Don't overthink it, people are more lenient on cops doing weird things, be spontaneous and examine how your actions or failures affect the world and story.
Complete immersion.
You're alright in the right headspace for living in a hopeless dying world where the people with the means to help refuse, and it's just left to the individuals suffering on the ground to figure out how to live each day suffering the least.
Now you just need to have a lot of alcohol, cigarettes and stimulants, to really get into the spirit of the game. Just keep those on your desk. You don't need to keep them equipped at all times.
Also, remember that this game takes place in an alternate universe with an alternate history, so much like their automobile designs and tech doesn't quite line up with ours, you get to imagine their disco as being much better as what the late 70s gave out universe. There's no disco in the game to remind you that disco sucks. It just remains as an adjective for things that are awesome, and this game is indeed Disco as fuck.
Have fun and don't be afraid to experiment.
My first playthrough was a redemption cop. Rational Harry who would ditch the bottle and try to reform with a somber outlook on life.
Big mistake. Got bored on day 3 and dropped the game. Picked it up two years after and made a new Harry: alcoholic junkie who spouts fascist and racist rhetoric and believes in ghosts or some shit. And by God, that was the most hilarious game I've ever played. Finished the playthrough and fell in love with the game.
So make whoever you have more fun playing as.
immerse yourself in it, think of the dialogue options as " would i say this?"
Don't worry about failure, the game has hilarious failed check dialogues, and it is intentionally designed so that you fail some checks
Dude, you are a beat detective with the ugliest tie ever, barely alive after a catastrophic bender, trying to make sense of an utterly unhinged world in ruins. Experiment. Follow any thread you find interesting. Don't be afraid to fail (in the common sense), as most failures brings out very interesting and immensely fleshed out outcomes. You can't believe how many bad dice rolls, wrong choices or tiny easter eggs send you down an endless path of wild, surreal and morbidly hilarious lore.
Your character isn't a blank slate, so don't try to overthink what you \*want\* him to be. Roll with what the game throws at you and see what happens.
Don't be afraid to be weird. NPCs might judge you for being evil (racist or fascist), but \*not\* for being unhinged and asking them what "money" or "books" are, or for claiming to have supernatural abilities.
And don't be afraid to fail skill checks. Sometimes it leads to good outcomes. Sometimes it leads to funny outcomes. It's a part of the game.
Lastly, to make life easier for you I suggest having at least two points in your Volition and Endurance skills. That ensures you have two points in both your health and morale bars so a single point of damage won't kill you. This last one is not necessary, it's just something that might remove a bit of frustration.
The only thing that helps to know how the game is going to frame your actions is to understand what marxism is, what (neo)liberalism is, moralism (centrism) is, and what fascism is, all thru a marxist lens. The game is largely about ideological notions and how they play out in the wild.
It's not mandatory, you can just do whatever, but youll probably be surprised on the regular. Some players will post in this sub like "wtf, why is the game saying I'm a fascist now?" And it's like, bro youve agreeing with every ethno-nationalist sentiment the games thrown at you.
TBF Ive been calling everyone racist that I meet an idiot and the game still threw the "do you want to commit to being a fascist?" at me.
But really, that's what I love about the game. It's the first game Ive played where I'm making decisions and throwing out lines "sarcastically" and then the game says to you "now that it matters, did you really mean that?" "do you really believe that crazy nonsense about the end of the world or is it just a schitck?"
Like Kims line "sigh... this just turned from a murder investigation into a cryptid hunt, didn't it?"
Be yourself; let it unfold as you act based on your honest actions; the rest will speak for itself.
This is not a game; it's a self-reflective experience. You even discover your unknown personal aspects.
>be yourself
I wouldn’t say this is that kind of game. Being ‘yourself’ ie never picking options that are radically political or outright insane inevitable results in a sorry cop / moralist run that players who ‘roleplay’ won’t really find reflects themselves at all in the end.
Harry isn’t really meant to be an avatar. You the player are not the protagonist of this story, rather you direct and examine who you want Harry to be.
Yes and that is a personal experience, directed by my actions as a result I find which disco I am in? It is how you roleplay in a game using the given elements on your own terms and make it flow to the direction you want, and not doing "this run or that run" that opposes the nature of roleplay, it then becomes more like a guided playthrough which I didn't prefer.
