Demo opens the door to Hyperdrive Inn

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Magical realist pixel art adventure with fabric-crafted aesthetic coming to PC in 2024

Usually the best you can expect from a hotel is a soft bed with a mint on the pillow, overpriced room service, a pool, and possibly a fluffy robe if you're lucky. But you'll get a whole lot more than that in the titular setting of Hyperdrive Inn, the upcoming point-and-click magical realist adventure from indie Finnish developer Horsefly Games.

Players control a young ponytailed woman named Aino, whose father "vanished into thin air after triggering a cataclysmic set of events that threatens to unravel reality itself." The only way to find him and hopefully reverse the effects of his actions is to search the "ever-expanding" environments inside the Hyperdrive Inn. This "infinite hotel" will seem largely familiar, mirroring the "intricate tapestry" of our own society, but also incorporate a variety of fantastical elements, including ships, whales, talking rabbits and robots, and guests seemingly trapped out of time. Players can expect plenty of unusual characters to interact with and puzzles to solve as they begin untangling a story that tackles themes like "boundless growth, overpopulation, and environmental turmoil."

If all that didn't sound unique enough, perhaps the most striking thing about Hyperdrive Inn is its distinctive visual design, "painstakingly handcrafted from scanned recycled fabrics" to bring the "tactile beauty of textiles" to life. Complementing the striking look is an original score inspired by Finnish folk music, which promises to respond dynamically to the events on-screen. That musical flexibility will be needed, as the hotel is "a boundless haven capable of accommodating infinite number of guests," and the game will feature randomized content to ensure a different experience each time you play.

We're still about a year away from being able to enter the Hyperdrive Inn for ourselves, as the game isn't due to be launched until October 2024, but a playable demo is already available on Steam for Windows PC. You can also check out the developer's Local News with Cliff Rockslide, a "country-side comedy" adventure released earlier this year in which you point-and-shoot (with a camera) your way to fame (or perhaps infamy).

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