RTO - Return to Office Survival Game (PC: Early Access)

Hello and welcome to RTO - Early Access! 

Enjoy RTO's early access free roam mode and explore the island on foot or in your trusty pickup truck. 

What Is RTO - Return to Office?

RTO: Return to Office is a survival game I began prototyping in September 2024. It follows the main protagonist, Trey, on a Sunday afternoon as his company calls him in to kick off the start of RTO and their fun, new, 7-day workweek initiative. Think, Office Space meets Far Cry.

Not only was it fun thinking up wacky ideas for a survival game but the RTO prototype has also been a great way for me to get back into creating large-scale natural 3D environments/landscapes. It’s been a treat to get back into using tools like Gaea and PCG to generate landscapes for Unreal and to go toe-to-toe with some of the challenges that arise from rendering massive open worlds.

You can check out the Trailer on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/7Z6i7hZRaFs

What Is Early Access?

Early Access enables a game to be sold while it is still being developed and provides context to customers that a product should be considered "unfinished." It is a place for games that are in a playable alpha or beta state, is worth the current value of the playable build, and that the developers plan to continue to develop for release.

Why Early Access?

RTO is Early Access because it is a digital playground where I experiment with gameplay ideas and game development tools. It’s in an extremely unpolished state and I have no immediate plans to make it a final game. Game development tools are becoming increasingly streamlined at helping creatives create amazing indie titles. I expect the game will evolve and grow into 

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

It could take years, or it may never become a full-blown game.

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

The Early Access version has one player a drivable truck and a lush tropical island to explore. A full version would have a full storyline, and engaging missions, with many players. The early access game feels more like an unfinished prototype than a final game because it’s exactly that. 

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

There is a playable demo that supports keyboards and controllers. RTO has a menu that lets gamers test out the free-roam island mode in various scalability settings from Low to Ultra. 

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

Yes. If the final game ever comes out it will be priced at a regular indie video game price point. The Early access price will be extremely cheap or free to try.

Demo Controls (Supports keyboard and controllers)

Truck: 

• Open doors ( press 1-4)
• Horn (Press H)
• Headlights (Press L)
• Turn signal  ( press < > or left right on D-pad)
• Flip Car ( press R)
• Headlights high/low beam (press K)
• Enter Truck (press E, on the controller, use A)
• Toggle Chase camera or dash cam ( press C, push in right thumbstick)

Trey

*For the Main menu ( press P on the keyboard) when outside the vehicle.

• P will pause the game letting you access the main menu and options or quit the game. 

Options Menu

• Please use the options menu to select screen resolutions, scalability settings, and other options suitable for your computer.

Known Issues:

• In some cases, players can choose higher-quality settings that will impact their game performance 
• Visible culling distance of vegetation when driving fast
• When the player exits the vehicle on a hill, the player's camera will be slanted
• No underwater physics or destruct timer
• Menu system formatting is unfinished
• There is no collision on most medium-sized rocks and shrubs
• Sound effects of the player’s feet will play while driving
• There’s no controller response during menus, only keyboard control
• The game is in alpha and an unfinished state

Enjoy!