Disco Elysium’s Greatest Compliment is Also a Tragic Eulogy

No game has demonstrated the long-lasting impact of great writing quite like ZU/UM's Disco Elysium. Ever since lead writers Robert Kurvitz and Helen Hindpere, along with contributors Argo Tuulik, Olga Moskvina, and Cash De Cuir, lent their creative talents to the beloved CRPG, gamers have been chasing a worthy successor to scratch its same itch.

The quality of writing in Disco Elysium is at a level unlike any other, and it's common to see new players make it their entire personality for the following months after playing it. The game's impact is one that Dead Space writer and producer Chuck Beaver still speaks glowingly of, as he mentioned its impeccable story in an upcoming episode of the FRVR Podcast. "I came late to the party," the veteran writer shared. "I played it like four years ago... that game is just, I really love that game."

He'd go on to call Disco Elysium "high literature writing," and claim no other studio is trying to emulate its novel-like approach, claiming that most games are "going to be very much more typical writing, where you've got sort of very plain sort of things happening." It's glowing praise for the game, but it also works as a eulogy as the talent behind such a one-of-a-kind masterpiece has all gone their separate ways.

Despite ZA/UM continuing work on its next game, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, the looming fallout of Disco Elysium's talent departing the studio in such an explosive way has softened expectations.

For these reasons, it's hard to buy into any of the hype surrounding a spiritual successor to Disco Elysium, as the fallout of its core creatives with the studio that once backed them has left little hope we'll see a new effort hit the highs of its previous title.

The Talent Behind Disco Elysium, and Where They Are Now

The fallout of Disco Elysium's creators with ZA/UM has been well documented, but let's briefly recap (if that's even possible). Founders and lead creators, Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and writer Helen Hindpere were all removed or left ZA/UM after a string of accusations, a contested change in ownership, and claims of misconduct and share disputes. According to IGN, these departures have been described as "involuntary", although these claims have been disputed by ZA/UM's leadership.

Kurvitz and Rostov would go on to form a new studio, Red Info, in 2022, and appear to be based in the UK. It's also believed this new studio is supported by NetEase, and if trademark filings are indicative of anything, they are already hard at work on a new game. It's been reported that Hindpere is a small stakeholder in the new company, but her involvement in any game development is unconfirmed.

Going back to ZA/UM, former writers Argo Tuulik and Dora Klindžić worked on a potential follow-up to Disco Elysium codenamed Locust City for a period of time before ZA/UM cancelled the project. Tuulik and Klindžić's story would be an instrumental part in the most recent People Makes Games video, which followed multiple key creators and the race to make a spiritual successor.

Both Tuulik and Klindžić would describe Locust City as a standalone expansion for Disco Elysium, and would follow Cuno and Cunoesse as they try to leave Revachol following a murder. Details about the game were leaked online last year following the cancellation of the project and the layoff of Tuulik. The leak was so impactful that ZA/UM issued a statement clarifying the content of the leak and verified it was from a project cancelled in the pre-production stage.

If you haven't seen People Makes Games' video yet, I can't recommend it enough, but do go in expecting an anxiety-ridden journey into the hellish bureaucracy that has followed Disco Elysium's success. Following ZA/UM, Tuulik and Klindžić went on to work for separate studios that were eager to beat their previous studio in a true follow-up to the acclaimed CRPG. However, the duo would detail several creative and legal issues with studios Longdue/CoGrammer, and former Disco Elysium executive producer Kaur Kender's studio, Dark Math Games, prompting their departure.

Dark Math Games has shared news of their new game, Tangerine Antarctic (changed from XXX Nightshift), and even released an online web comic for it, titled "What Gives You F***". But as a fan of Disco Elysium and good writing, I can't recommend it in good conscience (it's also a pain to search for online for obvious reasons).

Spiritual Successors to Disco Elysium (That Have No Association with the Game)

It's fair to say that Disco Elysium's success has gone on to inspire a new generation of game developers eager to capture the same magic we all felt playing the beloved CRPG all those years ago.

Given the ongoing legal battles and the departure of nearly everyone involved in the game, it's unlikely we'll see new games from the creators any time soon. Whether a new game would even reach the same heights as Disco Elysium is also something I wouldn't put money on. In saying that, there have been plenty of games in a similar style, some of which have been praised by developers who have worked on Disco Elysium.

The first worth mentioning is Esoteric Ebb, which Tuulik would speak glowingly of on social media, going as far as to call it a worthy spiritual successor. This game was released earlier this year and is another isometric, narrative-driven CRPG that focuses on dialogue instead of combat. You play as a Cleric expert investigating a tea shop explosion in the Arcanepunk fantasy city of Norvik. Much like Disco Elysium, the narrative is driven by your stats guiding you as you play, which makes for some pretty humorous and chaotic interactions.

It's a phenomenal game that is sure to land for plenty of Disco Elysium fans eager for a new story to hook them in. Of course, Esoteric Ebb is unashamed of its camp, so if you're looking for something oozing in melancholy that will make you want to take a long afternoon nap, this won't be it (but you should still play it anyway!).

If you're in the mood for something somber with a hint of catharsis, Season: A Letter to the Future might be for you. This game sees you travelling around the world, speaking to strangers and documenting the world as you see it before its inevitable end. It's a bittersweet and intensely emotional experience that will leave a lasting impact on you.

There are also several examples of genre-focused RPGs that read like literature if that aspect of Disco Elysium appealed to you. Planescape: Torment is one of the earliest CRPGs, which places an immense focus on narrative-driven and philosophical storytelling. It also features a protagonist with amnesia, so you can discover information about the setting however you see fit.

Of course, if playing a game from 1999 isn't your cup of tea, recent examples like Citizen Sleeper or Pentiment share Disco Elysium's dedication to telling a phenomenal story that hooks players into its world-building and unparalleled atmosphere.

To counter Beaver's point that no other games are looking to match Disco Elysium in its narrative strength, I'd argue that there are plenty of games already out there if you know where to look. If anything, Disco Elysium has also highlighted the demand for novel-like writing in games, and we're only just beginning to see its influence show in the industry.

Why We Need to Give Up On the Idea of a "Second Disco Elysium"

In saying all of this, I think it's time we give up on ever seeing a "second Disco Elysium" or a "true" spiritual successor. It's been seven years since the game was released to the world, and nearly all of the creative talent have gone their separate ways.

In saying that, I still want to see games that are inspired by the CRPG's boldness and gorgeous world-building. It's been encouraging to see fans rally around the idea of "Disco-likes", highlighting games with a narrative-driven approach for players to lose themselves in. Esoteric Ebb is one of the more recent examples, and if you'd like to see more, the Disco Elysium fan-run subreddit has a pinned post dedicated to sharing new games that follow in the series' footsteps.

In my opinion, we should look towards seeing Disco Elysium's legacy carried on by new games that aim for high-literature storytelling, instead of games that seek to imitate its setting and design. This is where I think Tangerine Antarctic may miss the mark. The game has yet to come out, or even share a release date. But given its insufferable web comic and allegedly difficult development issues shared by Klindžić in the Player Makes Games documentary, it's a title I'm personally looking at with skepticism.

While Beaver is right that there aren't a lot of AAA games reaching the same narrative heights as Disco Elysium, I'd argue there are plenty of indie and AA titles built around exploring conflicting philosophies in fully realized worlds occupied by complex characters.

So, while I agree with Beaver's mourning that we'll never get a true follow-up following ZA/UM's infamous break-up, I'm eager to see the games Disco Elysium inspires, and how they'll carve a name for themselves to sit alongside the modern classic.