https://www.gematsu.com/2024/10/former-disco-elysium-developers-establish-longdue-to-develop-psychogeographic-rpg-spiritual-successor

"Former Disco Elysium developers establish Longdue to develop ‘psychogeographic RPG’ spiritual successor

New title to continue the legacy of Disco Elysium.

Longdue - a new studio formed by former developers of Disco Elysium and its unreleased sequel, alongside veterans from Bungie, Rockstar Games, Brave at Night, and more - has announced its establishment. It has secured seed funding to develop a “psychogeographic RPG with narrative depth” that will continue the legacy of Disco Elysium.

“At Longdue, we’re inspired by decades of classic RPGs, from Ultima and Wizardry, through Fallout and Planescape, to the justifiably adored Disco Elysium,” said narrative director Grant Roberts in a press release. “We’re excited to continue that legacy with another narrative-first, psychological RPG, where the interplay between inner worlds and external landscapes is the beating heart of the experience. We’re building a world-class team for a world-class game that will tell a world-class story, and we can’t wait to show you more.”

Longdue investor representative Riaz Moola added, “We are excited to back the work of an incredible team of creative talent and support the development of a new type of narrative-first video game experience and associated technology to improve the creation of these games across the video game industry.”

Get the first details below.

A Psychogeographic RPG with Narrative Depth

Longdue’s debut RPG explores the delicate interplay between the conscious and subconscious, the seen and unseen. Set in a world where choices ripple between the character’s psyche and environment, players will navigate a constantly shifting landscape, shaped by both internal and external forces.

The game introduces a groundbreaking “psychogeographic RPG” mechanic, where every decision reshapes both the world and the characters that inhabit it. In this experience, the lines between the mind and the environment blur, colliding and transforming with each choice, leading players through an ever-evolving narrative landscape.

https://i.imgur.com/NwqhJ79.jpeg

A Legacy of Innovation

While Longdue’s debut project draws from the creative energy and legacy of Disco Elysium and other beloved RPGs, like Planescape: Torment, it’s also crafted to stand independently as a meaningful addition to the RPG genre. Longdue is committed to making games that carry the weight of thoughtful design and engaging storytelling, positioning the studio as a steady, dependable voice in RPG development.

Longdue aims to create games that resonate emotionally and intellectually. The studio is here to build a reputation for consistently delivering quality, with a focus on depth and narrative integrity. This is just the beginning of Longdue’s journey to become a trusted name in the greater RPG canon."

https://www.longduegames.com/

Doesn't look like as if Kurvitz, Hindpere, Rostov or any other of the original ZA/UM collective is included in this project's supposed "key creatives from the original Disco Elysium team and contributors to the unreleased sequel"(?).

Without the lead writer and art director of Disco Elysium, I will have to temper my expectations and be more wary, instead of being easily parted from my money. Though even without their presence, it would still be a product I'd be interested in. Thanks for the news.

Another bunch of former original Disco Elysium developers have announced their new studio, Dark Math Games' formation just the other day as well.

Unlike Longdue Games, they do have something more substantial to show off:

XXX NIGHTSHIFT - A true detective RPG. Dialogue Gameplay Trailer (Community wishlist entry)

You can tell Disco Elysium's UX designer is part of that studio, looks more or less identical, at least as far as the dialogue UI is concerned.

If it works - and in Disco Elysium it certainly did - why change it?


The project pitch by Longdue Games sounds very ambitious, hope they don't get stuck like ZA/UM, who then had to scale things back quite a bit in order to move forward with development again.

Disco Elysium spiritual successor, numero 3 (or 4?):

TE NET Studio is thrilled to announce Shore of Jord, an isometric, story-driven cRPG inspired by Disco Elysium and classic narrative-heavy adventures like Snatcher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27dbQOPPYWo

About the Game
Shore of Jord is a story-driven, open-world cRPG set in an alternate world where Norse sagas and paganism collide with the gritty realism of Scandinavian noir. Players will navigate a post-apocalyptic landscape, deeply influenced by Scandinavian and Eastern European cultures, 1,451 years after Ragnarok.

Set in an alternate version of Europa, dominated by Scandinavian culture, players assume the role of a military officer unraveling webs of political upheaval, dark crimes, and veiled conspiracies—all while striving to piece together their fragmented self following a mysterious night call.

Key Features

Comprehensive Character System:
An intricate character system boasting 22 distinct traits, each with unique contradictions and complexities. These traits shape every interaction, making each player's journey deeply personal.

Immersive and Distinctive Setting:
A meticulously crafted world blending historical realism, Norse mythology, and fantastical storytelling. Players will explore environments teeming with lore, secrets, and unexpected discoveries.

Narrative-Driven Role-Playing:
A story-rich adventure inspired by the golden age of CRPGs. With deep storytelling, branching paths, and meaningful choices, the narrative evolves based on the player’s decisions.

