Disco Elysium is a role-playing game where all of its unique systems create a sprawling, complex, and ultimately well-crafted dialogue tree. Unlike a more traditional RPG, the game doesn't contain any combat. Instead, skill points are spent investing into the protagonist's attributes, influencing how he views and interacts with the world. The impact of the skills is immediately obvious, as they are tied to skill checks and sometimes appear as minor characters. 

The Thought Cabinet is another feature of the game that influences the player-character's already overcrowded psyche, adding even more choices. This system is more subtle in how it affects the narrative. The game doesn't tell you how to acquire the different thoughts or the bonuses you can gain. The only way to know is to commit a precious skill point for a slot and "research" it through internalization. If its effects aren't something you want, you have to spend another point to unlearn it. With a total of 53 thoughts and a limited amount of slots and skill points, it is a daunting task to figure out which best supplements your cop.

Official Thought Cabinet trailer

Rather than fumble around without a clue like the protagonist, here is a list of the top 10 best thoughts in the game, their great bonuses, and how to get them:

Information and values are taken from the game's wiki page.

10. Early Game: Jamais Vu (Derealization)

Everything familiar is strange and new

The game introduces Jamais Vu with the problem, "This feels like the *most* important of all the thoughts; the one you truly must complete," and when it comes to its in-game bonuses, it truly is an essential thought.

• Completion: awards 1 XP for every orb clicked
• All INT learning caps increased by 1

Gaining 1 XP doesn't seem that much, but the strength of this buff relies on how you can insert this for any build and how early you can acquire it. Practically at the beginning of the game! Speak to Lena, the sweet old lady who uses a wheelchair sitting in the Whirling Rags, and ask her to acquaint Harry with the reality he drank himself into forgetting. After she suggests that someone more intelligent than her is more suited for this conversation, talk to Joyce, the rich, senior negotiator standing on a boat located on the docks. Pursue her to elaborate more on your reality, and that should gain you the thought.

An added lore benefit is that Jamais Vu acts as a bonus when asking Joyce about the pale. She'll also tell you what the title of the game means.

9. Most Experience: Actual Art Degree

The most savage and brutal copotype

Some thoughts allow you commit to a certain copotype. It triggers when you consistently choose responses corresponding to the archetype. If you've been telling all of Revachol your critiques about art and the human condition, you can gain the Actual Art Degree thought and pursue your passion as an Art Cop.

Keep choosing art-related dialogues until Conceptualization contacts you. It takes around five to six lines before this happens; it depends on how many points you have on that skill. 

• Research: -1 Perception
• Completion:-1 Hand-Eye Coordination
• Conceptualization passives heal +1 Morale and give +10 XP

According to this Reddit post tallying all passive checks in the game, there are 430 passive conceptualization skill checks. You could gain 43 levels from this thought alone if you take it early in the game.

8. Mid-Game Cash: Wompty-Dompty Dom Centre

 The old Feld Electrical mural

This thought provides a significant amount of money when you have a few points in your Encyclopedia skill. Disco Elysium is a gold mine of lore so expect this check to happen often. 

• Research: -1 Suggestion
• Completion: -2 Suggestion
• Encyclopedia passives give +10 XP and +2 reál

Even though the benefits of this thought seem overpowered at first glance, the caveat is you can only get it on the third day, when the new area opens up. Look for the mural located on the boardwalk. Talk to Trant; he's standing beside a kid gazing at the mural. Ask him about tape computers.

7. Passive Change: The Fifteenth Indotribe

A childhood memory

While running through the streets of Revachol, colored orbs occasionally pop up around the character's head. These are observations made by different skills. For example, blue orbs are intellect-based opinions. While, green orbs are general observations that don't require any passive skill check to trigger it. That's why the Fifteenth Indotribe thought is a consistent way to earn money regardless of attributes.

• +10 cent for every green orb clicked
• Learning cap for Savoir Faire raised to 6

Another thought acquired from Joyce Messier. Open up the conversation about Wild Pines and choose the line "8 percent of *all* cargo in the world".

6. Hard Worker: Hobocop

 Depositing bottles at the shop

Another copotype; embracing the hobo lifestyle allows you to gain more money from selling empty bottles (tare) found scattered across the map. Find the yellow plastic bag west of the bookstore. Equipping this item will allow you to highlight empty bottles and trash containers. Deposit this at a vending machine located at the Fritte convenience store to receive your hard-earned cash. This thought is also tied to a unique bad ending.

