Similar games / experiences?

[Samsara]

Hey all ! I was wondering if there are any other games or similar experiences to Disco ? After having finished the game multiple times I find myself wanting a similar experience. Is such a thing even possible ?

[skullymex]

I can't think of a single game that I would say is like it, but maybe look at some CRPGs? I can recommend Planescape: Torment, Fallout 1 and 2, Shadowrun Returns/Hong Kong, Wasteland 2 and 3.
You might also wanna check out Pathologic 2, Citizen Sleeper or Papers, Please. They kinda left me with the same feeling as DE that i can't really describe but I'm sure you know what i mean.

[Katz]

My money is on Citizen Sleeper, but it's definitely not 100% the same experience as Disco Elysium.

[alfred bitchcock]

i can wholeheartedly recommend 'the return of the obra dinn', by the same guy who made papers please. It does a great job satiating the post-DE detective urge in a cool, gloomy setting. its not really an rpg like DE, but it also left me googling for similar games at the end. definitely one of the games that lets you do the majority of the leg work yourself when it comes to making deductions and actually "solving the case"

[Shattered mind]

while it's a different genre, The Outer Wilds is the closest I've gotten to a game that matches Disco's profoundness and it had me in awe as the story's pieces fell into place. it's hard to say any more without spoiling anything and I highly recommend going in to this one completely blind for the best experience.

[springtoiffel]

most similar imho:

1. Winter Voices
free episodic RPG on steam
2. Rainswept
detective adventure game, little known but sometimes strikingly similar, although Rainswept was released before Disco Elysium
3. Planescape Torment
text heavy RPG classic and best game of all time

having played both Winter Voices and Rainswept before playing Disco Elysium, I felt like DE almost was the lovechild of those two (although I'm pretty sure the devs know neither game).

other than that, somewhat similar:
1. NORCO
2. Citizen Sleeper
3. Kentucky Route Zero

note that Planescape Torment and Kentucky Route Zero were mentioned as inspiration for DE by the developers themselves.
I also liked Planescapes "spiritual successor" Torment: Tides of Numenera. a lot of people didn't like it though, but I'm pretty sure this has to do with the devs not living up to kickstarter expectations. play the game for what it actually is and I think you'll have a great time.

[Toni]

I think these would work for you, take a look:

-Dead Synchronicity
https://store.steampowered.com/app/339190/Dead_Synchronicity_Tomorrow_Comes_Today/

-The red strings club
https://store.steampowered.com/app/589780/The_Red_Strings_Club/

[Space is the Place]

With all due respect, all recomendations in here are pointless.

People are recomending you either RPGs or PnC adventures, none comes closer to the union of both Disco Elysium tries out. PnC adventures will present you with a fixxed story and puzzles and most RPGs mentioned here are combat focus, regardless of how much story there is.

If you really want a "disco elysium" alike experience, then your only real options are the games INSPIRED BY Disco Elysium that are comming out this year or later. Meaning, only 3 games:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1403440/Broken_Roads/

https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/1674920/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2057760/Esoteric_Ebb/

The first one will have combat so, like I said, maybe it´s a pointless recomendation. Plus it tries to sound smart with the "philosophies" thing and then completely mocks those believes and present a childish version of what an unaducated person would think about said thoughs.

The other 2 though, those are 100% based on Disco Elysium, Sovereign Syndicate particularly it´s 100% a steampunk fantasy version of Disco Elysium, with emotions providing naration and what not exactly like D.E.

[Brma]

Originally posted by skullymex:

I can't think of a single game that I would say is like it, but maybe look at some CRPGs? I can recommend Planescape: Torment, Fallout 1 and 2, Shadowrun Returns/Hong Kong, Wasteland 2 and 3.
You might also wanna check out Pathologic 2, Citizen Sleeper or Papers, Please. They kinda left me with the same feeling as DE that i can't really describe but I'm sure you know what i mean.

I agree with Planescape as you can mostly avoid combat and make the game similar to this.
I also second Pathologic 2. Great game that's very similar to this.
A less known game where you don't have to get into combat if you choose not to is Age of Decadence.

