Hope in the City launches November 11 with a sketchbook detective system

Mystery adventure Hope in the City launches November 11 on PC and Xbox Series X|S, with Game Pass availability on day one. On PC, it is coming to Steam and Xbox on PC.

Players control Hope Song, a 17-year-old aspiring artist in Shenyang, China. When she comes home to find her parents missing and the apartment ransacked, she begins looking for them with the help of her sketchbook.

Hope collects clues and thoughts in her notebook as she investigates. Players can combine any two thoughts; successful connections unlock insights, dialogue, locations and leads. Creative director Judith Cheung says the writers created a distinct response for every combination, even those that do not advance the investigation.

Artist Calista Antonio made more than 100 hand-drawn sketches for the game. Cheung says Antonio also used 3D models to plan poses and perspectives before developing the drawings.