Ted Litchfield is an associate editor at the biggest PC Gaming magazine, PCGamer.

Ted has written many of the stories centred around ZAUM Studio, Disco Elysium, and more.

With a wide breadth of knowledge on the industry, Tedspoke to me about his journey in to the industry, his love of cRPGS, what he really thinks of Disco Elysium Mobile and the new Project C4 from ZAUM studio.

Search for DLIF Patrol on Bluesky and Ted Litchfield on the PCGamer website for all his published articles!

Human Can Opener Podcast welcomes Ice Pick Lodge writer and translator, Alphyna!As many indie devs often do, Alphyna has worn many different hats in the pursuit of creating games - taking the lead on the Russian localisation of Disco Elysium, but more commonly known for working at Russian indie studio Ice Pick Lodge, namely writing for and translating Pathologic 2, now taking on the role of Narrative lead on Pathologic 3.In this extensive interview we get a look in to the fascinating mind of Alphyna and many of the inspirations behind Pathologic, new details on Pathologic 3, and how she became involved with Disco Elysium.

Human Can Opener S2 Episode 8 welcomes Sudden Snail & Esoteric Ebb creator, Christoffer Bodegård.ESOTERIC EBB is a single-player CRPG inspired by the freedom of tabletop adventures. Unravel a political conspiracy with your goblin sidekick. Roll dice in tense encounters. Become a cleric of legends or completely ruin the campaign.You can play the demo of Esoteric Ebb and wishlist it over on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2057760/Esoteric_Ebb/Follower Chris on Twitter: https://x.com/chrisbodegardTIMESTAMPS00:00 Welcoming Chris & Talking Favourite Games13:00 Storytelling & Game Design19:00 How Esoteric Ebb Was Born45:00 The Influence of Dungeons & Dragons1:00:00 Christoffer's Previous Work1:04:48 Esoteric Ebb2:00:00 Disco Elysium

Human Can Opener S2 Episode 7 welcomes Swedish YouTube legend & super talented videographer, Jeffiot.He is creator of the recent Disco Elysium video essay titled "I Don't Want To Be This Kind Of Animal Any More" which you can check out here: https://youtu.be/Phns6c7j_mM?si=9otkA8Wxalo_Q64RYou can also check out Jeffiot's patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jeffiotTimestamps:00:00 Introducing Jeffiot15:30 Jeff's Favourite Game, Movie, Band, TV Show and Book54:30 What is Jeffiot?59:01 The Influence Of Found Footage Movies1:10:00 Taking The Leap To Do YouTube Full Time1:27:15 I Don't Want To Be This Kind Of Animal Any More1:57:45 We Love The Hardie Boys2:04:00 Detective Cuno2:10:50 Jeff Talks About Some Of His Techniques2:21:44 Jeffiot's Patreon2:26:06 Disco Elysium

Season 2 Episode 4 of Human Can Opener: A Disco Elysium PodcastIn this episode I speak with Artist & Writer Joshua Jenkins.Known for working concept art related to The Pale in Disco Elysium and currently working on new game Judas at Ghost Story Games, the new studio led by Ken Levine.Covering everything from video games, politics, cinema, and of course Disco Elysium. This is a fascinating conversation qith an equally fascinating person.Timestamps:00:00 Introducing Joshua Jenkins05:00 Talking About Our Favourite Media52:00 Becoming An Artist1:07:39 Ghost Story Games & Working For Ken Levine1:23:00 Working With ZAUM on Disco Elysium Art1:38:00 Pale Magpies1:45:00 Politics!1:54:00 Disco ElysiumEnjoy the episode, and let us know your favorite part in the comments!#DiscoElysium #HumanCanOpener #Podcast #GamingCommunity

Human Can Opener S2 Episode 6 welcomes Emotion Spark & Rue Valley creative director, Marko Smiljanic.Rue Valley is a narrative RPG about a man trapped in a time loop, surrounded by a colorful cast with complex emotional stories, each hiding unexpected secrets. Dealing with mental challenges, the main character must rise from the depths, delving into the anomaly to uncover its enigmatic origins.Check out the Rue Valley Trailer: https://youtu.be/NiF7VF74OEwWishlist Rue Valley On Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2126190/Rue_Valley/Timestamps:00:00 Marko's Favourite Media16:23 First Venture In To Making Games36:57 Marko's Role As Creative Director45:44 The Rue Valley Timeloop51:40 Rue Valley's Conditions & Personality Traits1:04:00 Art Style & Presentation of Rue Valley1:12:45 The Mind Map 1:23:35 Purple Pills & More News Soon?1:28:43 Meeting Robert, Rostov, and Helen2:01:00 Disco Elysium

Season 2 Episode 5 of Human Can Opener welcomes Flat 28 and Glasshouse creative director, Giacomo Montagnoli.

