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 What is Exit/Corners? Exit/Corners is a free visual novel in the surprisingly populous ‘a group of people are abducted and forced to play a death game’ genre. Zero Escape is its clearest influence, but it also shares territory with titles like Danganronpa and Your Turn to Die. It was created by Max Manco, also known as Percon, and was released episodically from 2017 to 2019. The game is currently only available in-browser. You can play it yourself at http://exitcorners.com/ If it’s free and easily accessible, why make a Let’s Play? I really enjoyed this game! I like the characters, I find the themes interesting, and it’s clear that a lot of effort went into the writing and assets. I’m just hoping to introduce it to more people. What’s the format of this Let’s Play going to be? This Exit/Corners Let’s Play will be screenshot-based. My commentary will be underlined. I’ll consult the thread for major decisions. More minor decisions can affect the protagonist’s relationship with other characters, so, once we’re acquainted with the main characters, I’ll ask the thread to rank them by preference, and I’ll prioritise the characters in that order. I’d like to give my heartfelt thanks to Reddit user istriculios, who transcribed the entire game and noted which choices changed relationship values, making my job much easier! I don’t recognise your name. Do you know what you’re doing? I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, but Fedule’s helped to compensate for my general state of confusion. Without his expertise, encouragement and technical support, this would never have gone beyond an idea. I mentioned to him that I was attempting this project, and he texted me at one in the morning to say he’d ripped all the assets; I hadn’t even asked him to! What Fedule says isn’t always what I want to hear. Occasionally, he’ll go ‘okay, you need to replace these two hundred images’ and I’ll swoon dramatically onto the floor. But his advice is always solid and valuable, and I really appreciate all the time and effort he’s put into helping with this. How often can we expect updates from you? Let’s aim for weekly updates and see how it goes. Your screenshots look a little wonky. I was using an embarrassingly inefficient method to capture screenshots in chapter one, so there may be slight inconsistencies in screenshot size for the first few updates: a couple of pixels here and there. It shouldn’t be distracting, hopefully. You can thank Fedule for the improvement in later chapters. What’s the spoiler policy? Please don’t mention anything that hasn’t come up in the Let’s Play yet, even in spoiler tags. Let’s give people the opportunity to go in unspoiled if they’d like to! Table of Contents 1.1: The Four Elements Hotel 1.2: Contestants 1.3: The First Puzzle 2.1: Sent's Game 2.2: The Second Puzzle 3.1: Distant Contact 3.2: The Third Puzzle 4.1: That Sinking Feeling 4.2: The Fourth Puzzle 5.1: One Step at a Time 5.2: The Fifth Puzzle 6.1: Celsius 6.2: The Sixth Puzzle 7.1: Enemy 7.2: The Seventh Puzzle 7.3: Hello, Contestant 8.1: Exit? 8.2: The Eighth Puzzle 9.1: Once a Cheater 9.2: The Ninth Puzzle 10.1: Blue Ink 10.2: The Tenth Puzzle 11.1: Ill 11.2: The Eleventh Puzzle 12.1: A Cut Above 12.2: The Twelfth Puzzle 13.1: The Garden 13.2: The Chest 14.1: The Nature of Playing 14.2: The Fourteenth Puzzle 15.1: RN 15.2: The Fifteenth Puzzle 16.1: Name and Number 16.2: The Sixteenth Puzzle 17.1: Twelve Minutes 17.2: The Machine 17.3: Cornered 18.1: Delayed 18.2: The Eighteenth Puzzle 19.1: + 2 19.2: The Nineteenth Puzzle 20.1: Two Sides 20.2: The Twentieth Puzzle 21.1: The Sound of Your Voice 21.2: The Twenty-First Puzzle 21.3: With You 22.1: Peace 22.2: The Twenty-Second Puzzle 23.1: Shatter 23.2: The Twenty-Third Puzzle 24.1: Down in the Dumps 24.2: The Twenty-Fourth Puzzle 25.1: To Leave Behind 25.2: Mirror, Mirror 25.3: The Twenty-Fifth Puzzle 26.1: Slash 26.2: Questions 26.3: Answers 27.1: Gauntlet 27.2: The Twenty-Seventh Puzzle 27.2.i: GO AWAY 27.2.ii: METADATA ERROR 27.2.iii: OPERATOR VALUE 27.2.iv: ESCAPE ROOM 27.3: Enter Password 28.1: Finale 28.2: Love 28.3: Nowhere 29: Epilogue Appendix 1: Going Down Appendix 2: Ink Alone Appendix 3: The Arsonist Appendix 4: Control Appendix 5: Friends Appendix 6: Open Appendix 7: Living Resources Rith fucked around with this message at 16:08 on May 28, 2022 |
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Oct 6, 2021 08:24
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This post is reserved for any masterpieces that happen to be created by the thread. By Blueberry Pancakes: Ink's on to us.  By Bifauxnen: I'm starting to suspect these puzzles are rigged. 
