This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
From the heart of Portland emerges Wakeup Super Studios, a Black-owned indie developer ready to reshape the entertainment landscape. In an industry where less than 4% of game developers are Black, their mission is as vital as it is ambitious.
The studio’s debut title, Rays of HOPE™, is a game rooted in a vibrant celebration of childhood imagination and the first superhero origin story of its kind. CXM’s Jourdan Kerl sat down with founder and creative director Jordan Horton to discuss the studio's journey, the mechanics of play, and what it means to build a new chapter in Black gaming and fantasy.
Q: What is the origin story of Wakeup Super Studios? What sparked this journey?
Jordan Horton: To be honest, it was never on my bingo card. I always considered myself a creative person, but not "a creative" in the traditional sense. Over time, I learned we're all creative, and it's about pouring energy into channeling that. The name [of the studio] comes from fighting games, where a "wakeup super" is a move you pull when you're knocked down. It's a risky, calculated bet on yourself in the moments that matter. I've always felt corporate America was on borrowed time in my story, and I finally had the catalyst to pursue this.
Q: Where did the name Rays of HOPE come from? Is there a deeper meaning behind it?
JH: We can't answer that completely without spoiling the story! But a couple of things come to mind. First, it's forever universally true that the world could always use a little bit more light and hope. It's a call to action: whether it's within yourself, others, or the world, when you see that light, it's worth pursuing. If people take that away from our game then we won.
Q: What games or life experiences actively inspired you on this journey?
JH: I’m heavily inspired by Street Fighter and Capcom, but also just the world. I could be in the shower and the way the water hits me might inspire a special effect. I'm a huge fan of R&B and neo-soul; sometimes the way a beat hits makes me wonder how a gameplay mechanic can feel like that song. I'm also inspired by the way the WWE connects with people. We're gamers, but we're inspired by everything around us.
Q: For someone who knows nothing about it, how would you describe the core concept of Rays of HOPE?
JH: It's a superhero origin story told from the imagination of a child. You're picking up the toy and going on the adventures you always imagined. It's a celebration of that inner kid who never stopped dreaming. Sometimes imagination is limited by the boxes the world puts you in, but this game is about tapping back into that limitless wonder.
Q: How would you describe the core gameplay mechanics in Rays of HOPE?
JH: It's based on verisimilitude—the idea that everything feels real. We wanted to mimic the feeling of playing with a toy. In traditional games, you press buttons. However, in ours, button mashing is a thing of the past. The right stick, which we call the Action Stick, gives you creative freedom. If you want to move or attack up, you move the stick up. It's a design that feels natural to your brain, and we've seen everyone from age two to sixty-two pick it up just fine.
Q: The hand-drawn UI is very distinct. How did that design choice come about?
JH: It actually came out of a disagreement! I'm the creative director, and I was originally designing standard UI in Photoshop. Someone on the team asked me to draw something, and I said, "I'm not an artist." I eventually did it spitefully just to prove a point, but then I saw it on a living room TV and realized it was fire! We call it "doodle glass," the idea that a kid took a crayon and drew on top of the TV glass. It pays homage to that childhood theme.
Q: Tell us about the environments Ray travels through as each of them have such a distinct style and personality. What makes this an "urban fantasy"?
JH: We wanted places to feel real but filtered through a child's eyes. You'll see rulers become bridges or books become buildings. Ray is a cowboy superhero, but it's not a Western; it's urban fantasy. I'm from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where it's normal to see someone riding a horse through a McDonald's drive-through. That blend of "normal" and "cowboy" is what we're bringing to life in cities and mountains.
Q: What game modes should players expect at launch?
JH: There is a full single-player story campaign. We also have a mode called "Play Date," which we tested at Dream Con. It's a celebration of a kid telling their parents about their day with run-on sentences and changing topics and levels constantly. We got a great response to multiplayer, so we're likely committing to that, and we're exploring rogue-lite survival prototypes to add replay value.
Q: What has been the hardest part of building an original IP?
JH: Finding the fun. You can have grand ideas and visual flourishes, but it has to be fun at its core first. Then, there's also the personal toll, where you are moonlighting on nights and weekends away from family. Finally, the attention economy is rough. Hundreds of games come out every month; you have to have the audacity to bet on yourself to make people care.
Q: What are the benefits of pushing the envelope as an indie studio?
JH: We might not have as much money as the big studios, but we have creativity, lived experiences, and the culture we come from. We have creative freedom. Bigger studios have talented devs with big ideas, but they are often balanced against multi-billion dollar franchises. We challenge ourselves to create entertainment that "hits different." So, we're not a video game company, we're an entertainment company. We're just debuting with a video game. We ask ourselves every day, "Why should Rays of HOPE exist?"
Q: You recently debuted the game at Dream Con. How did it feel to have a presence there?
JH: Dream Con was dope. The community showed so much love. We weren't fully prepared for the scale of it, but seeing folks come back multiple times to our booth just to play or hang out was amazing. Making those personal connections was fantastic.
Q: What has the player reception been like for such a different control scheme?
JH: It's been great. We always welcome constructive criticism—my whole career has been in customer feedback, so it's never personal. At Dream Con, we actually made a new build every day based on player feedback to squash bugs. Most people said it felt very natural. Out of about 400 players, less than ten had any critique. The data looks good so far.
Q: Without spoilers, what can you tell us about Ray's journey and the people he meets?
JH: It's a coming-of-age story. Ray has supernatural powers and a heart of gold, but not everyone in his universe shares his moral code. That code becomes a point of tension with the friends and foes he encounters. It's a very human story about what it means to be the first hero in a universe.
Q: Are there any hidden secrets or Easter eggs for players to find?
JH: Absolutely. The answer is yes. Good luck and have fun trying to find them! There are actually some out there in the world already, and I'll leave it at that.
Q: In your words, what does it mean to champion a Black superhero and represent Black fantasy?
JH: It's a heavy but important weight. Less than 4% of developers are Black, and most Black representation in games comes from sports titles. We want to show that Black men and women belong in all parts of the industry—as accountants, marketers, and developers. As our trailer says, "Imagination does more than dream. It gives hope for new heroes." That applies to the game and to real life. We're happy to add another chapter to Black fantasy.
Q: What's next for the studio? Where can we find the game?
JH: We'll be at the Seattle Black Nerd Festival (August 28-30) and PAX West (September 4-7). We're bringing back our coloring station with a new twist! Most importantly, hot off the press: our Steam page is finally online. People have been asking when they can wishlist it, and the answer is: now.
You can find and wishlist Rays of HOPE on Steam. Follow WAKEUP Super Studios development of Rays of HOPE on social media at @PlayRaysOfHope.
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