hey, i've almost completed it, i just can't realize from where you can find the final note? i know there is one thanks to the comments, but I don't understand where it comes from.
I had to reset my password to log in to my account (LMAO) and yet it was worth it to say how much I loved this game!!!! So simple yet so ridiculously clever and effective, with such a cool and unique premise. It's hard to do simple well!!! With a game so bare in its UI, the puzzles and story need to be ridiculously engaging, and this is exactly what TYPE HELP manages to achieve. I can't imagine this game done in any way except within its current iteration. TYPE HELP was built exactly as it needed to be built to achieve exactly what it did, and it was engrossing and engaging from start to finish. Once I started this game, I couldn't stop playing until I'd hit the end; I completed it all in one sitting. I can't wait to recommend it to my friends!!
Oops!!! Almost forgot; one last thing: V NZ EVPUNEQ YBATYRL
Unbelievably good! Got the twist somewhere in Act II but it still was pretty fun. Actually loved the cataloguing system. Unlike many other games of this type it felt intuitive and after only an hour I found myself typing these numbers and letters almost instinctively
Nyy bs gur yvaxf gung V pna rnfvyl svaq eryngrq gb gur uvtuyvtugrq fprar eryngr gb Qvaare (Npg V), be gur Qvavat Ebbz (Npg VV), be gur guvat orvat cbherq ng gur raq bs gur fprar. Gurer'f ab qevaxvat fbhaq; jurer pbhyq guvf crefba or gnxvat vg?
Thank you for a fantastic game Willam! So far it's the frontrunner for my GOTY, and I'll be following closely to see what you'll do next.
I can't believe this is a free game, like other have mentioned you should consider commercializing it. Evil Trout did a great job helping publish Roottrees are Dead and the release has been very successful. Or at least have a donate button.
V guvax va 1-DH-1-11 ur'f pbzcynvavat nobhg gur zhq, nf vg vf envavat naq ur vf cebonoyl jrnevat ryrtnag fubrf. V gubhtug ur fubbgf uvzfrys ng gur raq, ohg gurer vf ab thafubg, fb ur cebonoyl whfg whzcrq orpnhfr ur gubhtug ur xvyyrq Naavr
Lrnu sbyxf cerggl fher uvf qrngu vf gur fnzr nf Ryrnabe'f znal lrnef orsber: Whzcvat sebz gur Nggvp jvaqbj. Bgure guna jung jr urne nobhg Ryrnabe gur erny sberfunqbjvat vf va 02-RA jura gur qbyy vf xabpxrq sebz gur nggvp ol Gbal hc gurer jvgu Naavr, nyzbfg snyyvat ba Wbua. V jvyy fnl gubhtu gung 26 jnf bar bs gur svefg fprarf V tbg, fvapr @ cbvagf lbh va vg'f qverpgvba, naq bar bs gur zbfg ubeevsvp gb ernyvfr gur vzcyvpngvbaf bs bapr ergheavat gb vg ng gur raq. Cbbe thl fhssrerq jbefr guna nyy gur bguref orpnhfr bs ubj fybj vg jnf.
fantastic, fantastic, fantastic. My gf and I have been engrossed in this all weekend. Truly one of the most horrifying concepts to center a mystery story around, and fantastically written. I'll definitely be watching this author's future projects with interest.
I really enjoyed the game, other than the hiccup I wrote about before, it was great. I've heard about it from Tom Francis' vlog. He talked about some inconsistencies, but I don't see them.
I think people assume that gur phefr unf fbzrguvat gb qb jvgu anzrf be bowrpgf orybatvat gb gur qrnq crefba. Ohg gur phefr bayl jbexf nsgre lbh erzrzore gur npghny crefba. Gung'f jul gur qrgrpgvir bayl qvrf nsgre qvfpbirevat gung ur xarj bar bs gur qrnq crefbaf va erny yvsr. Naq gung'f jul rirelbar pbhyq unir orra gnyxvat nobhg Ehcreg jvgubhg nalguvat unccravat gb gurz. Nyfb gur phefr pna bayl nssrpg bar crefba ng n gvzr, fb nsgre vg genafsref gb gur arj ivpgvz, abguvat jvyy unccra vs lbh guvax nobhg gur cerivbhf crefba (vs lbh pna rira rire erzrzore gurz ntnva).
Nyfb V yvxrq gur guvatf gung bguref pnyyrq erq ureevatf. Gung'f ubj vg jbhyq ernyyl unccra, abg rirelguvat gung crbcyr gnyx nobhg jbhyq or pbaarpgrq gb fbzrguvat terngre, naq bs pbhefr gur gurbevrf gung rnpu punenpgre jnf qrirybcvat jba'g or evtug. Bayl jr pna znxr n evtug bar ybbxvat ng gur jubyr cvpgher. Gung'f jul V qvqa'g chg gbb zhpu jrvtug ba gurz naq gurl qvqa'g pbashfr zr ng nyy.
That being said I sometimes found myself guessing new scenes, but just when there were a handful of possibilities, so I don't mind it that much. But because of the nature of the story it became easier and easier with time.
I also enjoyed the scenes like "everyone gathered in X", but then you realize that you are not quite sure what "everyone" means at that point.
I mean, goddamn. This has the seal of quality upon it, I just spent several nights fully gripped until I was done. You might consider commercializing this the way that Roottree did!
I never thought I'd find something that came close to Obra Dinn (my all-time favourite game) - Type Help finally did it! What a joy to play and complete :)
That was amazing, so engrossing, I loved the rhythm and I just cannot fathom how you managed to get such a deft balance in difficulty. The YES moment when a filename attempt works is so good.
William just so you know I'll blindly buy any next game you're making :)
V zvffrq gur svyr 10-RQ-8, ohg V qvqa'g xabj nobhg vg orpnhfr nyy gur svyrf jrer fubjvat 0 yvaxf gb haqvfpbirerq svyrf. Fb V nffhzrq V fbyirq gur tnzr naq fgnegrq ernqvat gur pbzzragf gb svaq bhg nobhg 00-svany-abgr naq jnf pbashfrq nobhg ubj crbcyr sbhaq vg. V ernq gur svany abgr naq gur qernz sebz pbzzragf, naq V qvqa'g xabj V zvffrq n fprar hagvy V glcrq uryc gb frr ubj znal svyrf V sbhaq naq frra 97, fb V unq gb ybbx guebhtu zl fcernqfurrg naq svaq gur zvffvat fcbg. Fb V thrff gurer pbhyq or n yvax sebz nal bgure fprar gb 10-RQ-8. Nyfb znlor vs V xarj V jbhyq trg n zrffntr nsgre svaqvat rirel fprar, V jbhyq ernyvmr fbbare gung V jnf zvffvat bar fprar rneyvre.
ABSOLUTELY adored this game. Love love love. SO fun. Needed help with a friend to get some of the last stuff and a few missing scenes but it's so great! Definitely going to look into any other stuff you do/have done.
Made an account on here just so I could drop in and say I LOVE this game. I thought the writing was great, I had so much fun puzzling this out, please do more. Excellent work.
I absolutely loved playing this. I didn't actually make the final deductive leap into what was *actually* going on, but I loved uncovering all the pieces of the story using deductive logic (and the odd bit of trial and error). It was so fun to explore the mystery in little parts, and felt like a proper detective linking these insane characters and their stories together. I made a Google Sheets to track everyone and it was very satisfying.
In the end, I came to the comments here to read about other people's theories about the ending. It didn't satisfactorily resolve for me in the way I had quite wished it would - despite having unlocked 97%, I hadn't understood the specifics on *why* the events were happening as they were.
Thank you for making such a cool thing, and I wish for many more cool things like this in the future.
Regarding the ending (look away if you haven't played!):
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Having reflected further on this, it very much fits in the gothic tradition and does not 'need' to have a declarative ending. Maybe this is what was intended, especially considering the byline of 'the unsolvable mystery'. If so, well played. In any case, I had a blast and have been inspired to look at Twine myself.
(Spoilery constructive feedback for the author below)
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1. I wish there was an easier way to `find` text not only across scenes but also within scenes. Right now what I had to do each time is to first type the command `find ring` and then Ctrl+F and use my browser's search to directly highlight the instances of the word `ring`. This felt janky because the game window kept shrinking/expanding (fullscreen switches) and the browser kept finding words in the itch.io comments. I would really much prefer it if, after clicking a scene through the Find results, the searched word would be underlined in all its instances.
2. I felt that there were a few too many puzzles that required me to figure out the layout of the house itself -- characters going "upstairs" or "downstairs" and the reader expected to know where they end up, at least approximately. The positioning of rooms was not fully intuitive (e.g. a kitchen below the dining room... until I learned about the dumbwaiter), and I found myself wishing for more help there. I know @ says "I couldn't find any records of the layout, so I can only go off the names that I've found within the audio", but, I wish at least the player was more obviously told to write down the layout of which rooms are "upstairs" and which are "downstairs".
3. The name of the game isn't great (I'm sorry).
4. The time delay between deaths was very confusing and as far as I know it was simply left unexplained, which I found dissatisfying. I loved the fact that the rate keeps going up, with more and more bodies dropping, but I couldn't find any explanation for why the deaths are accelerating.
