I firmly believe Disco Elysium has started a narrative RPG renaissance deserving of its own sub-genre name like “Roguelikes.” (But we’ll decide that as a community later!) Rue Valley is one of such RPGs! The development studio, Emotion Spark, even received personal kudos from some of Disco Elysium‘s most pivotal artists!

Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and Helen Hindpere played the Rue Valley demo. And all of them had nothing but wonderful feedback! “At one particularly challenging moment in gameplay, [Kurvitz’s] genuine excitement upon overcoming it electrified the Emotion Spark team, reinforcing their belief in the game’s depth and engagement,” the team proudly emphasized!

“Hindpere, playing the demo separately, described Rue Valley as both familiar and refreshingly original. She recognized similarities in storytelling tools and dialogue mechanics but emphasized that the game carves its own path. … Rostov, the visionary art director of Disco Elysium, delved into the visual identity of Rue Valley. During a follow-up visit to the studio, he engaged in an in-depth discussion about the art style, even suggesting thoughtful improvements like adding character shadows casting on themselves, which left a lasting impression on the team.”

and now, from celebrated, talented ‘disco elysium’ devs to the opinion of some goof-ass on the internet

I also had a chance to play the Rue Valley demo on Steam. Now, obviously, I’m no Disco Elysium alumni. But, from the painfully short sample I played? It’s got the secret sauce. So, I’ll try to keep demo spoilers minimal so you can experience it as blindly as possible. But, an early feature I rather enjoyed is the above “personality tree,” which you initially adjust before jumping in.

I thought it would be an unchanging constant. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn my choices and interactions with other characters impacted my traits! It felt authentic. People are rarely “emotionally consistent,” so giving the main character that fluidity scratched a deep narrative “itch” for me. (A personality-centered nuance Disco Elysium also nailed.) The other thing I’ll highlight is the moment-to-moment unpredictability of how your mental and emotional state dictates your decisions.

I made my character an anxious, overthinking mess who avoided people like the plague (entirely unrelatable, of course). When you’re presented with your dialogue options, some will be inaccessible because you’re too anxious to tell the receptionist on her phone to stop talking so she can check you into the motel. Instead, my character fumbled around with pamphlets on the desk, trying to get her attention. When that didn’t work, my character called the entire interaction a wash, sat in an armchair at the opposite end of the room, and awkwardly scrolled through his social media feed until the receptionist formally finished her agonizingly long conversation. I felt personally attacked by this sequence, but I loved it.

Rue Valley is like Disco Elysium for anxious/depressed people who want to feel a strong sense of self-validation. We aren’t the only ones out here, y’all.

the only negative i have for ‘rue valley’ is that the demo is too short and i need more

What else can I say that you can’t readily see from the screenshots? The stop-motion comic-book aesthetic is gorgeous and gives everything such a distinctive feel. The characters are fun, quirky, and crazy. The overarching personal and plot-based stories are intriguing. And, I have to iterate, Rue Valley has the blessing of some of Disco Elysium’s best and brightest. If LeBron James calls you a great basketball player, that means something.

Please. Please wishlist Rue Valley on Steam. Give it the boost it deserves leading up to its release later this year! Go watch or listen to the conversation between Rue Valley‘s creative director, Marko Smiljanić, and consistently mentioned (and endlessly dedicated) YouTuber and Disco Elysium lover, The 41st Precinct! Let’s reward hard work and greatness.