Rith fucked around with this message at 10:53 on Dec 14, 2021 |
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Oct 6, 2021 08:25
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1.1: The Four Elements Hotel Here’s the title screen! Fairly straightforward. The options allow us to adjust text size, text speed, textbox transparency, music volume, sound effect volume, and whether the characters make little Ace Attorney-esque blooping noises when they talk. We’ll get to the extras later. As for the chapter select:  Here we go.  There’s the sound of a ticking clock as the chapter name is displayed.  We can hear wind in the background.  Hey, it’s our first line from our protagonist! This formatting is usually used for his thoughts, although this scene appears to be a conversation; I’ll be italicising his thoughts throughout this Let’s Play. I know nothing about you. I’d like to remedy that. So… what’s your name? ...Ink. My name is Ink. There are no voice bloops for the mystery speaker, although they’re there on Ink’s side of the conversation. Oh? What an unusual name… And where are you from, Ink? I’m from Bellbridge. Still there, unfortunately. I’m enrolled in the local university. Ah, Bellbridge. Quaint little town, isn’t it? Nice and quiet. For the most part, yeah. Quiet. Do you like it there? No, not really. The second I graduate, I’m outta here. Until then, my life is going to consist of good books and cheap beer. ...I see. Say, do you hear the wind? Kinda. I can hear you just fine, but the wind sounds sort of… muffled. Distant. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, does it? I’m dreaming. Things don’t have to make sense. Oh? How can you be so sure that you’re dreaming?  And there’s only one Ink Greer. Trust me. I checked. Sometimes, with visual novels, it can take a while before you learn what the character you’re playing as actually looks like. I played through four episodes of Higurashi: When They Cry without knowing how to picture Keiichi. Ink’s going to be hidden behind the camera for most of the game, but Exit/Corners gives us a quick look at him early on.  Oh! Someone’s calling for you, it seems. ???: Hey, wake up. Thanks for the chat. ???: Oh, come on…  The sound of the wind cuts out. We get a quick glimpse of a hotel room ceiling, then it dissolves to the hotel room itself.  I ought to give myself a round of applause. Falling asleep fully clothed, jacket and everything? That’s a new low. I must’ve passed right out. Ink took a moment to compose himself. As he wiped the sweat from his face, his eyes were drawn to a figure sitting next to him.    Anyway, I know this is sort of sudden, but, um.... The question caught Ink off guard. He did his best to ignore what he assumed was a hangover, and tried to come up with an answer. Wait a sec… where AM I? The camera moves back and forth slightly as Ink looks around. ... A hotel? It’s a little old fashioned, but there’s no mistaking it. How the hell did I wind up in a hotel? Either I got smashed last night or… (Music: Biorhythm, 0.5 speed) Hey, are you okay?  I almost didn’t take a screenshot of this, but then I realised it’s the first time Ink’s actually spoken! Ink examined this new companion. Who was she? Did I sleep with her or something? I mean, that’d be the obvious assumption. I guess there’s only one way of knowing for sure… There are small pauses at commas, question marks, full stops etc. whenever text appears.   She sure is cute, whoever she is. I wonder where we met… If you don’t remember, Ink, I’m not sure about your chances. Ink was desperate to know more about her. He could make a quick guess – judging from her age and appearance, he had a hunch that she too was a student at Bellbridge University. We probably met on campus. No, wait, that couldn’t have been it. If we got a room, then we must have met downtown somewhere. Why can’t I remember anything?  She can’t remember anything either, huh? Give me a break…  Time for our first choice! The music fades out as it’s presented to us. There’s an affection/trust point system in this game. This first choice is pretty forgiving – any of the choices will give us an trust point with Aether – but ‘Well... this is awkward!’ gets us two points, so that’s what we’re going for. I just want everyone to like me, and I’m living my dream through videogames.  (Music: Peace of Mind)   Well then… it’s nice to meet you, Ink. If it makes you feel any better, my name’s pretty weird, too. I’m Aether. Yup! You wouldn’t believe how many people pronounce it wrong.The two shared a gentle laugh. Ink slumped back onto the headrest and sank into a comfortable silence.  Ink scratched his head. The simple task of remembering was proving more difficult than he had anticipated. I guess I don’t remember going to bed, so I can’t rule out the possibility that I had gone out drinking. I’ve got a week off, after all. Wait, what am I even saying? That doesn’t make any sense.     If neither of us were out last night, then what are we doing here? Is today even the 19th? I guess I had better make sure… The music and the portrait of Aether fade out. Ink lifted himself off the bed. It was only when he was standing up that he realized something was off. Ink could usually feel the weight of his cell phone, wallet, and keys on his person, but today he felt especially light. He patted himself down, but it did no good: his jacket pockets had nothing in them. Ink scanned the room, searching the bed, floor, and armoire for his belongings. He came up empty. Curiously, Ink did find something tucked away in his jeans pocket. He reached for it.  (Music: Biorhythm, 0.75 speed) 3/79? What the hell? No… that must be a 1, not a 7. Man, I’m out of it. So it IS March 19th: that’s one problem solved. But what is this thing? And where’s my phone?  Don’t tell me you’ve got one, too. My smartphone seems to have gotten swapped out for… one of these. Whatever it is. Think they were handing them out somewhere? I am a sucker for free stuff.Ink examined the PDA further. It appeared that the only menu option was “Contact”. I’ve seen rotary phones with more features than this ol’ thing. Sean? Who’s that?  Nah. He’d be pretty mad if I told him I woke up in a hotel with some boy I don’t know. Yeah. You’re probably right.Aether fades out. Let’s see if this thing actually works…      Ink: Once I get my bearings I’ll be heading back. Anyway, text me if you remember anything about these PDAs. ttyl Sean: cya~ Music stops. Tucking the PDA back into his pocket, Ink turned to his new acquaintance.  So, what now? I need to figure out what happened to my wallet and phone before I do anything else. They aren’t in this room – I know that much. It isn’t impossible that I left them in my dorm or at a bar, but without my phone it’ll be hard to ask around about ’em. Man, this is going to be a huge pain in the rear end…  Oh, don’t look so glum. It’ll be fun! Sidekick, obviously. Being the main character is too much pressure.   Oh, whatever. Now what should I have you do first? Ink rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t help but smile. Nope. Let’s book it.The screen fades to black. A frame on the wall caught Ink’s attention as he was leaving.  That’s what it says. I don’t suppose there’s a Four Elements Hotel in Bellbridge? Well, yeah. I’m a Psych student at Bellbridge U. I’m just a freshman; I haven’t even chosen a Psych specialization yet. I live in the dorms on campus.  What? Where are we, then?Ink pressed his palm hard against his forehead in an attempt to jog his memory, but all it did was worsen his headache. He let out a loud sigh.  Fade to black. Rith fucked around with this message at 10:52 on Jun 28, 2022 |
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Oct 6, 2021 08:26
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Well, this certainly looks interesting, so far.
