Welcome back to On The Record, our behind-the-scenes series exploring the minds, methods, and inspirations of our team.
This month we’re exploring how words become world with Gerard, a senior writer for Hopetown.
Before you dive into this interview, don’t forget to wishlist Hopetown on Steam to follow development and help us reach more players.
On The Record: Gerard Howard
Tell us a little about yourself — who you are, and what you do on Hopetown.
I’m just a lil guy from Ireland, really. But I also happen to be an avid gamer and collector of books (I can genuinely build furniture with what I’ve got). I’m a screenwriter, author, and now one of the writers/narrative designers on Hopetown. My goal here is to make at least ONE person ugly cry with a character I wrote.
How did you first get involved with Hopetown? What drew you to the world and its style of storytelling?
I happened to work on art director Astri Lohne’s personal project RUNIC in the past, and so was gratefully recommended by her. After jumping through some fiery hoops and doing some literary belly dances, here I am!
As for what drew me - the world itself looks absolutely stunning, and I couldn’t think of anything more topical than a story based around the power of information, especially in today’s climate and how horrific the internet has become.
Hopetown is described as a “psychological RPG driven by story, depth, and danger.” What does that mean to you as a writer?
At first glance, those words are ores that haven’t been cracked and can mean absolutely everything and nothing to a writer on a game like this.
I’ve played the greats: KOTOR II (long live Kreia), Planescape + ToN, Tyranny, Pillars, Fallout, BG, Disco (ofc), etc. All these games can fall under those descriptors, and yet most of us can attribute specific moments that stuck with us if we were asked to describe the story, the depth, the danger. Moments that made us feel something and, oftentimes, shaped us in some way.
So, in all honesty, it means we have a lot of work to do.
Where do you find inspiration when writing for a world like Hopetown — with its painterly visuals, political tensions, and surreal undertones?
I’ve been super fortunate to live in different countries and explore many of the world’s cities, big and small.
My answer is and will forever remain: people.
What they create, what they destroy, what they think, say, love, hate, eat, stub their toes on. People are as amazing as they are horrible. It’s through the permeation of all these things that my brain draws interesting threads I can’t help following.
What part of Hopetown’s narrative or themes do you find the most exciting or challenging to write?
The commodification of information. I’m very interested in the power held by those who dictate narratives. We see so often in this day and age how a story, true or not, can massively sway public opinion within the course of a few minutes. Why are the Teletubbies mentioned in the Epstein files!? Who can say?
It’s one of several narrative pillars within Hopetown, and I’m excited for players to either break the cycle of nonsense or choose to contribute to it.
Hopetown’s characters are flawed, layered, and often contradictory. How do you approach writing humanity — the messy, strange, vulnerable parts?
I am myself all the things described above. I do my best to speak to those parts as earnestly as I can, and so will often find ways to draw them out in characters with considerations made to the migrational patterns of their lives.
We’re clay people. We give and take shape. So when you uphold a character’s truth above everything else, good and bad, you quickly take the backseat and wind up following them as you write.
It’s awesome.
What books, games, films, or real-world experiences have influenced your writing style the most?
Oh god.
I’ll pick notables but this could easily become its own novel.
Books: Silmarillion by Tolkien, Ulysses by Joyce, Earthsea by Le Guin, Stoner by Williams, Foster by Claire Keegan, Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake, Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar (please please please read this woman’s work if you haven’t already. It’s unbelievable), Homeland by R.A. Salvatore, Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, and many many MANY more.
Films (strictly on the writing side): LotR, The Departed, Chasing Amy, Prisoners, Burn After Reading, Hot Fuzz, Blue Valentine, 20th Century Women, Moonlight, Aftersun.
Games: KOTOR II, Demon’s Souls, The Last of Us, Shadow of the Colossus (yes, really!), Dishonoured, Mass Effect 2, Undertale, Halo: Reach
If players walk away from Hopetown with one idea, feeling, or question, what do you hope it will be?
I hope more than anything that they’ll walk away questioning their relationship to the internet and the way they engage with it.
The world is a horrifying, beautiful, strange place, and most of us have direct access to it through the little device in our pockets. People who want us to behave a certain way and take specific actions in said world ALSO have direct access to us through that little device.
That should give us all pause.
Tea, coffee, or something else while writing?
Coffee, baby. Let me tweak.
One NPC, from any medium, you’d grab a drink with?
Gandalf.
Weirdest Google search you’ve done while researching for Hopetown?
Please don’t make me go through my browser history :0
What’s one song you’d add to the Hopetown writing playlist?
Netta Perseus - Lankum
Favourite writing ritual or superstition — the thing you swear works even if no one believes you?
Not so much a ritual, but I do enjoy a decent lil candle at my side when I’m writing. Staring into a quiet, wispy flame while contemplating a character’s death or cosmic annihilation is super relaxing :D
Closing Note
Hopetown lives in the space between the real and the surreal — a world that feels remembered, but not quite yours. Every detail in Hopetown — from a fragment of dialogue to the way memory twists — is shaped by the writers who breathe life into its world. Gerard's work helps ensure the town feels alive: imperfect, layered, and impossible to forget.
The Next Lead
Our next On the Record will spotlight another corner of development — exploring how story, art, and systems continue to weave together as Hopetown grows. Keep an eye on our dev blog and socials for the next instalment.
Join the Conversation
We’re building more than just a game — we’re building a community. Share your thoughts, theories, and favourite details from Gerard's interview in our Discord.
And don’t forget to wishlist Hopetown on Steam.
Until next time,
— The Hopetown Team