit tells the story.The gameโs distinctive triangulated look was inspired by the sharp, angular architecture of the real-world city where the narrative unfolds. Shenyang features both traditional Chinese structures, characterized by their distinctive pitched roofs, and modern buildings with very pronounced angular shapes. In designing an art style for the game, these features naturally emerged as defining elements. But the jagged shapes also become a visual metaphor when it comes to the characters in the game: the harsher and more complex a characterโs experience, the more angular their design.Hope, our 17-year-old protagonist, stands in contrast. Her simpler, softer lines reflect her innocence and clarityโsheโs stepping into a complex world for the first time, searching for answers after her parentsโ disappearance. Other chaโฆ