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Oct 6, 2021 09:53
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It turns out, the best thing about writing hacked-together scripts to parse bits of game assets is that you don't have to look too closely at the game assets, so for someone who's found typos in the scripting I've remained remarkably unspoiled for anything beyond the first handful of updates. In other words, I can't wait to watch these randos go through the wringer.
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Oct 6, 2021 12:28
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I think at this point that if I woke up in a strange place, all my things were gone, and I had some bizarre device I'd never seen before on me, I'd probably just start looking for the death traps right away.
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Oct 6, 2021 16:16
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idonotlikepeas posted:I think at this point that if I woke up in a strange place, all my things were gone, and I had some bizarre device I'd never seen before on me, I'd probably just start looking for the death traps right away. Why does it have to be a death game by default, anyway? Why can’t, like, losers just be ejected from the facility to the sound of a laugh track, instead, or something? Edit: That’d make a good parody. The characters are high schoolers, so losing is just social suicide.
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Oct 6, 2021 19:14
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I mean if you want a parody of death game media, check out World's End Club, where the death game gets abruptly canceled before anyone can die. ...or at least that's what I think it was about? I only saw the trailers, and that was the impression I got. This game is good. I finished it on my own time. I'll keep my mouth shut otherwise.
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Oct 7, 2021 02:36
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I didn't end up finishing this when I found it on my own in the past when episodes were still coming out but I definitely remember enjoying this a lot.
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Oct 7, 2021 03:07
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Quackles posted:Why does it have to be a death game by default, anyway? Why can’t, like, losers just be ejected from the facility to the sound of a laugh track, instead, or something? "You have failed to escape the room! You shall face the harshest penalty... we'll reset everything and you start over. You'll get it right eventually! Don't worry!"
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Oct 7, 2021 06:26
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Huh. One thing I've never seen any of these kinds of games do, ever, is to let the participants have any contact with the outside world. Of course, this is usually because there's some twist which the designers think is "clever" but turns out just to be "incredibly stupid".
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Oct 7, 2021 17:21
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I got as far as the first big hiatus and never finished the game, so I'm excited to see how it pans out. 
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Oct 7, 2021 21:49
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I played Exit/Corners chapter-by-chapter as it was being released, and hung on the updates religiously, so I'm extremely excited to see someone LPing this. Ink is one of my favorite VN protags ever for a lot of reasons.
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Oct 8, 2021 11:42
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girl dick energy posted:I played Exit/Corners chapter-by-chapter as it was being released, and hung on the updates religiously, so I'm extremely excited to see someone LPing this. Ink is one of my favorite VN protags ever for a lot of reasons. I'm glad to hear this! I played Exit/Corners a year ago and I've been checking these forums ever since, going 'has anyone Let's Played it now? now? how about now? oh, God, am I going to have to work out how to do this myself?'; it's good to know it's not just something I wanted to see! I love the hell out of Ink, although, to be honest, I have a bit of a weakness for visual novel protagonists in general. It's easy to get attached in a genre where you spend so much time inside the main character's head.