I'll expand on this with very major spoilers in ROT13:
V haqrefgnaq gung rnpu gvzr fbzrbar qvrf sebz gur nagvzrzr phefr ("gur cerivbhf ivpgvz"), gur arkg ivpgvz orpbzrf rvgure gur ynfg crefba gb unir gubhtug bs gurz be gur svefg crefba gb guvax nobhg gurz ntnva (abg pbhagvat guvaxvat nobhg vgf hasnzvyvne obql). Rirelbar sbetrgf nobhg gur cerivbhf ivpgvz naq eryngrq zrzbevrf va gur zbzrag bs qrngu, ohg gur arkg ivpgvz jvyy fhqqrayl ertnva gurfr zrzbevrf gur svefg gvzr gurl guvax/gnyx nobhg gur cerivbhf ivpgvz (hfhnyyl unccraf guebhtu n culfvpny bowrpg gung erzvaqf gurz), juvpu gevttref gur "pbhagqbja" sbe guvf arkg ivpgvz'f qrngu.
V qb abg ng nyy haqrefgnaq jul, va-jbeyq, gurer jnf n uhtr gvzr qrynl orgjrra gur qrnguf bs gur svefg srj punenpgref (Ehcreg, Uneel, Rir) juvyr gur ynfg qrnguf unccra rkgerzryl dhvpxyl nsgre rnpu bgure (Rqqvr, Znegun, Gbal). V gubhtug vg zvtug or gur "culfvpny zrzbenovyvn" pbaarpgvba, ohg gung'f abg pyrna rabhtu naq snvyf gb rkcynva gur beqre (r.t. jul Gubeagba pnzr nsgre Ehcreg rira gubhtu Wbua jnf unaqyvat gur xrl), fb zl orfg thrff vf gung vg'f n pbzovangvba bs "jnf guvaxvat nobhg ivpgvz nf gurl qvrq" naq "vf erzvaqrq bs gur ivpgvz guebhtu fbzrguvat arj".
5. I enjoyed the large amount of red herrings, but I felt that there were a few too many of them near the end which were left unresolved in a way that doesn't exactly convince the player if they are or aren't connected, even by the time the final theory is completed. Perhaps one or two of them should be blatantly deemed false by @, in one of the very last documents? Just as a final confirmation.
V'ir fcrag gur cnfg unys na ubhe ernqvat gur pbzzragf urne gb gel naq svther bhg gur fbyhgvba sbe gur unatzna tnzr naq V unir gb fnl V qvfnterr jvgu gur abgvba gung gur "ynfg chmmyr" jnf gbb uneq, gubhtu V thrff V unq gur yhpx gb cynl gur nyernql hcqngrq irefvba. Nf fbba nf V ernq gur ynfg gjb ragevrf V jnf fb pbashfrq nobhg Wbua'f qrngu.
V fgvyy jnag gb xabj gur fbyhgvba gb gur unatzna gubhtu. gur hcqngr fnlf gurer vf bar naq vg vf qevivat zr penml.
Bgure guna gung V guvax 00-qernz vf n ovg gbb qvssvphyg gb svaq.
In the end I think it is kinda cool that some mysteries about the people here stayed mysteries (gur fbhepr bs Naavr'f zbarl ceboyrzf, vf Ivpgbevn certanag?, jung vf gbalf erny anzr) because that's the way a real murder investigation would have also ended. I still want to know the hangman solution though.
Hey, I made a post on r/gametheorists for them to play this game on one of their streams, please go up vote it and reccoment the game yourself, I honestly feel as if this is a fantastic game if it got enough traction.
What an amazing game! Finished in two sessions. I made a google sheet to keep track where people are at each time and it was really helpful. (ROT13) Gur qrqhpgvba sbe gur gjrysgu crefba naq Xngurevar jnf ernyyl jryy qbar, fhcre unccl V jnf noyr gb svther vg bhg ol zlfrys!
Made it to the end credits but somehow I still feel like I missed something. Are they a fakeout? (Some other people were mentioning a 98th entry and I have 97 with no other clues! It seems people also found @’s name but I have no clue how.)
I don’t understand the rules of the curse. (Is that what it is?)
The broad strokes seem to be: Remember the previous target, then after some time you’ll hear a thunderclap, die, and be forgotten.
(I had and continue to have a hard time with the time-delay aspect. I think it must be a part of it, otherwise @’s writing in 00-final-note doesn’t make sense, he wouldn’t be on death’s door — and that’s as close to a definitive answer as I can find. Time-delay: Is that why Eve died the way she did, not because of Edmund’s singing but because it took a bit for her remembering Thornton to kick in? Likewise for Damian, only dying in his sleep and not right after he remembered Helen?)
Other people’s memories change to fill the void, so Martha says she had a wedding for herself, that sort of ridiculous confabulation. BUT if someone does remember the last person, they die and the curse goes on? I can’t square that with all of the deaths.
Rupert remembers Amelia after hearing the player piano perform a piece, says her name, walks to the study, wonders aloud about asking Oswald about Amelia, dies. (Do you have to say the previous person’s name? Is it just that time delay?)
Thornton moves Rupert’s body and remembers that he’s dead, but the thunderclap only sounds for him when he’s muttering to himself in the kitchen. (He doesn’t mention Rupert by name immediately before death, only saying ‘He’s really dead…’. Otherwise, he just says “Mr. Galley” to when he talks to John in the Study.
Skipping forward, the other confusing part are the 3 final deaths.
Annie shoots herself and a thunderclap sounds at the same time. She does mention Oswald to John, but only by pronoun - before then, she says his name to himself, reading it out from the list Victoria made. Suicide didn’t work to stop the curse… Why?
Then John doesn’t remember Annie and doesn’t read the paper with her name on it, saving himself. The last time he said her name was before the combination gunshot/thunderclap, so he’s safe from the curse from that point. (Is he?)
Katherine eventually dies at home, some time after Annie. I guess because she’s the last person to… say Annie’s name? I don’t understand how John’s trick worked.
John dies, he has to just to square with the bodycount. All of the numbered/lettered people are dead bodies. But he doesn’t die by curse as he is pointedly omitted from @’s final list and we don’t hear a thunderclap on the recording. He must be the middle-aged man on the steps mentioned in the intro - and if he really didn’t die by curse, he must be the only publicly-identified victim mentioned in the intro.
But. I don’t get it! What does @ figure out? He knows the names of everyone hit by the curse, so he’s next in line after Katherine, right? Why does the last line in the final message say “God I hope this works” — he died, right?
Other side-mysteries:
I was convinced that there had to be a scene in the Garden mentioned by Oswald but seemingly no dice. I guess it isn’t bolded like the other locations, so that checks out, and Oswald is a walking red herring anyway.
It’s odd that there are two loose-end female characters, Amelia and Eleanor. I’m fairly sure that Eleanor is a red herring who died long before the start of the story. (I guess like, it’s ironic that despite Oswald’s theory, she and her mother end up the only Galleys who Katherine remembers.)
She’s given more attention than Amelia, who is mentioned just three times. No explanation given on why she’s at the head of the curse. Hell of a birthday present for poor old Rupert. I assume she’s also been dead for ages (I guess she had to be as you have to remember the dead to contract the curse), but that’s all I got.
Can we really not figure out Tony’s father’s name, or did @ just not realize at the moment he wrote the note? I certainly can’t.
Anyway I feel both like a smartypants for getting to the end and like a dumb-dumb for not understanding what is at the end. If anyone could shed some light on this for me, that would be nice. Thank you William for the game, well done!
Cheated myself into the 98th file, spoilers follow.
Genuinely unsure how I could have figured that out, and completely at a loss for how @’s trick in the poem worked. So names do matter? I guess? And since we just worked his out, we’re gonna die… right? But the rest of the poem doesn’t contain the “dead bodies strewn about” that @ mentions in 21-CH-3, so… what the hell. The poem is addressed to a “you” — the future reader, i.e. us? And the number at the end… what? If it’s a code, I don’t get it, and I don’t think it can be a password simply for lack to places to put it.
In conclusion: I am once again feeling dumb for not getting the ending and now not even feeling proud of myself for getting there. Hum.
Edit: Ah, I guess the mystery of the number and the poem is solved. Who would’ve thunk @ liked that stuff.
I think the rule of the curse is "remember the last person to have died from the curse, and shortly after you die as well". There does appear to be a small time delay; none of the characters involved died immediately after remembering someone and it is usually at the end of the scene in which they do. I don't think you need to remember the name of the previous person exactly - for example, it wouldn't have been possible for Oswald to remember Tony's name because he never knew Tony's real name to begin with. It seems to me you just need to remember the person and who they were in some meaningful sense. Physical items seem to help prompt memories, but I'm not sure they strictly essential per se - not clear to me what physical object Katherine had that prompted links to Annie, for example. I think it's probably more the close emotional feeling certain belongings can evoke, the same way a particular passage of music did it for Rupert.
With Annie, I think she was just unlucky - the curse beat her to her suicide very fractionally. In another world where she was a bit quicker, she might have ended the curse there.
It does seem to me John was very unlikely to have been killed by the curse if he hadn't committed suicide, because the odds of him being prompted to remember Katherine, who really had nothing to do with him, were very low. Since he was capable of being publicly identified, he didn't die as a result of the curse himself.
With Katherine, she dies because she remembers Annie as a result of her conversation with John. I don't think this was a trick by John - it is heavily implied he thinks he murdered everyone and that's why he commits suicide (especially in the latest version with the added dialogue). Rather, it's just misfortune in how events played out.
What @ figures out is that he is about to die, because he read the name of the last recorded victim and remembered who they were - he recognised the name, and she would have been a colleague of his judging by Alan Thomas' briefing, so when the memories came rushing back, @ realised his time was up. The reason he said "by God I hope this works" is because he was always a bit of a loner and didn't think there was much reason for anyone to remember him, so he hoped the curse might die with him and be finished.
