Esoteric Ebb

Esoteric Ebb brings an enthralling mystery to the forefront of Indie Gaming, a must-play.

I’ve only played one table-top RPG session in my life, and it didn’t go great. Despite the rude DM and a one-shot that haunts me to this day, I’m still enamoured by video games that so faithfully tap into the rulesets and world-building of the pen, the paper and the dice. We’re so familiar with the rules and tropes of video games that have become an implied bare-minimum for every release, but when a game goes out of its way to adapt the Dungeons & Dragons ruleset or mythos into the virtual world, it creates this challenging and unfamiliar box to play in that I adore. Baldur’s Gate 3 took the r...

If you like RPGs, you owe it to yourself to play Esoteric Ebb.

Esoteric Ebb may borrow heavily from some of the greatest games in its genre, but it takes what it borrows and shapes it, creating something that still feels unique and fresh in its own right.

Overall, Esoteric Ebb does a great job of applying aspects of its influences into its own splendid package. The experience is one that is full of surprises and delightful in its own way. While not for everyone, the game is sure to be memorable for those who enjoy the genre as well as those who simply put in the time to complete a playthrough. With so many variables available even at a surface level, each player’s first playthrough should be unique enough. If you are a CRPG fan at heart, Esoteric Ebb is a no-brainer to give it a shot. If you’re not, there’s still likely something for you if any...

Where Esoteric Ebb feels new and fresh is in its approach to the fantasy genre.

Christoffer Bodegård's Esoteric Ebb builds on the cRPG revival started by Disco Elysium et al. An entertaining setting, enjoyable writing and quest design, and superbly utilised tabletop gameplay aspects helps it stand out on its own.

At the end of the day, Esoteric Ebb is a weird game in the best way possible. It's a bit of a slow start, but once it gets you hooked, you'll want to see it through to the end. While it doesn't offer up information on completing quests, it does give you the freedom to explore the world and characters. If you're a fan of DnD looking for something unique with some solid writing and good humor, then you won't find a better game to play than Esoteric Ebb.

I am known for my position that Disco Elysium is the best game ever, and I’m not sure if Esoteric Ebb is going to dethrone it, but it’s definitely going on the medal podium. This is Disco Elysium by way of Planescape: Torment, but with the humor of Discworld, a detective roleplaying game that’s less about killing monsters and leveling up and more about the joy of screwing around in a fantasy world.