Rue Valley Game Development Details
Publisher Owlcat Games, together with Emotion Spark Studio, the independent developer of the narrative RPG Rue Valley, shared details of the game’s development in the Human Can Opener podcast.
Rue Valley takes inspiration from games like Outer Wilds and Disco Elysium. The game features a time loop mechanic, where time only advances through player interaction, and characters have their own personalities, which makes the game feel more alive. The personality system allows players to shape their character’s personality traits, ensuring each playthrough is unique.
The game’s art style, inspired by stop-motion animation and the Spider-Verse cartoon series, combines semi-3D visuals with a comic book aesthetic. Years of experimentation went into perfecting the lighting, textures, and animation.
A key moment in the development was a visit to Belgrade by Disco Elysium creators Robert Kurvitz, Alexander Rostov, and Helen Hindpere, who played a demo of Rue Valley. Their feedback not only validated the team’s creative vision, but also provided valuable feedback that helped improve key elements of the game.
Kurvitz, known for his pioneering work in the narrative genre, immediately took notice of the game’s isometric art style and dialogue system. At one of the game’s challenging moments, his genuine excitement at conquering a difficult part of the game energized the Emotion Spark team, reinforcing their confidence in the game’s depth and immersion.
Hindpere, who played the demo separately, described Rue Valley as both familiar and original. She noted similarities in the storytelling tools and dialogue mechanics, but emphasized that the game forges its own path.
Rostov, art director of Disco Elysium, delved deeper into Rue Valley’s visual identity. During a return visit to the studio, he held a detailed discussion of the art style, suggesting interesting improvements such as adding self-cast shadows to characters, which left a lasting impression on the team.
Marko Smiljanic, creative director of Emotion Spark, described the experience as surreal. He noted that meeting the creators of Disco Elysium, the game that inspired Rue Valley, was both inspiring and motivating. Hearing their feedback and seeing them enjoying the game was a dream come true for the team.
For players who want to check out Rue Valley, a free demo is now available on Steam.