00-dream is a curious one. It seems to me that the curse can partly exert an influence on people and cause them to have strange dreams or visions - you can see this especially with Martha's death as well. I don't think 00-dream is written by @ in his full mind, so to speak, especially as it so dangerously discloses his name. My view is that it is the curse influencing him, although that's obviously a fair bit of viewer interpretation. @ hoped the curse would end, he'd hardly be leaving behind clues that would prompt people examining his files to meaningfully remember him on purpose.
The code (43092) is actually the real life code for the music roll for Because of You by Lee Sims for player pianos, the lyrics to which are written down in 00-dream. This mirrors partly the piano roll which started this all off by reminding Rupert of Amelia, which is 03746 I'd Climb the Highest Mountain, also by Lee Sims, which @ clearly found during his research. Maybe he also found 43092. Maybe the curse found it for him. If you know @'s name, maybe the curse is finding you.
I haven't read all the comments yet, but I haven't seen anyone say this yet, but...
gur cnggrea rkcynvaf jul gur vairfgvtngbe jnf cvpxrq gb "fbyir" vg.
Gur phefr cerfhznoyl ortna jura Ryrnabe qvrq. Jr jrer gbyq gung gurl jrer nyy sbeovqqra gb fcrnx bs ure be rira erzrzore ure, gurl unq gb cergraq yvxr fur arire rira rkvfgrq. Fur orpnzr fghpx va gur ubhfr.
Snfg sbejneq gb gur ortvaavat bs gur tnzr, naq vs jr er-ernq gur vaivgngvba Ehcreg frag Wbua, jr svaq bhg gurl jrer sevraqf naq gung Ehcreg whfg obhtug n cynlre cvnab naq jnagrq gb fubj Wbua jub nccneragyl vf n gnyragrq cvnavfg. Ehcreg cebzvfrf gb trg gur cvnab jbexvat ol gur gvzr Wbua neevirf.
Fb gur cnggrea gung pbagvahrf sebz gurer vf rnpu crefba svaqvat fbzrguvat gung erzvaqf gurz bs gur crefba gung jnf sbetbggra naq erzrzorevat gurz. Vs fbzrbar erzrzoref gurz, gur phefr gnxrf gurz (cerfhznoyl natre naq wrnybhfl sbe gur crefba orvat erzrzorerq, jura fur, Ryrnabe, jnf sbetbggra).
12 Ehcreg: Trgf gur cvnab jbexvat, urnef gur fbat naq frrf gur erpvgny cebtenzzr, erzrzoref Nzryvn.
11 Gubeagba: Wbua gryyf uvz Ehcreg'f anzr naq tvirf uvz gur Puncry xrl, n cynpr gung Ehcreg jrag n ybg.
2 Naavr: Gur yvfg fur jebgr naq gur qenjvat fur fnj
X Xngurevar: Wbua fnlf gur anzr Naavr gb Xngurevar, ntnva, gur anzr vf rabhtu sbe n zbgure naq fur erzrzoref ure. Vg'f nyfb cbffvoyr gung - orvat ng ubzr - Xngurevar fnj guvatf gung erzvaqrq ure bs Naavr gung jr ner abg njner bs.
1 Wbua: Ur npghnyyl qvq abg qvr bs gur phefr, ohg V guvax ur gubhtug ur jnf ybfvat uvf zvaq naq xvyyrq Naavr (jub qvq abg erzrzore), naq ur xvyyrq uvzfrys ol whzcvat qbja gur ubyr gung yrnqf gb gur ragenapr.
Gur phefr gura pbagvahrq guebhtu Xngurevar ng fbzr cbvag, fgnegvat gur fgevat gung @ jnf vairfgvtngvat. @ tbrf ba gb zragvba gung ur ernyvmrf jul ur jnf cvpxrq gb vairfgvtngr gur pnfr - orpnhfr ur jnf fb qvfpbaarpgrq sebz gur bhgfvqr jbeyq, vg jnf irel hayvxryl nalbar jbhyq abgvpr be erzrzore uvz nsgre ur qvrq. Jr ner arire zrnag gb yrnea @'f anzr orpnhfr gung xrrcf hf fnsr, naq gur phefr jvyy qvr jvgu uvz.
Fb qvq vg fgneg jvgu Nzryvn? Jnf Nzryvn npghnyyl "renfrq" ol gur phefr, be jnf fur fvzcyl sbetbggra yvxr n abezny crefba jbhyq qb nobhg fbzrbar gurl xarj n ybat gvzr ntb, naq erzrzorevat ure vf jung njbxr gur phefr gung avtug? Vs Ryrnabe jnf gur fgneg bs guvf, gura jnf gung ubj gur cneragf riraghnyyl qvrq, jura gurl svanyyl yrg gurzfryirf erzrzore ure? Cerfhznoyl abg, orpnhfr Bfjnyq erzrzorerq uvf cneragf, naq gur phefr frrzf gb jvcr gur zrzbel sebz rirelbar, ab znggre gur qvfgnapr (rt, Xngurevar sbetbg nobhg Naavr sbe n yvggyr ovg).
I really liked this a lot. One thing I found particularly impressive was the pacing of the gameplay experience, which I would divide into the following sections:
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- 1. Act I - tutorial section, manages to teach mechanics and convey effectively to the player the level of difficulty and methodical deduction expected of them. Figuring out all the names while not having to deal with all the rooms yet.
- 2. Act II - getting increasingly confused before figuring out the twist and the numbering, I figured this out halfway through the act, but even if you're stumped you'll definitely have it figured out by 12. Once this is sorted out it becomes more fun to revisit old scenes and understand them differently
- 3. Making steady progress forward in time. (While also leaving some tantalizing mysteries behind that you can't yet solve.) Pushing through here might eventually get boring but then...
- 4. Barrage of deaths (18-23) - it really feels like this section has a lot of forward story momentum. Very sad and dramatic feeling as everything descends into chaos.
- 5. Getting to the finale (25, 26), slower pace, sadness.
- 6. Once you've gotten here it feels fun to go back over the old scenes some of which you haven't read since the twist. Somewhere in here think I figured out the lateral jump about the scene with person 12. But generally the game rewards playing methodically and fleshing out all the scenes by elimination. I think this avoids the trap some deduction games fall into where towards the end you're just bored of reading the same scenes over and over looking for a needle in a haystack. This is also where I figured out the contagion mechanism. There was also a nice mix of randomly finding new scenes, and finding tricky scenes I knew I was missing which felt satisfying.
- 7. The lateral jump about timeslot 25, you understand you're missing something here by the beginning of 6, but finishing 6 helps you narrow down which remaining references are relevant and gives your thoughts some time to ferment. And by the end there are 5-6 clues pointing you to the right place. I think the additional clues the author added here are really helpful.
- 8 The lateral jump about the narrator and finding file 98. I wasn't able to figure this out without some peeking, and would have appreciated maaaybe one more clue. (Maybe 21-CH-3 should be marked as containing an extra reference? Maybe a second dream mention in 00-final-note?)
I'd be curious to hear how this matches or doesn't match other people's play experience!
I really liked the title. The number of times I was stuck, and typing 'help' did in fact get me unstuck felt very clever. ❤️
I also found it funny how often I would enter a filename I was pretty certain of, it wouldn't work, and later I would enter the 'same' filename again just to double-check and it worked. Felt like https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2011-10-04
Really loved this game. Made me remember Obra Dinn so fondly and makes me want to play all the other games you mentioned as inspirations. I started with a lot of apprehension and while taking a break from work and wow its like idk how many hours later and I just finished the game in almost a single sitting.
I see others mentioned a Qernz Fprar which I missed (might check for it again later)
Vz phevbhf nobhg ubj Znegun naq Ivpgbevn rng oernxsnfg vs Gubeagba vf nyernql tbar ng qvaare gur cerivbhf avtug? Any ideas on that anyone?
Hey I was wondering (rot 13) Jnf gurer zber svyrf? V unir n (1) arkg gb 00-nhqvb-erpbirel, 16-QV-6-7, 24-QV-1, 25-NG-1, naq 26-RA-1. V nyernql tbg 25-JV-X, ohg vg qbrfag fubr hc, v whfg tbg gur raqvat fperra. V nyfb unir gur svany abgr naq qernz. Jung nz v zvffvat?
I don' spoil anything here so don't worry. I found the end note before that scene, the end screen showed up as soon as I typed in the scene. Also the hangman game is silly and worked weird
Devoured this game in one sitting. I didn't go past Act 2 until I had all of the previous events figured out, which meant that I realized the basics of the mystery early on (which still felt very satisfying!). Also meant that I found a certain file waaaay ahead of time, which made the actual end a little anti-climactic, if still compelling. I did not like the final secret, however -- it did not work at all like the rest of the game and also confused me as I had already made a couple of attempts at the minigame and realized what was up. The link refused to load for me, too, which only added to my frustration as I felt like I was missing something huge -- a connection I had somehow missed? I was not.
Still, that's only a pet peeve with what amounts to an easter egg -- the game itself is incredible. Deeply enjoyed my time with it, would recommend it to anyone who enjoys deductive games, would love to see more games like this!!
I sat down and opened up the game. Then, almost immediately, I opened up a notepad file to take notes. Then, not long after, I opened a second concurrent file for a different type of information. Eventually, a third. These weren’t even fully necessary mechanically — I was just becoming increasingly invested in tracking the non-essential details and character dynamics. I crunched through the game in a single (fairly long) sitting and felt satisfied with every part of it. It was tremendously well-executed.