[Space is the Place]

Originally posted by Brma:

I agree with Planescape as you can mostly avoid combat and make the game similar to this.

I don´t know why people keep mentioning this. Is Planetscape an inspiration for Disco Elysium? Yes.

Is Planetscape like Disco Elysium? No.

It´s a normal RPG, "mostly avoid combat" means "if you make a specific character role and know your way around, you may complete the game with around only 6 fights on a pretty broken combat system".

Disco Elysium doesn´t "hardly have any combat", it has 0. Therefor any game with RPG combat won´t be like Disco Elysium.

OP, don´t get drag into Planescape if you don´t want a regular RPG experience. No matter how many people tell you, the game DOES have combat, and in fact at the starting area you need to know the path and don´t stop near NPCs if you want to avoid combat. Basically like I said, you need to know the game or follow a guide if you really want to "mostly avoid combat", and it´s "mostly" because some you will have to do them yes or yes.

[Brma]

Originally posted by Space is the Metal Mail-Man:

Originally posted by Brma:

I agree with Planescape as you can mostly avoid combat and make the game similar to this.

I don´t know why people keep mentioning this. Is Planetscape an inspiration for Disco Elysium? Yes.

Is Planetscape like Disco Elysium? No.

It´s a normal RPG, "mostly avoid combat" means "if you make a specific character role and know your way around, you may complete the game with around only 6 fights on a pretty broken combat system".

Disco Elysium doesn´t "hardly have any combat", it has 0. Therefor any game with RPG combat won´t be like Disco Elysium.

OP, don´t get drag into Planescape if you don´t want a regular RPG experience. No matter how many people tell you, the game DOES have combat, and in fact at the starting area you need to know the path and don´t stop near NPCs if you want to avoid combat. Basically like I said, you need to know the game or follow a guide if you really want to "mostly avoid combat", and it´s "mostly" because some you will have to do them yes or yes.

I see your point but playing the game that gave inspiration to a game someone loves seems logical.

[skullymex]

Originally posted by Space is the Metal Mail-Man:

With all due respect, all recomendations in here are pointless.

People are recomending you either RPGs or PnC adventures, none comes closer to the union of both Disco Elysium tries out. PnC adventures will present you with a fixxed story and puzzles and most RPGs mentioned here are combat focus, regardless of how much story there is.

You seem very passionate about this, and I do see your point. I did mention in my reply that there isn't another game like DE, all these suggestions are more of a 'Fans of DE also tend to enjoy these' type of thing. Ultimately it's up to OP to decide whether any of these suggestions are helpful.

[Space is the Place]

Originally posted by Brma:

I see your point but playing the game that gave inspiration to a game someone loves seems logical.

That I would agree. It´s still a pretty important game. But just from personal experience as someone who played years after launch, precisely because they told me it had little combat, that wasn´t my experience. And avoiding that combat, does requiere certain knowledge.

I feel like DE is so special because it mixxes RPG and PnC.

Originally posted by skullymex:

You seem very passionate about this, and I do see your point. I did mention in my reply that there isn't another game like DE, all these suggestions are more of a 'Fans of DE also tend to enjoy these' type of thing. Ultimately it's up to OP to decide whether any of these suggestions are helpful.

Didn´t mean it in a offensive way. And certainly OP is the one who decides, I just think, personally, that DE like I just said mixxes two genres. And I feel recomendating games from either of those genres it´s misrepresenting what DE actually is.

THe ones I suggested, particularly the last two, I do feel that come closer, mostly because it´s clear both are trying to emulate DE with most of the narration coming from inner thoughs or ideas that are related to skills and builds. It´s a very particular type of gameplay.

ANd off course of all of this is personal, like anything anyone writes it´s just something I´m saying. I didn´t mean to offend by the use of the word "pointless" and if you felt so my apologies.

[springtoiffel]

Originally posted by Space is the Metal Mail-Man:

Didn´t mean it in a offensive way. And certainly OP is the one who decides, I just think, personally, that DE like I just said mixxes two genres. And I feel recomendating games from either of those genres it´s misrepresenting what DE actually is.

