Ideology of Martinaise

This research explores how the developer’s political views influence the narrative in Disco Elysium created by the indie studio ZA/UM. In an industry where games offer differing narratives, mechanics, and art styles, Disco Elysium stands out for its integration of political theory within its storytelling with elements that are not commonly seen in the role-playing game genre. The game presents a narrative- driven experience that prioritizes story, player choices, and visual art over traditional gameplay mechanics such as combat. For that reason, it offers the player an immersive experience of participating in the game world of Elysium by adapting an ideology as a character trait. Players navigate this world with a high degree of agency, selecting skills that shape their perceptions and experiences, wherein they get to reflect on four different ideological perspectives. This study situates itself within the emerging field of game studies, which intersects with media and cultural studies to investigate the cultural significance of video games. The research also considers the developers' position, including their experiences in Estonia and historical events, which inform the game's ideological content. Opting for a mixed-method approach and using qualitative methods, including formal analysis of gameplay and close reading, the study examines how the game's design and narrative transfer the story to the player thus answering how the characters of Disco Elysium embody various political views through the developer’s perspective. Through gameplay and taking notes, this research set on to find out exactly how all the four main ideologies were presented, and why. Moreover, with the help of defining ideology, the characters were presented with their according reasoning of why they were considered a part of each group. This study contributes to the academic discourse on the intersection of political theory and video games, offering insights for future research and game development.