Dynamic Time Management:
A dynamic time system adds depth to the player’s choices. As time passes, events unfold, the world evolves, and a sense of urgency heightens every decision. The world continues to live and breathe, adapting to the player’s actions.

Release Date
Shore of Jord is set to launch in 2025.​

Community wishlist entry

https://www.longduegames.com/

"HERE IT IS.

Our first project — HOPETOWN — a game where words are weapons, and every choice leaves its mark. Set in a mining town teetering on the edge of collapse and reinvention, you play as a rogue journalist — a chaotic, self-destructive provocateur uncovering buried truths, exposing fragile systems, and unravelling a world shaped by ambition and decay.

Will you spark chaos as a gonzo journalist, twist events as a conspiracist, or reveal brutal truths as a calculated investigator? Every choice shapes the story, and now’s your chance to help us shape ours.

This is the kind of bold, complex, and deeply personal game bigger studios won’t make. At LONGDUE, we’re crafting narrative-driven RPGs that respect your choices and challenge you to think deeply.

“Having overseen the team of 15 that was credited with ‘saving’ Disco Elysium and which worked on it for nearly six years, pre- and post-release, I’m excited to work with the Longdue team to create a rich RPG experience to serve fans of the genre.” — Piotr Sobolewski

Sound like your kind of game?

Our crowdfunding campaign launches soon, and by pre-registering now, you’ll gain first access to the options for backing our game and studio, with some of these options being limited in quantity availability, or for a time period from when we go live.​

---

ON GIANTS' SHOULDERS

The isometric RPG has been home to some of the most beloved stories and characters in the history of video games. From feeding a canine companion an iguana kebab, to whistling on a swingset with a fellow detective, there's a strong legacy of rich narrative and unforgettable moments.​​​

With HOPETOWN, we continue that legacy. We're drawing inspiration from modern classics, while paying tribute to days gone by — but making something new and resonant. A story set in our world, turned sideways: where what you do and say literally affects everything around you. Every choice matters. Every moment leaves a mark. So, what will you change?

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

What burns bright eventually burns out of control. Workplace tensions became shouting matches, which escalated to brawls. Pressure bubbled under the surface, spilling above ground, but management didn’t seem to mind as long as the work continued — until the incident five days ago. Now people are dead, others are missing, but even worse: mining operations have screeched to a halt.​​

The town is a powder keg, and everything is a match. It's all chaos, threatening to explode into something bigger. The situation needs to be dealt with, swept under the rug, and forgotten about.

Enter you: middle child of one of the richest men on the planet. You've drifted through life knowing only luxury and power, shielded by privilege and surrounded by sycophants. Your stiletto wit and sandpaper charm have kept everyone at arm's length, except others as insufferable as you.

So here you are, exiled by your family after yet another scandal. You've just stepped off an impossibly long train ride, wheeling an overpriced suitcase across the muddy cobblestone and nµrsing a four-star hangover. Your mission, or punishment, seems simple enough: figure out what happened, cover it up, and spin a better story. You’re a journalist, after all.

UNDERNEATH IT ALL

That journalistic background suffuses every part of the game, giving you the tools to shape the world — and yourself. You'll embrace chaos as a gonzo journalist, spinning wild, attention-grabbing narratives. You'll twist reality as an unhinged conspiracist, bending events to suit your own ends. You'll dig deep as a calculating investigator, exposing brutal truths to spark rebellion, sow complacency, tear people apart, and bring them together.

And it's not just people's lives and loves in your hands. With the psychogeography system, traditional mechanics like keys and levers are replaced by emotions, memories, and conversations. Your mind, and the minds of everyone around you, are the tools that unlock doors, alter landscapes, and reshape relationships. Progress isn't just gated by puzzles or items — it's hard-won by navigating your own fractured psyche, and surviving the physical and emotional aftershocks.​​

​​How the hell do you do that? By talking to people: finding out what makes them tick, what makes them cry, what makes them scream, what makes them... them. You'll engage characters in thoughtful conversations with unimaginable consequences. You'll be tempted by the worst thing you can possibly say, and taunted by the perfect retort that's stuck behind glass. Your environment will shape the way people see you and speak to you. Your journalistic instincts will guide you, betray you, argue with you, and maybe just change everything.
"

And this is still and mind, the one without the lead writer and art director of the original?

We're doing "spiritual successors" to five year old games now?

It's called "spiritual successor" when you have no rights to sequel.

Looks like this five years old game just managed to leave quite an impression right out of the gate.
I believe the technical term is instant classic.

I'm not questioning that, just the term that seems to have become a marketing buzzword. I mean, we've always had games clearly inspired by recent classics, right down to being their "clones", but I guess "spiritual successor" sounds nicer and creates a sort of instant nostalgia.

Disco Elysium is the new Souls Like and Slay the spire fad.

'Hopetown' crowdfunding campaign pre-launch page now live.