- Publisher: ZA/UM
- Release Date: May 21, 2026
- Critic score
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- By date
- Unscored
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Jun 18, 2026Zero Parades is a somewhat baffling, sometimes broken, and sometimes captivating experience. Given the history, I do not blame people for coming into this with a wary eye. The somewhat rough optimization, buggy technical state, and sporadic voice acting are a bit frustrating, but despite these things holding the game back, I surprised myself by getting drawn into the world of Zero Parades.
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Edge MagazineJun 11, 2026Zero Parades does succeed, but it's a qualified success. [Issue#425, p.106]
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May 20, 2026It digs into ideas about rebuilding after tragedy that aren’t only interesting but which, given the history of ZA/UM and of those few original developers who still remain on board, seem like they’re also deeply felt.
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May 18, 2026Zero Parades for Dead Spies is an ambitious game that is largely successful, though it has a few minor flaws; unfortunately, it can't hold a candle to its extraordinary quasi-predecessor, Disco Elysium.
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May 18, 2026As a successor to Disco Elysium, ZA/UM's spy-fi RPG is a little too fearful to roll the dice on something new. But if the systems and themes are a little too familiar in Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, that does mean some of the old charm persists – and if you can look past the odd irritation, you'll find an NPC crew worth getting to know in Portofiro.
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May 18, 2026Despite a beautiful world and some clever mechanical flourishes, Zero Parades doesn't commit to its espionage concept enough to be convincing.
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May 21, 2026What troubles me about Zero Parades is that its journey to release is more typical of the industry: numerous canceled projects, mass layoffs, all culminating in an almost entirely new team building a new game using the tools and design template established by creatives long since disposed of, meant for an entirely different world and built for an entirely different purpose, repurposed for this title. In that context, it’s a miracle the game is as competent, humorous, and well-realized as it is, despite not fully standing on its own or carrying the torch for what made Disco Elysium so special.
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May 20, 2026Zero Parades: For Dead Spies is crushed under the weight of its spiritual predecessor. In a desperate attempt to replicate the brilliance of Disco Elysium, the game confuses profound writing with exhausting, baroque verbosity, burying a potentially good espionage thriller under an avalanche of unearned infodumps and out-of-place philosophical digressions. Mechanically, unbalanced systems like 'Exert' and illogical stat checks actively encourage save-scumming, ruining the role-playing experience. It is ultimately saved from total failure by its gorgeous, oil-painted art direction and a few brilliant mechanical flashes like the Dramatic Encounters. A passable but soulless imitation that completely fails to carve out its own identity.
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May 19, 2026Zero Parades is not as relevant as Disco Elysium but it is awesome. [Recommended]
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May 19, 2026Chaos is the best possible descriptor of some of the narrative’s later and more extravagant detours, detours which I always understood but also believed could’ve been handled more elegantly. “Chaotic” is, to me, the most apt way to describe both the quickly destabilizing state of Zero Parades‘ Developed World and the spy at the heart of it all trying to change things. Chaotic and ugly. Zero Parades is a big ugly game for a big ugly world. Good luck at the Opera, and maybe bring a light.
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May 21, 2026The longer I played Zero Parades, the more it began to reveal itself in engrossing ways. Set the grand political theater aside, and you have a remarkably human story about Cascade. Early on, you learn that she’s haunted by a cowardly act of self-preservation and needs this assignment to redeem herself — especially because she’s going to need the help of her old crewmates to pull it off. It’s less of a spy thriller and more akin to someone returning to their hometown and dealing with the mess they left behind.
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May 18, 2026As Cascade, I did what I had to while pursuing forgiveness. I manipulated old friends into joining me in one last job, I deceived people who put their trust in me in order to obtain information, and I left multiple tasks unresolved, which will no doubt have ramifications for a city that I never plan to set foot in again. In Zero Parades, you get to choose the mask you wear. Force the right dice checks, choose the right words, and you may convince yourself that your actions were right all along.