Support Glasshouse by wishilisting on Steam here: https://t.co/FweCybvr1o

Check out the Glasshouse Discord: https://t.co/Q2GugvWirz

Glasshouse is a Feudalpunk cRPG inspired by games such as Disco Elysium and Pathologic 2.

You find yourself trapped in a lockdown apartment block at the dawn of a world war and you'll need to investigate the mysterious triple murder next door, fight the Political Conspiracy, and make terrible choices before the flatmates do it for you.

Timestamps

00:00 Talking about our favourite games

31:05 Giacomo’s Other Media Recommendations 1:15:09 Filmmaking & Cyberpunk 2077 Documentary

1:47:19 Creating Glasshouse

2:20:51 Disco Elysium

#glasshouse #humancanopener #indiegame #indiegames #crpg

Welcome Part 2 of this very long & very special edition of my Human Can Opener podcast, featuring former ZAUM employees Argo Tuulik & Dora Klindžić. Argo has a fundraiser you can support here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-disco-elysium-writer-survive-the-winter Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 The President Of ZAUM 26:05 Show Me The Moolah 29:08 The Suffocation Of X7 39:45 The Power Of Creatives 50:04 Merging P1 & X7 1:08:34 Structure Talks 1:20:37 Conspiracy & Secrecy 1:35:05 Masks Are Slipping Off 2:06:44 An Alternate Timeline 2:18:35 Shadow CEO or Cult Leader? 2:42:51 Load The Dice & Keep On Fighting 3:40:34 Will The Real Toxic People, Please Stand Up? 4:18:47 Fighting The ZAUM 3.0 Plan 4:51:45 Complaints & Investigations 4:59:45 The Campfire Meetings 5:06:20 Going Public To The Press 5:20:29 The Mass Redundancy Process 5:25:40 A Cosmic Betrayal 5:32:30 Argo's Redundancy Meeting 5:44:29 Resigning Constructively 5:52:52 Crappy ZAUM Atelier 6:02:18 ZAUM United 6:12:42 Closing Thoughts https://x.com/The41stPrecinct https://bsky.app/profile/the41stprecinct.bsky.social Keywords: Disco Elysium, ZAUM, Robert Kurvitz, Argo Tuulik, Dora Klindzic, ZAUM controversy, Disco Elysium IP, X7 project, P1 project cancellation, Porto event, Martin Luiga blog, gaming industry drama.

Welcome to very long & very special edition of my Human Can Opener podcast, featuring former ZAUM employees Argo Tuulik & Dora Klindžić. Argo has a fundraiser you can support here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-disco-elysium-writer-survive-the-winter Tune in for an unprecedented look into the inner workings of ZAUM and the events that shaped the fate of Disco Elysium. Don’t miss this gripping story of creativity, conflict, and corporate drama. Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 - Opening Statement From 41st Precinct 03:20 - Welcome Argo Tuulik & Dora Klindžić 12:27 - Kurvitz, Rostov, Hindpere Dismissed From ZAUM 1:06:05 - Dora Klindzic Joins ZAUM Studio 1:37:13 - Y12 & The Ghost Of Robert Kurvitz 2:06:49 - The New York Meeting 2:44:23 - Piracy & Ownership 2:54:20 - New York Continued 3:47:32 - X7 Project Begins 4:28:32 - Martin Luiga Blog Post 4:46:12 - ZAUM Atelier 4:58:23 - Martin Luiga Blog Post Continued 5:13:18 - Where Is Ilmar Kompus? 5:27:10 - The Executive Team 5:39:46 - ZAUM: A Cult Of Information Control 6:37:43 - Collage Mode 7:19:50 - The PMG Documentary 8:12:15 - P1 Project Cancellation 8:40:30 - The Porto Event 9:16:04 - End Of Part One https://x.com/The41stPrecinct https://bsky.app/profile/the41stprecinct.bsky.social Keywords: Disco Elysium, ZAUM, Robert Kurvitz, Argo Tuulik, Dora Klindzic, ZAUM controversy, Disco Elysium IP, X7 project, P1 project cancellation, Porto event, Martin Luiga blog, gaming industry drama.

