Disco Elysium - FAQ

[ZAUM_Dani]

What is Disco Elysium?
Disco Elysium is a groundbreaking open world role playing game. You’re a detective with a unique skill system at your disposal and a whole city block to carve your path across. Interrogate unforgettable characters, crack murders or take bribes. Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being.

What is The Final Cut?
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is the definitive edition of the smash-hit RPG. Pursue your political dreams in new vision quests, meet and question more of the city's locals, and explore a whole extra area. Also enjoy full voice-acting, controller support, and expanded language options. Find out more here!

Who is ZA/UM?
ZA/UM began as a cultural movement amongst like minded individuals and friends and has grown to include people from all around the globe. The main team are located in Brighton and London, and additional developers are located in China, Poland, Romania and Estonia.

How many people are on the team?
We were about 30 strong at our peak but there have been over a hundred people involved in bringing the game to life.

What are some of the inspirations for Disco Elysium?
The Shield, The Wire, and True Detective are some of the main inspirations behind the "cop show" part of Disco Elysium. "Disco Elysium'' is us using the cop show format to introduce the city of Revachol (a sort of disgraced world capital) in the fifties. Aside from cop shows it draws on Dashiell Hammett's detective stories, Emile Zola’s naturalism and of course welsh poetry. (Richard Edwards and RS Thomas). We also have an undying and somewhat ridiculous love for the Damien Marley song "Welcome to Jamrock".

What about video game inspirations?
Planescape Torment, Kentucky Route Zero, Baldur's Gate, Pillars of Eternity, Divinity Original Sin. Fallout (the first).

Tell us about the soundtrack for the game
Our orchestral soundtrack from the wonderful Sea Power is completely original and features around 30 tracks. It took 3 years to make.

What if I want to post a gameplay video on Youtube or stream the game?
The official soundtrack is a mix (and remix) of a few old and tons of brand new songs for the game. Unfortunately there's nothing we can do about how YouTube and these companies handle copyright nor how their algorithms flag content. We've been in talks with them about this for quite a while now and they simply won't bend the rules. Please use our dedicated in-game Streamer mode.

What is Elysium?
Elysium is a colloquial term of endearment for the world used by the inhabitants. When people in Elysium refer to the world as a glorious, beautiful place they call it Elysium.

What time period is Disco Elysium set in?
Disco Elysium takes place in the early fifties of a world very different to our own.

Why did we choose to use the isometric view?
There are many reasons why we chose to utilise the isometric view that so many of us know and love. We grew up playing Planescape and Fallout. It also helps create the lonely atmosphere that’s so important in Disco Elysium. Cities look gorgeous in isometrics. Also, our gameplay elements work surprisingly well in an isometric viewpoint and one of our forensics based skills ‘Visual Calculus’ shines out as a particular example.

Can I play this game with a friend?
Whilst Disco Elysium is a singleplayer game in the traditional sense, we still think a lot of fun can be had enjoying it with friends or a significant other.

How many words are in the game so far?
Over a million.

Does the game have Achievements?
Yes.

What is the Price?
You can get Disco Elysium for 39.99 USD / 39.99 EUR / 34.99 GBP respectively.

Commercial License?
Please check the Steam Store page for details.

What is the Thought Cabinet?
Like most RPGs we have a more traditional inventory for tools and items, but we also have a unique inventory for your thoughts, which we refer to as the Thought Cabinet. It’s also our perk / talent / reputation system, all rolled into one. There are over 50 wild thoughts to discover and think in game. You discover thoughts by talking to characters or observing the environment around you.

How many hours is the game on average? Is there more than one case to investigate?
It takes 60+ hours of continuous playtime to finish Disco Elysium if you’re a reasonably completionist player. It takes 90 hours if you’re absolutely savouring every detail. And 30 hours if you’re rushing it. There are many side-quests -- or side-cases as we call them -- some rivalling (but not exceeding) the main quest in length.

Combat?
All encounters are handled in the dialogue using our Metric System. Think of D&D encounters, but you roll a lot of athletics and grappling checks. There’s a limited number of these set piece combat sequences -- befitting a detective story.

Character Creation.
There are three predetermined character archetypes for you to choose from. Or you can make your own character by distributing points into four main Stats: Intellect, Psyche, Physique and Motorics and then adding a Signature Skill to specialise further.

Okay what kind of skills are there?
The game has 24 unique skills, six under each main Stat. Under Intellect, Encyclopedia gives you knowledge about the world that you can then use to solve cases. Under Psyche, Inland Empire is your imagination running wild -- you can have conversations with inanimate objects, even dead people. A high Physique build excels at Electrochemistry, turning you into a slave for your baser instincts. (And the drink.) While Motorics has Hand/Eye coordination, a skill that lets you shoot the bad guy in the head.
Stats you pick at character creation, Skills are advanced during the game. Stats set the original value of your Skills and a learning cap for how far you can advance in them later. Learning caps can be raised by completing specific Thoughts, so there is time for (some) course correction later.

