Ithaca: a gripping eco-thriller RPG that holds a mirror to our turbulent era

The latest creation from the reality-inspired studio the

The latest creation from the reality-inspired studio the Pixel Hunt plunges players into a tense journey of moral choices, as you shepherd a mysterious passenger and wrestle with what comes next.

Ithaca opens with a jolt: Penelope, a burned-out environmental lawyer, pulls over at a gas station. When she returns to her car, she finds an unconscious oil executive stuffed in her trunk, hands bound, feet dangling near the license plate. It's a premise that feels ripped from a thriller, far removed from the typical sword-and-sorcery RPGs. This is less Dragon Quest, more How to Blow Up a Pipeline.

The game comes from the French developer the

The game comes from the French developer the Pixel Hunt, known for its "reality-inspired" approach to interactive storytelling. The studio has already tackled heavy subjects: one game followed a Syrian refugee couple's harrowing journey across Europe, another explored the devastating aftermath of child abuse. For founder and writer Florent Maurin, the climate crisis was always waiting in the wings. It's the defining issue of our time, he says, the one that intersects with all others. The only question was when to address it—and, more crucially, what fresh angle to bring to the table.