🎉 Welcome to Season 2 of Human Can Opener! 🎉 We’re back with Part 3 of our exclusive interview with Argo Tuulik, diving deep into the world of Disco Elysium. If you’re able to support Argo, his GoFundMe link is right here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-disco-elysium-writer-survive-the-winter 💛 Every little bit helps! In this episode, we explore: 00:00 The Collaborative Writing Process 17:10 What Is Harry's Canon Voice? 20:10 The Karaoke Scene 23:45 Who Is The Mysterious Pair Of Eyes? 26:37 The PAX Gameplay Demo & Kim's Original Voice 29:38 Disco Elysium's Main Menu Art 32:20 Sea Power & Disco Elysium 42:56 Ideology In Disco Elysium 49:35 Measurehead 52:00 The 2mm Hole In the World 53:30 Arno Van Eyck 56:52 Riget & La Royaume 1:04:10 The Feld Playback Experiment 1:07:22 La Puta Madre 1:15:36 What Are The Innocences? 1:22:57 Argo Loves Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri! 1:26:15 Captain Pryce's Call To Arms Enjoy the episode, and let us know your favorite part in the comments! #DiscoElysium #HumanCanOpener #Podcast #GamingCommunity

🎉 Welcome to Season 2 of Human Can Opener! 🎉 We’re back with Part 2 of our exclusive interview with Argo Tuulik, diving deep into the world of Disco Elysium.

If you’re able to support Argo, his GoFundMe link is right here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-disco-elysium-writer-survive-the-winter 💛 Every little bit helps! In this episode, we explore: 00:00 What Is Disco Elysium About? 05:09 Argo's Favourite Sub Plot 10:20 Meta Jokes and Fortress Accident 16:00 Argo's Favourite Character 22:20 Discussing Argo Tuulik's Characters 26:01 Prank Calls & Gaming Memories 34:53 Who Is The Cuno? 59:05 Jean Vicquemare 1:09:30 Judit Minot 1:11:31 Evrart Claire 1:33:00 Switch To Next Day Recording 1:35:55 Cunoesse 1:52:42 Evrart Claire's Strike Plot 1:59:34 Kimball Kitsuragi 2:01:37 The Hardie Boys 2:30:51The Writing Process 2:38:16 Rene & Gaston 2:46:49 Poltical Vision Quests 3:01:35 Talking About Dora Ingerlund 3:07:18 Horrific Necktie 3:19:10 Mikee Goodman 3:26:13 The Kortaeners 3:29:14 The Mercenary Tribunal Enjoy the episode, and let us know your favorite part in the comments! #DiscoElysium #HumanCanOpener #Podcast #GamingCommunity

Human Can Opener is a Disco Elysium podcast setting out to chat with people from the Disco Elysium Fandom, Dev Team, and The Cast to explore their personal journey with Disco Elysium. This episode features the brilliant musical mind of Paul Looney, the man behind hit Disco Elysium fan track, God, Please. All episodes will launch at least a week early to members of any tier, link to join below. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoDXQLqsJErOPDGIREu4Obg/join

Human Can Opener is a Disco Elysium podcast setting out to chat with people from the Disco Elysium Fandom, Dev Team, and The Cast to explore their personal journey with Disco Elysium. This episode features the legendary Disco Elysium narrator, Lenval Brown! All episodes will launch a week early to members of any tier, link to join below. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoDXQLqsJErOPDGIREu4Obg/join

