Hello Sunshine: Red Thread Games’ Sun-Scorched Survival Mystery

Hello Sunshine: Red Thread Games’ Sun-Scorched Survival Mystery

Red Thread Games—Oslo-based veterans behind Dreamfall Chapters, Draugen, and Dustborn—are back with Hello Sunshine, a mystery survival game that strands you in the sun-baked ruins of a fallen corporate empire. Here’s what you need to know and why it deserves a spot on your wishlist.

The Premise: Corporate Collapse Under a Blistering Sky

Hello Sunshine casts you as the last employee of a defunct corporate giant, trudging across an irradiated wasteland toward an impossibly tall tower that looms on the horizon. The journey isn’t just physical; it’s a narrative excavation of how the world broke and who’s left to decide what comes next. You’ll piece together the story through encounters with wandering strangers and your evolving relationship with a towering robot companion—your shade, shelter, and lifeline in a world where the sun is lethal.

That dynamic—human fragility against industrial relics—gives the game a distinct voice. Expect a mix of melancholy, black humor, and corporate dystopia as you navigate the last vestiges of automated “workplace perks” and service stations still mindlessly fulfilling their directives.

The Hook: Your Robot Is Home

Survival here is about systems—and the most important system is your giant robot. By day, it protects you from the sun. Over time, you’ll repair, upgrade, and customize it: better sensors, defensive modules, and cosmetic touches that make it feel like a true companion rather than a walking tool shed. It’s your mobile base, your forward operating platform, and the game’s beating heart.

Survival, Crafting, and Corporate Progression

Hello Sunshine blends familiar survival mechanics with a corporate-flavored progression loop:

• Scavenging: Pick through supply drops, abandoned settlements, and downed war machines for parts and materials.
• Night Work: Use a Sunshine Recycler after dusk to break loot into components for crafting gear, tools, and weapons.
• Helper Bots: Assemble and program small robots to automate tasks—gathering, mapping, hunting, and even defending against drone threats.
• Corporate Levels: Complete tasks to earn digital currency and rank, unlocking vending machines, restricted areas, and workplace “benefits” at automated service kiosks.

This structure gives the grind a satirical edge: you’re still checking boxes and chasing tiers, but the carrot is survival, not performance reviews.

Solo or Co-op: Two Ways to Cross the Wasteland

You can take the journey alone or with a friend. Co-op isn’t just a bolt-on; the game promises different perspectives and narrative beats that shift based on your partnership. If Red Thread nails the pacing, co-op could turn an already atmospheric trek into a shared odyssey—comparing notes on strangers you meet, splitting duties between scavenging and bot programming, and coordinating upgrades to keep your mobile base running.

Tone and Worldbuilding

Red Thread’s track record suggests strong storytelling and mood, and Hello Sunshine looks poised to continue that trend. The art direction leans into burnt oranges and bleached horizons, punctuated by corporate detritus and insect-like drones. Thematically, it’s about the leftovers of systems that outlived their purpose—and the humans who still have to make meaning in their shadow.

Platform, Requirements, and Release

• Platform: PC (Windows 10, 64-bit)
• Minimum CPU: Intel Core i7-7700 or AMD Ryzen 5 (based on current public specs)
• Status: No firm release date announced for 2026 at the time of writing
• Availability: Wishlist on Steam; signups open for playtesting

Published by UK-based Megabit, Hello Sunshine has also received significant support from the Norwegian Film Institute, underlining its ambition and production scope.

Why It’s One to Watch

• A fresh twist on survival: The robot-as-home concept isn’t just clever—it creates meaningful day-night tension and elevates resource loops.
• Systems with personality: Corporate progression as a satirical layer lends flavor to familiar mechanics.
• Proven storytellers: Red Thread’s narrative chops and eye for atmosphere make the mystery premise credible.
• Co-op with narrative weight: If partnership meaningfully shapes encounters and story beats, replay value jumps.

What I’m Curious About

• Sun mechanics: How punishing is daytime exposure, and does weather or geography meaningfully vary strategy?
• Co-op balance: Do two players trivialize early survival, or does the game scale threats and objectives smartly?
• Endgame progression: Beyond upgrades and helper bots, does the corporate ladder evolve into ethical choices or factional consequences?
• Narrative cadence: Will stranger encounters and robot relationship arcs feel hand-authored rather than procedural?

Bottom Line

Hello Sunshine looks like a thoughtful blend of survival design, narrative mystery, and satirical worldbuilding. If you’re into systems-driven play with strong mood and co-op potential, it’s an easy Steam wishlist. With no confirmed release date yet, playtest signups are the best way to get in early—and to see whether that towering robot feels as indispensable and endearing as it sounds.