Rue Valley

Probably the biggest problem with Rue Valley is how it was marketed as “a game in the spirit of Disco Elysium”. In reality, the two have little in common. Rue Valley doesn’t have the same depth, the same defiantly strange setting, or the same humour. It isn’t even an RPG. Does that make Rue Valley a bad game? Not at all. It’s a solid adventure with a peculiar plot, likeable characters, and well-executed psychotherapy sessions.
The game treats therapy and psychological hang-ups with striking seriousness. More than once, reading those dialogues, I felt a painful sense of recognition. Because of that, Rue Valley is a rare example of a game that can be more than a vehicle for escapism (nothing wrong with that) and actually become a push towards real change.
It’s not perfect: in the final third, many tasks become tedious, the local “check system” is laughable, and the game desperately needs an epilogue. I hope at least some of these issues get fixed in patches — it seems entirely achievable. But I don’t regret a single hour spent in Rue Valley.

Still with me, mister Harrow?
Firstly, it's not Disco Elysium; it has little in common with it. It's focused on dialogue, and that's it. Secondly, it's not a bad game, as some people say, nor is it a good game.
There are no RPG elements, no progression, no fancy hats, no Frittte (three "T"s!) plastic bag for collecting bottles, and you can't even stick a finger up your arse.
But...
It's a great story.
It's a great story about love and loss, depression and hope. And, ultimately, acceptance. It's pretty linear: the characteristics assigned to Eugen at the start of the game stay the same throughout, and they don't change much. However, they do change how you, as Eugen, approach the story.
Still with me, mister Hollow?
It can be tedious at times, but this tediousness serves the narrative, helping you to get into the skin of a depressed man stuck in a never-ending 47-minute loop.
Don't expect it to be Disco, don't expect it to have the same sense of humour — just don't compare it to Disco. It's a great story in its own right — a sad one. People may prefer comdey, but life only writes dramas.
Still with me, mister Harrow?

Oh, I'm really torn on this one. Let me be clear - the majority of the negative reviews are valid. The game has many flaws and certainly greatly underdelivered on many promises.
Specifically:
1) The game was clearly rushed and undercooked. Somewhere towards the middle they take away even the illusion of any agency from the player and all you could do from that point forward is to follow the script. It completely stops being a game and becomes a book with some visuals.
2) Almost non of the mechanics promised or hinted in the demo materialized in any meaningful way. The "mind map" for example is completely pointless, you can delete it from the game completely and pretty much nothing changes. In its core - it is an adventure game with adventure game mechanics.
3) The game takes itself way too seriously. Take "void of resignation" sequence for example. I get what developers were trying to say, I really do. But holy crap. This is a game - not an art piece. Players supposed to enjoy playing it.
So why do I leave a positive review? Well, in the end of the day - it is an interesting story supported by great colorful art. You just need to take the game as it is without specific expectations: treat it as a semi-interactive book, similar to telltale games.

I don't usually leave reviews... However, this game seems to be a bit polarizing, so I'll just add my comments in case it helps anyone decide whether to buy it or not.
As many have already said, this is NOT Disco Elysium. Yes, they kinda look similar (isometric, excellent art - though quite different aesthetic as Rue Valley is of course nothing like Revachol), they are both story-driven, dialogue focused - yes both have TONS of dialogue, though the style of writing is very very different (DE being a bit wittier and intellectual IMO). The mechanics of the game are.... similarish? But not really... Again, yes both have dialogue options and this sort of point and click style, but to me DE is more complex, which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you like.
Story and theme wise, I don't think they have anything in common. They both delve into psychology but with different approaches. DE also includes a lot of philosophy and socio-political references, while RV remains focused on the individual perspective of life.
So is it even worth comparing RV to DE? In my opinion, no. They are very different games.
Finally, should you play RV?
If you like games with a lot of dialogue and that are point-and-clickish, and if you're up to an emotional rollercoaster of a story that is about mental health and grief and the human condition, then it might be a good fit. I think it is a very good game, the art is beautiful, the characters are interesting, the dialogues are very well written - they are quite realistic and witty enough to be amusing but not to drive your focus away from the main theme, and the story is engaging and has some nice plot twists. But most importantly, as someone who suffers GAD, depression and OCD, I find that they encapsulate very well how it feels to be depressed and anxious. I cried several times throughout the game, since I felt everything to be so relatable, it's nice to see yourself represented in games from time to time. I found it to be quite therapeutic (no pun intended).
On the other hand, the loop thing and the mechanics of how it works does get tiring and a bit frustrating at points, but it's a short game so it's bearable. About that... it is a short game, and I'm not sure if replayability is one of its qualities, so yeah the price might be a bit much and I'd wait for a sale.

Writing this right after finishing the game. It worths every second of your time. Really, give it a chance, don't read the comments and review, don't make any expectations, neither low nor high. Just play it through. Let the game play you more, than you play it.