🎙️ Welcome to Season 2 of Human Can Opener, the ultimate Disco Elysium Podcast! 🎮 In this episode, we bring you an exclusive, in-depth interview with none other than Argo Tuulik, a founding member of ZA/UM and a pivotal creator behind the masterpiece Disco Elysium. In this episode, Argo shares: 02:41 - Meeting Robert Kurvitz, Martin Luiga, Aleksander Rostov & The Overcoats 19:00 - The Start Of Dungeons & Dragons and expanded tabletop games 22:47 - The Inspiration For Garte The Cafeteria Manager 25:55 - Building The Tabletop Worlds 35:59 - Moving From Races To Nations & Forming Elysium 39:25 - Robert Kurvitz As A Dungeon Master 41:07 - Favourite Video Game Twists 44:26 - Argo's First Characters 46:30 - Torson & McLain 52:09 - Taking Characters From Tabletop To Disco Elysium 58:25 - What Is The Pale? 1:09:12 - The Idea Of Escapism 1:11:58 - Connecting With Your Characters As Real People 1:14:21 - Overarching Plots In The Tabletop Days 1:18:14 - The Introduction Of Harry & Kim 1:21:53 - Kim Kitsuragi 1:24:06 - Introducing The Skills 1:25:24 - Sacred And Terrible Air 1:48:20 - The Driving Force & The Miracle Of Elysium Existing 1:53:27 - Making Disco Elysium 2:13:57 - Were There Any Alternative Ideas For The Story Of Disco Elysium? 2:16:50 - Influential Games And Media 2:30:43 - The Thought Cabinet & The Skill System 2:43:05 - Failure In Elysium & Contextual Changes In Story But there’s more at stake here—Argo is currently facing legal challenges and is unable to work due to an injunction. 💔 He’s launched a GoFundMe campaign to help in his fight. https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-disco-elysium-writer-survive-the-winter This conversation was so detailed and fascinating that we had to split it into multiple parts. This is Part 1. We end right where things get really exciting, Disco Elysium itself. Get ready for a mind-blowing deep dive into the origins of Elysium, what the Pale REALLY represents, and so many other incredible tidbits about the world you love.

Human Can Opener is a Disco Elysium podcast setting out to chat with people from the Disco Elysium Fandom, Dev Team, and The Cast to explore their personal journey with Disco Elysium. Martin Luiga is one of the original members of the ZAUM Cultural Association, friend & world building partner of Robert Kurvitz, Argo Tuulik and others. For this episode Martin joined via phone, so to mitigate the risk of signal issues we decided to keep it as voice only. We discuss some of the early conceptions in the tabletop era of Elysium and some of the lore that exists in that world. We also discuss the emergence of 3 brand new studios aiming to release games in the spirit of Disco Elysium and of course the fourth studio that Martin himself is working with; Red Info. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoDXQLqsJErOPDGIREu4Obg/join

Human Can Opener is a Disco Elysium podcast setting out to chat with people from the Disco Elysium Fandom, Dev Team, and The Cast to explore their personal journey with Disco Elysium. Stushi is a humble video essayist responsible for the "No Truce With Capital" video in respons to the Disco Elysium documentary by People Make Games - We discuss both the PMG doc and the response in this chat. We also discuss the 3 brand new studios aiming to release games in the spirit of Disco Elysium and what our hopes or expectations are for those studios. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 intro 01:59 Anime, Books, and Gaming Chat 22:35 YouTube Stuff 33:40 PMG Doc & No Truce With Capital 58:04 The Disco Elysium Successors 01:19:04 Disco Elysium Questions Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoDXQLqsJErOPDGIREu4Obg/join

Human Can Opener is a Disco Elysium podcast setting out to chat with people from the Disco Elysium Fandom, Dev Team, and The Cast to explore their personal journey with Disco Elysium.

Volha is the former community lead at ZA/UM Studio, the first ever Kim Kitsuragi cosplayer, all around Disco Elysium super fan and huge contributor to the community through the ton of content on social media as well as curating Disco Elysium fanzines showcasing incredible fan art for the game.

Please check out all of the links below - with special mention to the projects Volha is currenlty working on, including new studio Postive Impact Games!

Social/LinkedIn

https://x.com/KapitonovaVoliahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kapitonava-volha/

Positive Impact Games & Cozy Impacthttps://linkedin.com/company/positive-impact-gameshttps://x.com/cozy_impact

Fan Art and Social Media Content

Fanzines:

https://online.fliphtml5.com/rgevm/lwni/

https://online.fliphtml5.com/rgevm/lcma/

This is when Volha first read "Never Fuck with Kim Kitsuragi" before the Final Cut:

https://www.twitch.tv/whiteforest_/clip/HeadstrongRenownedSamosaPJSugar

And this is when Volha heard it in the Final Cut:

https://www.twitch.tv/whiteforest_/clip/WonderfulCloudyDurianPermaSmug-NT7WhRZwKGBubdIR

Human Can Opener is a Disco Elysium podcast setting out to chat with people from the Disco Elysium Fandom, Dev Team, and The Cast to explore their personal journey with Disco Elysium.It is my pleasure to welcome my first guest, the Disco Elysium YouTube legend @JamrockHobo