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Following Up Disco Elysium with ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies with Studio Head Allen Murray

July 13, 2026 · 1 h 29 min

Show notes

Adam Orth chats Allen Murray, Studio Head of ZA/UM Studio and Head of Production on ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies. Together they discuss the legacy of the studio and the pressure of following up a beloved debut in Disco Elysium; the deliberate choices they made around the setting and themes; how they implemented over 700,000 words of dialogue; making every decision and moment impactful to avoid ludonarrative dissonance; and balancing their creative vision while deescalating risk.

This episode is sponsored by:

Xsolla

Episode Host: Adam Orth

Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences

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