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Dan Houser’s Absurd Ventures is developing two open-world games in separate original universes: the science-fiction world of A Better Paradise and the comedy-satire Absurdaverse. The studio’s approach is cross-media rather than a new GTA label: A Better Paradise already exists as audio fiction and a novel, while American Caper is a crime comic with a collected paperback. Houser has described the qualities he wants from the games, but their titles, systems, platforms and release dates have not been announced.
What Absurd Ventures is making
Absurd Ventures is a creator-led studio founded by Dan Houser, the writer and producer known for his work on Grand Theft Auto. Its current slate spans distinct story worlds and formats, rather than extending the GTA setting. The company’s official games page lists two open-world action-adventure games in development: one set in A Better Paradise and one in the Absurdaverse. It says titles and further specific game details have not yet been announced.
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The projects are at different stages and have different entry points. A Better Paradise has audio and book versions already available, as well as a game in development with Smilegate as its global publisher. Absurdaverse has a game in development and animation projects described as forthcoming. American Caper is currently a crime-fiction comic; Houser has said an interactive version is only being explored.
| World | Genre and formats | What is confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| A Better Paradise | Science-fiction story world; audio fiction, novel and game | The first story is available in several formats. A game is in development, with Smilegate as global publisher. |
| Absurdaverse | Comedy-satire; game and planned animation | Absurd Ventures lists an open-world game in development and says animation projects are forthcoming. It has not provided animation titles or release details on its games page. |
| American Caper | Crime-fiction comic; collected paperback | The first trade paperback, Red-Pilled Blues, collects issues #1–4. An interactive story game is exploratory, not announced. |
How the worlds differ
A Better Paradise: speculative fiction across media
A Better Paradise began as audio fiction. Absurd Ventures describes its first story, Volume One: An Aftermath, as available as a hardcover novel, an Audible-exclusive narrated audiobook and an audio drama through podcast platforms. Smilegate says the game in development is set in this universe. That makes it the most clearly connected of the three worlds across existing story formats and a named game-publishing partnership.
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Smilegate announced on August 7, 2025, that it had signed an agreement to globally publish the AAA open-world science-fiction action-adventure game and planned to provide development funding. The publisher reiterated the global publishing agreement in a June 2026 update. It also reported that the audio fiction debuted at the top of Apple’s Fiction charts and won the 2024 Signal Award for Best Episode of Scripted Fiction; the announcement did not give an audience count, sales figure or specific chart position.
In Smilegate’s announcement, Houser said Absurd Ventures was set up “to tell new and different kinds of stories” and create “interesting and compelling original experiences.” He described the game as an opportunity to go somewhere entirely different and take players on a new adventure. These statements explain the studio’s intent, not the finished game’s plot or features.
Rank #2
- Experience the world of Grand Theft Auto V like never before with the power of the PlayStation 4.
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- Play golf, tennis, see a film or call someone and just hang out.
Absurdaverse: comedy built around game systems
The Absurdaverse is the studio’s comedy-satire universe. Absurd Ventures lists an open-world game in development and says animation projects are forthcoming, but has not publicly supplied their titles or release details on its games page.
In a December 15, 2025 Guardian interview, Houser called the concept “a living sitcom” and said the team was “trying to use the memories of NPCs in a fun way.” He also characterized it as “a completely gamey game – very mechanics driven.” Those comments point to an interest in character behavior and comedy as parts of play, but do not confirm specific memory systems, mechanics or story structure.
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American Caper: a comic, not a confirmed game
American Caper is a crime-fiction comic created and written by Houser, with additional writing by Lazlow and publication in partnership with Dark Horse Comics. Its setting uses crime fiction for social satire. The first trade paperback, Red-Pilled Blues, collects issues #1–4 and is listed by Absurd Ventures as available through Amazon and other booksellers. It is the most direct physical way to sample one of the studio’s story worlds.
Houser told the Guardian that an interactive American Caper project might be “more of a story game,” but added, “We’re still kind of exploring it.” That is not a confirmed game announcement. The current official games page lists only the A Better Paradise and Absurdaverse projects.
Rank #4
- The biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world ever created and now packed with layers of new detail.
- Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game's three lead characters, playing all sides of the game's interwoven story.
- Grand Theft Auto V also comes with Grand Theft Auto Online, the dynamic and ever-evolving Grand Theft Auto universe for multiple players.
What Houser says makes a game work
Houser’s interview comments offer a sense of the creative standard he wants to pursue, not proof of how either game will play. In the Guardian interview, he said, “We’re trying to be ambitious, to make new stuff.” He described the goals as “good stories and fun dialogue,” gameplay that is “amazing and accessible,” and art direction that “has to be fresh.” He also said the games should be “really strong on mechanics, really fun to play, accessible, but plenty of depth.”
That combination matters to the premise of Absurd Ventures: the studio is not describing its games as story alone. Houser’s stated ambition joins narrative and dialogue to accessible play, distinctive art direction and mechanical depth. Until the company announces more about the games, those are best understood as creative priorities rather than deliverable features.
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- Used Book in Good Condition
What players can experience now
- For the A Better Paradise universe: start with Volume One: An Aftermath in its hardcover, Audible-exclusive audiobook or podcast audio-drama form, as listed by Absurd Ventures.
- For American Caper: the Red-Pilled Blues paperback collects the comic’s first four issues.
- For the Absurdaverse: the company has announced a game in development and forthcoming animation projects, but its games page does not list released story material or further project specifics.
For readers deciding what is real and available now versus what remains in development, the distinction is straightforward: the comic and A Better Paradise story formats exist as products; the two officially listed games are still in development. The official American Caper page and games page provide the studio’s product and project listings.
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