The big questions, the details, combing through to answer every question and find every last scene. The fact that it was possible (mechanically) to make leaps ahead of what seemed to be the set of intended paths if an idea occurred to you. The details that fleshed out the characters and dynamics. The avoidance of over-explaining. It’s all wonderful.
I really love a game that trusts the player to buy in and do the mental legwork required to get invested and understand that some context will never be explicit or even fully outlined. This gave that in spades.
I might go so far as to say that, while I tremendously enjoyed Obra Dinn and can clearly see the inspiration, I enjoyed this game more. Thank you for the fantastic experience!
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hooollllyyyy moooollllyyy my brothers and sisters in gaming, we have ourself a GOTY contender. this became a short-term hyper-fixation for me
hey, i've almost completed it, i just can't realize from where you can find the final note? i know there is one thanks to the comments, but I don't understand where it comes from.
once you've found every scene, you will get a 2nd mail in your inbox. if you don't have that mal in your inbox, you're still missing something
i've never checked the inbox, thank you very much
I had to reset my password to log in to my account (LMAO) and yet it was worth it to say how much I loved this game!!!! So simple yet so ridiculously clever and effective, with such a cool and unique premise. It's hard to do simple well!!! With a game so bare in its UI, the puzzles and story need to be ridiculously engaging, and this is exactly what TYPE HELP manages to achieve. I can't imagine this game done in any way except within its current iteration. TYPE HELP was built exactly as it needed to be built to achieve exactly what it did, and it was engrossing and engaging from start to finish. Once I started this game, I couldn't stop playing until I'd hit the end; I completed it all in one sitting. I can't wait to recommend it to my friends!!
Oops!!! Almost forgot; one last thing: V NZ EVPUNEQ YBATYRL
Unbelievably good! Got the twist somewhere in Act II but it still was pretty fun. Actually loved the cataloguing system. Unlike many other games of this type it felt intuitive and after only an hour I found myself typing these numbers and letters almost instinctively
V tbg gur gjvfg nf jryy, gurer ner gjb jubyr npgf yrsg!! bu ab
Fgvyy cerggl sha! Vgf yvxr n pne penfu. Lbh xabj jung vf pbzvat ohg whfg pna'g ybbx njnl. Cyhf gur zrpunavp vgfrys vf cerggl fngvfslvat naq gur @ pbzzragf ner sha gb ernq
Tbbq yhpx!
I need a hint
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I am also missing one reference from 02-LI-5-8-9
Nyy bs gur yvaxf gung V pna rnfvyl svaq eryngrq gb gur uvtuyvtugrq fprar eryngr gb Qvaare (Npg V), be gur Qvavat Ebbz (Npg VV), be gur guvat orvat cbherq ng gur raq bs gur fprar. Gurer'f ab qevaxvat fbhaq; jurer pbhyq guvf crefba or gnxvat vg?
thank you that was the bit of help I needed
Loved it! Going to check out Cellar from your repertoire next.
Amazing game, thank you for the experience!
Non-spoiler easter egg (?) but you can not only name @, you can also name # yourself (if you find being username2 boring)
Thank you for a fantastic game Willam! So far it's the frontrunner for my GOTY, and I'll be following closely to see what you'll do next.
I can't believe this is a free game, like other have mentioned you should consider commercializing it. Evil Trout did a great job helping publish Roottrees are Dead and the release has been very successful. Or at least have a donate button.
it took me a second to realize what happened in 26 exactly, but then I looked back at the start and realized exactly what happened.
cbbe Wbua unf gur jbefg yhpx. V zrna frevbhfyl, ur znantrq gb nibvq gur phefr bayl gb gevc ba gur qrpx naq qvr nsgre uvggvat uvf urnq. yvxr lbh pna frr vg va 1 d 1 11, orpnhfr ur nyzbfg gevcf gurer, naq Gubeagba whfg pngpurf uvz fb ur qbrfa'g snyy.
Edit: Okay yeah no that makes sense. I connected the wrong dots.
V guvax va 1-DH-1-11 ur'f pbzcynvavat nobhg gur zhq, nf vg vf envavat naq ur vf cebonoyl jrnevat ryrtnag fubrf. V gubhtug ur fubbgf uvzfrys ng gur raq, ohg gurer vf ab thafubg, fb ur cebonoyl whfg whzcrq orpnhfr ur gubhtug ur xvyyrq Naavr
Fprar 24-QV-1, naq gur vzcyvpngvbaf bs gur 25 fprarf ("Jung oebhtug gurz gurer gung qnl erznvaf hapyrne.") zngpu hc ernyyl jryy jvgu gur vageb, fb gur "zna va uvf rneyl sbegvrf" yvxryl *vf* Wbua.
Lrnu sbyxf cerggl fher uvf qrngu vf gur fnzr nf Ryrnabe'f znal lrnef orsber: Whzcvat sebz gur Nggvp jvaqbj. Bgure guna jung jr urne nobhg Ryrnabe gur erny sberfunqbjvat vf va 02-RA jura gur qbyy vf xabpxrq sebz gur nggvp ol Gbal hc gurer jvgu Naavr, nyzbfg snyyvat ba Wbua. V jvyy fnl gubhtu gung 26 jnf bar bs gur svefg fprarf V tbg, fvapr @ cbvagf lbh va vg'f qverpgvba, naq bar bs gur zbfg ubeevsvp gb ernyvfr gur vzcyvpngvbaf bs bapr ergheavat gb vg ng gur raq. Cbbe thl fhssrerq jbefr guna nyy gur bguref orpnhfr bs ubj fybj vg jnf.
fantastic, fantastic, fantastic. My gf and I have been engrossed in this all weekend. Truly one of the most horrifying concepts to center a mystery story around, and fantastically written. I'll definitely be watching this author's future projects with interest.
I really enjoyed the game, other than the hiccup I wrote about before, it was great. I've heard about it from Tom Francis' vlog. He talked about some inconsistencies, but I don't see them.
I think people assume that gur phefr unf fbzrguvat gb qb jvgu anzrf be bowrpgf orybatvat gb gur qrnq crefba. Ohg gur phefr bayl jbexf nsgre lbh erzrzore gur npghny crefba. Gung'f jul gur qrgrpgvir bayl qvrf nsgre qvfpbirevat gung ur xarj bar bs gur qrnq crefbaf va erny yvsr. Naq gung'f jul rirelbar pbhyq unir orra gnyxvat nobhg Ehcreg jvgubhg nalguvat unccravat gb gurz. Nyfb gur phefr pna bayl nssrpg bar crefba ng n gvzr, fb nsgre vg genafsref gb gur arj ivpgvz, abguvat jvyy unccra vs lbh guvax nobhg gur cerivbhf crefba (vs lbh pna rira rire erzrzore gurz ntnva).
Nyfb V yvxrq gur guvatf gung bguref pnyyrq erq ureevatf. Gung'f ubj vg jbhyq ernyyl unccra, abg rirelguvat gung crbcyr gnyx nobhg jbhyq or pbaarpgrq gb fbzrguvat terngre, naq bs pbhefr gur gurbevrf gung rnpu punenpgre jnf qrirybcvat jba'g or evtug. Bayl jr pna znxr n evtug bar ybbxvat ng gur jubyr cvpgher. Gung'f jul V qvqa'g chg gbb zhpu jrvtug ba gurz naq gurl qvqa'g pbashfr zr ng nyy.
That being said I sometimes found myself guessing new scenes, but just when there were a handful of possibilities, so I don't mind it that much. But because of the nature of the story it became easier and easier with time.
I also enjoyed the scenes like "everyone gathered in X", but then you realize that you are not quite sure what "everyone" means at that point.
All in all, it's a really great game
Finished yesterday after 6 hours and many pages of notes. Incredibly well put together!
It's early, but this is probably my Game of the Year.
I mean, goddamn. This has the seal of quality upon it, I just spent several nights fully gripped until I was done. You might consider commercializing this the way that Roottree did!
Got sent here by the Failbetter games newsletter and had an absolute blast - definitely one of the best deduction-type games I've played!
im halfway thru the game and it literally seems like no one know who tf is living in the house omg
Wow, that was a lot of fun! Very well written and a really unique premise
I never thought I'd find something that came close to Obra Dinn (my all-time favourite game) - Type Help finally did it! What a joy to play and complete :)
That was amazing, so engrossing, I loved the rhythm and I just cannot fathom how you managed to get such a deft balance in difficulty. The YES moment when a filename attempt works is so good.
William just so you know I'll blindly buy any next game you're making :)
Hey, this ruled. Super clever, super fun to figure out. Huge fan!!
V zvffrq gur svyr 10-RQ-8, ohg V qvqa'g xabj nobhg vg orpnhfr nyy gur svyrf jrer fubjvat 0 yvaxf gb haqvfpbirerq svyrf. Fb V nffhzrq V fbyirq gur tnzr naq fgnegrq ernqvat gur pbzzragf gb svaq bhg nobhg 00-svany-abgr naq jnf pbashfrq nobhg ubj crbcyr sbhaq vg. V ernq gur svany abgr naq gur qernz sebz pbzzragf, naq V qvqa'g xabj V zvffrq n fprar hagvy V glcrq uryc gb frr ubj znal svyrf V sbhaq naq frra 97, fb V unq gb ybbx guebhtu zl fcernqfurrg naq svaq gur zvffvat fcbg. Fb V thrff gurer pbhyq or n yvax sebz nal bgure fprar gb 10-RQ-8. Nyfb znlor vs V xarj V jbhyq trg n zrffntr nsgre svaqvat rirel fprar, V jbhyq ernyvmr fbbare gung V jnf zvffvat bar fprar rneyvre.
