Esoteric Ebb, more than any other game, has come the closest to recreating the tabletop RPG experience. Rather than developing the experience through complex systems and intricate combat puzzles, solo-dev Christoffer Bodegård, crafted the game by way of scenarios. Just like how a good tabletop gamemaster would continuously work to surprise and delight their players throughout a campaign, Bodegård achieves the same effect here. If anyone is looking for a game that encompasses the tenets which makes a TTRPG, Esoteric Ebb fits that description like a glove.
Like any great CRPG, the story begins with you rising from a deep slumber, where voices speak to you as you transition into the world of the waking. These voices belong to your six attributes, who each have their own distinct personalities and goals. As you piece together what has transpired and what you need to be doing, you learn that a tea shop has blown up, and you’re a cleric who is tasked to investigate it and solve the mystery. Alongside it, there’s an upcoming election that has left the city of Norvik’s residents a bit restless, tension building amongst each other. As you explore the area, you’ll come into contact with Snell who’ll serve as your trusty companion. However, the more you try to learn about Norvik, the more you encounter these “esoteric” events, weird tears in the fabric of reality.
There’s an easy comparison to make here, where Esoteric Ebb‘s design choices and ideas seem to be directly lifted from Disco Elysium, but while they may share a similar foundation and structure, their execution goes into wildly different territories. Where the setting of Disco Elysium contains a malaise that pierces into the city’s heart and underlies every interaction you have, Esoteric Ebb is significantly more whimsy and absurd in comparison, drawing clear inspiration from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels moreso than from anything else I could identify. It should be noted that there is no voice acting currently present within the game. If heavy reading serves as a major roadblock to your enjoyment, it may be worth waiting until a “Final Cut” release similar to Disco Elysium.
Just like Disco Elysium, Esoteric Ebb contains zero combat. Instead, almost every interaction is influenced by skill checks that are resolved through rolling a d20, including scenarios where you would typically have combat. Each dice roll is modified based on how you allocated your points, what you’ve chosen to have proficiency in, and what equipment you’re wearing. Additionally, as you complete quests, you unlock feats which significantly changes your character. For example, there is a feat that lets you regain some health by asking people who they’ll vote for in the election or one that provides you with advantage for your initiative roll. There are many more to be discovered and quests provides you with a choice of two to three feats to pick from, allowing subsequent runs of the game to be significantly different.
One aspect that really makes Esoteric Ebb is the ability to make use of dozens of spells to aid you in your journey. They’re directly lifted from D&D and their potential applications are surprisingly vast with early-game 1st level spells staying relevant all the way through until the end. Even during interactions that don’t ultimately matter in the bigger picture, the fact that you can use for spells for what ends up being flavour allows for the setting to feel fleshed out and lived in. For a solo dev, it’s truly impressive just how much detail Bodegård is able to fit into the game. That can also be seen in your interactions with other characters which are nuanced in how you’re able to approach it with several potential options.
Even if the game isn’t particular large when it comes to scope and scale, it holds within it a myriad of delightful secrets that can influence your later conversations with the colourful cast. Knowing that the concept for Esoteric Ebb was based around Bodegård’s own D&D campaign demonstrates that every piece of the pie is intentionally crafted with a deep passion behind it. Regularly, there are moments where Bodegård directly talks to you, like how a gamemaster would in a TTRPG, further cementing the idea that this game is meant to be approached as such. It’s because of these elements that has led me to believe that Esoteric Ebb comes to closest than any other game to emulating the tabletop experience.
If you’re looking for another game to fill the Disco Elysium-shaped hole in your heart, this will not do that. Still, it’s interesting to experience for yourself how the systems of Disco Elysium get reinterpreted in different ways. To me, Esoteric Ebb sets an exciting precedent of CRPGs evolving as a genre and I can’t wait for more in the future. Definitely don’t miss out on this one.
Score: 9 out of 10
Reviewed on PC