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Oct 8, 2021 12:06
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1.2: Contestants (Music: Stranglehold) Transfixed on the screen, Ink was slow to notice that he and Aether weren’t alone. To the right of the monitor were two people, both of whom approached him.   It looks like you were right. It can be hard to tell with unknown speakers, but the man is the one speaking here and in the next two screenshots. It’s clear when you’re playing; the speaker’s portrait becomes brighter and moves up slightly when focus shifts to them. The man sporting a hoodie looked back to the oversized monitor.   You mean... us? Yeah. I need your help with something.Ink and Aether edged closer to him at a slow pace, but the young man’s request had Ink feeling uneasy. Before they arrived at the end of the hallway, Ink made a request of his own. Could you maybe find someone else to help? I don’t mean to be a pain, but my friend and I have had a bit of a rough night and need to get back home as soon as possible. Ink scowled.  The screen vibrates, with a chk noise. I-It’s locked? Then this can’t be the right way out of the hotel. Come on, we should check the other side of the hall. As much as Ink wanted to believe the old woman was just pulling his leg, the sternness in her voice suggested otherwise. Then what, we’re trapped here? For now. I tried kicking the door down but I wasn’t getting anywhere fast. Sucker’s sealed tight. Where are the staff? Does the front desk know that this part of the hotel has been sectioned off? I haven’t been able to get hold of any staff, but I doubt that anyone even works here anymore, so that’s hardly a surprise. I guess we’ve gotta wait for the last person to wake up. Last person? What are you talking about?  Contestants... two of five? What the hell does that mean? I would assume that refers to us. Couldn’t be... Put your hand on the, uh... thing.Ink complied. There’s a beep and a flash.  ...Three of five. Well, that settles it. I guess you’re a Contestant after all. As a heads-up, I did not sign up for this. Whatever this is.  Ink was at a loss for words. As he tried in vain to remember what he had done to wind up here... There’s a beep and a flash. The music stops.    It had taken a while for Ink to notice, but Aether had gone much quieter all of a sudden. Was she scared, shy, or just bewildered? Whatever the case, Ink figured he had better try and get everyone acquainted in an attempt to cheer Aether up. Um, if we’re going to have to wait for a fifth person, we might as well introduce ourselves. I’m Ink.  It’s the real deal! My full legal name is Ink Greer. I study English at Bellbridge University. There’s a brief pause.    It’s a pleasure to meet you all, strange circumstances aside. Following Aether’s lead, Ink shot the old woman a small nod and a phony smile.  You sound pretty sure of yourself. Are you famous or something? I oughta be. I’m good at what I do. Real good. Did you graduate from Bellbridge U? I hear good things about their Computer Science program.  Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to— I’m doin’ just fine without a degree. If anything I should be pityin’ you for attending that joke of a school. Joke of a school? You guys are too young to understand, but one day you’ll come to realize that your school is absolute trash. I can think of a thousand better ways to spend your time... and a million better ways to spend your money. Just some friendly advice for ya. The people that run that school are th—The sound of a closing door interrupted a mumbling Rae. Curious, Ink looked about the room.   You. You’re Rae, I take it? Yeah, that’s me.The new girl gave Rae a dirty look. She had a haughty air about her. Wait, how do you know my name?(Music: Duress)  Pretty much this whole time. Eavesdropping? Why do that?   Well I certainly don’t remember entering this hotel, which means that someone brought me here, disgusting as that thought may be. Can you think of any reasons why someone would want to kidnap you? I’m sure you’re already aware of this, but my father and I are quite wealthy.Well, that was blunt.  You’ve already notified him? How?  The only thing this device seems to be able to do is contact my father. An intentional modification, I’m sure.  Wait, so everyone was given a PDA?Silence. The Contestants all eyed each other. Just to make sure, does anyone have any idea how they wound up here? No. Nope. I’m afraid not. Nobody? Awesome. Just awesome. For the record, it isn’t too late to admit you kidnapped me. Acting clueless... how predictable.I can’t blame her for being cautious, but there’s a fine line between caution and paranoia. Let’s see if I can’t get her to open up a little. Could you at least tell us your name?   Absolutely not! Why would I help my captors? We didn’t kidnap you, okay? Get that through your skull.  Just put your hand on the screen so we can open the drat door! You know what? I don’t like your attitude. My attitude?! You’re the one who isn’t cooperating! Seriously, could you be any more obnoxious?! Liza, did you ever consider that the rest of us might also have been kidnapped?  You know what my father says about people like you? He says that people who quit shouldn’t even bother to try. Oh, gently caress off! You don’t know a single thing about me! Stop! Both of you!Music stops.   I don’t think yelling at one another is going to get us anywhere. Liza... even if we were your captors, why would we trap ourselves in the same room as you? Wouldn’t we want you to avoid seeing our faces?  And Rae... would you mind being a bit more courteous to the young lady? She’s in the same situation as the rest of us. I’m sure you can understand how stressful this is. Now will you two apologize to each other?  Silently, Liza did as she was asked. Beep.  The face bobs up and down slightly on the screen. (Music: Stranglehold) Oh my. What on Earth is that? It’s uncanny as hell, whatever it is. Hello? Who are you?The terminal made a low humming sound before a hollow, synthetic voice took over.  Did that thing say something? Shut up! Didn’t you hear it? It’s about to speak.  You’re probably wondering why you’re here. Actually, you’re probably wondering many things. Fret not, Contestants, for I have the answers you seek!  This is not the time nor the place to provide Contestants with information, and for that, I must apologize! I am sorry! So very sorry! I think it will break the ice quite nicely: please do your best to solve it! Your instructions can be found in the top right corner of the screen. Once you think you’ve solved it, please press the “Check Solution” button, then place your hand on the screen to confirm your answer. Good luck and have fun, Contestants! The face zooms up off the screen and is replaced by...  Weren’t you listening? It’s a puzzle. Looks tile-based. But why? It seems so unnecessary... Well, that thing did call us ‘Contestants’. It’s pretty clear that this is some sort of game. This is stupid. Please tell me none of you actually intend to go through with this. Listen, I don’t really know what’s going on, but I want to get out of here as fast as possible. I’m giving this thing a go. It can’t hurt to try, right? Here’s the gameplay part of this game! Each chapter has a puzzle to be solved. You can dive straight in, or you can ask your companions for help. If you’re too proud to ask, unfortunately, you’ll miss out on the dialogue and characterisation in the hints. We can swap tiles around by clicking on the tile, then clicking on the one we want to switch it with. We can do this with any two tiles; we’re not confined to swapping with adjacent ones. Many of the puzzles in this game don’t really lend themselves to a forum thread, where you can’t easily experiment with, for example, moving the tiles around. Feel free to have a crack at them in the thread if you’d like to, though! The puzzles tend to form natural update break points, so we’ll be ending a lot of updates when one’s presented.