Exactly the same for me.
ABSOLUTELY adored this game. Love love love. SO fun. Needed help with a friend to get some of the last stuff and a few missing scenes but it's so great! Definitely going to look into any other stuff you do/have done.
Made an account on here just so I could drop in and say I LOVE this game. I thought the writing was great, I had so much fun puzzling this out, please do more. Excellent work.
I absolutely loved playing this. I didn't actually make the final deductive leap into what was *actually* going on, but I loved uncovering all the pieces of the story using deductive logic (and the odd bit of trial and error). It was so fun to explore the mystery in little parts, and felt like a proper detective linking these insane characters and their stories together. I made a Google Sheets to track everyone and it was very satisfying.
In the end, I came to the comments here to read about other people's theories about the ending. It didn't satisfactorily resolve for me in the way I had quite wished it would - despite having unlocked 97%, I hadn't understood the specifics on *why* the events were happening as they were.
Thank you for making such a cool thing, and I wish for many more cool things like this in the future.
Regarding the ending (look away if you haven't played!):
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Having reflected further on this, it very much fits in the gothic tradition and does not 'need' to have a declarative ending. Maybe this is what was intended, especially considering the byline of 'the unsolvable mystery'. If so, well played. In any case, I had a blast and have been inspired to look at Twine myself.
Fantastic game!
(Spoilery constructive feedback for the author below)
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1. I wish there was an easier way to `find` text not only across scenes but also within scenes. Right now what I had to do each time is to first type the command `find ring` and then Ctrl+F and use my browser's search to directly highlight the instances of the word `ring`. This felt janky because the game window kept shrinking/expanding (fullscreen switches) and the browser kept finding words in the itch.io comments. I would really much prefer it if, after clicking a scene through the Find results, the searched word would be underlined in all its instances.
2. I felt that there were a few too many puzzles that required me to figure out the layout of the house itself -- characters going "upstairs" or "downstairs" and the reader expected to know where they end up, at least approximately. The positioning of rooms was not fully intuitive (e.g. a kitchen below the dining room... until I learned about the dumbwaiter), and I found myself wishing for more help there. I know @ says "I couldn't find any records of the layout, so I can only go off the names that I've found within the audio", but, I wish at least the player was more obviously told to write down the layout of which rooms are "upstairs" and which are "downstairs".
3. The name of the game isn't great (I'm sorry).
4.
The time delay between deaths was very confusing and as far as I know it was simply left unexplained, which I found dissatisfying. I loved the fact that the rate keeps going up, with more and more bodies dropping, but I couldn't find any explanation for why the deaths are accelerating.I'll expand on this with very major spoilers in ROT13:V haqrefgnaq gung rnpu gvzr fbzrbar qvrf sebz gur nagvzrzr phefr ("gur cerivbhf ivpgvz"), gur arkg ivpgvz orpbzrf rvgure gur ynfg crefba gb unir gubhtug bs gurz be gur svefg crefba gb guvax nobhg gurz ntnva (abg pbhagvat guvaxvat nobhg vgf hasnzvyvne obql). Rirelbar sbetrgf nobhg gur cerivbhf ivpgvz naq eryngrq zrzbevrf va gur zbzrag bs qrngu, ohg gur arkg ivpgvz jvyy fhqqrayl ertnva gurfr zrzbevrf gur svefg gvzr gurl guvax/gnyx nobhg gur cerivbhf ivpgvz (hfhnyyl unccraf guebhtu n culfvpny bowrpg gung erzvaqf gurz), juvpu gevttref gur "pbhagqbja" sbe guvf arkg ivpgvz'f qrngu.V qb abg ng nyy haqrefgnaq jul, va-jbeyq, gurer jnf n uhtr gvzr qrynl orgjrra gur qrnguf bs gur svefg srj punenpgref (Ehcreg, Uneel, Rir) juvyr gur ynfg qrnguf unccra rkgerzryl dhvpxyl nsgre rnpu bgure (Rqqvr, Znegun, Gbal). V gubhtug vg zvtug or gur "culfvpny zrzbenovyvn" pbaarpgvba, ohg gung'f abg pyrna rabhtu naq snvyf gb rkcynva gur beqre (r.t. jul Gubeagba pnzr nsgre Ehcreg rira gubhtu Wbua jnf unaqyvat gur xrl), fb zl orfg thrff vf gung vg'f n pbzovangvba bs "jnf guvaxvat nobhg ivpgvz nf gurl qvrq" naq "vf erzvaqrq bs gur ivpgvz guebhtu fbzrguvat arj".5. I enjoyed the large amount of red herrings, but I felt that there were a few too many of them near the end which were left unresolved in a way that doesn't exactly convince the player if they are or aren't connected, even by the time the final theory is completed. Perhaps one or two of them should be blatantly deemed false by @, in one of the very last documents? Just as a final confirmation.
V'z abg ernyyl fher jung lbh zrna ol gur gvzr qrynl vffhr. Gur guhaqrepync vf pnhfrq ol erzrzorevat gur cerivbhf ivpgvz. Vg gnxrf fbzr xvaq bs fgebat rzbgvbany cebzcg gb or noyr gb "qrsl" gur zrzbel renfvat rssrpgf naq erzrzore gur cerivbhf ivpgvz - hfhnyyl n culfvpny vgrz fgebatyl nffbpvngrq jvgu gung crefba.
Ehcreg Tnyyrl qvrf irel fubegyl nsgre erzrzorevat Nzryvn, pnhfrq ol svaqvat n cvnab erpvgny fur unq bapr cynlrq - ur erzrzoref whfg orsber gur fgneg bs fprar 01 naq qvrf jvguva fprar 01.
Uneel Gubeagba qvrf irel fubegyl nsgre erzrzorevat Ehcreg, pnhfrq ol orvat tvira Ehcreg'f xrl gb gur puncry - ur erzrzoref gbjneqf gur raq bs fprar 06, ng juvpu cbvag ur vf erpbeqrq ng ehfuvat njnl, naq ur qvrf nyzbfg vzzrqvngryl vagb fprar 07.
Rir qvrf irel fubegyl nsgre erzrzorevat Uneel, pnhfrq ol qevaxvat gur ubg pubpbyngr va Uneel'f qvfgvapgvir fglyr ur unq whfg cercnerq sbe ure - fur qvrf, rez, yrg'f fnl 5 zvahgrf yngre jvgubhg zrnavat gb or pehry nobhg Rqqvr'f fgnzvan.
Uryra qvrf dhvgr fubegyl nsgre erzrzorevat Rir, pnhfrq ol erprvivat gur snzvyl evat fur unq tvira Rqqvr gb cebcbfr jvgu. Gurve qvfphffvba vf jung, cebonoyl n srj zvahgrf va erny gvzr? Fur qvrf nyzbfg vzzrqvngryl vagb fprar 12.
V qba'g ernyyl frr ubj nal bs gurfr ner vapbafvfgrag jvgu jung unccraf yngre. Va nyy pnfrf, gurer'f znlor, 5 zvahgrf be fb orgjrra erzrzorevat naq qrngu. Oebnqyl fcrnxvat, nf gur ahzore bs obqvrf cvyr hc, gur vaunovgnagf bs gur ubhfr ehfu ebhaq zber, rknzvar zber guvatf, naq cebzcg zber gurbevrf, juvpu anghenyyl pnhfrf gur engr bs qrnguf gb fgneg fcrrqvat hc. Gur bayl erny bqqvgl gung V pna frr vf creuncf Znegun va fprar 05 - fur'f gbyq gur anzr Ehcreg Tnyyrl, naq tvira uvf xrl gb gur puncry, whfg nsgre univat frra Ehcreg'f qrnq obql. Guvf pbzovangvba bs guvatf jnf rabhtu gb pnhfr Uneel gb erzrzore, fb vg vf fgenatr vg vfa'g rabhtu gb pnhfr Znegun nf Ehcreg'f jvsr gb erzrzore.
Gura jul qvqa'g Wbua orpbzr gur frpbaq ivpgvz jura ur ercrngrqyl nfxrq nobhg Ehcreg Tnyyrl, ybbxrq ng uvf vaivgngvba juvpu jnf jevggra ol Ehcreg Tnyyrl, gura gbbx gur xrl sebz Ehcreg Tnyyrl'f obql? V thrff vg'f whfg orpnhfr ur jnf fyvtugyl yrff snzvyvne jvgu uvz, fb ur qvqa'g ernpu gur guerfubyq bs rzbgvbany pbaarpgvba...?
Be Rqqvr erzrzorevat Rir vzzrqvngryl nsgre gnxvat gur jrqqvat evat sebz ure unaq?
V nqzvg gung lbhe gurbel jbexf cerggl jryy gbb, orpnhfr vg bayl erdhverf n fvatyr "gevttre" zbzrag, naq... V nqzvg V jebgr nobhg gjryir zber yvarf qrsraqvat zl gurbel orsber ernyvmvat abj gung lbhef vf zhpu "pyrnare" naq zvar ynetryl unccraf gb jbex ol nppvqrag engure guna ba checbfr: zl gurbel jnf onfrq ba gur crefba jub gubhtug bs gur ivpgvz *va gur zbzrag bs gur ivpgvz'f qrngu*, naq V guvax vg graqrq gb or evtug abg orpnhfr bs pbeerpgarff ohg orpnhfr gur tnzr vf qrfvtarq va n jnl gung fubjpnfrf gur zrzbel ybff zber boivbhfyl, juvpu vf jul zber punenpgref trarenyyl graq gb fcrnx bs ivpgvzf evtug orsber naq nsgre gurl qvr.
