In 2008, Mortis Ghost and composer Alias Conrad Coldwood created a surreal role-playing game called Off, featuring a baseball player who battles ghosts. Initially released for free on a French-speaking forum, the game attracted a small audience. One player, a French artist, was inspired by Off to create fan art, which she shared with her girlfriend. Quinn K, then a 15-year-old living in Austria, was intrigued and decided to translate the game from French to English.
After finishing the game, Quinn lay awake at night, pondering the ending. Motivated to share it with friends, she undertook the challenging task of translating Off despite neither her English nor her French being native. “I wasn’t the right person for the job,” Quinn admits. “I was just the person that did it.”
Quinn’s initial release was followed by an improved version in 2012. By 2013, Off had become exceptionally popular. Users on communities like Starmen Forums helped spread the game through fan creation—art and cosplay—on platforms like DeviantArt and Tumblr. On Tumblr, it was the sixth-most-discussed game of the year, competing with major franchises like Pokémon, Animal Crossing, and The Legend of Zelda.
Despite its popularity, Quinn was aware of the translation’s imperfections. “A lot of people rip [it],” she says, “and I get why. It was full of very severe flaws, just born from the fact that I’m neither an English native speaker nor a French native speaker. So it was possible to make mistakes in both languages.”
“It was full of very severe flaws”
Quinn’s dedication extended beyond her initial effort. Lady Saytenn, an artist, released a 2017 version that included the option for players to use they/them pronouns. Quinn was inspired, and after several years, she embarked on a third version of her translation. Collaborating with Lady Saytenn and Rosie Brewster, a designer, Quinn aimed to improve the translation and add more clarity.
Quinn classifies the second translation as the one “most millennials” have played. In contrast, the third version reached a younger audience. The improved translation surprised Quinn; she found that many fans valued it highly, even though it wasn’t popular when it first came out.
Correcting errors was crucial. Quinn fixed pop culture references she had overlooked and addressed a significant mistake where she translated the French word “femme” as “wife” instead of “woman.” Mortis Ghost informed her that the original intention was different.
While some fans appreciated the 2.0 translation’s quirks, others felt the new version was overly sanitized. Quinn toned down some characters to avoid appearing crass, removed slurs, and clarified confusing lines. This approach pleased some while disappointing those who enjoyed the vague, poetic nature of the earlier version.
Quinn’s dedication to Off did not go unnoticed. The game received an official remaster, with a new version set to release later in the year. The remaster aims to preserve the original atmosphere while improving on Quinn’s and other players’ contributions.
“I’m excited to rediscover the game.”
Quinn is enthusiastic about the remaster. “The one thing I can say from everything I’ve seen of their updated version of the translation is they’ve improved it in every conceivable way,” she says. “I’m excited to rediscover the game.”
Mortis Ghost, the game’s creator, emphasizes the community’s integral role in Off‘s success. “I am of course very proud to have produced a game that has touched so many people, but I think that the game now belongs much more to the community,” he says. Mortis is currently developing a new game called Help.
The remastered version includes updated combat mechanics, new animations, and additional content written by Mortis Ghost. The balance between preserving the original charm and enhancing the gameplay experience will test the developers’ skill.
Quinn’s efforts significantly influenced Off‘s trajectory. The remaster’s acknowledgment and integration of her fan translation into the official remake is a commendable