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Oct 9, 2021 19:55
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Some of the puzzles in this game are hard! The tutorial puzzle is not one of them. Stranglehold is getting me all nostalgic, gently caress.
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Oct 9, 2021 20:23
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Are you going to post the hint text? Some of it's really fun.
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Oct 10, 2021 02:20
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Leraika posted:Are you going to post the hint text? Some of it's really fun. Absolutely! I missed a lot of it on my first playthrough, because I didn't realise how much personality went into the hints at first, so I'm having a lot of fun going through all of it this time.
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Oct 10, 2021 02:47
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I’m glad the game doesn’t score you on how many hints you use, because it’d think I was stupid as hell, always fully exhausting every hint conversation even when they basically spell out the solution halfway through and I figured the puzzle out by the first one. Are you going to be doing the alternate solutions and that related stuff when it’s relevant?
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Oct 10, 2021 06:25
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This game looks really cool! I've been annoyed that YTTD will never ever ever come out so I'm always hesitant to start on this kinda thing, but if this one is complete already then count me in. I'll probably play it myself but I'm interested to see how the thread goes too.
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Oct 10, 2021 07:02
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Puzzle solution: Move the bright squares to the corners, forming a + with the empty space.
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Oct 10, 2021 07:28
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I'm glad to see some interest in this game already! Good to have you all here. girl dick energy posted:I’m glad the game doesn’t score you on how many hints you use, because it’d think I was stupid as hell, always fully exhausting every hint conversation even when they basically spell out the solution halfway through and I figured the puzzle out by the first one. It definitely feels slightly embarrassing to be going through every single hint this time, particularly when a character goes 'okay, Jesus Christ, here's the answer' and my response is '???? goodness me, I have no idea what to do, better ask again.' I feel I'm doing Ink a disservice; he's smarter than this! I'll need to think about exactly when/how to approach it (I'll probably do most of it at the end, but go for an alternate solution the first time I play a relevant chapter if the thread guesses it), but yes, I'm planning to show that off!
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Oct 10, 2021 07:34
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Gosts posted:YTTD will never ever ever come out
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Oct 10, 2021 09:12
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It did, but i made a chart in my head to show the spacing between release of different chapters and I've determined that by the time the ending is done i'll be bones and dust.
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Oct 10, 2021 14:06
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So Andross, you show your true form!
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Oct 10, 2021 15:48
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Unless you can light it up, I'm not sure how to turn a 4-square block into a 5-square "+", so the best I can do is "swap the upper right lit block of the square with the space to the right of the lower right lit block, then swap the lower right lit block with the square below it". That will produce something sort-of resembling a "+".
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Oct 10, 2021 18:57
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Oct 10, 2021 19:30
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Ok wait, I have a question about what you were saying about the hint dialogue. I don't think this even really qualifies as a spoiler but just to be sure i'm spoilering it anyways: Does it change the plot at all if you ask for hints? I got really curious and I noticed that the conversation after some puzzles is different depending on how much hint dialogue I went through during the puzzle. Is that just tiny dialogue changes or does it affect, like, relationships, or story path, or ending, or something?
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Oct 10, 2021 20:57
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There is something about how you do some of the puzzles that matters, but it isn't how many hints you use. It's just minor dialogue, IIRC. There are actually a decent number of times where a character's actual hint is basically "idk lmao" and the rest of the track is just a conversation.
