Esoteric Ebb [REVIEW] – Disco Elysium Meets Dungeons & Dragons 

It’s no secret that plenty of recent releases are trying to capture the magic left behind by monumental hits, so when a game openly markets itself as a ‘Disco-like’ (we’re talking about Disco Elysium here if you were unaware) and wears those specific inspirations so proudly, you can’t help but to brace yourself for a cheap copy. I was definitely a bit sceptical booting up Esoteric Ebb, but honestly? After rolling the credits, I can safely say that this indie gem takes the best bits of its inspiration, mixes them with a massive helping of Dungeons & Dragons nostalgia, and creates something that is genuinely brilliant to play. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

Esoteric Ebb sees players stepping into the shoes of Ragn, a magically gifted cleric working for a fading nationalist government. You wake up in a local mortuary without a single clue as to how you got there, and are immediately thrust into a bizarre conspiracy involving a blown-up tea shop… yeah, weird start to the day. Oh, and to make matters more stressful, you only have five days to solve this mystery before the fantasy city holds its first-ever democratic election. 

The setting itself is an absolute treat, and instead of relying on the tired old fantasy cliches of brooding dark lords and knightly orders, the game gives us a vibrant, politically charged metropolis that feels incredibly reminiscent of Terry Pratchett’s beloved Discworld novels. It is full of protesting dwarves, scheming local factions, and a legal system playfully built around the literal rules of magic, with each scene simply oozing with a sense of charm that makes the world and its narrative a sheer delight to uncover. And, of course, with your choices (and dice rolls) shaping events, you really do feel like you play a very significant role in how things eventually play out. 

It is worth noting that this game is basically a massive interactive novel, with a lot of reading to be done. But hey, with the writing sharp, clever, and balancing laugh-out-loud satire with moments of genuine emotional warmth, you’ll appreciate just how meaty it is. However, there is zero voice acting in Esoteric Ebb, so if you are not a massive fan of heavy reading, the sheer volume of unvoiced text might start to wear you down by the final act.  

“And sure, it does borrow some ideas from the greats of the genre, but with Esoteric Ebb adding its own unique ideas and sense of flair to the mix, it stands out perfectly alongside them as another must-play release.” 

The core hook of Esoteric Ebb comes in how it handles its tabletop influences while channelling that distinct Disco Elysium energy. When you create your character, you distribute points across classic Dungeons & Dragons stats like Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom, and Charisma, but these are not just passive numbers for combat. Your stats literally talk to you, acting as warring voices in your head, constantly chiming in during conversations to push their own agendas and political leanings. The game also features a brilliant system where completing quests allows your stats to debate the political takeaway of what just happened, letting you internalise a new Feat based on your conclusion – it’s a very clever way to add both consequence and progression to the choices you make, even when things don’t quite play out as you might expect them to. It is a fantastic system that makes every build feel completely unique, and with stats constantly clashing in the different situations you find yourself in, there are plenty of hilarious moments where you’ll learn that some imbalances make even the simplest of tasks go a little… well… crazy. It definitely deserves a second playthrough at least. 

A massive part of the game involves wandering the city, interviewing suspects, and getting tangled in wild side quests, and what makes this so engaging is the clever time management system. Every dialogue option you choose ticks the in-game clock forward by a single minute, and whilst it sounds stressful on paper, it actually gives you a wonderful sense of control. You have to plan your days because certain characters only show up at specific times, and whilst I’m not saying you’ll need an Excel spreadsheet to track everything, a bit of planning goes a long way. When everything comes together perfectly and you piece together some clues to make progress through your own careful planning? Yeah, it feels brilliant. 

It is not all just chatting, though. The game features proper dungeon-crawling down in the ruined layers beneath the city, where you will find puzzles, loot, and combat encounters that require you to think outside the box. As you level up, you gain access to more powerful abilities, and the spells are wonderfully versatile to give players more opportunities for creativity when it comes to surviving each peril. It’s fantastic, adding to Esoteric Ebb a unique and rewarding layer of gameplay that really takes the Dungeons & Dragons inspiration and rolls with it. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

If I did have one complaint, it would be with the combat initiative system. Battles rely heavily on a Dexterity dice roll right at the start, and if you roll poorly, enemies can absolutely batter you before you even get a turn to react, leading to some frustrating deaths and forced reloading just to survive. It’s not a deal-breaker (and in fairness was a rarity), but when it happens, it’s hard not to be a little irked. But hey, it’s a small issue in what is otherwise a fantastic experience, so it certainly won’t ruin anything for players. 

Developer: Christoffer Bodegård 
Publisher: Raw Fury 
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed) 
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2057760/Esoteric_Ebb/