Fb V gnxr onpx zl pbzcynvag nobhg gur gvzvat. V qb guvax vg'f fyvtugyl naablvat gung Rqqvr'f gvzr orgjrra erzvaqre naq qrngu jnf whfg n zvahgr be gjb (n fvatyr fprar) juvyr Gubeagba jrag guebhtu gjb fprarf naq gjb ebbzf va guerr qvssrerag sybbef, nf qvq Ivpgbevn. Ohg zhpu zber haqrefgnaqnoyr.
Thanks for helping clarify this for me.V qba'g frr nal vapbafvfgrapvrf. Gurl qba'g qvr sebz erzrzorevat gur anzr be frrvat n obql. Gurl qvr sebz erzrzorevat GUR CREFBA. Fb Gubeagba pbaarpgf gur xrl gb gur Puncry jvgu Ehcreg, orpnhfr cebonoyl nf gur ubhfr xrrcre, ur vf irel snzvyvne jvgu jub unf gur xrlf gb jung, Znegun qvqa'g fb fur qvqa'g pbaarpg vg gb ure uhfonaq. Lbh pbhyq vzntvar gung va gur cnfg, jura Znegn jbhyq unir yvxrq gb ivfvg gur Puncry fur jbhyq nfx ure uhfonaq jurer gur xrl vf, ba gur bgure unaq Gubeagba jbhyq xabj jub unf vg ng nyy gvzrf.
Nf jvgu Rir, V guvax Rqzhaq jnf nyjnlf va ybir jvgu Ivpgbevn, fb gung'f jub ur jnf guvaxvat jura frrvat gur evat. Bayl Uryra unq fhpu n fgebat pbaarpgvba orgjrra ure qnhtugre naq gur evat gb erzrzore ure.
Orpnhfr crbcyr qba'g qvr sebz guvaxvat fbzrguvat vf fhfcvpvbhf, be zragvbavat gur anzr be na bowrpg, ohg sebz npghnyyl erzrzorevat gur erny crefba.
I decided this @ person deserved a name, but he clearly doesn't have one, so I named him David Langford.
(Lrf, guvf vf n ersrerapr; fcrpvsvpnyyl gb Ynatsbeq'f fubeg fgbel Oyvg.)
Love, love, loved this game. I had caught 97 Pokémon by the end, but the 98th was a bit too hard to find without looking in the comments.
This game is amazing.
V'ir fcrag gur cnfg unys na ubhe ernqvat gur pbzzragf urne gb gel naq svther bhg gur fbyhgvba sbe gur unatzna tnzr naq V unir gb fnl V qvfnterr jvgu gur abgvba gung gur "ynfg chmmyr" jnf gbb uneq, gubhtu V thrff V unq gur yhpx gb cynl gur nyernql hcqngrq irefvba. Nf fbba nf V ernq gur ynfg gjb ragevrf V jnf fb pbashfrq nobhg Wbua'f qrngu.
V fgvyy jnag gb xabj gur fbyhgvba gb gur unatzna gubhtu. gur hcqngr fnlf gurer vf bar naq vg vf qevivat zr penml.
Bgure guna gung V guvax 00-qernz vf n ovg gbb qvssvphyg gb svaq.
In the end I think it is kinda cool that some mysteries about the people here stayed mysteries (gur fbhepr bs Naavr'f zbarl ceboyrzf, vf Ivpgbevn certanag?, jung vf gbalf erny anzr) because that's the way a real murder investigation would have also ended. I still want to know the hangman solution though.
Gur hcqngr nyfb fnlf gung ur vapyhqrq n wbxr va gur oht frpgvba bs gur punatrybt, ersreevat gb unatzna orvat znqr fbyirnoyr ;)
oh god, I hate that even more. Glad to have the peace of mind though
William Rous, are you going to make a sequel, or even better, a prequel?
Hey, I made a post on r/gametheorists for them to play this game on one of their streams, please go up vote it and reccoment the game yourself, I honestly feel as if this is a fantastic game if it got enough traction.
V nz fb pbashfrq nobhg ubj gb fbyir gur unatzna zvavtnzr. Vg qbrfa'g gnxr @f anzr (arvgure E abe Y), vg qbrfa'g gnxr n sbe Nzryvn, vg qbrfa'g gnxr R sbe Ryrnabe, vg qbrfa'g npghnyyl gnxr nal ibjryf (n,r,v,b,h). V'yy unir gb tvir hc ba gung bar hayrff fbzrbar pna uryc zr bhg.
so does it just not have a solution?
Correct. Gur jnl V vagrecergrq vg vf gung va Evpuneq'f ivrj, gurer vf ab fbyhgvba gb "orng" gur phefr bgure guna xvyyvat lbhefrys orsber vg xvyyf lbh.
It's 6am now. I probably should not have started this right before bed...
Thank you for the wonderful and amazing game!
What an amazing game! Finished in two sessions. I made a google sheet to keep track where people are at each time and it was really helpful. (ROT13) Gur qrqhpgvba sbe gur gjrysgu crefba naq Xngurevar jnf ernyyl jryy qbar, fhcre unccl V jnf noyr gb svther vg bhg ol zlfrys!
Gripping experience. Spoilertown below.
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Made it to the end credits but somehow I still feel like I missed something. Are they a fakeout? (Some other people were mentioning a 98th entry and I have 97 with no other clues! It seems people also found @’s name but I have no clue how.)
I don’t understand the rules of the curse. (Is that what it is?)
The broad strokes seem to be: Remember the previous target, then after some time you’ll hear a thunderclap, die, and be forgotten.
(I had and continue to have a hard time with the time-delay aspect. I think it must be a part of it, otherwise @’s writing in 00-final-note doesn’t make sense, he wouldn’t be on death’s door — and that’s as close to a definitive answer as I can find. Time-delay: Is that why Eve died the way she did, not because of Edmund’s singing but because it took a bit for her remembering Thornton to kick in? Likewise for Damian, only dying in his sleep and not right after he remembered Helen?)
Other people’s memories change to fill the void, so Martha says she had a wedding for herself, that sort of ridiculous confabulation. BUT if someone does remember the last person, they die and the curse goes on? I can’t square that with all of the deaths.
Rupert remembers Amelia after hearing the player piano perform a piece, says her name, walks to the study, wonders aloud about asking Oswald about Amelia, dies. (Do you have to say the previous person’s name? Is it just that time delay?)
Thornton moves Rupert’s body and remembers that he’s dead, but the thunderclap only sounds for him when he’s muttering to himself in the kitchen. (He doesn’t mention Rupert by name immediately before death, only saying ‘He’s really dead…’. Otherwise, he just says “Mr. Galley” to when he talks to John in the Study.
Skipping forward, the other confusing part are the 3 final deaths.
Annie shoots herself and a thunderclap sounds at the same time. She does mention Oswald to John, but only by pronoun - before then, she says his name to himself, reading it out from the list Victoria made. Suicide didn’t work to stop the curse… Why?
Then John doesn’t remember Annie and doesn’t read the paper with her name on it, saving himself. The last time he said her name was before the combination gunshot/thunderclap, so he’s safe from the curse from that point. (Is he?)
Katherine eventually dies at home, some time after Annie. I guess because she’s the last person to… say Annie’s name? I don’t understand how John’s trick worked.
John dies, he has to just to square with the bodycount. All of the numbered/lettered people are dead bodies. But he doesn’t die by curse as he is pointedly omitted from @’s final list and we don’t hear a thunderclap on the recording. He must be the middle-aged man on the steps mentioned in the intro - and if he really didn’t die by curse, he must be the only publicly-identified victim mentioned in the intro.
But. I don’t get it! What does @ figure out? He knows the names of everyone hit by the curse, so he’s next in line after Katherine, right? Why does the last line in the final message say “God I hope this works” — he died, right?
Other side-mysteries:
I was convinced that there had to be a scene in the Garden mentioned by Oswald but seemingly no dice. I guess it isn’t bolded like the other locations, so that checks out, and Oswald is a walking red herring anyway.
It’s odd that there are two loose-end female characters, Amelia and Eleanor. I’m fairly sure that Eleanor is a red herring who died long before the start of the story. (I guess like, it’s ironic that despite Oswald’s theory, she and her mother end up the only Galleys who Katherine remembers.)
She’s given more attention than Amelia, who is mentioned just three times. No explanation given on why she’s at the head of the curse. Hell of a birthday present for poor old Rupert. I assume she’s also been dead for ages (I guess she had to be as you have to remember the dead to contract the curse), but that’s all I got.
Can we really not figure out Tony’s father’s name, or did @ just not realize at the moment he wrote the note? I certainly can’t.
Anyway I feel both like a smartypants for getting to the end and like a dumb-dumb for not understanding what is at the end. If anyone could shed some light on this for me, that would be nice. Thank you William for the game, well done!
Shameful update.
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Cheated myself into the 98th file, spoilers follow.
Genuinely unsure how I could have figured that out, and completely at a loss for how @’s trick in the poem worked. So names do matter? I guess? And since we just worked his out, we’re gonna die… right? But the rest of the poem doesn’t contain the “dead bodies strewn about” that @ mentions in 21-CH-3, so… what the hell. The poem is addressed to a “you” — the future reader, i.e. us? And the number at the end… what? If it’s a code, I don’t get it, and I don’t think it can be a password simply for lack to places to put it.