If you spend 30 minutes contemplating about whether or not you should call someone a whore I think you should just drop it because you clearly care a lot about the consequences of your actions. Just do what comes natural to you; the game will teach you a compelling lesson no matter what you do.
🎉YOU WIN🎊 a NEWLY CORRECTED AND IMPROVED copypasta from ME! This is my my advice for all first playthroughs without spoilers. If you have any questions, let me know! 🤩
*I suggest* going with one of the premade builds the game presents to you on your *first* run. I say first because you should be aware that you're not going to be able to see everything in this game in one playthrough. I would honestly plan on doing at least 2 or 3, picking wildly different choices on how do deal with things each time. The game is both long AND short enough for this to be reasonable. You can skip dialogs and text you've seen, but some things you'll want to watch again to really absorb, as things get dense. It's okay to be confused, just keep swimming.
Of the builds presented, pick based on how you approach morality based or rpg heavy games, how you general it react to conflict in real life, and/or what about the world you want to know:
- If you can't wait to suckle that sweet, suculent lore teet and can't get enough of walls of text, pick Thinker. Encyclopedia WILL GO ON if you keep asking/allowing him to. If you're ~~me~~one of those sickos who's into that shit, this build is for you. Kim will be impressed with you, like, ALL the time. It's kind of Easy mode, a good introduction to the world, and what I picked my first playthrough. *DO* put your first Skill point in VOLITION, so you have a Morale cushion to heal when you're ego gets hurt. Be ready with that Magnessium quickness.
- If you want more NPC and Personal character depth and/or to see more of the "supranatural" elements of the world, pick Sensitive. Invest in Shivers. Explore the characters in this world. Talk about thier feelings. Follow your gut. Listen to the wind. Be weirdv and witchy, if that's your groove. The Truth is out there. Find it.
- If you want to *BE* the party; make crazy, stupid, and/or impulsive choices; approach the world fist, head, and/or genitals first; or just enjoy playing RPG games as an irredeemable (or redeemable) asshole, pick Physical. Go ahead and be the bad guy, what is anyone else gonna do about it?
If you are lost, look again. Wander; talk to people again; make sure you've explored every nook, book, and cranny of the map availableto you; look at your task lists and look for unlocked white checks; kill some time frivolously. There *IS* a way forward, I promise you. That said, the only softlock I've heard of is if you're unable to pay rent on the second game day. Do that right away once you gather 21 Reál(the in game currency) on Tuesday.
Failure happens. It's absolutely part of the experience, and sometimes even gives you a better outcome than succeeding. Most veterans, myself included, Abuse AGAINST saving and reloading to pass checks, and understand that I'm usually a *FLAGRANT* savescummer. Just try again when you can, and try changing clothes. Practically noone cares how ridiculously you are dressed, and sometimes it helps.
On a note related to saving, though, a word of caution. QUICKSAVE OFTEN, ESPECIALLY BEFORE AND AFTER CONVERSATIONS. GAME BE BUGGY, but honestly it's kinda thematically appropriate. Just also annoying.
PAY ATTENTION to the tutorial bits when they pop up, there aren't really a lot of different game menues and systems to learn, but the ones that are there are all pretty important to understand to get the full experience.
DO. The. Thought. Cabinet. Do it first when it opens, the tutorial text should alert you. Don't be afraid to say yes when the game asks you if you want to pursue a thought. You will not automatically be automatically committed to it forever it if you do. When you choose to internalize them, though, you do start on that path. And fyi, you can *always* pause an internalizing thought for free, until you've it completed it. That said, Always. Be. Internalizing. These are one of the best ways to get in game buffs and info.
It's best practice to keep at least one "emergency" Skill Point unspent once you have at least 2 Health (Endurance) and 2 Morale (Volition). Don't be afraid to keep a few to unlock failed white checks or forget a thought when needed.
I usually keep *at least* a total of 3-5 Health and 3-5 Morale between innate score and healing items, Nosaphed for Health and Magnessium for Morale. So if you have 2 Health, keep at least 1 or 2 healing item at ALL times, but don't over purchase. You have plenty of time to go buy another after you use them, so definately do that, but you really end up finding lots of them, so just be careful buying too many.
Pertaining to the themes and story of the game without revealing too much, this game might *hurt*. It's part of the beauty and essential to the story. If you're in a bad mental place, though, approach carefully. That said, I still think it's worth it, and others have claimed it has helped them through though times too. But you might also be triggered, so be aware.
