Life is Strange developer Dontnod Entertainment revealed its next narrative adventure game, Twin Mirror, ahead of E3 this year. Now, the developer has released the first in what will be a series of three dev diary videos. This one, titled “A Place for a Thriller,” is all about the inspirations and roots of Twin Mirror, both in tone and setting.

“There are certain elements of the game that echo film noir. It’s about a hero who is adrift, helpless, and at the mercy of a complex situation not entirely of his own making, and who will struggle to the best of his abilities, and that’s where the player steps in,” said Helene Henry, Twin Mirror‘s narrative producer.

The game takes place in a “rustic” town called Basswood, and its design is “typical of the towns you might find in West Virginia.” It follows investigative reporter Samuel Higgs as he returns to his hometown after the death of his best friend. Of the game’s setting, art director Pierre-Etienne Travers said, “It’s in the Rust Belt, and was historically an industrial town, but the industry has gone away…so it’s quite a tough place to be. That makes it a good context for a thriller…in places like this where social context is somewhat complicated, the people have more interesting and stronger personalities.”

Check out the dev diary below:

The next dev diary release for Twin Mirror should be rolling out in the next several weeks. Twin Mirror is expected to release some time next year.