In conclusion: I am once again feeling dumb for not getting the ending and now not even feeling proud of myself for getting there. Hum.
Edit: Ah, I guess the mystery of the number and the poem is solved. Who would’ve thunk @ liked that stuff.
Spoilers
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I think the rule of the curse is "remember the last person to have died from the curse, and shortly after you die as well". There does appear to be a small time delay; none of the characters involved died immediately after remembering someone and it is usually at the end of the scene in which they do. I don't think you need to remember the name of the previous person exactly - for example, it wouldn't have been possible for Oswald to remember Tony's name because he never knew Tony's real name to begin with. It seems to me you just need to remember the person and who they were in some meaningful sense. Physical items seem to help prompt memories, but I'm not sure they strictly essential per se - not clear to me what physical object Katherine had that prompted links to Annie, for example. I think it's probably more the close emotional feeling certain belongings can evoke, the same way a particular passage of music did it for Rupert.
With Annie, I think she was just unlucky - the curse beat her to her suicide very fractionally. In another world where she was a bit quicker, she might have ended the curse there.
It does seem to me John was very unlikely to have been killed by the curse if he hadn't committed suicide, because the odds of him being prompted to remember Katherine, who really had nothing to do with him, were very low. Since he was capable of being publicly identified, he didn't die as a result of the curse himself.
With Katherine, she dies because she remembers Annie as a result of her conversation with John. I don't think this was a trick by John - it is heavily implied he thinks he murdered everyone and that's why he commits suicide (especially in the latest version with the added dialogue). Rather, it's just misfortune in how events played out.
What @ figures out is that he is about to die, because he read the name of the last recorded victim and remembered who they were - he recognised the name, and she would have been a colleague of his judging by Alan Thomas' briefing, so when the memories came rushing back, @ realised his time was up. The reason he said "by God I hope this works" is because he was always a bit of a loner and didn't think there was much reason for anyone to remember him, so he hoped the curse might die with him and be finished.
00-dream is a curious one. It seems to me that the curse can partly exert an influence on people and cause them to have strange dreams or visions - you can see this especially with Martha's death as well. I don't think 00-dream is written by @ in his full mind, so to speak, especially as it so dangerously discloses his name. My view is that it is the curse influencing him, although that's obviously a fair bit of viewer interpretation. @ hoped the curse would end, he'd hardly be leaving behind clues that would prompt people examining his files to meaningfully remember him on purpose.
The code (43092) is actually the real life code for the music roll for Because of You by Lee Sims for player pianos, the lyrics to which are written down in 00-dream. This mirrors partly the piano roll which started this all off by reminding Rupert of Amelia, which is 03746 I'd Climb the Highest Mountain, also by Lee Sims, which @ clearly found during his research. Maybe he also found 43092. Maybe the curse found it for him. If you know @'s name, maybe the curse is finding you.
encrypted with rot13.com
I haven't read all the comments yet, but I haven't seen anyone say this yet, but...
gur cnggrea rkcynvaf jul gur vairfgvtngbe jnf cvpxrq gb "fbyir" vg.
Gur phefr cerfhznoyl ortna jura Ryrnabe qvrq. Jr jrer gbyq gung gurl jrer nyy sbeovqqra gb fcrnx bs ure be rira erzrzore ure, gurl unq gb cergraq yvxr fur arire rira rkvfgrq. Fur orpnzr fghpx va gur ubhfr.
Snfg sbejneq gb gur ortvaavat bs gur tnzr, naq vs jr er-ernq gur vaivgngvba Ehcreg frag Wbua, jr svaq bhg gurl jrer sevraqf naq gung Ehcreg whfg obhtug n cynlre cvnab naq jnagrq gb fubj Wbua jub nccneragyl vf n gnyragrq cvnavfg. Ehcreg cebzvfrf gb trg gur cvnab jbexvat ol gur gvzr Wbua neevirf.
Fb gur cnggrea gung pbagvahrf sebz gurer vf rnpu crefba svaqvat fbzrguvat gung erzvaqf gurz bs gur crefba gung jnf sbetbggra naq erzrzorevat gurz. Vs fbzrbar erzrzoref gurz, gur phefr gnxrf gurz (cerfhznoyl natre naq wrnybhfl sbe gur crefba orvat erzrzorerq, jura fur, Ryrnabe, jnf sbetbggra).
12 Ehcreg: Trgf gur cvnab jbexvat, urnef gur fbat naq frrf gur erpvgny cebtenzzr, erzrzoref Nzryvn.
11 Gubeagba: Wbua gryyf uvz Ehcreg'f anzr naq tvirf uvz gur Puncry xrl, n cynpr gung Ehcreg jrag n ybg.
10 Rir: Rqqvr tvirf Rir pbpbn gung Gubeagba znqr.
9 Uryra: Rqqvr tvirf Uryra gur ratntrzrag evat zrnag gb zneel bss ure qnhtugre.
8 Qnzvna: Qnzvna guvaxf nobhg gur jngpu gung Uryra gnfxrq uvz gb svaq.
7 Ivpgbevn: Jura Rqqvr nfxf nobhg zneelvat ure, fur fnlf fur pna'g naq V oryvrir fur fnlf guvf orpnhfr fur'f certanag, naq gur onol erzvaqf ure bs Qnzvna.
6 Rqqvr: Gbal tvirf Rqqvr bar bs gur oenpryrgf gung Ivpgbevn naq ur unq nf xvqf.
5 Znegun: Creuncf fur fnj n cubgb bs Rqqvr orsber fur fgnegrq oheavat gurz, creuncf Naavr erzvaqrq ure bs Rqqvr orpnhfr V guvax gurl jrer gbtrgure ng bar cbvag, vqe, ohg Naavr fnlf Rqqvr'f anzr, naq znlor urnevat gur anzr vf rabhtu sbe n zbgure gb erzrzore ure fba.
4 Gbal: Guvf bar vfa'g fb fgebat, ohg Naavr ernqf anzrf bss gur yvfg naq zragvbaf Znegun jber n fgebat creshzr. Creuncf gur creshzr jnf rabhtu gb erzvaq Gbal, rfcrpvnyyl fvapr ur jnf fgnaqvat bire ure obql naq pbhyq fzryy vg gura.
3 Bfjnyq: Naavr oevatf gur tha gung Gbal guerngrarq Bfjnyq jvgu.
2 Naavr: Gur yvfg fur jebgr naq gur qenjvat fur fnj
X Xngurevar: Wbua fnlf gur anzr Naavr gb Xngurevar, ntnva, gur anzr vf rabhtu sbe n zbgure naq fur erzrzoref ure. Vg'f nyfb cbffvoyr gung - orvat ng ubzr - Xngurevar fnj guvatf gung erzvaqrq ure bs Naavr gung jr ner abg njner bs.
1 Wbua: Ur npghnyyl qvq abg qvr bs gur phefr, ohg V guvax ur gubhtug ur jnf ybfvat uvf zvaq naq xvyyrq Naavr (jub qvq abg erzrzore), naq ur xvyyrq uvzfrys ol whzcvat qbja gur ubyr gung yrnqf gb gur ragenapr.
Gur phefr gura pbagvahrq guebhtu Xngurevar ng fbzr cbvag, fgnegvat gur fgevat gung @ jnf vairfgvtngvat. @ tbrf ba gb zragvba gung ur ernyvmrf jul ur jnf cvpxrq gb vairfgvtngr gur pnfr - orpnhfr ur jnf fb qvfpbaarpgrq sebz gur bhgfvqr jbeyq, vg jnf irel hayvxryl nalbar jbhyq abgvpr be erzrzore uvz nsgre ur qvrq. Jr ner arire zrnag gb yrnea @'f anzr orpnhfr gung xrrcf hf fnsr, naq gur phefr jvyy qvr jvgu uvz.
Fb qvq vg fgneg jvgu Nzryvn? Jnf Nzryvn npghnyyl "renfrq" ol gur phefr, be jnf fur fvzcyl sbetbggra yvxr n abezny crefba jbhyq qb nobhg fbzrbar gurl xarj n ybat gvzr ntb, naq erzrzorevat ure vf jung njbxr gur phefr gung avtug? Vs Ryrnabe jnf gur fgneg bs guvf, gura jnf gung ubj gur cneragf riraghnyyl qvrq, jura gurl svanyyl yrg gurzfryirf erzrzore ure? Cerfhznoyl abg, orpnhfr Bfjnyq erzrzorerq uvf cneragf, naq gur phefr frrzf gb jvcr gur zrzbel sebz rirelbar, ab znggre gur qvfgnapr (rt, Xngurevar sbetbg nobhg Naavr sbe n yvggyr ovg).
V oryvrir rirelguvat gung Bfjnyq fnlf nobhg gur phefr vf n erq ureevat, vapyhqvat Ryrnabe orvat gur pnhfr. V qb abg guvax vg fgnegrq orpnhfr bs ure, naq V qba'g guvax Nzryvn jnf gur svefg ivpgvz rvgure. V guvax guvf vf fnsr gb nffhzr orpnhfr uvf bgure znva pbapyhfvba ba ubj gb fgbc gur phefr vf vapbeerpg. Ur gryyf Naa fur arrqf gb erzrzore ure snzvyl naq guvatf yvxr gung va beqre gb fheivir, jura va ernyvgl erzrzorevat vf gur rknpg guvat gung xvyyf lbh.
