Hi there!
I Hate This Place is a game that originated from a comic book series of the same name created by Kyle Starks and Artyom Topilin. That inspiration manifests itself in the game’s artwork, setting, characters, monsters and… story!
Many of you have asked where the original characters are, when chronologically does the game take place in the IHTP universe and where we are. So, we are writing our first Developer Journal to answer all your lore questions!
You may know the iconic duo of Gabby Rutherford and Trudy Durant from the original comics. However, we decided to take a different route and create our own characters in the same universe. In the game, you will meet Elena and Lou instead - childhood best friends bound together by their shared love for spooky stories.
Elena is our fearless protagonist who, just like Gabby in the comics, needs to adapt very fast to the crazy circumstances happening around her in the forest. She has to gather food to survive, craft resources to fight monsters and, most importantly, find out if the mysterious vanishings near the ranch are really The Horned Man’s doing. Elena is no longer a child scared of what's happening on the ranch; after years of training and preparations she is ready to face her fears and confront The Horned Man.
With a different set of characters also comes some changes to the timeline. Set in the late 80s, the game's events unfold long before those depicted in the comic. We are visiting The Rutherford Ranch, well-known from Gabby and Trudy’s story – a mysterious place haunted by monsters, ghosts and The Horned Man - a creature lurking in the forests nearby. Elena is no stranger to this place: her mother, who has been missing for years, is a Rutherford (specifically, Aunt Marilyn’s sister - that’s another name that comic fans may recognize).
Players will have a chance to explore much more than just the ranch and the forest! We added some new places around the area. As you delve deeper into the forest, you will find many derelict mining shafts, mysterious bunkers and overall creepy areas that you would rather not stay the night in. But that part, you’ll have to explore yourself - we don’t want to spoil the experience of walking through the environment we created ;)
So far, we have covered how the characters and how the setting and time ties back to the I Hate This Place universe. But what about the backstory? We created a unique story in the universe with Elena and Lou in mind, as well as some interesting NPCs. The story begins when, after many years spent in the city, Elena renews contact with Lou, who lives close to The Rutherford Ranch, and visits this place again.
Before the beginning of the game, Lou convinces Elena to try to summon The Horned Man to discover if he is even real, but something goes wrong: Elena loses consciousness and wakes up without Lou. She then begins the search that becomes the main goal in the story. Will you be able to save her before it’s too late or will you fall prey to The Horned Man as well?
That’s all for now. Let us know if you would like us to continue sharing our journey with you through the Developer Journals! We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments 🙂
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Thank you for all your continuous outpouring of support and love - you give us motivation each day to keep improving the game further. You are awesome! 🖤
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