About the Game
Long Gone is a highly anticipated indie title that offers a unique and intimate take on the post-apocalyptic genre. Developed by the solo developer at Hillfort Games and backed by Outersloth, the indie game fund from the creators of 'Among Us,' this game is a love letter to classic adventure games, reimagined with a modern, artistic twist. It shifts the focus from high-octane combat to environmental storytelling, where the abandoned world itself becomes the main character. The game promises a deeply personal and melancholic journey through the remnants of a world frozen in time by a zombie outbreak, where every object tells a story. The narrative begins decades after the initial catastrophe. The world is in shambles, and you are a lone survivor stranded in a once-bustling suburban neighborhood. Nature has begun to reclaim the streets, with vegetation overgrowing the silent houses and decaying cars. Your goal is not to wage a war against the undead, but to survive and, more importantly, to understand. The core of the story revolves around exploring the secret lives of the people who are 'long gone.' By rummaging through their forgotten belongings—letters, photographs, journals, and personal effects—you will piece together a web of interconnected stories, uncovering the triumphs, tragedies, and everyday moments of a lost community. The game poses a poignant question: What will you discover amongst the relics of the past? The gameplay in Long Gone is a thoughtful blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and light platforming, presented in a distinctive 3D pixel art style. The primary loop involves navigating the overgrown 2.5D streets and entering the seemingly safe, fully 3D houses to investigate. Inside these homes, the game becomes an intricate item-investigator. Players can rummage through every drawer, cupboard, and box. The level of interaction is a key feature; hundreds of objects can be picked up, inspected, combined, and used. This deep interactivity is crucial for solving the environmental puzzles that block your path and for unlocking the narrative secrets hidden within the environment. Combat is intentionally de-emphasized. Zombies are not treated as cannon fodder but as obstacles and puzzles. With no traditional combat system, every encounter with the shuffling undead requires careful thought and strategy to outsmart and avoid them, heightening the sense of vulnerability and tension. The atmosphere of Long Gone is one of quiet, beautiful decay. The lo-fi 3D pixel world creates a unique visual identity, blending a retro aesthetic with modern 3D environments. This stylized presentation is designed to evoke a sense of nostalgia and melancholy, which is juxtaposed with a surprising sense of humor and light-heartedness in the writing and animations. This balance aims to prevent the experience from becoming overwhelmingly bleak, instead offering moments of levity amidst the desolation. The transition from 2.5D platforming in the open streets to a fully explorable 3D interior is seamless and serves to differentiate the gameplay spaces, making exploration dynamic and engaging. The sound design will likely play a crucial role, emphasizing the eerie silence of the abandoned neighborhood, punctuated by the distant groans of zombies and the sounds of your own investigation. As a narrative-driven adventure, Long Gone is poised to deliver a story that is both personal and profound. It challenges the conventions of the zombie genre by focusing on the human element and the stories left behind in the wake of disaster. It is a game for players who enjoy meticulous exploration, solving environmental puzzles, and experiencing a story that unfolds organically through discovery. By making the environment the central character and every zombie a puzzle, Hillfort Games is crafting a unique and memorable experience that promises to be a thoughtful and poignant addition to the indie game landscape.