The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope is a 2020 interactive drama and survival horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the second game of The Dark Pictures Anthology. The game is set in a fog-shrouded abandoned town in Massachusetts. The narrative follows four college students and their professor who are stranded after a bus crash. As they explore the town, the group is pursued by demons whose appearances are tied to the 17th-century Andover and Salem witch trials. Little Hope retains mechanics used in the previous game in the series, Man of Medan, which include quick time events, two single-player and two multiplayer modes, and collectables that allow the player to see visions of possible future events. The game features a multilinear plot where decisions can alter the trajectory of the story and change the relationships between the five playable protagonists; some choices lead to their permanent deaths. The developers drew primary inspiration for the premise from the historical Andover and Salem witch trials to explore themes of mass paranoia. They looked to the Silent Hill franchise, Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, and various horror films to establish the game's atmosphere and psychological horror. Supermassive adjusted exploration mechanics from Man of Medan by implementing a user-controllable hybrid camera system and more accessible action sequences. Will Poulter, who plays a college student named Andrew alongside two historical doppelgängers, was marketed as the game's leading actor. Jason Graves composed the soundtrack, using choral chants and antique stringed instruments to reflect the 1692 New England setting. Little Hope was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 30 October 2020, to mixed reviews. Critics commended the game's audio design, along with the detailed environments and character models. Criticism was directed at the superficial choice mechanics and the plot twist ending. The third game in the series, House of Ashes, was revealed in a teaser trailer at the end of Little Hope and released on 22 October 2021. Versions of Little Hope for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S were released in September 2022, followed by a Nintendo Switch version in October 2023.