Immerse Yourself in Disco Elysium's Thought-Provoking Adventure

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is a captivating and critically acclaimed game renowned for its unique gameplay and immersive world. Players are encouraged to thoroughly explore its intricately detailed environment, uncovering hidden treasures and even unintentionally creating memorable character moments.

As players delve into the game's narrative and unravel the complexities of their character, they encounter various Thoughts, internal monologues that shape their perspective and actions. These Thoughts can be adopted or dismissed, influencing the character's mindset and impacting gameplay outcomes. While many Thoughts offer a double-edged sword of advantages and disadvantages, some stand out as demonstrably beneficial. This list highlights some of the best Thoughts in Disco Elysium, objectively superior for various reasons.

Updated December 23, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Disco Elysium's compelling narrative and exceptional writing enhance every interaction, creating a captivating murder mystery with a satisfying conclusion. Exploring Revachol is an immersive experience, and the amnesiac protagonist's acquisition of numerous Thoughts provides strategic advantages. Unlocking these Thoughts is crucial for maximizing the detective's competence and success in crucial skill checks.

14. Ace's Low

How To Unlock: Shoot the Hanged Man and slap it with Interlacing at 5 or greater.

• +2 Empathy for Kim Kitsuragi
• +1 Esprit de Corps

Kim Kitsuragi is a key companion who develops into one of Disco Elysium's most beloved characters. Building a strong rapport with Kim is essential, and Ace's Low facilitates this by boosting both Empathy and Esprit de Corps. This early-game Thought offers significant benefits for player relationships.

13. Hardcore Aesthetic

How To Unlock: Ask Noid what true life is and pass the Conceptualization check.

• +1 Volition
• +1 Endurance

Permanently increasing core stats is advantageous for succeeding in skill checks. Hardcore Aesthetic achieves this, boosting both Volition and Endurance. While unlocking it requires a successful Conceptualization check during a conversation with Noid in the church, the rewards are well worth the effort.

12. Searchlight Division

How To Unlock: Speak to certain characters about missing people.

• +2 Perception

Investigating missing persons is a central aspect of the detective's role. By diligently questioning specific characters, players unlock Searchlight Division, gaining a valuable +2 Perception bonus. This Thought rewards thorough investigation with a significant stat boost.

11. Apricot Chewing Gum Scented One

How To Unlock: Smell the card in the damaged ledger's hidden compartment and the apricot chewing gum wrapper.

• +2 Perception

This Thought highlights the game's quirky nature, rewarding seemingly insignificant actions. By focusing on specific scents, players unlock a +2 Perception bonus, demonstrating that even seemingly mundane observations can yield valuable insights.

10. Cleaning Out The Rooms

How To Unlock: Pass a Logic check with Soona after investigating the Void of Sound.

• +1 Suggestion
• +1 Inland Empire
• +1 Rhetoric

Investigating the church's Void of Sound and subsequently conversing with Soona unlocks this Thought. The resulting boosts to Suggestion, Inland Empire, and Rhetoric are highly beneficial, enhancing several key skills simultaneously.

9. Detective Costeau

How To Unlock: Call yourself Detective Costeau.

• +1 Savoir Faire
• +1 Esprit de Corps

This Thought arises from a humorous interaction, showcasing the game's playful approach to character development. By embracing the persona of Detective Costeau (even after discovering their true name), players gain boosts to Savoir Faire and Esprit de Corps.

8. Jamais Vu

How To Unlock: Speak to Lena and Joyce.

• +1 XP for every orb clicked
• All INT learning caps raised by 1

Jamais Vu rewards exploration with bonus XP and increased skill caps. This Thought encourages thorough investigation, providing tangible rewards for exploring Revachol.

7. Bringing Of The Law (Law-Jaw)

How To Unlock: Call yourself The Law, Lawbringer, and a policeman multiple times.

• Learning cap for Hand/Eye Coordination raised to 6
• Automatically succeed all Hand/Eye Coordination passives
• -1 Rhetoric

This Thought caters to players who embrace an authoritative police persona. The significant boost to Hand/Eye Coordination, including automatic success in passives, outweighs the minor penalty to Rhetoric.

6. Kingdom Of Conscience

How To Unlock: Wear the Interisolary Trousers or acquire 4 Moralism points.

• Moralist dialogue options heal +1 Morale
• Learning cap for Volition raised to 5
• Learning cap for Logic raised to 5

This Thought aligns with the Moralist path, offering significant benefits. The Morale healing from Moralist dialogue and increased learning caps for Volition and Logic make it a powerful choice.

5. Indirect Modes Of Taxation

How To Unlock: Wear the Brown Derbies Trousers or acquire 4 Ultraliberal points.

• Ultraliberal dialogue options give +1 Reál
• -1 Empathy

This Thought appeals to players who prioritize financial gain. The consistent Reál income from Ultraliberal dialogue options compensates for the minor Empathy reduction.

4. Mazovian Socio-Economics

How To Unlock: Earn 4 Communism points.

• Left-wing dialogue options give +4 XP
• -1 Visual Calculus
• -1 Authority

This Thought favors a communist approach, offering substantial XP gains. The XP bonus from left-wing dialogue outweighs the penalties to Visual Calculus and Authority.

3. Actual Art Degree

How To Unlock: Agree to become an Art Cop.

• -1 Hand/Eye Coordination
• Conceptualization passives heal +1 Morale & +10 XP

This Thought is linked to the Art Cop archetype, rewarding players who embrace artistic dialogue. The bonus XP and Morale healing from Conceptualization passives offset the Hand/Eye Coordination reduction.

2. Rigorous Self-Critique

How To Unlock: Agree to become a Sorry Cop.

• INT & PSY red check failures heal +1 Morale
• FYS & MOT red check failures heal +1 Health
• Learning cap for Pain Threshold increased to 6

This Thought transforms failures into opportunities for healing, mitigating the risks associated with skill checks. The Morale and Health recovery from failed checks makes it a valuable asset.

1. Wompty-Dompty Dom Centre

How To Unlock: Learn about the Wompty-Dompty Dom Centre from Trant Heidelstam.

• Encyclopedia passives give +10 XP & 2 Reál
• -2 Suggestion

This Thought significantly enhances Encyclopedia passives, providing consistent XP and Reál income. The financial and experience gains outweigh the minor Suggestion penalty.