The Making of Disco Elysium - Part Two: Building Elysium

Quick Overview

The development of Disco Elysium involved early struggles with funding and scope management, eventually settling on an isometric RPG design that strongly influenced the final game's narrative and character systems, despite initial challenges like the game not feeling cursed and securing adequate resources.

Key Points: The team initially struggled with funding and the scope of the game, which was described as potentially being an RPG or a board game hybrid. The final scope settled on an isometric role-playing game, a decision that was heavily influenced by the world-building artists, particularly Robert's artwork. The art style, heavily inspired by the work of Robert Austin James and the aesthetic of Tallinn, Estonia, was crucial for the game's overall feel. The initial team of core members included Robert, Helen, Martin, and others, who worked on various aspects like art, writing, and programming. A key design challenge was managing the scope, which included features like the 'Wake Up Sequence' and realizing that the initial vision for the game's world was too large. The game's skill system was designed early on, with four main attributes (Intellect, Psyche, Physique, Motorics) and associated skills. The team credits their early success in securing funding to showing interested parties early demos and playable prototypes.

Context: This documentary segment focuses on the early development phase of the video game Disco Elysium, featuring interviews with key team members like Robert Kurvitz and Helen Hindpere, discussing the initial conceptualization, art direction, team formation, and the challenges of securing funding and managing the game's ambitious scope.

Detailed Analysis

The development of Disco Elysium began with a small team, including Robert Kurvitz, Helen Hindpere, Martin Luiga, and others, working out of a cramped and poorly heated office space in Tallinn, Estonia, often enduring freezing temperatures (-18C/0.4F). Initially, the project wasn't clearly defined, oscillating between an RPG and a board game concept, and they received initial funding through a Kickstarter campaign. The team found inspiration in their surroundings; the aesthetic of Tallinn's old town influenced the game's visual style. Key personnel like Aleksander Rostov (art) and Jaagup Irve (systems designer) were hired early on, with Rostov's art being particularly inspiring for defining the game's look, especially the isometric perspective. The writing team, including Robert and Helen, faced the monumental task of creating the game's vast narrative, which was initially too large, leading to necessary scope reductions. The skill system, featuring four main attributes (Intellect, Psyche, Physique, Motorics), was established early. The team's ability to secure further funding was partly due to showing demos and prototypes that demonstrated the game's unique vision, such as early level layouts and character models, even though some elements, like a complex combat system, were later cut or simplified. The overall sentiment was one of passion and overcoming adversity to bring their ambitious vision to life.