Review

OFF - Switch Review

"A zany, often unsettling, game front to back"

Alex Harding

• 4 min read
OFF - Switch Review
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There's something off about OFF. Released way back in 2008 by duo Martin Georis and Alias Conrad Coldwood, this turn-based RPG was an early creation spawned from RPG Maker and its truly retro indie style makes it stand out amongst many others. In OFF, you play as The Batter sent to deliver the world from evil. Or do you play as yourself, merely controlling The Batter as players are designed and are limited to the programmed confines of the dialogue script… was that a bit odd just now? Well, if you're going to play this game, you're going to need to get used to sentences like that, as OFF is an existential, morbid, wacky trip of a game that aims to keep you guessing throughout its entirety.

The Good

OFF itself is a very memorable experience, and while many indie games have likely been inspired (either directly or indirectly) by it since, it still feels wholly original in 2025. After meeting the horrifying cat in the opening scene, you immediately accept that anything goes in this game, and it then proceeds to do exactly that. 

The art will seem incredibly familiar, and it’s very clear to see how many modern indie RPGs have taken inspiration from both the Earthbound/Mother series and OFF. While the former has a more colourful approach with some dark themes towards the end, OFF goes dark immediately, with some spooky/grotesque enemy designs that’ll instantly take the player aback. This art perfectly complements its darker plot themes and fantastical industrialism, and while the primary exploration art may seem plain and simple, it goes much deeper than one would initially expect.

This new release of OFF comes with plenty of new additions, like six new boss battles, a new soundtrack (which is very boppy and jazzy), background artwork to feel in the 16:9 aspect ratio and tweaked combat. Having compared some of its initial release's assets and UI, there have also been some tweaks in those departments as well, making for a cleaner feel throughout.

TL;DR

  • Anything goes in this game
  • The art perfectly complements its dark plot and themes
  • New additions for the re-release

The Bad

As far as things go in the turn-based RPG department, OFF never really sets the world on fire. The combat is serviceable at best, merely just being something to pad out the moment-to-moment nature of OFF's story. If anything, the game's puzzles feel much more rewarding, albeit lacking in execution at times. 

Many early RPGs have this recurring issue where the player isn’t quite sure where to go. This is mostly due to poor moment-to-moment player guiding, whether it’s not made clear enough where to go next in an attempt to feel like a grander world, or it could be a matter of the developer putting the onus onto the player to figure it out themselves. I personally found OFF to be deliberately vague, and while I’m not asking to be spoon-fed in a purely linear fashion, I did find myself being unsure how to proceed, especially when many areas look similar due to its minimalist art style.

TL;DR

  • Subpar turn-based combat
  • Poor moment-to-moment player guiding

Final Score: 7/10

Indie games have come such a long way since 2008 and it's wonderful to look back at an early pioneer of the space and marvel at what it managed to achieve. Even after everything that has come since, I can still play OFF and enjoy a zany, often unsettling, game front to back, and its short runtime of approximately 4-5 hours means it doesn't overstay its welcome. For anyone looking to jump in for the first time blind like I did, you'll easily be able to appreciate what kind of an impact it had on the indie game scene's trajectory, paving the way for the likes of Undertale, OMORI and many other minimalist RPGs. But as a game to enjoy in a vacuum in 2025, it may leave a little to be desired.

Thank you for checking out our OFF Switch review, thank you to Fangamer (via Pirate PR) for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

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