Narrative RPG Rue Valley Praised by Disco Elysium Creators; Demo Available Now!
Disco Elysium Creators Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and Helen Hindpere Praise Development Journey of Upcoming Title
Disco Elysium Creators Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and Helen Hindpere Praise Development Journey of Upcoming Title
Nicosia, Cyprus | Recently, publisher Owlcat Games, together with Emotion Spark Studio – the indie developer behind the narrative RPG Rue Valley – shared insights into the game's development on the Human Can Opener Podcast. Praised by Disco Elysium creators Robert Kurvitz and Aleksander Rostov, Rue Valley is set to launch later this year, with a demo available now on Steam.
Starting development in 2020 with a team of four, Rue Valley draws inspiration from titles like Outer Wilds and Disco Elysium. The game features time-loop mechanics, where time progresses only through player interaction, and NPCs have their own unique worldviews that breathe life into the game. The personality system allows players to shape their character's traits, ensuring each playthrough is unique.
The game's hand-drawn art style, inspired by stop-motion and the "Spider-Verse" films, combines semi-3D visuals with comic-book aesthetics. Years of experimentation went into perfecting the lighting, textures, and animations.
A pivotal moment in development came when Disco Elysium creators Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and Helen Hindpere visited Belgrade and played the Rue Valley demo. Their insights not only validated the team's creative vision but also provided invaluable feedback that helped refine its core elements.
The game's hand-drawn art style, inspired by stop-motion and the "Spider-Verse" films, combines semi-3D visuals with comic-book aesthetics. Years of experimentation went into perfecting the lighting, textures, and animations.
A pivotal moment in development came when Disco Elysium creators Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and Helen Hindpere visited Belgrade and played the Rue Valley demo. Their insights not only validated the team's creative vision but also provided invaluable feedback that helped refine its core elements.
Kurvitz, renowned for his groundbreaking work in Disco Elysium and his novel Sacred and Terrible Air, was immediately drawn to the game's isometric art style and dialogue system. At one particularly challenging moment in gameplay, his genuine excitement upon overcoming it electrified the Emotion Spark team, reinforcing their belief in the game's depth and engagement.
Hindpere, playing the demo separately, described Rue Valley as both familiar and refreshingly original. She recognized similarities in storytelling tools and dialogue mechanics but emphasized that the game carves its own path.
Rostov, the visionary art director of Disco Elysium, delved into the visual identity of Rue Valley. During a follow-up visit to the studio, he engaged in an in-depth discussion about the art style, even suggesting thoughtful improvements like adding character shadows casting on themselves, which left a lasting impression on the team.
Their feedback served as both encouragement and inspiration, reaffirming Rue Valley's potential as a bold and emotionally complex narrative RPG.
Marko Smiljanic, Creative Director at Emotion Spark, described the experience as surreal. He mentioned that meeting the creators of Disco Elysium—a game that heavily inspired Rue Valley—was both humbling and motivating. Hearing their feedback and seeing them enjoy the game was a dream come true for the team.
For players eager to experience Rue Valley, a free demo version is now available on Steam. The demo offers a glimpse into the game's unique mechanics, art style, and narrative depth, allowing players to explore the world and systems that have already captivated industry veterans.
Rue Valley is a deeply personal narrative game about a man's journey of self-discovery and resilience on his quest to break free from a mysterious time loop. Each day feels like an uphill battle against the shadows of your own mind. Along the way, you will encounter a captivating ensemble of characters, each wrestling with their own emotional complexities and revealing hidden depths as you get to know them.
Memories are stored in a graph, unlocking intentions and mindsets as you progress uniquely through the story. Commit to quirky mindsets for unexpected and hilarious dialogues, and experience personality-altering Status Effects: become more outgoing when drunk, or extra sensitive when anxious.
Key features of Rue Valley:
- Personality system: Craft your own personality in Rue Valley. You can be a cold-hearted loner who overthinks everything or a melodramatic loudmouth who always trusts their gut instinct.
- Store Your Memories: Important memories are stored in a graph, unlocking unique interactions around the Rue Valley Motel and new mindsets to help build out the main character.
- Uncover the Secrets of Rue Valley: An anomaly has trapped the area around the Rue Valley Motel in a time loop. Experiment with the main character's actions each day until you have enough evidence to solve the mystery.
- 2D Parallax Art Style: Rue Valley has an instantly recognizable, visually appealing comic book aesthetic inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Rue Valley's free demo is available now on Windows PC via Steam. Wishlist the game so you don't miss its release.
To stay up to date on all things Rue Valley, follow along on X (Twitter), YouTube, Facebook, and Discord.
About Owlcat Games
Owlcat Games is a developer and publisher with a passion for RPGs and narrative-driven games. From our beginnings as a small group of games industry veterans obsessed with the idea of making our dream games a reality, we have grown into a truly international company, with our headquarters in Cyprus and more than 450 employees spread across offices in various countries. We are continuing to expand and take on new hires from around the world, and we also get together every week to play tabletop games in the office and on Roll20 online.
About Emotion Spark Studio
Emotion Spark Studio was founded in January 2020 in Belgrade, Serbia. It's comprised of people with years of experience in the gaming industry, including project design, development, management, and delivery.
To stay up to date on all things Rue Valley, follow along on X (Twitter), YouTube, Facebook, and Discord.
About Owlcat Games
Owlcat Games is a developer and publisher with a passion for RPGs and narrative-driven games. From our beginnings as a small group of games industry veterans obsessed with the idea of making our dream games a reality, we have grown into a truly international company, with our headquarters in Cyprus and more than 450 employees spread across offices in various countries. We are continuing to expand and take on new hires from around the world, and we also get together every week to play tabletop games in the office and on Roll20 online.
About Emotion Spark Studio
Emotion Spark Studio was founded in January 2020 in Belgrade, Serbia. It's comprised of people with years of experience in the gaming industry, including project design, development, management, and delivery.
