As a New Yorker, I recognized the inspiration for Off-Peak immediately. The bizarre and entirely free game on Steam begins just outside a massive train station, where a lone silver train sits unmoving on the tracks.
A nearby sign announces that subway service has been suspended city-wide, and suggests a boat, raft, or just swimming as alternate modes of transportation (fellow New Yorkers will feel how close to home this hits).
The game leaves you no choice but to turn toward the vast station behind you, where you can search for ticket pieces. These can be found by exploring or through interactions with your fellow commuters, all stuck in the liminal space of the station.
Off-Peak Is A Liminal Cabinet Of Curiosities
A Loving Homage To Unconventional Art Forms
Off-Peak was created by the cellist in the band Archie Pelago, Cosmo D. In fact, the entire soundtrack for the quirky game features the chill tunes from Archie Pelago, which form an integral part of the experience. (Headphones are highly encouraged for the full effect.)
The music is just the beginning; enter the station to find a cathedral-like museum dedicated to art in all forms and colors. Rays of light illuminate the interior, which is packed full of murals, sculptures, and other art installations. There’s so much art to explore here, and it’s all so captivating, that it’s really best experienced firsthand.
A very brief list of what you’ll find in Off-Peak includes a massive whale hanging from the galaxy-like vaulted ceiling (potentially as homage to the famous whale that similarly hangs in the American Museum of Natural History), an aquarium that spans a quarter of one wall, a pizza oven, a giant playing a piano with his legs up on the bench, and large mushrooms growing in the waiting area.
Celebrate Art And Music With Off-Peak
Open A Drawer And Find Something Delightful
The only real “gameplay” in Off-Peak consists of finding all the ticket pieces, but you’ll soon forget your goal as you’re overtaken by the desire to explore every nook and cranny in this gorgeous and surreal train station.
There are multiple floors, rooms, and walkways to discover, or you might find yourself just standing in one spot, watching the sun set on the eclectic and delightful scene. The game was released in 2015, and that same year Rock Paper Shotgun described it as “a cross between a boardgame cafe and a museum,” which is a great way to describe the experience.
Off-Peak resembles a Victorian cabinet of curiosities, where Cosmo D and Archie Pelago stuffed cool art, then opened it up for onlookers to delight in. Rock Paper Shotgun continues, saying, “I wouldn’t be surprised to open a drawer and find some carefully preserved eggs and fossils.” And nothing beats the delight of finding all the strange art and curiosities hidden around this free Steam game.
