A new mobile game inspired by the hit NBC comedy The Office has officially been announced for sometime later this year. Even though the final episode premiered over eight years ago, the mockumentary sitcom has managed to maintain and even increase its popularity through its availability on streaming services.
To the surprise of some, this is not the first video game to be inspired by the American adaptation of the British series. The Office video game by developer MumboJumbo was launched all the way back in 2007 and allowed players to take on the roles of some of their favorite characters throughout the sitcom as they completed various jobs and pranks around the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The newest game inspired by the television show seems to be taking some similar elements from the 2007 release, but it also appears to be integrating some completely different aspects as well, particularly when it comes to the title's visual aesthetic.
Earlier this week, The Hollywood Reporter covered an announcement by Leaf Mobile, Canada's free-to-play mobile game group, as it revealed that its subsidiary East Side Games is developing the upcoming The Office: Somehow We Manage. The free-to-play title will allow players to relive and play through some of the show's iconic moments as they try to keep the Scranton branch financially afloat while also earning in-game rewards. As of now, The Office: Somehow We Manage has no official release date, but it will reportedly launch later in 2021.
The name recognition of The Office coupled with the free-to-play nature of the upcoming mobile title will likely bring in many curious fans at the start of the game's run. However, maintaining a player base beyond that might prove more difficult. Popular mobile titles such as Pokémon GO have well established gameplay mechanics that fit perfectly with the brand, which keeps its player base strong and thriving. These specific details for The Office: Somehow We Manage have yet to come out, making it difficult to predict how the gameplay will entice players to keep coming back on a consistent basis.
On its surface, The Office does not seem to lend itself well to the video game treatment, as it may come across more like work than an actual game. The strength of the show was its writing and how each member of The Office cast interacted with one another. Major AAA video games like The Last of Us 2 feature character interactions that have received considerable praise from fans and critics. It will be interesting to see if East Side Games can recapture some of that same magic while also making an engaging gameplay experience.