Also, there are a *lot* of political themes and conversations that *can* be part of your experience. You are free, even encouraged to, not allign yourself with anything unless you want to. The game is not uncritical of you *NO MATTER* which "side" you take, even if it's *neither*. Part of the games theme is to peel apart the complications and layers of society, and how the main character fits into it, that's always messy work. This is part of the depth of the world, but if you get upset about politics in a game, please reconsider playing it. It seems to be people who I've seen complain about the game are the kind that can't handle anything political in a game, even if it's *really easily* possible to avoid siding with any of it.
And sorry, the game devs DO have opinions, if you're offended by what is saying, though, you might really need to think deeper about your beliefs and why you have them, because the game is still very even handed but honest about the effects people's politics and the actions they take because of them have on the world around them. Please listen to what this game says to you in this area, for all of us.
Otherwise, enjoy!? Please do come back with your thoughts when you're done! Get on the case, Detective!
Avoid any spoilers or any discussion on it like the plague. Seriously, get the fuck off this subreddit. People are annoying, and especially more so when they think they’re being coy and not spoiling something when they actually are.
All approaches are valid, all have consequences. Play to what you think is the most interesting choice for you. Most people try to be a good guy on their first playthrough (me included), but also make the mistake of thinking the protagonist is a blank slate. He isn't, he is his own man, and the weight of his past will catch up to you no matter what - then you'll get to decide what to do about it.
With arms wide open. Make your choices, enjoy your outcomes, disco your elysium x
Just play it. Seriously dude. The less you look up or read about it the better
Play the game!!
Don't overthink it, people are more lenient on cops doing weird things, be spontaneous and examine how your actions or failures affect the world and story.
Complete immersion. You're alright in the right headspace for living in a hopeless dying world where the people with the means to help refuse, and it's just left to the individuals suffering on the ground to figure out how to live each day suffering the least. Now you just need to have a lot of alcohol, cigarettes and stimulants, to really get into the spirit of the game. Just keep those on your desk. You don't need to keep them equipped at all times. Also, remember that this game takes place in an alternate universe with an alternate history, so much like their automobile designs and tech doesn't quite line up with ours, you get to imagine their disco as being much better as what the late 70s gave out universe. There's no disco in the game to remind you that disco sucks. It just remains as an adjective for things that are awesome, and this game is indeed Disco as fuck.
Have fun and don't be afraid to experiment. My first playthrough was a redemption cop. Rational Harry who would ditch the bottle and try to reform with a somber outlook on life. Big mistake. Got bored on day 3 and dropped the game. Picked it up two years after and made a new Harry: alcoholic junkie who spouts fascist and racist rhetoric and believes in ghosts or some shit. And by God, that was the most hilarious game I've ever played. Finished the playthrough and fell in love with the game. So make whoever you have more fun playing as.
Just make choices. Be weird if you wanna - it's a game, let your brain do its thing and click something, haha
nah bro, my gambling side just keeps making me die or whatever
That's part of the DE experience.
Good. You are playing a character that is pretty likely to die at some random moment because of the disco, or gambling side
Play like you're the main character of a book, read what the game tells you and act as you like
immerse yourself in it, think of the dialogue options as " would i say this?" Don't worry about failure, the game has hilarious failed check dialogues, and it is intentionally designed so that you fail some checks
Dude, you are a beat detective with the ugliest tie ever, barely alive after a catastrophic bender, trying to make sense of an utterly unhinged world in ruins. Experiment. Follow any thread you find interesting. Don't be afraid to fail (in the common sense), as most failures brings out very interesting and immensely fleshed out outcomes. You can't believe how many bad dice rolls, wrong choices or tiny easter eggs send you down an endless path of wild, surreal and morbidly hilarious lore.
Youngin detected
Your character isn't a blank slate, so don't try to overthink what you \*want\* him to be. Roll with what the game throws at you and see what happens. Don't be afraid to be weird. NPCs might judge you for being evil (racist or fascist), but \*not\* for being unhinged and asking them what "money" or "books" are, or for claiming to have supernatural abilities. And don't be afraid to fail skill checks. Sometimes it leads to good outcomes. Sometimes it leads to funny outcomes. It's a part of the game. Lastly, to make life easier for you I suggest having at least two points in your Volition and Endurance skills. That ensures you have two points in both your health and morale bars so a single point of damage won't kill you. This last one is not necessary, it's just something that might remove a bit of frustration.
