Rue Valley reveal trailer proves it’s the hottest narrative game since Disco Elysium

If you crave narrative-driven games, get ready for the release of Rue Valley, an isometric RPG from Emotion Spark Studio and Owlcat Games. Having watched the trailer, I can't help but immediately see narrative giant Disco Elysium in the short minute of content offered to the public.

Rue Valley promises to offer a deeply immersive narrative experience. The game centers on a man trapped in a time loop, battling his own demons while unraveling the mysteries of the Rue Valley Motel. This time loop mechanic is the core of the gameplay - somewhat similar to the Life is Strange series.

Each loop allows players to experiment with various personality traits, actions, and dialogues, effectively letting you "craft your personality" as you play and replay the game. Whatever you choose, your time will always reset, giving you the opportunity to explore every possible facet of the main character.

Rue Valley's Disco Elysium inspirations

One of the most compelling features of Rue Valley is its "Store Your Memories" system. Here, players can store important memories in a graph, unlocking unique interactions and new mindsets when they do so. This allows the MC to tackle the game’s challenges in different ways.

Much like Disco Elysium’s Thought Cabinet, this memory graph creates a dynamic, ever-evolving character who reacts to the world based on the experiences you choose to emphasize. It’s this kind of psychological depth that made Disco Elysium a masterpiece, and Rue Valley seems to be following in those footsteps.

Rue Valley also has a 2D parallax art style, inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Disco Elysium. The game’s comic book aesthetic is both striking and atmospheric, perfectly complementing the game’s darker tone. It also heavily reminds me of the Shadowrun video games; specifically Shadowrun Returns, which I spent many hours playing after I was first introduced to the tabletop game of the same name.

What sets Rue Valley apart from all of these other games is the way it weaves the protagonist’s mental challenges into the gameplay. Each day will feel like an uphill battle against the shadows of your own mind, making the narrative not just a story to be told, but a personal journey for the player.

The question now is whether Rue Valley can measure up to Disco Elysium. While it’s too early to say for certain, the signs are promising. The game’s focus on personality crafting, memory storage, and emotional depth all point to a narrative experience that could very well stand shoulder-to-shoulder with one of the greatest games ever made.

Owlcat is new to the publishing game, so it will be really interesting to see what the outcome of Rue Valley will be, given their wish to help more independent developers get their narrative games out into the world.

With no release date announced, be sure to follow Rue Valley on Steam, Twitter, and join the Discord group.

Want to read a little more about Disco Elysium while you wait for Rue Valley? I suggest checking out our piece on the Top 12 Thoughts in Disco Elysium and Disco Elysium taught me how to live.