In Hope in the City, the art style does more than set the tone—it tells the story.
The game’s 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 character’s experience, the more angular their design.
Hope, our 17-year-old protagonist, stands in contrast. Her simpler, softer lines reflect her innocence and clarity—she’s stepping into a complex world for the first time, searching for answers after her parents’ disappearance. Other characters, shaped by hardship or bearing the weight of heavy secrets, are rendered with more geometry and visual weight, hinting at the complexity of their internal lives.
Though the triangle motif began as a design idea, it grew into a meaningful part of the game’s visual storytelling. It’s a subtle but intentional way we link style to emotion, and art to truth.
—The Hope in the City Team
**Stay tuned for an important Hope in the City announcement at Gamescom this August, where the team will share a first look at gameplay. We can’t wait to share it with you!**