OP asked for similar games/experiences.
most people here recommended exactly that.
you recommended direct copies of DE.
both approaches are legit imo.
and you have no reason to apologize. I know the disappointing feeling if you're looking for something exactly like whatever it is you're looking for and not finding anything. you've brought up 3 very promising looking games.

but Planescape Torment should definitely not be discarded. as I've said, the devs of DE themselves quoted it as one of their two main inspirations and Planescape being a philosophical, text heavy, emotional RPG about finding out who you are and what you've done really is as similar an experience as one can get.
but again, you're right, Planescape is very combat heavy, especially after Curst right about until the end. this fact should be considered, too, if anyone wants to play Planescape looking for a similar experience to DE.

[Samsara]

Hey all, thank you for your suggestions, I have wish listed most of them ! As far as Planescape goes, I have had a difficulty getting into despite having finished both Baldur's Gate 1 & 2. Perhaps its the UI or the fact that I was already not huge fan of THACO in BG and the combat in Planescape is arguably worse than those two. I have decided that for Planescape I might just read the unofficial "book". If you all have any suggestions for getting into planescape I will be delighted.

[Space is the Place]

Originally posted by springtoiffel:

but Planescape Torment should definitely not be discarded. as I've said, the devs of DE themselves quoted it as one of their two main inspirations and Planescape being a philosophical, text heavy, emotional RPG about finding out who you are and what you've done really is as similar an experience as one can get.
but again, you're right, Planescape is very combat heavy, especially after Curst right about until the end. this fact should be considered, too, if anyone wants to play Planescape looking for a similar experience to DE.

Yeah, that was what I meant. And I´m not sure if I shared this or not, but it was my experience. I knew the game for years but never being an RPG player, still people continue recommending it to me and I even asked for a non-combat run on forums not so long ago. Eventually, rather than getting it here on Steam a friend lend me a copy (same friend who introduced me to anything rol playing related over my life, got me into buying Warhammer figurines 20 years ago when I wasn´t even playing... and never have lol), and I did find myself with this problem. Sure I looked a guide, felt dumb for stopping near some NPCs on my first playthrough knowing now If I don´t come close they will leave me be, made the right build for the less combat focus run... so I felt that while less combat was an option, it requiered a knowledge of the game a first time player may lack.

That being said, it´s true the comparison should be made as not just DE was heavily inspired by PT, but indeed the heavy focus on story and the approach to story telling itself (specially on the fact the character is "new" to the world he inhabits during the game) are similar in a very unique way not found very often withing the RPG genre, even though it tends to be a story focus genre.

I can see that perhaps you two may be right that I shouldn´t dismiss it so hastly just because combat it´s a part of it. Although I still think it should be mentioned it has combat, and it´s a little bit... yanky, even for someone like me not very versed on the genre.

Originally posted by Samsara:

Hey all, thank you for your suggestions, I have wish listed most of them ! As far as Planescape goes, I have had a difficulty getting into despite having finished both Baldur's Gate 1 & 2. Perhaps its the UI or the fact that I was already not huge fan of THACO in BG and the combat in Planescape is arguably worse than those two. I have decided that for Planescape I might just read the unofficial "book". If you all have any suggestions for getting into planescape I will be delighted.

If you really feel like spoiling a little bit for yourself, you could do like i did and just find a guide for a less combat focus run. You will get a build recomendation, some tips and then there are actual guides on step by step, but I felt that was too much and ignore it. But honestly even then I have not being able to finish it, nor do I play much to be honest. Still on the fence if picking it up here on Steam, maybe if I pay for it rather than someone giving me a CD like it´s 1998 I would feel more open to keep playing.

If you really can´t get into the game, at least, try to watch one of those "the game the movie" videos on youtube where you get the cinematics and some gameplay so you can see a little of the story. Like I said I have not played much and I don´t think I have advanced too much, but the fame the game has for it´s story as far as I could see it´s very well deserved. I can imagine how people´s mind got blown away by the game when it came out knowing the type of stuff the industry was sh1tting back then.

It´s one of those you play wondering "how is there no movie/TV show for this?" for a few seconds before realizing movies simply aren´t that good anymore to tackle such a story.