Demon Elysium: Hellish Preview

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                                                <p class="display-card-excerpt">Sunrise, Parabellum.</p>





















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I remember being incredibly excited for Broken Roads a while back, only to be supremely disappointed. Matching the brilliance of something special requires a similar creative spark. Thankfully, there’s a promising title on the horizon that seems to capture that magic.

That title is “The Demons Made Me Make This Game” (TDTMTMTG). Beyond its lengthy name, it strives to perfectly fuse a Slay the Princess-esque time loop with compelling writing, darkly comical themes, and intriguing characters waiting to be intimately understood.

Despite being in early access with only the first episode available, believe me when I say that single episode is enough to ignite your enthusiasm. You’ll be adding this to your wishlist immediately, eagerly anticipating its full release.

The Devil You Know

To offer a glimpse into this realm of supernatural occurrences and otherworldly demons, TDTMTMTG casts you as a demon dwelling in the void. Using a rift within this void, you’ll inhabit a host, acting as the devil on their shoulder, influencing their actions to achieve your desires.

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            <p>This isn't your typical "choices matter" RPG. It's a "choices don't really matter" time loop, where experimentation and solving puzzles are key.</p>
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Events unfold in a pre-determined manner, yet you have abundant opportunities to make foolish choices, feeling like a puppeteer manipulating your willing subject. You’re in control… somewhat. You’re still at the mercy of your surroundings, and a single misstep often leads to a horrific demise.

Now, before you get too excited, thinking you’re about to play a top-tier CRPG similar to Disco Elysium, understand that TDTMTMTG has a different objective.

This isn’t so much a “choices matter” RPG but rather a “choices have limited impact” time loop, emphasizing experimentation and problem-solving. You can make daring decisions, witness your possessed hosts die gruesome deaths, and then rewind time to make different daring choices that *might* keep them alive.

However, it requires a delicate balance, as you can only control one character at a time. While you’re occupied, time marches on for the others. They might manage on their own, but sometimes their fate is sealed without your guidance.

This dynamic encourages you to play both sides, memorize the sequence of events, gather intel, and then replay scenarios with newfound understanding to sway the odds in your favor. Credit to the game, these repeat playthroughs never feel tedious thanks to the fresh narratives that unfold.

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            <p>...during my playthrough, I managed to soil myself, gnaw off my own arm in a "127 Hours" tribute, spit in an old woman's face, challenge a priest with a shotgun to a duel, and repeatedly smack a cop in the face with a dildo.</p>
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Essentially, it’s a text-based time loop with surprising depth and plenty of gore, keeping you hooked like a captivating novel—albeit one that might act as a portal to a demonic dimension.

If You Laugh, You’re Going To Hell

While TDTMTMTG might not offer the sprawling, immersive RPG environment of Disco Elysium, it shares a critical quality with that indie favorite—and, in my opinion, the most vital one: it’s wickedly funny.

When it comes to bizarre and absurd humor, this game holds nothing back, allowing your most inappropriate thoughts to take over, often resulting in a classic “I don’t know what I expected” moment as you’re shot, stabbed, or mutilated for your comedic efforts.

Other parallels exist, such as the familiar downward-scrolling sidebar interface and a trait system that enables passive decision-making based on earlier actions. But the most significant similarity is simply the immense fun you can have exploring the branching paths and the “what-ifs.”

Let me put it this way: I discovered how to keep my two protagonists, Tape and Gum, alive until the final event through meticulous experimentation and some clever deduction. But, in the process, I soiled myself, gnawed off my own arm in a “127 Hours” tribute, spat in an old woman’s face, challenged a priest with a shotgun to a duel, and repeatedly smacked a cop in the face with a dildo.

I have nothing more to say about the game’s humor. If that doesn’t convince you, nothing will.

Patching Up The Veil

TDTMTMTG’s core experience is remarkably well-crafted, even in its current early access state. It features strong writing, a user-friendly interface, evocative background music, and striking art that brings each scene to life. However, there are a few minor drawbacks to note.

Firstly, as mentioned, the game is in early access, offering approximately five hours of gameplay at the moment. While a solid five hours, it’s not the complete package.

Secondly, the game’s mini-games, which determine the success or failure of skill checks, lack inspiration. They’re monotonous, overly simple, and I encountered several softlocks. Be warned. I understand that dice rolls might not work in a time-loop scenario, but a better alternative is needed.

It requires more time in development, but what’s been created is truly promising. I hope the game becomes even more bizarre, grotesque, and sinister as development progresses. Until then, I’ll be eagerly awaiting its full release.

Closing Thoughts:

Besides Citizen Sleeper, The Devil Made Me Make This Game is possibly the best Disco Elysium-inspired game I’ve encountered. However, it avoids being a mere clone, daring to forge its own path. It adopts Disco Elysium’s humorous approach, featuring a barrage of unhinged actions throughout each story segment. Yet, at its heart, this is a time-loop puzzle, and an exceptionally good one at that. It’s incredibly satisfying to follow leads, only to backtrack and uncover new routes, and the story it tells is captivating from the start. Some technical issues remain, and the skill check mechanics could benefit from refinement. However, overall, this is one of the most exciting text-based games on the horizon, and you’d be missing out if you don’t add it to your wishlist!

The Devil Made Me Make This Game is available in early access on Steam for a limited-time promotional price of £9.56 (13% off).

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