Hope Song is preparing to leave Shenyang for art school overseas when she returns to a ransacked apartment and finds her parents missing. In Hope in the City, the 17-year-old aspiring artist has no badge or authority to demand answers, so players will use her sketchbook to connect clues and move the investigation forward. The mystery adventure will launch Nov. 11, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Steam, with day-one Xbox Game Pass access.
Players will record observations from conversations and while exploring Shenyang, then pair any two thoughts in Hope’s notebook. Successful connections form insights and breakthroughs that unlock new dialogue, locations and leads. As detailed in Xbox Wire’s design breakdown, players can also bring what they have learned to other characters and choose what to ask.
Even combinations that do not advance the case get individual responses. Hope might joke, show more of her personality or stumble toward a subtle hint, giving players a reason to test unexpected pairings instead of treating each unsuccessful match as a dead end. Playtesting also led the team to adjust the notebook interface and clues when connections it considered obvious proved difficult for players to make.
Artist Calista Antonio created more than 100 hand-drawn sketches for the game. They are meant to capture Hope’s quick impressions and feelings, rather than look like polished illustrations. Antonio used the game’s 3D models and assets to block out perspectives and character poses, then added linework and digital watercolor.
Antonio’s own experience informed Hope’s story. She shares the character’s Chinese heritage and left Asia at 17 to pursue art in Canada. Some of Antonio’s paintings also appear on the walls of Hope’s bedroom.
Would you try every unlikely clue pairing, or stick to connections that seem obvious? For more on the game’s Nov. 11 launch and its hand-drawn investigation, stay connected through X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