Can I change how my character looks?
There are a lot of customisation options available for the main character, including clothes, accessories, items and tools. Many of these will offer bonuses, either positive, negative or (both) that can help to affect the outcome of a situation.

What kind of character can I play?
You can roleplay as your dream detective! So for example Sherlock Holmes would be super good at logic, he would be agile and hyper intelligent. First figure out what stats your favourite detective would have and then decide how he would react. Rust Cohle, Dale Cooper, Patrick Jane... the possibilities are endless. Find your favourite detective from a book, tv or film and try to recreate them in game. Utilise the skills, thoughts, and fashion choices to achieve your goal. We can’t wait to see what you do.

​Tell me more about the Fashion?
Dress up as a classic hard boiled detective with a trench coat or a fedora. Or go full disco 70s cop with flare cut pants and a crazy tie. Explore the future in a high performance tracksuit and sneakers. Or, if you’re short on cash, go for the hobocop.

Tools?
You’ll be able to wield 14 different tools from guns, flashlights and even a boombox.

What about substances?
You’ll be able to drink yourself to death, smoke yourself silly or simply consume a cocktail of 6 different psychoactive substances. Drugs not only make you more powerful, they also raise the learning caps of your Skills, allowing for more flexible builds. But remember, they are bad for your mental and physical health -- and have unforeseen consequences in the game’s story.

What languages is Disco Elysium available in?
The game is currently available in English, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, French, German, Russian and Polish.

Minimum Spec Requirements
Please take a look at the Steam store page for the latest updated minimum spec requirements.

Is there choice and consequence?
Tons. Every little thing you say wrong can come back to haunt you, not to speak of the big choices. Reactivity to what you’ve done, the order you’ve approached the case in -- and your character choices -- is at the heart of Disco Elysium.

Game's capacity for replayability?
Our character system allows for different playthroughs of Disco Elysium to have wildly different outcomes and experiences. It’s also possible to fail at solving the case or worse. A second, third and even fourth playthrough reveal new aspects of the case and the world.

Is it possible to die?
Oh yes, it is entirely possible to die in Disco Elysium, so watch that Health and Morale!

Health and Morale
Keep an eye on those two bars in your lower left corner, if they drop to 0, it’s goodbye Detective. Use positive experiences, the environment and a good night's sleep to regenerate. Low on Health, put a point into Endurance! Low on Morale? Volition is the way forward! You can also buy medicine from the local drug store. Remember you can heal yourself during dialogue (providing you have the correct items) by clicking on either button above your character portrait.

How many characters are in the game?
Over 80.

Who are some of the voice cast in the game?
Our game features a lot of unique voice talent, some of which you may recognise. Dizzy DROS, Mikee Goodman from Sikth, Mark Holcomb from Periphery. Kyle Simmons from Bastille, "Dot" Major from London Grammar, and many more.

Orbs
Disco Elysium blends RPG and adventure game mechanics with orbs, both in the environment and around your head. What orbs you get depends on your character build. Orbs alert you to interesting observations in your surroundings, bringing the exploration phase of the game to life. Click on them!

White checks
Failed white checks can be tried again after levelling up the relevant skill. Can’t pass an Endurance check? Put a point into Endurance -- you get another attempt at rolling that check! In addition to levelling up the relevant Skill, white checks can also be opened by “modifiers”. You get modifiers by talking to other people and exploring the environment. Need to convince someone? Talk to their boss. Putting together a puzzle of broken glass? Look around for the missing shards.

Red checks
Red checks can only be tried once. They’re a “now or never” kind of deal.

I’ve failed several red checks in a row?
A common issue, be sure you’re not internalising The Precarious World thought which causes all red checks to fail.

Sleeping
It is possible to head to sleep any time after 9pm. By then, the streets will be emptier. Sleeping is one way to heal both your health and morale. Night owls might stay up until as late as 2 am, but there’s less to do at night with people asleep.

Making money
You can make money through bribery, corruption, selling tare and pawning items. You need money to have a place to stay at night, so Disco Elysium also has a light survival element.

Getting rid of your partner Kim?
Sneak out once he’s gone to bed. Or send him to take away the dead body, or even arrest a suspect. Kim leaves at special points in the story, leaving you to fend for yourself. If you don’t know what to do with this time, you can always read books or just sit on a bench to pass time until you can go to sleep.

