Gareth Damian Martin, developer behind Citizen Sleeper and In Other Waters, announced Signet City, a new first-person narrative RPG described as 'fungalpunk' and set in a fictional British coastal town plagued by an apocalyptic fungal infestation [1, 2, 3].
Players control a parasitic spore or brain fungus that infects and influences residents of Signet City, weaving into the lives and struggles of the city's inhabitants. The press release states, "You are a parasite, in a city where strange technologies and radical ideas are taking root" [3].
The setting draws inspiration from northern British cities and the industrial collapse of the 1980s, marked by brutalist architecture, underground music, and social upheaval. Martin explained, "I'm interested in humans as part of ecology," reflecting the game's focus on interconnected fungal systems symbolizing capitalist precarity and radical politics [1, 2, 3].
Visually, Signet City employs a distinctive monochrome halftone and sketch art style influenced by screentoned manga, pen and ink drawings, and black-and-white photography. This stark aesthetic contrasts with Martin's earlier dice-based sci-fi RPG Citizen Sleeper, emphasizing first-person immersive storytelling through richly authored narrative design [1, 2, 3].
The game's creative team includes new collaborators Eli Rainsberry on soundtrack and audio and Tom Kitchen on environmental art, replacing contributors from Martin’s previous titles [3].
Signet City was officially announced in June 2026 with a trailer and detailed developer commentary. An early teaser appeared in May 2026, setting the tone for its visual and thematic style [1, 2, 3].
The game is currently confirmed only for PC via Steam, and no release date has been announced as of June 2026 [1].
