Software: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
Two mysterious people task the player to steal a saxophone from 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 nonsense phrases and meets the various citizens of a fictional 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.[1]
Development
Greg Heffernan made the game mostly by himself using Unity and Blender.[2] After being released as a part of a Humble Bundle, the game was released on May 15, 2020.[3]
Reception
Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1 received positive reviews on Metacritic.[4] 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.[1] Eurogamer wrote, "It's bizarre and unsettling, yet also captivating and hugely engaging."[5] 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.[6]
Slant Magazine and Rock Paper Shotgun included it in their best games of 2020,[7][8] and it was nominated for the Nuovo Award at the 2020 Independent Games Festival.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Crowley, Nate (2020-02-11). "Wot I Think: Tales From Off-Peak City Volume 1". Rock Paper Shotgun. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tales-from-off-peak-city-volume-1-review. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Couture, Joel (2020-02-10). "Road to the IGF: Cosmo D's Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1". Game Developer. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/disciplines/road-to-the-igf-cosmo-d-s-i-tales-from-off-peak-city-vol-1-i-. 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. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/surreal-adventure-game-tales-from-off-peak-city-vol-1-is-out-now. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ↑ "Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1 (PC)". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/tales-from-off-peak-city-vol-1/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ↑ Ahmed, Emad (2020-11-12). "The alluring weirdness of Tales From Off-Peak City". Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/the-alluring-weirdness-of-tales-from-off-peak-city. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ↑ O'Connor, Bryce (2020-08-24). "Review for Tales from Off-Peak City: Volume 1 – Caetano's Slice". Adventure Gamers. https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/tales-from-off-peak-city-volume-1-caetanos-slice. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ↑ "The 25 Best Video Games of 2020". Slant Magazine. 2020-12-07. https://www.slantmagazine.com/games/the-25-best-video-games-of-2020/. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ↑ "Our favourite games of 2020". Rock Paper Shotgun. 2021-01-19. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/our-favourite-games-of-2020. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
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