What order should I do things in? Where should I go first?
One of the great things about Disco Elysium is that it’s possible to play the game in many different ways. There is no set order to explore the world and encounter characters. If you do want a little bit of guidance, you can use the Detective’s Journal to see what tasks are available to you, or follow Lt Kim’s advice.

I can’t get the body down from the tree / I can’t pass the Endurance check to keep it in.
Remember, you don’t have to do everything on the first day. Also, not getting the body down from the tree -- and even not inspecting it -- is a perfectly valid way to play the game. Losers see content that winners never will. Disco Elysium is like life. It goes on despite you failing at things.

How can I get some hints?
Press tab to highlight items in the area or environment to give you some hints on what to investigate. Press F1 for a rundown of the game’s mechanics.

How do I run?
Double click to run, press space to stop. Press Caps Lock to toggle.

Can I play with just the mouse?
Yes it is possible to play mouse only.

Are there WASD controls?
WASD controls are available in Disco Elysium.

How does time pass in the game?
Game time passes when you are in dialogue and talking to people. Every line of dialogue advances time by 23 seconds. Reading books is also a great way to pass more time in the game. There is a bookshop near the Whirling-In-Rags hostel where you can purchase some.

Controller Support?
Yes the game now has full controller support as of March 2021 with the release of The Final Cut. Please check your Steam controller configuration settings.

Does the game have Ultrawide (21:9) Support?
Yes the game has Ultrawide Support.

Are you planning on selling any merchandise?
Check out our new official range of branded clothes, bags, pins, and much more here![shop.discoelysium.com]

For high quality prints and fashion inspired by the game, check out the ZA/UM Atelier here![atelier.zaumstudio.com]

How do you feel about the sale of fan made merchandise?
We want the fandom and community to know that ZA/UM absolutely endorses and encourages the creation and sale of original and handmade fan artwork on sites such as Redbubble and Etsy! We truly appreciate it and will support it!

Items that clearly infringe on our copyright and art will be removed.

Large scale/mass productions are not permitted.

Fan games must be non-commercial, not-for profit and clearly state they are fan-made.

Displate
We also have a Displate store where you can buy one-of-a-kind official Disco Elysium metal posters. Check out the wide range of Disco Elysium designs available here![displate.com]

I found a bug, what do I do?
Please see this link to our Bug Report[forms.gle]

Is there an official Discord?
Yes there is, join us here! Disco(rd) Elysium[discord.gg]

Other social media?
Facebook[www.facebook.com]
Twitter
Twitter
Instagram[www.instagram.com]
YouTube Channel

Where can I buy the Original Soundtrack and Digital Artbooklet?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1173140/Disco_Elysium__Soundtrack_and_Artbooklet/

Can I buy the soundtrack standalone?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1233220/Disco_Elysium_Soundtrack/?curator_clanid=28912883

Will the soundtrack be available in other formats, and on other platforms?
Soundtrack will be available elsewhere later, we're exploring various different options.

Physical Soundtrack?
The full Disco Elysium soundtrack by Sea Power is available in vinyl with two different box designs. The first is a standard vinyl box design while the second is an origami design. Both feature cover art by Anton Vill. See them both here at iam8bit[www.iam8bit.com]

Collectors Edition
Available to pre-order now! Disco Elysium - The Final Cut launches digitally in March 2021. Secure yourself the Standard Edition ahead of time or dive deeper into the investigation with the Collector's Edition brought to you in partnership with iam8bit. See details here![discoelysium.iam8bit.com]

The Final Cut

What is The Final Cut?
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is the definitive edition of the smash-hit RPG. Pursue your political dreams in new vision quests, meet and question more of the city's locals, and explore a whole extra area. Also enjoy full voice-acting, controller support, and expanded language options. Find out more here!

What content did The Final Cut add to the game?
New political vision quests, characters, clothes, cutscenes and full voice-acting.

What language is the Full VO in?
English only.

What are the different VO modes?
Classic - Character greetings only (first dialogue with them). Great if you like reading.
Psychological - Characters fully voiced, no narrator. For those who don't want their “inner life” voiced.
Full - All characters, narrator (objects & skills) fully voiced. Full blown production values, baby.

Some narration seems to be missing in "Full VO" mode?
Narrator parts are not voiced if they are within the same text that contains character voices.

Free Upgrade?
The Final Cut was made available at no extra cost to all current owners of Disco Elysium. Original players get to expand their experience for free while new players can enjoy the new content from their first playthrough.

Will my current save work with The Final Cut?
The game will work mid-save but you might miss new content depending how far into the story you are. We recommend a new save.

Controller Support?
Full Controller support has been added with The Final Cut. Please configure your controller in the Steam Settings.

For more information on The Final Cut please see our full news piece here or head to discoelysium.com.