The Norwood Suite is a wonderfully quirky first-person adventure game inspired by the likes of Twin Peaks, Gone Home and Soma. It's the work of Off-Peak developer Cosmo D who, as a professional musician, has crafted an equally wonderful soundtrack that compliments the game's idiosyncratic, off-the-wall style.
Now, The Norwood Suite has a free demo that lets players explore the game's introductory stages. Before we continue, let's check out a trailer:
"What begins as a simple errand run for a mysterious new friend at the old Hotel Norwood quickly evolves into a bizarre journey featuring strange characters, secret passageways and lost memories," explains publisher Alliance Digital Media. "Behind the doors of The Norwood Suite is a unique game world teeming with surreal art design, clever surprises and an original atmospheric score composed by Cosmo D."
Having played The Norwood Suite myself, I'd say that's a fair description—but would also suggest its weirdness and charm needs to experienced first hand to be best understood. Even then, much of the game is open to interpretation which is precisely what I love about it.
As for the demo, it's located on the game's Steam page (look for the button on the right hand side). Progress here will carry over into the main game when purchased—which is available to buy on Steam, the Humble Store and Itch.io. Should you need it, more information can be found in this direction.
Look out for our interview with Cosmo D next week, where we talk The Norwood Suite, Off-Peak, and the importance of music and storytelling in games.
