Off

Title screen

**Off** is a 2008 French surreal role-playing video game developed by Mortis Ghost, under his production studio **Unproductive Fun Time**, using the RPG Maker 2003 program.

## Gameplay

Like most role-playing games, the gameplay is traditionally a use of role-playing element with some unique features, containing all the usual components, such as leveling up, acquiring new party members, and a focus on upgrading stats.

The only substantial difference is the naming of special abilities known as "competences" and having an option to "make the game play for you", which automatically chooses what moves the Batter and his Add-Ons make.

The game also features many puzzles in its overworld, such as puzzle involving interacting with blocks in a certain order, tricking a security guard into thinking your friends with his boss in order to pass, and flipping switches while avoiding enemy encounters with the many spectres of the Zones.

Each Zone also adds its own unique gameplay mechanic and tends to focus on a certain kind of puzzle, sometimes, like with Zone 0, only ever one type of puzzle.

## Plot

* **Zone 0**: An area containing a bright yellow island, inhabited by a talking cat named the Judge who helps the player learn the basics of the game.
* **Zone 1**: The player then proceeds to Zone 1, where they ride the train to the smoke mines. Here, they find Alpha, the first Add-On, who accompanies the Batter on their mission and fights alongside him during the purification of spectres. Going through the mines, the player ends up at the farmsteads and later the office building where they encounter Dedan, the guardian of Zone 1, whom the Batter recognizes as hostile, despite being told otherwise. The player then goes to Alma, where Dedan's main office is located, to purify him.
* **Zone 2**: Moving on to Zone 2, the player explores the library and encounters Japhet, the guardian of Zone 2. He manages to escape before the Batter finishes purifying him, so the player visits the shopping mall, amusement park, and residential area (in that order) before moving on to the roof of the library. On the roof, Japhet can finally be purified.
* **Zone 3**: Proceeding to Zone 3, the player makes their way around a factory. Contrary to the behavior that the Elsen (the peaceful citizens of the Zones) have shown in previous zones, they do not deem the spectres a threat. The player discovers the highly addictive sugar, how it is made, and its significance to the workers. They face Enoch, the director of the factory and boss of Zone 3. However, as Enoch predicted, the battle is lost, and the player is forced to retreat. There is a chance to face him again shortly after, however, and this time it is possible to defeat him.
* **The Room**: After defeating Enoch, the player gains access to the Room, which differs greatly from the environments that have been discovered so far. It is a dark, shadowy, and dream-like realm, in which you do not encounter enemies, with the exception of the Queen, the game's final boss. During the player's time in the Room, they will solve various puzzles, encounter a little arcade sequence, and revisit the three Zones' bosses, who appear friendly and cannot be attacked.

Endings
After defeating the Queen, the player will find a chamber containing nothing besides a switch. As they approach it, they are stopped by the Judge and presented with a choice: Fight alongside the Judge and abandon the Batter, or side with the Batter and turn against the Judge.
* **Batter**: Playing as Batter and successfully defeating the Judge will allow the Batter to flip the switch, which implies "**The switch is now on OFF**", followed by the game ending.
* **Judge**: Playing as The Judge, you can see the Batter turn himself a monstrous form; defeating the Batter will result in an alternative ending, showing the Judge walking through various of the now purified zones.

## Characters

* **The Batter** - He is a savior whose mission is to purify the world, with your help. His past is unknown but saving the world is his only purpose.
* **The Judge** - He is a being in the form of a cat who guides you to your current goal and appears throughout the other zones you visit.
* **Zacharie** - The game's shopkeeper, who also acts as a supporting character. He is a lot like The Judge and will often help you with your journey.

## Trivia

* After the game's ending, it plays a ballad song from the 1939 film *The Wizard of Oz*, under the name **Somewhere Over the Rainbow**.