Disco Elysium’s Greatest Compliment is Also a Tragic Eulogy

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Disco Elysium, created by writers Robert Kurvitz, Helen Hindpere, Argo Tuulik, Olga Moskvina, and Cash De Cuir, has set a new standard for storytelling in video games. Since its release, players have been searching for another game that can deliver a similar, deeply engaging narrative experience.

Disco Elysium’s writing is exceptional – so good, in fact, that many players become completely captivated by it and talk about it for months afterward. Even industry veteran Chuck Beaver, who wrote and produced Dead Space, is a huge fan. He recently shared on the FRVR Podcast that he discovered the game a few years ago and found it to be a truly remarkable story. He simply said, “I really love that game.”

He described Disco Elysium as a work of “high literature,” noting that no other game studio is attempting a similar, novel-like style. He contrasted this with most games, which he felt relied on simpler, more straightforward writing. While this was high praise for the game, he also implied it was a farewell, as the talented team behind it had since moved on to other projects.

Even though ZA/UM is still developing its new game, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, people aren’t as excited as they once were about it. This is because many of the key people who worked on the popular game Disco Elysium have left the studio, and their sudden departure has lowered expectations.

Given the difficult split between the original creators of Disco Elysium and the studio they worked with, it’s tough to get excited about any potential new game trying to recapture that magic. It’s unlikely a follow-up will reach the same level of quality.

The Talent Behind Disco Elysium, and Where They Are Now

The situation surrounding the creators of Disco Elysium and their relationship with ZA/UM has been widely reported. To quickly summarize, the game’s original founders – Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and writer Helen Hindpere – are no longer with the company. This followed accusations of wrongdoing, a change in ownership that was challenged, and disagreements over shares. While some reports, including one from IGN, state these departures were not voluntary, ZA/UM’s leaders have denied this.

In 2022, Kurvitz and Rostov established a new studio called Red Info, which seems to be located in the UK. Reports suggest NetEase is backing the studio, and trademark applications indicate they’re already developing a new game. While Hindpere has a small investment in the company, it’s currently unknown if she’s involved in the game’s creation.

Argo Tuulik and Dora Klindžić, who previously wrote for ZA/UM’s Disco Elysium, began working on a sequel – internally known as Locust City – but the project was ultimately cancelled. Their story is central to a recent People Makes Games video that follows the creators involved in developing a new game inspired by Disco Elysium.

Both Kim Tuulik and Marko Klindžić have described ‘Locust City’ as a potential full expansion to the game ‘Disco Elysium,’ following the story of Cuno and Cunoesse as they attempt to escape Revachol after a murder. Details about this expansion were unfortunately leaked online last year after the project was cancelled and Tuulik was laid off. The leak was significant enough that ZA/UM had to release a statement confirming the details and clarifying that the project had been cancelled during early development.

Seriously, if you haven’t watched People Makes Games’ latest video, you need to, but be warned – it’s a really stressful watch! It dives into the messy stuff that happened after Disco Elysium blew up. Basically, after leaving ZA/UM, the core creators, Tuulik and Klindžić, tried working with other studios hoping to make something as great, but it quickly turned into a nightmare. They ended up detailing a bunch of creative and legal problems with both Longdue/CoGrammer and Dark Math Games (run by a former Disco Elysium producer, Kaur Kender!), which ultimately led them to leave those studios too.

Dark Math Games recently announced their new game, now called Tangerine Antarctic (previously known as XXX Nightshift), and launched an online comic called “What Gives You F”. While I appreciate good writing like that in Disco Elysium, I can’t really recommend this game – it’s difficult to find online, and the title itself presents issues.

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

Disco Elysium was a huge hit, and now many new game developers are trying to create games with a similar feel and impact to the one it had.

With the legal issues and the team having largely moved on, it’s doubtful we’ll see another game from the original creators anytime soon. And even if a new game did appear, it’s hard to imagine it would be as successful as Disco Elysium. However, several games with a similar feel have emerged, and some have even received positive feedback from people who worked on Disco Elysium.

One game worth highlighting is Esoteric Ebb, which Tuulik often praised online, even calling it a true successor to similar titles. Released earlier this year, it’s an isometric, story-focused RPG where conversations are more important than fighting. You play as a skilled Cleric investigating a bombing at a tea shop in the fantastical, technologically advanced city of Norvik. Similar to Disco Elysium, your character’s skills heavily influence the story, leading to funny and unpredictable moments.

This game is fantastic and will likely appeal to fans of Disco Elysium who are searching for a new, captivating story. While Esoteric Ebb isn’t afraid to be over-the-top and playful, it’s not a brooding, melancholic experience – though it’s still definitely worth checking out!

If you enjoy games that are both sad and ultimately hopeful, you should check out Season: A Letter to the Future. You’ll travel the world, meet people, and record your experiences knowing that everything is coming to an end. It’s a deeply moving game that will stay with you long after you finish playing.

If you enjoyed the literary quality of Disco Elysium, you might also like some role-playing games that prioritize storytelling. Planescape: Torment is an older game that’s famous for its deep, philosophical narrative. Like Disco Elysium, its main character has amnesia, letting you piece together the world’s story at your own pace.

Look, if you’re not into older games, that’s cool. But if you loved the story in Disco Elysium – getting totally lost in its world and atmosphere – you should definitely check out games like Citizen Sleeper or Pentiment. They really nail that same feeling of a fantastic story pulling you in.

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While Beaver suggests no other games rival Disco Elysium’s strong storytelling, I believe many comparable games already exist. More importantly, Disco Elysium has demonstrated a real appetite for games with writing more like novels, and we’re starting to see that impact more and more across the gaming industry.

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

With that said, I don’t think we’ll ever see another game quite like Disco Elysium, or a true follow-up. It’s been seven years since its release, and most of the people who made the original have moved on to other projects.

Despite these changes, I’m still hoping for games that capture the ambitious spirit and detailed worlds of classic CRPGs. It’s great to see fans embracing games inspired by Disco Elysium, often called “Disco-likes,” because they prioritize strong stories and immersive experiences. Esoteric Ebb is a recent example, and you can find more recommendations on the Disco Elysium subreddit, where fans maintain a list of similar games.

Disco Elysium proved that players want games with writing that reads like a novel, and we’re starting to see other games take inspiration from it.

As a big fan of Disco Elysium, I’m really hoping future games will try to capture its amazing storytelling – that deep, literary quality – rather than just copying its world and how it looks. That’s what worries me a bit about Tangerine Antarctic. I haven’t seen a release date yet, and honestly, after seeing their webcomic and hearing about the tough development process in that Player Makes Games documentary (from what Klindžić shared), I’m going into it with pretty low expectations. I’d love to be proven wrong, but I’m definitely skeptical right now.

Beaver is correct that few big-budget games achieve the same storytelling quality as Disco Elysium. However, many smaller, independent, and mid-sized games do a great job of exploring different ideas and beliefs within well-developed worlds and featuring interesting characters.

I share the sadness that a direct sequel to Disco Elysium is unlikely after the studio’s difficulties, but I’m excited to see what new games will emerge, taking inspiration from it and establishing themselves as equally memorable titles.

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2026-05-15 16:11