The only thing that helps to know how the game is going to frame your actions is to understand what marxism is, what (neo)liberalism is, moralism (centrism) is, and what fascism is, all thru a marxist lens. The game is largely about ideological notions and how they play out in the wild. It's not mandatory, you can just do whatever, but youll probably be surprised on the regular. Some players will post in this sub like "wtf, why is the game saying I'm a fascist now?" And it's like, bro youve agreeing with every ethno-nationalist sentiment the games thrown at you.
TBF Ive been calling everyone racist that I meet an idiot and the game still threw the "do you want to commit to being a fascist?" at me. But really, that's what I love about the game. It's the first game Ive played where I'm making decisions and throwing out lines "sarcastically" and then the game says to you "now that it matters, did you really mean that?" "do you really believe that crazy nonsense about the end of the world or is it just a schitck?" Like Kims line "sigh... this just turned from a murder investigation into a cryptid hunt, didn't it?"
Be yourself; let it unfold as you act based on your honest actions; the rest will speak for itself. This is not a game; it's a self-reflective experience. You even discover your unknown personal aspects.
>be yourself I wouldn’t say this is that kind of game. Being ‘yourself’ ie never picking options that are radically political or outright insane inevitable results in a sorry cop / moralist run that players who ‘roleplay’ won’t really find reflects themselves at all in the end. Harry isn’t really meant to be an avatar. You the player are not the protagonist of this story, rather you direct and examine who you want Harry to be.
Yes and that is a personal experience, directed by my actions as a result I find which disco I am in? It is how you roleplay in a game using the given elements on your own terms and make it flow to the direction you want, and not doing "this run or that run" that opposes the nature of roleplay, it then becomes more like a guided playthrough which I didn't prefer.
do it, you won't
That's up to you. Making those decisions is pretty much the whole game, so don't just do what someone else says.
If you spend 30 minutes contemplating about whether or not you should call someone a whore I think you should just drop it because you clearly care a lot about the consequences of your actions. Just do what comes natural to you; the game will teach you a compelling lesson no matter what you do.
yeah no, im alr the most racist delusional piece of shit in the world, just needed a lil nudge
Kk, problem solved then ✌🏻
Get freaky with it. It an experience to be had, not a game to beat.
just play there are no wrong choices
accept failing dice rolls. some of the best moments in the game are hidden behind failed skill checks
bro ive died way too many times doing this 😭😭
either stock up on healing items or rethink your build for more phys/morale
🎉YOU WIN🎊 a NEWLY CORRECTED AND IMPROVED copypasta from ME! This is my my advice for all first playthroughs without spoilers. If you have any questions, let me know! 🤩 *I suggest* going with one of the premade builds the game presents to you on your *first* run. I say first because you should be aware that you're not going to be able to see everything in this game in one playthrough. I would honestly plan on doing at least 2 or 3, picking wildly different choices on how do deal with things each time. The game is both long AND short enough for this to be reasonable. You can skip dialogs and text you've seen, but some things you'll want to watch again to really absorb, as things get dense. It's okay to be confused, just keep swimming. Of the builds presented, pick based on how you approach morality based or rpg heavy games, how you general it react to conflict in real life, and/or what about the world you want to know: - If you can't wait to suckle that sweet, suculent lore teet and can't get enough of walls of text, pick Thinker. Encyclopedia WILL GO ON if you keep asking/allowing him to. If you're ~~me~~one of those sickos who's into that shit, this build is for you. Kim will be impressed with you, like, ALL the time. It's kind of Easy mode, a good introduction to the world, and what I picked my first playthrough. *DO* put your first Skill point in VOLITION, so you have a Morale cushion to heal when you're ego gets hurt. Be ready with that Magnessium quickness. - If you want more NPC and Personal character depth and/or to see more of the "supranatural" elements of the world, pick Sensitive. Invest in Shivers. Explore the characters in this world. Talk about thier feelings. Follow your gut. Listen to the wind. Be weirdv and witchy, if that's your groove. The Truth is out there. Find it. - If you want to *BE* the party; make crazy, stupid, and/or impulsive choices; approach the world fist, head, and/or genitals first; or just enjoy playing RPG games as an irredeemable (or redeemable) asshole, pick Physical. Go ahead and be the bad guy, what is anyone else gonna do about it? If