The Office Quest calls on you to break your monotonous routine and go on an adventure.
You know the feeling: You arrive at the office, have your first (or third) cup of coffee of the day and slump down at your station. Every single day is the same – typing out long reports, meetings, a quick lunch, and then it’s back to more typing and spreadsheets. We all wish for something to break this routine and make our days a little bit less dull. This is exactly what happens to our protagonist in The Office Quest.
This cute indie game is developed and published by 11Sheep, a small studio that made five games so far, with its six on the way. The Office Quest is their first commercial success, however, and I can understand why: even though it is a simple adventure title, it’s incredibly appealing.
A Little Color to Brighten up Your Day
It’s just another day at the office. All the workers are busy with their mundane tasks without a shred of joy. Our protagonist, who the game calls “the Guy” (I prefer Nathan; I know a Nathan who fits the bill), can be found in the middle of a very important job – repeatedly clicking on the same key on his keyboard. He sits at a small desk with an old CRT screen and a red flower in a small pot beside it. All of a sudden, the color leaves the flower and forms a red shapeless spot that catches Nathan’s attention and left his work station.
From there, Nathan needs to carefully and cunningly make his way around the office, and get past the boss and other annoying employees. Our Nathan may look uninspired and lazy, but in actuality, you’ll find out that he’s quite the handyman. He can fix things, understand how to operate intricate equipment just by studying sketches, and overcome any challenge between him and his goal. It’s surprising what you can accomplish with the right motivation.
After successfully avoiding the annoying people who want you to work, you start venturing around the building. There are puzzles to solve and riddles to untangle on your quest to follow the red spot. Eventually, you’ll go outside of the building, in a tunnel that leads you to a world of adventure. There, you’ll encounter less work weary employees and more cheerful characters. Well, not everyone is pleasant, but they are much happier than the people you left behind at the office.
Gamifying Your Work Space
The puzzles are very nicely done and are very easy to grasp, most of the time. On several occasions, I encountered riddles that require you to correctly complete a pattern four times in a row. Fail, and you start all over again with a different set, so you can’t blindly guess your way through it.
There were times I couldn’t understand the logic of the sequence, and I had to keep trying and trying until I figured it out. It gives off the impression that these riddles are simply there to stretch out the game and make it last a little longer.
Some of the puzzles are mini-games. One that I particularly like is a mini-platformer where you have to guide a little black bird inside an ATM and avoid obstacles. Some of the puzzles are just hilarious, and I found myself bursting in laughter on more than one occasion.
Overall, the riddles reflect the game’s central theme – inspiration. It begins with a single flower that comes to life and gives our Nathan the motivation to look for something more and continues as each puzzle you solve sparks a little more joie de vivre.
Casual Friday
The Office Quest has a lovely design. The sceneries are beautiful and vivid in spite of the sepia tones and the simplistic art style. You clearly understand where you are and can enjoy the visuals.
The characters that are accompanying your journey fit their environment and occupations pretty well. Everybody wears onesies shaped like animals, plants and even monsters. The onesies often have their own personality. One onesie can smirk at you while its owner has a poker face. Nonetheless, they suit their owners – the boss has an intimidating onesie, for example, and people in desert-area have desert themed onesies.
The musical score also does a great job. The soundtrack fits the world 11Sheep has created – mysterious when you first discover the wonderful world outside, heavenly when you walk on a bridge of clouds, etc. There’s a part where it transforms into jolly country music that makes everyone smile even when they’re stuck in traffic, which I really liked. The sound effects are pretty neat too, and while the voice acting is nothing more than gibberish, it is the fun kind. It’s a smart choice, as it makes the game more universal, so weary workers around the world can enjoy it.
I enjoyed playing The Office Quest, even though it only lasts about 2-3 hours. The story still warps up in a satisfying and fun way, and even the credits are full of humor. I wanted to come back and keep playing, and eventually left the game wanting more, which is more than most people can say about their average workday.
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