Good evening citizens of the shadows!
It's been a few weeks since launch and we have loved every minute of seeing you all discovering the dark secrets of Dormont - whether in streams, videos, or sharing your stories and feedback on social media, we truly appreciate it!
But what of Dormont itself?
Well we figured we'd share a little about the little town that our game takes place in!
Where is Dormont?
In the universe of Those Who Remain, Dormont is a fictional town located in Washington state- and not to be confused with the ACTUAL real life Dormont which is in Pennsylvania (which we were made aware of halfway through development and had to adjust some of our 'news bulletin' messages for marketing accordingly!)
The town itself is a small, relatively quiet place - located in a tranquil mountain region surrounded by water based beauty spots and other natural elements.
Activities and the population
Because of the remote location, the nature of the residents activities is rather active! With hiking through the mountains, woodland trekking, or fishing on Lake Hope being regular past times of locals.
And whilst there may not be a plethora of modern day entertainment available - everyone makes do with their own community driven events and entertainment (Such as the famous annual Apple pie contest!)
Whilst some would call the local populace 'backwards' or 'behind the times' due to their laid back and simplistic approach to modern day living - there is a certain friendliness and charm to the residents of Dormont that runs directly against the cold and selfish nature of bigger cities.
The kind of place where everybody knows everybody else (for better or worse) and you're just as likely to be welcomed in and offered a warm meal by a random stranger as you are to find one in the heavily trafficked and well loved local diner.
This level of community awareness can come across a little strange to outsiders, with an almost forced upon feeling of inclusion - but it shouldn't worry any new faces, it's simply the Dormont way to know everything about everybody and support eachother in everything!
Industry and tourism
Dormont’s economy is heavily connected to the surrounding woods, with many of its citizens working in logging or or the sawmill and surrounding small scale factories.
Additionally a lot of the residents take up wood carving and farm work as ways to learn trades and earn petty cash during their free time.
There isn't a lot of direct trade or demand for goods outside of this, and as such the woodlands and farming have become a necessarily large investment for the town in an effort to be self sufficient.
Though as the money pumped into this and demand has grown, there is an underlying worry that the growth and preservation of the natural woodlands is not quite able to keep up with the rapidly increasing development of industry demand.
This goes hand in hand with the appeal of Dormont as a tourism spot. Whilst it may not spot a major national landmark or many man made attractions that would pull in crowds, the completely slowed down pace of life in Dormont and absence of the fast paced hustle and bustle of modern life has made it somewhat of a hidden gem for those that seek to escape the rat race and spend a week or two hidden away in the mountains with nothing but an abundance of nature and fishing at their disposal.
Whilst an important part of the towns ability to maintain itself, tourism isn't quite as heavily supported by the locals, with regular community council meetings refusing to give up land masses in order to better provide services and accommodation for larger numbers.
Whilst the occasional Motel can be found along the winding roads, and the essential amenities of emergency services, religious sites, and a shopping mall and pharmacy are deemed plenty enough for the town and the small band of visitors that make their way through year on year.
Another (probably not too surprising) fact about Dormont is that it was heavily inspired by Twin Peaks for the tone, location and 'anywhere USA with a dark undertone' feeling - another might friendly place where you can get a damn good coffee!
Addendum
Well that just about covers it for this little blog update! you've probably already seen a few of these spots in your own visit to Dormont!
We hope you've been enjoying your stay, and encourage you to keep your eyes peeled - with been patiently taking your feedback on board and will have some pleasant surprises coming your way in the near future!
And speaking of the near future... We are fast approaching the release of the 'Deluxe' edition of our game, coming out for PlayStation 4 - featuring some neat physical postcodes from Dormont itself, and a download of the awesome 'Lights out' prequel comic, detailing some events that occur prior to the start of the game!
It is slated to launch on July 10th in the EU and July 17th in the US!
And you can find our list of pre-order partners and links at the bottom of our website :
Those Who Remain Deluxe Pre-order
We can't wait to keep surprising you with what lurks in the shadows of Dormont, and we continue to receive all your updates with appreciation!
Until next time
#StayInTheLight