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Oct 10, 2021 21:26
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Gosts posted:Ok wait, I have a question about what you were saying about the hint dialogue. I don't think this even really qualifies as a spoiler but just to be sure i'm spoilering it anyways: Does it change the plot at all if you ask for hints? I got really curious and I noticed that the conversation after some puzzles is different depending on how much hint dialogue I went through during the puzzle. Is that just tiny dialogue changes or does it affect, like, relationships, or story path, or ending, or something? As you've noticed, the dialogue after a puzzle can change depending on whether you solved it yourself (in which case Ink will usually explain his reasoning) or you asked for hints to the point where someone tells you the answer (in which case they might explain and/or Ink might thank them). As far as I know, it doesn't change anything else in the story. I didn't think hints affected trust rankings, but I've just double-checked, and there is one case where you can piss someone off enough to lose a trust point by asking for help well beyond the point you should have been able to answer. It's Rae, to nobody's surprise, and it's in chapter two. Rith fucked around with this message at 16:48 on Nov 1, 2021 |
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Oct 10, 2021 21:34
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1.3: The First Puzzle (Music: Battle of Wits) We need to turn a square into a plus sign, huh? Seems easy enough.  Er...  Any ideas? Well, that strange polygonal face said that the instructions would be in the top-right corner of the screen... Then I guess our instructions are to turn a square into a cross. Uh-huh. But it doesn’t look like the pieces can fit together to make one... Do you think they got the pieces wrong? No, this was deliberate, I’m sure. Then there has got to be some sort of catch...No, I’m pretty sure they got the pieces wrong. Let’s ask Beth.  Awesome, Beth. I’d appreciate it. So, is this some kind of jigsaw puzzle? I guess so. But something seems very odd about it. Absolutely. How are you even supposed to move the pieces? Oh, uh... it’s a touch screen. I can switch the location of any two pieces around just by tapping one, then tapping the other. I, uh, thought that would be pretty obvious. Sorry! I’m ashamed to say that I’m not very up to date on these things... No, it’s fine... And then, once we’ve solved it, we press the “Check Solution” button? That’s the gist of it. I don’t think there’s a limit to how many times we can check for a solution, so we shouldn’t be afraid to try out answers. I see. Thank you, Ink.I know she wanted to help, but this is kind of distracting. Does Rae have any thoughts on this clearly broken puzzle?  I’d say it’s pretty obvious that there’s some kind of trick to it. Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. It said to assemble a cross, but you can’t do so using only four squares. Right. Oh, and by the way, Ink, me being a programmer doesn’t increase the likelihood of me being able to solve this puzzle. Oh? Why not? Programming is all about logic, structure and general problem solving; this seems more like a riddle than anything. Something meant to trick people. Ah, well, if that’s the case, then forget I said anything. Nah, don’t worry. I’m going to figure it out anyway. Is that so? I’ve got enough mental muscle for the five of us. Riddles are easy.Let’s see if he can put his money where his mouth is... You’re my last hope, Liza.  No. Is that all you’re going to say? Yup. Can’t you at least try to be a bit more supportive? Listen, this isn’t my problem. You figure it out. You know if we don’t get this door open, we’re stuck here, right? I don’t want to be disturbed right now, okay?! How much more obvious do you need me to make it?! Okay, okay, sorry I asked...Okay, I’m pretty sure Liza’s the most promising one here. Let’s try asking her again. Hey Liza... What did I tell you? I don’t want to help with this stupid puzzle. Okay, okay! Sheesh...For someone who doesn’t want to help, she sure is staring at that screen pretty intently. That’s the last of Liza’s hints (if ‘hints’ is the right word), but the others are a bit more talkative. Oh! What is it? Did you figure it out? I said that out loud, didn’t I? Are you... going to explain? I don’t know, it’s really kind of silly... Hey, if it’s something that could be useful, you should mention it. Well, you know that one video game? I know a lot of video games. There are, like, thousands of them. Oh, well it’s that one where you’re stacking the blocks. Stacky? Block Stacky? You could totally use the white squares to make the pieces from that game. ... That wasn’t very helpful, was it? I’m sorry; I don’t really play video games... No, it’s plenty helpful! Really? I knew it!I’m not sure that bit of advice will help me, but I’d hate to shoot down her idea so quickly.  I tried making a piece from Block Stacky, but it doesn’t seem to have worked. Let’s try asking Aether again.  Sorry, I haven’t thought of anything yet. Oh... that’s okay. I was just checking up on you. Don’t be afraid to ask one of the others for help! I’m sure they’ve all got their own thoughts on this puzzle.She might be right about that. I’ll see what the others think. I’m sure we can get this. Beth? You know, I used to solve jigsaw puzzles with my grandchildren all the time! That’s, err... wonderful, Beth. You know what the best way of going about them is? You need to go for the corners first, then slowly work your way to the center. Go for the corners first, huh...? Mhmm. Though I’m not sure which ones are supposed to be corner pieces... Don’t worry; I still think what you said is important... probably.This isn’t a jigsaw puzzle, so that advice probably can’t help us. Anything else, Beth? Remember, start with the corners then work your way inward from there. Thanks, Beth. I’ll keep that in mind.That’s it? Okay. Maybe Rae can help. Any ideas yet? I’m not sure we’re supposed to use these tiles to build a cross. But the screen says— Yeah, I see what it says. But, like you said, you can’t build a cross with only four tiles. You’d need at least five: one in the middle and then one in each space adjacent to it. So now I’m thinking there must be some other way to build a cross. So I need to make a cross... without actually making a cross? Somethin’ like that.Okay, so it’s impossible, right? Right, Rae? Any luck? Nah... though I did notice somethin’ odd about this hotel. What’s that? Were there any windows in your room? ’Cause there weren’t any in the one I woke up in. There aren’t