A first-person survival title is in the works from a new team of triple-A veterans whose touchstones are story-driven gameplay, mature themes, and social awareness.

The Long Dark is an episodic post-disaster survival sim set in the aftermath of a geomagnetic super storm that has destroyed North America's technology infrastructure.

It is in development at Hinterland Studios, a new Vancouver-based indie founded by 13-year industry veteran Raphael van Lierop, who had a large hand in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, Company of Heroes, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, and Far Cry 3.

Also at Hinterland are technical director Alan Lawrance (lead programming and design on the Saints Row and Red Faction series), art director Hokyo Lim (League of Legends, The Unfinished Swan, Sly Cooper), writer Marianne Krawczyk (God of War series, L.A. Noire, and audio director David Chan (Mass Effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic,Neverwinter Nights, the Baldur's Gate series).

Hinterland has also secured the talents of game composers Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan, who worked on Mass Effect, Borderlands, and Quake.

The Long Dark’s first season will see players experience “a grim new reality” through the eyes of bush pilot William Mackenzie, isolated with other survivors in the Northern wilderness as a result of the event, said Hinterland.

There will be an emphasis on exploration, resources and knowledge gathering, and survival.

According to Hinterland, players will face difficult moral choices that will affect the outcome of gameplay and story.

A Kickstarter campaign for The Long Dark will begin on September 17.

If successful, the game will be developed for for Windows PC, Mac, and Linux.