Disco Elysium Getting Started guide screenshot

Getting Started

Getting Started with Disco Elysium: A Comprehensive Beginner Guide



Welcome to Disco Elysium, a revolutionary detective RPG where your thoughts, opinions, and words are your weapons. There are no swords, guns, or health bars—only your psyche, your skills, and the vast, crumbling world of Revachol. This guide will walk you through the first crucial steps, help you avoid common pitfalls, and set you up for a memorable journey.

First Hour Walkthrough: Establishing Reality



The game begins with a brutal hangover. You, the protagonist, wake up in a trashed hostel room. You don't remember who you are. Your first objective is to get dressed, talk to the woman at the reception (Klaasje), and step outside. Do not try to solve everything immediately—just follow the prompts. You'll meet your partner, Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi, who will become your anchor.

Key early steps:
1. Wake up: Interact with the body on the floor (your own) and the cassette player. Listen to your internal voices (the Voices in your head represent different skills).
2. Get dressed: Put on your pants, shirt, shoes, and jacket. Your inventory appears—drag items onto your character silhouette.
3. Talk to Klaasje: She gives you a key and points you outside. Ask basic questions; don't worry about the murder yet.
4. Meet Kim: Go downstairs and out the front door. Kim introduces himself. He is your partner and will offer advice throughout. Trust him.
5. Investigate the body: The hanging man in the backyard. Examine the body, the tree, and the ground. You will automatically receive Thought Cabinet prompts—accept or reject as you like.
6. Return to the hostel: Kim suggests gathering more clues. Talk to Garte (the café owner) and the other guests. That is the first hour.

Character Creation: The Four Archetypes



Disco Elysium does not have a traditional character creator with sliders. Instead, you choose from four pre-built archetypes or customize your own by distributing points (12 total) among four main attributes:

  • Intellect (INT): Logic, knowledge, and deduction. Good for understanding complex situations.

  • Psyche (PSY): Empathy, composure, and willpower. Essential for emotional reads.

  • Physique (PHY): Endurance, strength, and intimidation. Helps with physical challenges and pain tolerance.

  • Motorics (MOT): Hand-eye coordination, perception, and reflexes. Useful for speed and crafting.


    • Archetypes:
  • Thinker (INT-focused): High Logic, Encyclopedia. Great for solving puzzles via knowledge.

  • Sensitive (PSY-focused): High Empathy, Volition. Best for emotional dialogue and understanding people.

  • Physical (PHY-focused): High Endurance, Physical Instrument. Useful for bruteforce conversations and endurance.

  • Motorics (MOT-focused): High Reaction Speed, Perception. Good for spotting hidden details and fast actions.


    • Recommendation for beginners: Choose the Sensitive archetype. It gives high Empathy and Volition, which help you talk to everyone and maintain your sanity. Avoid extreme imbalances (e.g., 1 point in any attribute) unless you want a challenge.

    Controls on All Platforms



    #### PC (Keyboard & Mouse)
  • Movement: WASD or Arrow keys. Click to walk.

  • Interact: Left-click on objects/people. Right-click for context menu (examine, pick up, etc.).

  • Skills: Press 1-6 to access thought cabinet, inventory, map, etc. (see UI overview below).

  • Dialogue: Left-click choices or press number keys 1-4 for options. Spacebar to advance text quickly.

  • Save: F5 quick save; F8 quick load (customizable).


    • #### Console (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch)
  • Movement: Left stick to move. Right stick to look around.

  • Interact: A (Xbox) / X (PlayStation) to interact. Y/Triangle for contextual actions.

  • Menus: Start/Menu button for pause screen to save and adjust options.

  • Dialogue: Use D-pad or analog stick to highlight choices; press A/X to select.

  • Quick Save/Load: Usually hold the Back/Select button and press Save/Load.


    • UI Overview



    The screen is divided into several key areas:
  • Top-left: Health (green circles) and Morale (purple circles). Health represents physical damage; Morale represents mental damage. Both can be reduced by bad decisions. If either reaches zero, game over (but you can retry).

  • Bottom-center: Dialogue box and skill checks. White checks require a certain skill level; red checks are very hard—you can fail them.