any in this hallway either. Now that you mention it, no, there weren’t any windows... but is it that big of a deal? It doesn’t feel right. I guess it is kind of unsettling. Say... when you think of a window, what shape is it? Well, when I picture one in my head, it’s a square. Or rectangular. And this window you’re picturing... does it have a cross in the middle? Yeah, actually, it does. But that’s just the frame. What are you trying to say? I think I’ve just figured out the trick behind this puzzle.THEN WHAT IS IT, RAE You sounded like you were on the verge of a breakthrough. I am. I know the solution. Seriously?! How do you solve it? Negative space. We’ve been trying too hard to make a cross out of the white pieces. What we should’ve been doing is trying to make a square out of the dark pieces. Put the white pieces in the corners. That should do the trick. It’s a dumb solution if you ask me, but I’m pretty sure that’s the right answer. Give it a try, why don’tcha?There aren’t any white pieces, Rae. All the pieces are green. This can’t be solved. Do you have any other advice? So, have you tried that negative space trick? Uh... no, not yet. Well, what are you waiting for? Just put one of the white squares in each of the four corners. That should do the trick. Right. I’m on it.drat. I’ve run out of hints. Hope I can work this out.  I’m not sure about this.  Oh, hey! The music stops.  Rae? Rae was saying some nonsense about nonexistent white pieces. I just went with the suggestion from Quackles’ comment. Honestly, it was pretty easy to figure out. ...Wait, how is that the solution? Negative space. The white squares in the four corners sculpt a cross into the dark space in the middle. I still don’t see it... Well, at least we’re not stuck here anymore.The dialogue’s slightly different if Rae didn’t tell you the solution: quote:Ink: There! Got it!  You again... Please note that this is once again a recording and that it will only play once. Hmph. It appears that you’ve solved the puzzle I left for you. I pray that you all had fun. I’m sure you’re all eager to know why you’re here. The truth is...  I shall await you there. Go! Move forward! The face disappears, leaving the screen blank. It was clear that the polygonal figure wasn’t coming back, but Ink had trouble turning away. That last message had left him more confused and troubled than ever.  I guess Rae already split. Beth and Liza followed him shortly thereafter.  Yeah? Did you think that guy was being serious when he said ‘or you could die’? Don’t let it get to you, Aether. Hopefully this is just some jerk’s idea of a joke. A cruel and needlessly complicated joke. If it is a joke, it sure isn’t funny. Yeah. Definitely not funny.But if it isn’t funny, then why do I feel like laughing all of a sudden? Is it because none of this makes a lick of sense? ... Sure. Let’s go with that. Maybe this is all just a strange dream...  Hmm? What is it? Instinctively, Ink brought a hand to his nose. Sure enough, he felt a slick-warm substance that could only have been his own blood. Weird. Didn’t even feel it.Ink stared at the blood on his hand, more curious than concerned. The screen shakes and goes fuzzy for an instant. Then he felt it. (Music: Ad Nauseam) There was a heavy, throbbing pain in his chest. Growing, rising...  What’s wrong? You don’t look so good... It feels like there’s something... inside...The screen shakes.  Ink couldn’t focus enough to reply. Something was pounding against his ribcage from within. He felt as if his heart was fighting to escape his body. Wh— what’s happen—The screen blacks out with a thud. For a moment, we see something like television static. Argh!Trying to talk was useless – Ink couldn’t finish a thought, much less speak one. It had only been a few seconds, but the pain had already overtaken all other feeling. Caught in agony, Ink clutched his chest, shut his eyes, and nearly blacked out. The screen flashes dark red. He vomited.  What the actual gently caress?!Ink stared at his hand, terrified. What happened to me? 
Rith fucked around with this message at 10:54 on Jun 28, 2022 |
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Oct 12, 2021 07:56
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Ink's got the Nosebleeding Badonkadonks!
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Oct 12, 2021 08:13
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Beth's aces from the very first chapter. 'Start from the corners' is a genuinely great hint here.
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Oct 12, 2021 08:31
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Hmm, I wonder if this means that whoever solves the puzzle and puts their hand on the screen has to experience pain. That could lead to some interesting dynamics where no one wants to actually be the one to solve the puzzle, but somebody has to do it every puzzle room for the group to survive.
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Oct 13, 2021 16:21
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2.1: Sent’s Game After each chapter, you’re kicked back to the title screen, but the next chapter will have unlocked in the chapter select menu. You can replay chapters at any point to overwrite your choices; the game will remember the decisions you made the most recent time you played the chapter.  The clock is ticking.  (Music: Stranglehold) The same question repeated itself endlessly in Ink’s head.  To add to the confusion, Ink’s phone had been stolen. In its place was a PDA which could only contact his friend and colleague, Sean.  Right now, she was doing her best to keep Ink’s blood loss to a minimum after a violent episode of sudden hemorrhaging.   I could be worse, considering. Thanks for helping me keep that under control. No. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life.Pause. ...Say, how do I look? Most of the blood landed on the wall or floor, and we’ve wiped away what was on your face, so... you look okay. Got a bit on your scarf, but you might be able to wash it out.Ink gave his scarf a quick twist, hiding the tiny bloodstains from view. Cool. Don’t mention this to anyone, alright? This seems like the kind of thing that could make people panic, you know? Until we know for sure what’s going on, let’s keep this on the down low. But— I’ll worry about my personal health once I’ve made it home. Besides, I feel better now. Don’t look at me like that! I’ll be fine! What makes you so sure? I’m the sidekick, remember? I’ve got ‘sidekick invincibility’! Okay, I’m not sure where you heard that, but I’m pretty sure that’s not a thing. Watson always made it out in the end, didn’t he? That’s only because the books are told from Watson’s perspective. Listen, Ink, this isn’t a work of fiction. If you insist on acting tough, I guess I can’t stop you, but please consider visiting the campus clinic when you get the chance. ...I will. Don’t worry. Let’s get out of here, then.It wasn’t an act – Ink did feel better. Whatever his affliction was, it had passed. I won’t be able to get medical attention until I get out of here, anyway. Grabbing Ink by the wrist, Aether dragged him through the once-locked double doors at the end of the hall. Music stops.   