Also want to comment on some highlights from over reviews:
- I agree, that it is more linear, than you expect. I agree, that 'choices matter' in this case might be misleading. But it doesn't make the game worse, it is just different from what you may expect. It is not Disco_Elysium_Two, but it doesn't have to be.
- Balance, inspiration, motivation: I saw that some players mentioned lack of points of motivation in the game, but I don't think that it is a bug or something. I played it through before the update and didn't meet any problems with it.
- If it becomes to be boring, frustrating, depressing: trust the process. It has to be like that at some point. Yes, including the unskippable cut scenes and weirdness with actions that you've already made. It is part of the story
- More an art than a game: I agree with this. It isn't some kind of playground with the time loop settings. But it doesn't have to be that also

I really want the game to prosper and negative reviews break my heart. Yes, Rue Valley requires a special mood to play it. Yes, it requires a couple dozens of hours of your time. But it's an experience that has to be lived through, end-to-end.

If you quit the game in the middle, because it disappointed your expectations, give it a chance to show you the whole story.

I think it's just a specific genre, and I see very few of games like that. But it's worth it, really. The ending totally destroyed me and then collected all of the parts of my heart into something new. I haven't felt this way about a game for a very long time. And I'm grateful for the possibility to feel that way!

Thanks to developers, artists and all of the people who made this game released. I think everybody has to play it in certain period of life.

p.s.: I'm sorry if I made some grammar or spelling mistakes, English is not my first language

Rue Valley is a narrative-driven, Disco Elysium-inspired mystery game with very light RPG elements. If you love a good, intriguing mystery where your choices have consequences, you will enjoy this game. However, if reading a lot while playing isn’t your thing, this game might not be for you.
The gameplay revolves around exploring, talking to characters, and completing Intentions (essentially quests) to learn more about people and events through the Mind Map (think Sherlock Holmes games), with an added twist of time management. You’ll often need to be in the right place at the right time, with specific conditions met, to make progress. But don’t worry - you always get another loop to try again. (Yes, it’s a time-loop game, but that’s part of the premise, not a spoiler.)
Pros:
- The main story hooks you from the very first loop and keeps you engaged until the very end. The pacing is spot-on, with new discoveries constantly driving you to play more and uncover the secrets of Rue Valley and its quirky inhabitants.
- The comic book-like visual style is truly gorgeous and a pleasure to look at. The colour palette is soothing and pleasant, which makes the game even more beautiful. And while the visuals are highly stylized, they’re also full of subtle details if you pay attention.
- A motley crew of intriguing characters that are really well written, it will push you to learn more about all of them while trying to untangle the enigma that keeps you trapped in this good-forsaken motel.
- I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the game’s dialogue is voiced - something I didn’t expect. Not only that, but the voice acting is excellent. The actors understood the assignment perfectly and really brought the uniqueness of each character to life.
- The atmospheric soundtrack complements the game’s overall tone and mood beautifully. It perfectly captures the shifting states of mind of your character, as well as the distinct vibe of each location you visit.
- I like the freedom of choosing how to approach each loop and how to spend my 47 minutes of in-game time. You gather information, unlock memories, and complete Intentions (essentially quests) at your own pace and in whatever order feels most natural to you (within the currently available options).
- You can - and often will - fail certain dialogue or action checks if you don’t choose the right options, so be careful. You can save-scum if you want, but that kind of defeats the purpose of role-playing, if you ask me.
Cons:
- I don’t like how over-the-top some dialogue options tied to character traits can sound; at times, they border on comical and lack nuance.
- Similarly, the game’s approach to personality building feels too black-and-white. For example, you’re forced to choose between being an Introvert or an Extrovert, with no room for the messy, in-between reality most people inhabit. The same goes for other aspects of the system, which also rely on strict either-or choices.
- In general, the character personality system feels a bit barebones and simple compared to Disco Elysium. It lacks depth, but I guess it serves its purpose.
- Some aspects of the game could use QoL improvements and polish.

Game was good. I completed it, only mentioning that so people know this review is coming from someone who actually saw it through to the end.

here are some thoughts to help you decide if you want to buy it -

- First up, for anyone who is on this store page looking for something, anything to fill the void left by disco elysium (like I was), I think we are all going to have to accept that whatever magic was conjured in the making of that game will probably never be conjured again. As hard as that is. However - this game will scratch the itch, it is very good in its own right.

-My fear for this game is, 9/10 players won't be able to get through it. Yes i get it its a loop, but there were times where there was, in my opinion, avoidable tedium for the player from a developer standpoint.

-The game would benefit enormously from being fully voiced. The narrator (or whoever is talking to you through the game, your inner monologue maybe?), desperately needs to be voiced. Though i fully acknowledge the resources required to achieve this may not have been possible for the developer at the time of releasing the game.

- Some lack of polish toward the end starts to come through, minor things, but noticeable. Dialogue choices repeating and not clearing after being executed, which was not the case for the preceding 95 percent of the game.


Anyways all and all, a recommendation. A great entry into the genre, despite some things that could have made it a bit better.