Dan Houser's Post-Rockstar Ventures: Absurd Ventures and New Narrative Games
Dan Houser, co-founder and lead writer of Rockstar Games known for his work on Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, left Rockstar in 2019 after an extended break. Since then, he has formed Absurd Ventures in Santa Monica, with Greg Borrud as head of games and Wendy Smith as COO.
In 2024, Absurd Ventures released "A Better Paradise," a 12-episode story podcast set in a dystopian online game world overseen by a powerful AI. The podcast centers on tech billionaire Mark Tyburn and the AI program NigelDave, serving as a satire on digital oligarchy. Absurd Ventures is currently developing an open-world video game adaptation of "A Better Paradise," featuring these characters.
Additionally, Absurd Ventures’ San Rafael studio is working on Absurdaverse, a comedic universe that includes animated TV shows or movies and another open-world game described as a "living sitcom" utilizing AI to create emergent NPC narratives.
A third intellectual property, "American Caper," a comic book series co-written with Lazlow, is also being developed into a game focusing on story rather than open-world exploration.
Houser maintains that there remains a large audience for mature single-player narrative experiences. He aims to create story-driven, accessible gameplay with strong dialogue and engaging mechanics, rather than focusing solely on live-service multiplayer formats.
