Ultimate Guide to Zone 1: Everything You Need to Know

As an indie RPG that has captivated players for more than a decade, OFF presents a unique and sometimes perplexing gaming experience. This beloved title is known for its brain-teasing puzzles that can lead to frustration, especially for newcomers who may struggle with the game’s cryptic nature. Players can expect to spend considerable time deciphering these challenges, starting right from the first Zone.

The game commences with a seemingly straightforward tutorial, quickly plunging players into a maze of codes, puzzles, and auditory cues that are crucial for advancement. The remastered version remains faithful to the original content, retaining its core dialogue, puzzle design, and world structure, albeit with improved graphics and a new soundtrack.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through every aspect of Zone 1, providing solutions to each puzzle and insights into the gameplay mechanics. Let’s embark on this journey!

Damien

After your journey begins on the train, where you learn about smoke production, head upward to find a treasure chest before descending to acquire your first party member. Speak with the miner again to initiate your quest into the dark mines.

In the cavern, you’ll encounter an easy battle against a group of ghosts. While you’re exploring, don’t miss the hidden Joker in a chest located behind the upper wall of the island before entering the mines. As you delve deeper, look for optional chests containing valuable items. However, proceed to the right and climb the ladder to reach the Barns, a necessary area for your progress.

Pentel

Screenshot of Dedan speaking Outside the Barns in OFF.

You can save your progress and restore health anytime, so don’t hesitate to retreat if needed. During your exploration of the Barns, you’ll face a slide puzzle. It can be solved easily by shifting the rock at the bottom, moving one block up, and squeezing through the opening. This will lead to a scene featuring a cruel Dedan.

Upon returning to the mines, you will be engulfed by darkness as you take the newly accessible path to the right. A plethora of items awaits you on the left side, but you might choose to collect them later. You will face a bothersome group of small spectres; save your healing items for this encounter, as you may find yourself overwhelmed.

Screenshot of Zacharie's Mines Dialogue in OFF.

To avoid unnecessary confrontations, it’s best to navigate around the enemies and delay gathering optional collectibles until you are better equipped. For progress, locate the switch by heading through the gates, moving left, and then downward. Ascend again, veering right past the retracting blocks, until you reach Zacharie, your traditional item merchant.

It’s advisable to pick up essential items at this point, concentrating on equipment first, followed by healing supplies like luck tickets and Jokers.

Shachihata

Screenshot of a Large Suit-wearing Burnt in OFF.

After visiting the shop, you will encounter a man guarding an elevator. Listen closely as you receive pertinent lore, explaining your quest to locate the postal service. You will navigate through all 99, 999 floors of the building to reach your destination.

Your first stop should be the roof, where you meet the Judge, who provides you with vital information regarding one of the Ground Floor rooms. Pay attention to the employees, particularly in the bottom left room, where they repeatedly mention “stamp 10258”.

Enter this code into the elevator to access the postal service. Here, you will face an employee who unexpectedly transforms into an enemy, but this confrontation is manageable. Upon advancing to the next floor, you will discover the first version of a note. The word “Sixth”will be important as you explore different notes scattered on this level.

Continue your search to find notes with the words “Eight”, “Single”, “Four”, “Five”, and finally, “Two”in various rooms. Compile these clues to form the complete sequence: “681452”, which you’ll need to relay to the guardian of the secret elevator.

Defeat the guardian to earn a tramway destination to Alma, but you’re welcome to explore an unrewarding random floor before heading back down to take the tram.

Alma

This next puzzle is notably challenging, often regarded as one of the toughest in the game. You’ll be required to respond to questions about the three posters displayed on the wall. To simplify your task, here’s the cheat sheet:

The third answer involves Orta.
The Holy Trinity consists of Roses.
Our Lady is associated with Jersey Number Six.
June features 22 threes.
The names are Cyrille, Kevin, and Jonas.
Finally, the two-digit number is 87.

After confronting the opponent, you will emerge into a vast area encircled by pools of meat that leads to another fight, but afterward, a save point and shop will be available. To reach Dedan, clear the blocks obstructing your path in the middle section.

Summon the pedalo at the walk sign and navigate through the meat waters, noting the pairs of numbers found along your journey: “1, 4”, “2, 9”, “3, 8”, and “4, 2”.As you ascend, you’ll encounter more fights while collecting items before reaching the keypad formation.

Using the Pedalo, enter the number sequence 4982659 at the keypad, pressing the bottom block to access the middle area and prepare for battle.

Screenshot of the Dedan Bossfight in OFF.

Before the showdown, navigate through a baffling maze where the volume of the music will guide you toward the correct door to open. After passing through multiple doors, you will finally confront Dedan — a battle that will cleanse the Zone upon his defeat. While he may seem daunting, taking advantage of healing items will greatly assist you in this fight.

Be mindful of the clock that appears during the battle, as it signals when Dedan is about to unleash a powerful move. When the clock hits midnight, he can invoke detrimental effects upon you or buff himself with advantageous traits like Hasty. Having items to negate negative effects will be beneficial, but aggressive attacks using your strongest abilities can often lead to a swift victory before he has the chance to unleash a third special move.

Once the battle concludes and the Zone is purified, you can revisit the first Zone to seek out any missed items. However, it is wise to delay this exploration until closer to the end of the game, as the enemies will have become quite formidable.

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