Runic Games, developer of Torchlight and its sequel, Torchlight 2, today announced a new IP called Hob.
Hob is a game unlike Runic Games first two games, which were essentially clones of games like Diablo, games that members of Runic had experience working on. In Hob, players will explore a mysterious planet and solve puzzles in hopes to find out where they are and what is occurring beneath the planet’s surface. Additionally, while the story in Hob will be a focal point, it will be told without text or dialogue.
"We're telling the story with no words," Runic Games CEO Max Schaefer told Polygon. "There is no dialogue in the game. There are no NPCs that say anything. There's barely interface on-screen at all. There's a huge process of discovery and learning that is non-verbal."
The player’s independent discovery of different aspects of the world in which Hob is set will play a key role in the gameplay. Runic wants players to feel compelled to explore the world at their own pace and without much of any direction imposed upon them.
"One of the themes we're stressing is wonder and a little bit of mystery," level designer Rick Lesley told Polygon. "We don't want to call things out for the player. We want them to piece some things together for themselves and really feel pulled in different directions. We want them to feel inclined to look around and not just move forward."
Hobwas teased in July when Runic announced plans to reveal the game at PAX Prime 2015. No release date was announced for Hob, but those attending PAX Prime Aug. 28-31 will have a chance to play the game at the expo.
