Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1
| Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Cosmo D |
| Publisher(s) | Cosmo D |
| Designer(s) | Greg Heffernan |
| Programmer(s) | Greg Heffernan |
| Artist(s) | Greg Heffernan |
| Composer(s) | Greg Heffernan |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | May 15, 2020 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1 is a 2020 adventure game developed and published by Cosmo D. Players explore a surreal city. It is the sequel to Off-Peak and The Norwood Suite and was followed by Betrayal at Club Low.
Gameplay
[edit]Two mysterious people task the player to steal a saxophone from Caetano Grosso, a former musician who now runs a pizzeria. The game is played from a first-person perspective and focuses on exploring the world. While posing as a pizzeria employee, the player makes custom-order pizzas based on abstract and somewhat nonsensical phrases (which writer Matthew J.R. Parsons likened to Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies)[1] and meets the various citizens of Off-Peak City. After delivering the pizzas, the player can sneak through customers' houses and photograph the surreal objects found in them. The game does not have voice acting; instead, non-player characters' speech is rendered as music.[2]
Development
[edit]Greg Heffernan made the game mostly by himself using Unity and Blender.[3] After being released as a part of a Humble Bundle, the game was released on May 15, 2020.[4]
Reception
[edit]Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1 received positive reviews on Metacritic.[5] Despite his fears that it might be impenetrable, Rock Paper Shotgun's reviewer found it to be a very fun game that is enjoyable on a surface level. He felt that the game helps players discover their own meaning without being pretentious, likening it to being subtly tricked into having deep thoughts.[2] Eurogamer wrote, "It's bizarre and unsettling, yet also captivating and hugely engaging."[6] Comparing it to the works of film director David Lynch, Adventure Gamers said it may be too weird for some players but recommended it to those who are open-minded or fans of surrealism.[7]
Slant Magazine and Rock Paper Shotgun included it in their best games of 2020,[8][9] and it was nominated for the Nuovo Award at the 2020 Independent Games Festival.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ https://matthewjrparsons.com/tag/tales-from-off-peak-city-vol-1/
- ^ a b Crowley, Nate (2020-02-11). "Wot I Think: Tales From Off-Peak City Volume 1". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ^ a b Couture, Joel (2020-02-10). "Road to the IGF: Cosmo D's Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1". Game Developer. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ^ Morton, Lauren (2020-05-15). "Surreal adventure game Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1 is out now". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ^ "Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1 (PC)". Metacritic. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ^ Ahmed, Emad (2020-11-12). "The alluring weirdness of Tales From Off-Peak City". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ^ O'Connor, Bryce (2020-08-24). "Review for Tales from Off-Peak City: Volume 1 – Caetano's Slice". Adventure Gamers. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ^ "The 25 Best Video Games of 2020". Slant Magazine. 2020-12-07. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ^ "Our favourite games of 2020". Rock Paper Shotgun. 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2023-04-23.