You can play the RPG that inspired Undertale during Steam Next Fest and it even features the work of Toby Fox himself

As someone who once had a Tumblr account, yes I've always wanted to play OFF. This quirky RPG Maker game first released in 2008, and has become a cult classic for a reason – bridging the gap between the likes of Mother and Earthbound on the SNES, and the off-kilter charms of Undertale and Deltarune. Originally developed by Unproductive Fun Time (the joint project of Mortis Ghost and ACC), this very faithful remake/remaster comes from Mortis and Fangamer – and makes it easier than ever to play. Its very generous Steam Next Fest demo includes the whole first Zone of the game – the opening chapter that'll take a good hour or two to get through as you explore OFF's strange world.

OFF's tone is immediately, well, a bit off. Inputting my name, I take control of the Batter – a person wielding a baseball bat whose task is to 'purify' the world one Zone at a time. Even early on, OFF goes to great lengths to cram a crowbar into the fourth wall, making it clear that while the Batter is controlled by me, the player, we are separate entities. Driving this home is The Judge, a loquacious cat who elucidates the Batter's mission while on-boarding me with tips (and inspired Sans in Undertale). It's a great opening you can play for yourself now, and our Steam Next Fest guide can help you find more demos too.

Off beat

The bold block colors and low-poly aesthetic immediately remind me of Undertale though, of course, OFF is the game that was released first. Undertale creator Toby Fox has spoken several times about how this RPG inspired him to create the cult classic – and the inspirations are clear as soon as you start playing.

What surprises me more is OFF's puzzle chops that begin to challenge me from early on. While the likes of Undertale and more of the best RPG games often have some chin-strokers, OFF leverages its fairly simplistic systems to create some devious number puzzles. These often revolve around hitting blocks in the correct order by exploring and finding sequences of numbers. But they can also involve looking over what are essentially lore notes – one having the Batter peruse nearby posters stuck on a wall to learn more about Zone 1's history.

Combat too gets a lot out of its basic set-up. Don't expect anything as unique as Undertale here, but the ATB-style turn-based battles still have a lot of interesting twists. The Batter fights solo, but is able to recruit add-ons that operate as party members to dish out more damage. Likewise, a bizarre element system reflects the equally-strange worldbuilding – with metal, plastic, meat and more acting as elements. My favorite twist is simpler: the charging ATB-bar crackles with energy when charging a critical hit – letting you know you've scored extra damage before using it. It's a surprising tactical triumph. While exploration still features the original game's boxy ratios, fights are now widescreen – feeling a bit more dynamic.

Unfortunately, original composer ACC didn't want to use their work in a commercial project, so the original, iconic soundtrack has been redone – though with composers like Toby Fox at the helm justice has been done. He's responsible for a bunch of boss themes and also the normal battle music. It's a jazzy, electroswing number that tips the cap to ACC's stylings while also feeling like it wouldn't be out of place in Undertale, a neat mix.

This is a long demo, taking The Batter all through the first Zone – which includes multiple locations, a boss fight, and some very weird worldbuilding to uncover. Everyone you meet says strange things that hint at how messed up the world might be, and sometimes scenes cut to montages of old-timey (and presumably copyright free) illustrations that color the atmosphere. OFF simply has to be played to be believed. And now you can try the opening of this refresh for free – so don't put it off any longer like me. OFF will be releasing on PC and Nintendo Switch on August 15, 2025.

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