• Research: -1 Composure
• Completion: More money from selling tare
• Reveals extra special collector's edition tare bottles on the map
• Raises Shivers cap to 6
• Opens an alternate ending

Gaining this thought is as easy as proclaiming yourself to be a hobocop. Interact with items near Lawrence Garte or ask for personal details when calling your station at Kim's car to trigger the sequence. 

5. Communists Manifesto: Mazovian Socio-Economics

We are all Kras Mazov

Another layer to define the personality of your cop is their political alignment. There are four choices in the game: three for players who want to commit to an ideology, communism, fascism, ultraliberalism, and one for those who decide to reject all of these beliefs, moralism, the game's version of centrism.

Choosing four left-wing dialogue options lets you internalize the Mazovian Socio-Economics thought to join your working-class comrades in a silent revolution. Regarding bonuses, communism gives valuable experience, which is always welcome. 

• Research: -2 Visual Calculus
• Completion: -1 Authority
• -1 Visual Calculus:
• Left-wing dialogue options give +4XP

In the Final Cut version of the game, committing to an ideology before the end of the third day starts a vision quest corresponding to your chosen belief. A dream sequence will occur, and then on the next day, you will receive instructions on how to start your journey. 

4. Best Partner: Ace's High/Ace's Low

Let the body down not the lieutenant

Kim Kitsuragi is the foil to Harry's unorthodox methods. His patience, tolerance, snarky comments, and calm demeanor made him the fan-favorite character of many players. Internalizing Ace's High or Ace's Low builds more trust with your partner. A higher trust allows Kim to talk more openly to you and could even save his life.

If you are playing as a semi-decent detective and human being, all the little good deeds would add up, and you won't need this thought. But if you are intentionally using all the drugs you could get your hands on and choosing the morally worst option every time, this is an excellent thought to have if you desire any semblance of approval from Kim.

• +1 Empathy towards Kim Kitsuragi (+2 if Ace's Low)
• +1 Esprit de Corps

To gain Ace's High, high five with Kim after shooting down the hanging corpse (Hand-Eye Coordination check). To gain Ace's Low, follow-up your high five with a down low (Interfacing +5).

3. Smoking Intellectual: Boaideiro

A nice view of all the scabs

Drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol grant bonuses at the cost of your morale of health. The Boaideiro thought adds the bonus intellect gained from cigarettes to +2. All blue skills from Logic to Visual Calculus are increased.

• Research: -1 Physical Instrument: Astra country
• Completion: -1 Esprit de Corps: Lone wolf
• Cigarettes give +2 INT

To gain this thought, you have to ask Call Me Manana to explain what a Boaideiro is to you:

• First, open the door for Evrart Claire and have a Suggestion of +4. Approach Manana and ask about the reason for the strike. Pursue the "however much you feed the wolf" line, and Suggestion should comment.
• Ask him about his name. After a legendary Inland Empire check, you should accept Tequila Sunset as your name.
• You can ask him to explain.

2. Quick Shot: Bringing of the Law (Law-Jaw)

I am the law

Even though there is no combat in the game, there are still combat scenarios. Hand-Eye Coordination helps deal with these tense situations where a failed check could mean missing the target or shooting another one entirely. It's also the only bonus in the game to guarantee passive skill checks, no matter how hard.

• Research: -1 Rhetoric
• Completion: Learning cap for Hand-Eye Coordination raised to 6
• Succeed all Hand-Eye Coordination passives
• -1 Rhetoric

Always introduce yourself as "The Law" to everyone you meet. You will get this thought when you call yourself "the Lawbringer" to Lilienne.

1. Stat Boost: The Bow Collector

The third presence

Disco Elysium does a fantastic job of allowing the player to progress despite their choices. There are alternate ways to solve the story's mysteries if you're willing to find them. However, there exists an infamous Shivers skill check that's essential to the main plot. Some players report that even after completing several side quests to improve their chances on the roll, they would still fail. Bow Collector adds a whopping +3 to shivers if you need the extra boost.

• Research: -1 Authority
• -1 Hand/Eye Coordination
• Completion: +3 Shivers: The third presence

You need at least +6 Conceptualization to access this thought. Read the note hidden in the secret compartment on your ledger. Then, talk to the Ancient Reptile Brain and mention bows.

Robert Kurvitz, the lead designer and lead writer for Disco Elysium, once described the Thought Cabinet as a quagmire feature that almost sank the game. It's understandable to see why. The Thought Cabinet is more than an inventory of slots that provide in-game bonuses. It is an ambitious feature that lets you morph your character based on your choices and decisions.

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