Lrf, Bfjnyq jnf jebat nobhg ubj gb oernx/fgbc gur phefr, ohg vg vf n ovg fgebat bs n pbvapvqrapr gung Ryrnabe qvrq naq gura gubfr gung xarj ure jrer sbeovqqra gb erzrzore ure, naq gura jr unir n phefr gung xvyyf crbcyr gung erzrzore gur qrnq. Vg vf ragveryl cbffvoyr gung Bfjnyq jnf evtug nobhg ubj vg fgnegrq, ohg jnf jebat nobhg ubj gb fgbc vg.
Vg'f nyfb cbffvoyr gung znlor gur phefr bevtvangrq jvgu gur qrnq CNERAGF vafgrnq. Jr qba'g xabj ubj gurl qvrq - znlor gurl xvyyrq gurzfryirf naq/be jrer greevoyl oebxra hc bire ubj gurl unaqyrq guvatf jvgu gurve qnhtugre, naq fb abj vg'f GURVE fcvevgf gung ner unhagvat rirelbar, xvyyvat crbcyr gung erzrzore gubfr gung unir qvrq. Vg jbhyq or zber va yvar jvgu gurve npgvbaf gbjneqf Ryrnabe. Vs Ryrnabe jnf gur bar erfcbafvoyr, vg jbhyq znxr zber frafr gung fur jbhyq or natel ng crbcyr sbe SBETRGGVAT gubfr gung unir qvrq, abg gubfr gung erzrzore.
Ohg gura ntnva, sebz gur vairfgvtngbe'f zrffntrf, vg frrzf yvxr guvf vf gnxvat cynpr sne va gur shgher, frrvat nf gurl unir gur novyvgl gb whfg "ergevrir" gur nhqvb sebz arne gur gvzr bs qrngu bs gubfr gung qvrq ybat ntb. Ur nyfb zragvbaf fbzrguvat yvxr "vg'f shaal ubj crbcyr gubhtug guvf fbeg bs guvat jnf gur jbex bs tubfgf onpx gura", juvpu vzcyvrf gurer vf fbzrguvat gung fpvrapr unf svtherq bhg gung pna fbeg bs rkcynva vg, ohg fgvyy unf n pbhcyr guvatf gung arrq gb or svtherq bhg va guvf pnfr. Fb vs guvf "phefr" unf orra nebhaq fvapr nyy gur jnl onpx gura guebhtu gb jurarire gur vairfgvtngbef jrer ybbxvat ng vg va gur shgher, gura vg pbhyq or cbffvoyr gung guvf vf whfg n guvat gung unf orra whzcvat sebz crefba gb crefba sbe n ybat gvzr, naq gurer vf ab "phefr", whfg n pbaqvgvba gung pnhfrf vg gb whzc sebz bar gb nabgure, naq gur Tnyyrlf jrer gur barf gung unq vg juvyr jr jrer vairfgvtngvat vg.
Vg vf fbzrguvat gung pbhyq or hc gb vagrecergngvba V thrff, V jbhyqa'g or fhecevfrq vs vg jnf znqr vagragvbanyyl nzovthbhf fb crbcyr pbhyq pbzr hc jvgu gurve bja gurbevrf. Fb va zl zvaq Ryrnabe naq ure cneragf unq abguvat gb qb jvgu gurfr qrnguf (V pnyy gurz n phefr sbe fvzcyvpvgl'f fnxr, ohg vg qbrfa'g unir gb or gung arprffnevyl), ohg vs lbh guvax gung'f gur pnfr gura zber cbjre gb h.
[Comment has spoilers]
I really liked this a lot. One thing I found particularly impressive was the pacing of the gameplay experience, which I would divide into the following sections:
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- 1. Act I - tutorial section, manages to teach mechanics and convey effectively to the player the level of difficulty and methodical deduction expected of them. Figuring out all the names while not having to deal with all the rooms yet.
- 2. Act II - getting increasingly confused before figuring out the twist and the numbering, I figured this out halfway through the act, but even if you're stumped you'll definitely have it figured out by 12. Once this is sorted out it becomes more fun to revisit old scenes and understand them differently
- 3. Making steady progress forward in time. (While also leaving some tantalizing mysteries behind that you can't yet solve.) Pushing through here might eventually get boring but then...
- 4. Barrage of deaths (18-23) - it really feels like this section has a lot of forward story momentum. Very sad and dramatic feeling as everything descends into chaos.
- 5. Getting to the finale (25, 26), slower pace, sadness.
- 6. Once you've gotten here it feels fun to go back over the old scenes some of which you haven't read since the twist. Somewhere in here think I figured out the lateral jump about the scene with person 12. But generally the game rewards playing methodically and fleshing out all the scenes by elimination. I think this avoids the trap some deduction games fall into where towards the end you're just bored of reading the same scenes over and over looking for a needle in a haystack. This is also where I figured out the contagion mechanism. There was also a nice mix of randomly finding new scenes, and finding tricky scenes I knew I was missing which felt satisfying.
- 7. The lateral jump about timeslot 25, you understand you're missing something here by the beginning of 6, but finishing 6 helps you narrow down which remaining references are relevant and gives your thoughts some time to ferment. And by the end there are 5-6 clues pointing you to the right place. I think the additional clues the author added here are really helpful.
- 8 The lateral jump about the narrator and finding file 98. I wasn't able to figure this out without some peeking, and would have appreciated maaaybe one more clue. (Maybe 21-CH-3 should be marked as containing an extra reference? Maybe a second dream mention in 00-final-note?)
I'd be curious to hear how this matches or doesn't match other people's play experience!
I really liked the title. The number of times I was stuck, and typing 'help' did in fact get me unstuck felt very clever. ❤️
I also found it funny how often I would enter a filename I was pretty certain of, it wouldn't work, and later I would enter the 'same' filename again just to double-check and it worked. Felt like https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2011-10-04
Really loved this game. Made me remember Obra Dinn so fondly and makes me want to play all the other games you mentioned as inspirations. I started with a lot of apprehension and while taking a break from work and wow its like idk how many hours later and I just finished the game in almost a single sitting.
I see others mentioned a Qernz Fprar which I missed (might check for it again later)
Vz phevbhf nobhg ubj Znegun naq Ivpgbevn rng oernxsnfg vs Gubeagba vf nyernql tbar ng qvaare gur cerivbhf avtug?
Any ideas on that anyone?
Znegun bayl zragvbaf tvivat gbnfg gb Ivpgbevn fb znlor gung'f gur bayl guvat fur znqr. V qba'g guvax vg jbhyq or hapbzzba sbe n ubhfrjvsr bs gur gvzr crevbq gb or noyr gb znxr fbzr sbbq ba ure bja, rira vs vg vf n ubhfrubyq jvgu ohgyref, rfcrpvnyyl fbzrguvat nf fvzcyr nf gbnfg.
Hey I was wondering (rot 13) Jnf gurer zber svyrf? V unir n (1) arkg gb 00-nhqvb-erpbirel, 16-QV-6-7, 24-QV-1, 25-NG-1, naq 26-RA-1. V nyernql tbg 25-JV-X, ohg vg qbrfag fubr hc, v whfg tbg gur raqvat fperra. V nyfb unir gur svany abgr naq qernz. Jung nz v zvffvat?
Uzz, fbhaqf yvxr gur tnzr vfa'g erpbeqvat gung lbh sbhaq 25-JV-X. Pbhyq lbh rkcynva jung lbh zrna ol "vg qbrfa'g fubj hc"? Ubcrshyyl gur raq fperra bayl nccrnef nsgre lbh svefg rkvg gur svany abgr.
I don' spoil anything here so don't worry. I found the end note before that scene, the end screen showed up as soon as I typed in the scene. Also the hangman game is silly and worked weird
Yep, that sounds like something I forgot to check with the update. Thanks!
I loved this game! I think everything is pretty intuitive although I needed some help for a couple things :)
Devoured this game in one sitting. I didn't go past Act 2 until I had all of the previous events figured out, which meant that I realized the basics of the mystery early on (which still felt very satisfying!). Also meant that I found a certain file waaaay ahead of time, which made the actual end a little anti-climactic, if still compelling. I did not like the final secret, however -- it did not work at all like the rest of the game and also confused me as I had already made a couple of attempts at the minigame and realized what was up. The link refused to load for me, too, which only added to my frustration as I felt like I was missing something huge -- a connection I had somehow missed? I was not.
Still, that's only a pet peeve with what amounts to an easter egg -- the game itself is incredible. Deeply enjoyed my time with it, would recommend it to anyone who enjoys deductive games, would love to see more games like this!!
I sat down and opened up the game. Then, almost immediately, I opened up a notepad file to take notes. Then, not long after, I opened a second concurrent file for a different type of information. Eventually, a third. These weren’t even fully necessary mechanically — I was just becoming increasingly invested in tracking the non-essential details and character dynamics. I crunched through the game in a single (fairly long) sitting and felt satisfied with every part of it. It was tremendously well-executed.
The big questions, the details, combing through to answer every question and find every last scene. The fact that it was possible (mechanically) to make leaps ahead of what seemed to be the set of intended paths if an idea occurred to you. The details that fleshed out the characters and dynamics. The avoidance of over-explaining. It’s all wonderful.
I really love a game that trusts the player to buy in and do the mental legwork required to get invested and understand that some context will never be explicit or even fully outlined. This gave that in spades.
I might go so far as to say that, while I tremendously enjoyed Obra Dinn and can clearly see the inspiration, I enjoyed this game more. Thank you for the fantastic experience!
The first game in a while that's made me fire up a notepad instance and make my own notes