The hanged rhizome on the tree: arborescence and multiplicity in Disco Elysium

Abstract

This paper looks at Disco Elysium as a model for a better understanding of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari’s concept of the rhizome when applied to video games. It analyses the use and implementation of the many forms of expressing multiplicity that are present in Disco Elysium and that are manifested through the configuration of the avatar, the use of the player’s choice, and representations of space and time in the game. Ultimately, this paper also serves as a coalescence of existing Game Studies scholarship on rhizomic relations, multiplicities and affect to create a common ground for future conversations on these topics.