Off (video game)
A 2008 RPG about a Batter purifying a bizarre world.
Off (stylized in all caps) is a 2008 role-playing game made by the Belgian team Unproductive Fun Time, which includes Martin Georis (known as Mortis Ghost) and Alias Conrad Coldwood. The story follows the Batter, a mysterious humanoid figure on a "sacred mission" to "purify" the world. The game became a cult hit thanks to its story, characters, and atmosphere, especially after an officially approved fan translation into English came out in 2011. As of now, no official remake has been announced or released by Fangamer or any other entity.
The gameplay resembles classic RPGs: the Batter levels up, gains party members, boosts stats like attack and defense, and learns special skills called "competences." Instead of turn-based combat, Off uses a cooldown system where characters can attack once the timer resets, allowing enemies and players to strike simultaneously. This pushes players to make quick choices. An "Auto" option lets the Batter and his Add-Ons fight without input. The element system is also unusual, replacing typical fire or ice with materials like smoke, metal, plastic, meat, and sugar.
The world has four numbered Zones (0–3) plus a fifth called The Room, where the final act happens. Each Zone requires a "Zodiac-Card" from the previous Zone's Guardian to enter, and players travel between them via a map called the "nothingness." The game is known for its many puzzles, such as finding a multi-digit password for a giant keypad, locating missing book pages, or navigating "repeating room" puzzles by walking through identical rooms in the correct order.
The player controls the Batter, a man in a baseball uniform on a mission to purify the world. Guided by a talking cat named The Judge, the Batter moves through four Zones, killing malevolent spectres to purify each one. Each Zone has a Guardian, and the Batter kills them as he progresses. After each purification, scenes show a sick boy named Hugo, hinting at a connection to the Zones.
In Zone 1, towns are ruled by a crude creature named Dedan. The Batter purifies spectres in smoke mines, metal farms, and a post office, then confronts and defeats Dedan. In Zone 2, a towering library is overseen by Japhet, a cat-like Guardian. The Batter goes through a mall, amusement park, and residential area, then fights Jap
- Developer
- Unproductive Fun Time (Martin Georis and Alias Conrad Coldwood)
- Release Year
- 2008
- Genre
- Role-playing video game
- Engine
- RPG Maker 2003
- Notable For
- Cult following; unusual battle system with cooldowns and material-based elements; multiple endings including a joke ending
- Remake Release
- No official remake has been announced or released
Lore & Background
Off was developed using the RPG Maker 2003 engine by Mortis and a few friends while he lived in a flat. Georis chose RPG Maker 2003 because it was the only program in which he felt he had "mastery." He cites Killer7, Silent Hill 2, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Agatha Christie’s novel And Then There Were None, and Myst as inspirations. Development was spontaneous; Georis viewed Off as a small side project for fun after focusing on comic creation. Only vague concepts for the overall plot existed at the start. After publishing a demo on a small internet forum and receiving approval from many players, he
The joke ending involves the Batter finding a secret room with a computer that shows a message about 'Space Apes' and 'brain-like aliens.'
Reader's Guide
Off is significant for its distinctive battle system, which uses cooldowns instead of turn-based combat, and an unorthodox element system based on materials (smoke, metal, plastic, meat, sugar) rather than classic elements. The game features numerous puzzles, including multi-digit passwords, missing book pages, and repeating-room puzzles. Its plot presents multiple endings: the Official Ending, the Special Ending (where the player sides with The Judge), and a joke ending involving Space Apes and brain-like aliens, a nod to Silent Hill's dog endings. The game developed a large fanbase on Tumblr, becoming the sixth most reblogged game of 2013, with the first five being AAA games. A remake with new content, published by Fangamer, was released on August 15, 2025, for Windows and Nintendo Switch, with a physical and special edition for Switch on March 27, 2026. The remake features a new soundtrack composed by seven composers, including Toby Fox, Nightmargin, Camellia, and Morusque, after original composer Alias Conrad Coldwood declined to participate.
Did You Know?
- Off was developed using RPG Maker 2003 because Georis felt he had 'mastery' of that program.
- The battle system uses cooldowns rather than turn-based combat, allowing simultaneous attacks.
- The game's elements are materials: smoke, metal, plastic, meat, and sugar.
- A joke ending features Space Apes building factories to produce robots to fight brain-like aliens.
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