  • Right side: Task log (quests), inventory, map, thought cabinet (where you manage your beliefs). Press corresponding keys to open each.

  • Thought Cabinet: Accessed via a ribbon icon. Here you can internalize thoughts that give bonuses/penalties. Click a thought to start internalizing (takes in-game time).

  • Skills list: Hover over any skill name (e.g., Electrochemistry, Rhetoric) to see its description. These are the voices in your head.


    • Essential Early Objectives



    1. Find your badge and gun. They are in the hostel’s lost-and-found bin in the kitchen. Ask Kim about it.
    2. Get money. You start with zero. You can earn cash by finding coins in trash cans, selling items, or doing small tasks (like finding a missing ring for a cursed kid).
    3. Solve the murder case. This is the main storyline. Follow leads: the hanging man, the bullet casing, the witnesses.
    4. Improve your skills. Level up attributes by spending skill points (earned by filling experience bars through dialogue and discoveries).

    What to Do First and What to Avoid



    Do's:
  • Talk to everyone. Every conversation provides clues, skill boosts, and worldbuilding.

  • Save often. Use quick save (F5 on PC) before any major dialogue or skill check.

  • Read every description. Items, thoughts, and tutorials are rich with context.

  • Use your thought cabinet. It's the core progression system. Internalize thoughts that align with your playstyle.

  • Pick up everything. But beware of stealing in front of witnesses—it hurts your reputation.


    • Don'ts:
  • Don't ignore your morale. If you say something that shatters your worldview, you can lose morale. Have a backup thought or item to restore it.

  • Don't rush. The game has no time limit; explore and enjoy the dialogue.

  • Don't reload every failure. Failures often lead to hilarious or interesting outcomes. Embrace them.

  • Don't skip tutorials. The game teaches you mechanics through dialogue; read them carefully.

  • Don't neglect physical health. While the game is mostly talk, there are moments of physical danger (e.g., getting shot). Keep health potions (healing items) handy.


    • Early Resource Priorities



  • Money (Reál): You need about 20 reál early on to buy a room key and some basic supplies. Beg, scrounge, or sell your tie.

  • Healing items: Look for empty bottles (fill with water), salt (makes saline), and cigarettes (temporarily boost certain skills).

  • Thoughts: Internalize “Waste Land of Reality” or “Volumetric Nightmare” early for stat boosts. You can only have a limited number active.

  • Skill points: Spend them wisely. For beginners, put points into Volition (morale), Endurance (health), and Perception (find clues) first.


    • Common Beginner Mistakes



    1. Neglecting morale. You can die from a broken heart! Always keep a backup thought or medication.
    2. Being rude to Kim. Kim is your best ally; insulting him will lock you out of important help.
    3. Failing too many red checks. Red checks are rare and very hard. Don't attempt them unless you have high skill levels; you can fail and lose important opportunities.
    4. Not saving. The game has no autosave outside of chapter transitions. Manual save often.
    5. Ignoring the map. The map shows locations of tasks, characters, and key spots. Use it.
    6. Overloading on thoughts. You can only hold 12 thoughts max. Don't internalize everything; pick ones that match your build.

    Day-One Checklist (In-Game Day 1)



  • [ ] Complete the first walkthrough (wake up, dress, meet Kim, investigate body).

  • [ ] Talk to Klaasje again for more context about the murder.

  • [ ] Speak with Garte at the café (the sleeping cafeteria)—you can get a bowl of soup and a room key.

  • [ ] Find your badge (in the kitchen bin behind the café).

  • [ ] Find your gun (in the same bin—ask Kim about it).

  • [ ] Collect at least 10 reál from trash cans, ground items, or from selling the tie.

  • [ ] Internalize one thought (suggested: “Waste Land of Reality” for +1 Logic).

  • [ ] Save the game at least twice.

  • [ ] Avoid any red skill checks until you have at least 4 points in the relevant skill.

  • [ ] Read the tutorial notes in your journal.


Remember: Disco Elysium is not a game to be won—it's an experience to be felt. Your failures are as meaningful as your successes. Enjoy the chaos!