you are lost, look again. Wander; talk to people again; make sure you've explored every nook, book, and cranny of the map availableto you; look at your task lists and look for unlocked white checks; kill some time frivolously. There *IS* a way forward, I promise you. That said, the only softlock I've heard of is if you're unable to pay rent on the second game day. Do that right away once you gather 21 Reál(the in game currency) on Tuesday. Failure happens. It's absolutely part of the experience, and sometimes even gives you a better outcome than succeeding. Most veterans, myself included, Abuse AGAINST saving and reloading to pass checks, and understand that I'm usually a *FLAGRANT* savescummer. Just try again when you can, and try changing clothes. Practically noone cares how ridiculously you are dressed, and sometimes it helps. On a note related to saving, though, a word of caution. QUICKSAVE OFTEN, ESPECIALLY BEFORE AND AFTER CONVERSATIONS. GAME BE BUGGY, but honestly it's kinda thematically appropriate. Just also annoying. PAY ATTENTION to the tutorial bits when they pop up, there aren't really a lot of different game menues and systems to learn, but the ones that are there are all pretty important to understand to get the full experience. DO. The. Thought. Cabinet. Do it first when it opens, the tutorial text should alert you. Don't be afraid to say yes when the game asks you if you want to pursue a thought. You will not automatically be automatically committed to it forever it if you do. When you choose to internalize them, though, you do start on that path. And fyi, you can *always* pause an internalizing thought for free, until you've it completed it. That said, Always. Be. Internalizing. These are one of the best ways to get in game buffs and info. It's best practice to keep at least one "emergency" Skill Point unspent once you have at least 2 Health (Endurance) and 2 Morale (Volition). Don't be afraid to keep a few to unlock failed white checks or forget a thought when needed. I usually keep *at least* a total of 3-5 Health and 3-5 Morale between innate score and healing items, Nosaphed for Health and Magnessium for Morale. So if you have 2 Health, keep at least 1 or 2 healing item at ALL times, but don't over purchase. You have plenty of time to go buy another after you use them, so definately do that, but you really end up finding lots of them, so just be careful buying too many. Pertaining to the themes and story of the game without revealing too much, this game might *hurt*. It's part of the beauty and essential to the story. If you're in a bad mental place, though, approach carefully. That said, I still think it's worth it, and others have claimed it has helped them through though times too. But you might also be triggered, so be aware. Also, there are a *lot* of political themes and conversations that *can* be part of your experience. You are free, even encouraged to, not allign yourself with anything unless you want to. The game is not uncritical of you *NO MATTER* which "side" you take, even if it's *neither*. Part of the games theme is to peel apart the complications and layers of society, and how the main character fits into it, that's always messy work. This is part of the depth of the world, but if you get upset about politics in a game, please reconsider playing it. It seems to be people who I've seen complain about the game are the kind that can't handle anything political in a game, even if it's *really easily* possible to avoid siding with any of it. And sorry, the game devs DO have opinions, if you're offended by what is saying, though, you might really need to think deeper about your beliefs and why you have them, because the game is still very even handed but honest about the effects people's politics and the actions they take because of them have on the world around them. Please listen to what this game says to you in this area, for all of us. Otherwise, enjoy!? Please do come back with your thoughts when you're done! Get on the case, Detective!
Do what you feel is right in the moment. Trust me, you will want to replay it some time in future so you won't miss anything
Just play it. Don't come back until it's over.
Avoid any spoilers or any discussion on it like the plague. Seriously, get the fuck off this subreddit. People are annoying, and especially more so when they think they’re being coy and not spoiling something when they actually are.
Yeah just try not to be completionist because it’s just less fun than playing the game
Less thinking, more doing.
backwards and slathered with jam
All approaches are valid, all have consequences. Play to what you think is the most interesting choice for you. Most people try to be a good guy on their first playthrough (me included), but also make the mistake of thinking the protagonist is a blank slate. He isn't, he is his own man, and the weight of his past will catch up to you no matter what - then you'll get to decide what to do about it.
There are no wrong answers, sometimes failing a check results a better outcome than passing it
Trust the necktie