Signet City: Gareth Damian Martin Debuts ‘Fungalpunk’ RPG Rooted in 1980s Industrial Decay
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A Departure from the Space Station
Gareth Damian Martin, the creative force behind the critically acclaimed Citizen Sleeper and In Other Waters, has officially unveiled their latest project: Signet City. While Martin’s previous work leaned heavily into the cold, clinical isolation of deep space and distant futures, Signet City pivots toward a grounded, visceral aesthetic the developer is calling “fungalpunk.”
The announcement, delivered via a stark, monochrome trailer accompanied by the drone-heavy sounds of the band SPRINTS, introduces a world that feels less like a sci-fi colony and more like a decaying urban nightmare. The visuals evoke a mixture of Half-Life 2’s City 17 and the bleakness of 20th-century industrialism, utilizing a distinct art style inspired by screentoned manga, pen-and-ink illustrations, and high-contrast black-and-white photography.
Playing the Parasite
The most striking mechanical shift in Signet City is the player’s role. Abandoning the traditional RPG trope of the lone hero or the customizable avatar, players will instead operate as a parasite. According to publisher Fellow Traveller, the gameplay revolves around moving through the “social body” of the city, infiltrating inhabitants to shape conversations and influence the trajectory of their lives.
This narrative device allows Martin and the team at Jump Over the Age to delve into the interiority of various characters, utilizing the evocative, dense prose that has become a hallmark of their design philosophy. By inhabiting others, the player isn’t just observing the city; they are weaving themselves into the stories of its residents during what the game describes as the “terminal season” of Signet City.
The Influence of Industrial Britain
While the setting is surreal, it is rooted in a very specific historical reality. A fact sheet accompanying the reveal notes that the game is heavily informed by the United Kingdom’s turbulent 1980s. The northern industrial cities of the UK—characterized by economic decline, social unrest, and architectural brutalism—serve as the primary blueprint for the game’s geography.
This intersection of socio-political decay and biological infestation suggests a thematic exploration of how radical ideas and strange technologies “take root” in environments of desperation. It transforms the act of parasitic infection into a metaphor for ideological or social contagion.
The Mycology of Design
For those who followed the development of Citizen Sleeper, the fungal obsession is a familiar thread. In previous interviews, Martin cited Anna Tsing’s The Mushroom at the End of the World as a primary influence. Tsing’s work uses the matsutake mushroom as a lens to examine capitalism and ecological devastation in the “anthropocene.”
While Citizen Sleeper touched on these themes through the lens of xeno-biology and corporate exploitation, Signet City appears to be a more direct application of these theories. The “fungalpunk” label isn’t just a visual choice; it’s an extension of Martin’s interest in precarity and the ways life persists in the ruins of failed systems.
New Collaborators and Release Window
The production of Signet City also marks a shift in the creative ensemble. While previous titles featured the audio work of Amos Roddy, Martin has brought on Eli Rainsberry for the soundtrack and audio design. Tom Kitchen has also joined the team, assisting with the environmental art to bring the monochrome, industrial sprawl to life.
Signet City is slated for a PC release via Steam later this year. While Fellow Traveller has a history of bringing indie titles to consoles, there has been no official word yet on PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch ports.
