THE DILEMMAS OF A DISCO COP

A growing body of work has analyzed several of Disco Elysium’s complex interlocking elements, from the game’s skill and thought cabinet systems to its representations of legal structures (Bernick, 2021; Novitz, 2021). However, researchers have not yet sought to interpret what it means to engage in these mechanics and representations in a ‘well-played’ manner. Disco Elysium does not require or test the skills that are traditionally connected with playing video games well. Players interact with the game almost entirely through dialogue interchanges, meaning fast reflexes and physical dexterity are utterly inconsequential to progressing through the game’s story. Rather, it is the act of deliberate choice that defines this game.