Ben and Tao introduce themselves and the podcast before jumping straight into a forensic analysis of the hilarious and novel RPG game, Disco Elysium. Topics include censorship, discrimination and politics in game stories, save scumming, whether Ben’s an unlucky person, gaming alter-egos and breaking the rigid gamer mindset, and the merits of an in-game sidekick. Spoilers.

Content Warning: PEGI 16. Very strong language. Reference to drugs, violence, discrimination and war crimes.

Clarifications:

• The game writer is Robert Kurvitz, a Karelian-Estonian novelist. He founded the video game development company ZA/UM in 2016, which employs about 20 developers.

• WW2 soldier hiding in Guam jungle didn’t know war had ended.

• The official soundtrack is by British Sea Power.

Audio extracts:

• Gladiator

• The Simpsons

• Saturday Night Fever

• Magic Roundabout theme

• The Internationale

• Lord of the Rings OST

• Trump v Clinton Presidential Debate

• The Bill theme