You guys are still here? Huh? The door over there, opposite from the one you just came through. It wouldn’t budge when I tried to open it. It’s just like that last room. There aren’t any other exits? So, what, we’re just supposed to wait here? ...I don’t like this. I want out. Beth lowered her head and grew quiet. Ink slumped into the nearest seat.   Nobody answered. The others were either fiddling with the devices they had been given or staring at the wall. Ink sighed. Not a real social bunch, are they? Well, whatever, I guess we just wait for that face thing to show up.  Speak of the devil.  This message is set to play after a short delay. If any Contestants are not present, please retrieve them. Who are you? Why do you look like that? Please note that this message is a recording and will only play once. It is advisable that you pay attention. That was a joke, of course. I saw you but moments ago! Oh ho ho!...I already hate this guy. Please, sit down. Make yourselves comfortable. Relax. I’m sure you all have questions for me. I ask you to be patient; by the end of my little speech, I imagine that at least a few of your concerns will have been addressed.    The rules are simple. I have placed you in the heart of the lovely Four Elements Hotel. As Game Master, I will do my best to keep you there. If you manage to exit the hotel, you win. The screen shakes. Wait, what?! And that’s all there is to it. Not so difficult to understand, hm? Allow me to be clear: in this game, you must put yourself first. Your victory or defeat is not tied to that of any other Contestant.     Each of you has been entrusted with an electronic device that I’ve dubbed ‘Gemini’. I assume you are already aware of this fact. Why ‘Gemini’, you ask? Each Gemini has a twin; Gemini may only send and receive messages from their twin. The other halves of your Gemini have been left in the care of someone you know. These people will be referred to as your ‘Contacts’. Right now, as far as any of you are concerned, your Contact is the most important person in the world. While your Contacts may be different, they’re all equally important.   I’ve got a myriad of challenges lined up for today! I’m rather fond of puzzles, as you can see. Hopefully my fondness is contagious! Sent zips up and out of sight. The screen went blank. Ink had endless questions for Sent, but it was clear that he wasn’t coming back. What... A thousand thoughts raced through his head. What was the purpose of Exit/Corners? Who was Sent? Was it just bad luck that Ink wound up as a Contestant? Or was he specifically targeted?  In this situation, I think it makes sense that Ink would be freaking out a bit. The screen shakes.  It was the only thing Ink could think to say at a time like this. Beth looked at him with a mix of concern and pity. Ink, please calm down. Your attitude isn’t helping the situation.The screen shakes. Calm down?! I’ve just been told I’m going to be murdered! I’m allowed to get mad, damnit! Very well. Come back when you think you’ve settled down a bit.The screen shakes. Screw that! Were you listening to Sent’s message at all?! We are going to die! How can you all just stand around so calmly? What the hell is wrong with you people?! ...Aether.Locking eyes with Aether, Ink’s anger subsided. A twinge of guilt overcame him instead; how long had it been since he’d yelled at someone like that? He lowered his head. I, uh... I didn’t mean to lash out like that.  I-It’s alright. I’m done freaking out.(Music: Biorhythm)  Heh... leave it to the Psych student to talk me out of a fit. How cliché is that?Aether hides in her hoodie for Ink’s line here; I didn’t screencap it because it makes it look like Aether is the one speaking! I didn’t mean to sound so harsh... I’ll admit, I’m scared too. Terrified, even. I don’t know what’s going to happen to us. I think we’re all a bit scared, dear. Is that something they told you in your program? Good idea. Let’s go over what we know. Liza, Rae, are you both paying attention? This is important.  Music stops. The Contestants all turned to face it. It’s... another puzzle. Hmph. I guess it was set to initialize shortly after the message finished playing. Right. Where should we start? Sent.(Music: Stranglehold) Is that why you were so deep in thought back there? Yeah. Who is he, exactly?  What’s his motive? How was I abducted? Is this all really necessary? Why did he choose me? Why did he choose any of us? That’s what concerns me the most. Your guess is as good as mine. Although... If we can determine how or why we were chosen, we might be able to figure out who he is. If he kidnapped us at random, then Sent is probably just some kind of maniac, right? But if he chose us specifically, then he must know us to some degree.    Aether, I know you’re in a Psych program, I get that. But that doesn’t make you an expert on the human psyche. Some people are 100 percent batshit crazy, y’know? Have you listened to the way Sent speaks? Somethin’s wrong with that guy. I think I know what Aether was trying to say. So much effort went into capturing us and setting everything up. I mean, there are hand-scanners and these Gemini devices and the like. Why would someone go through all this trouble to scare the poo poo out of random people? Isn’t there an easier way to do that?  Right, I hadn’t thought of that.Ink examined each of his fellow Contestants one at a time, and as he did, he noticed they were all glancing around at each other. He let out a weak laugh. We don’t really have much in common, do we? I mean we’ve got both men and women, students and dropouts, young people and, err... middle-aged persons. A-Anyway. The point is that I don’t see anything in common between the five of us.  Well, we know that a few of us have connections to Bellbridge. We all live in Bellbridge... right? I know that Aether and I do, at the very least.  Oh... well, drat. So much for that idea. Is that where we are right now? I was born there, and I haven’t heard of it either. It’s a medium-sized college town. East coast. Something wrong? I live out west. I would’ve had to come a long way. Let’s try not to worry about it too much. There’s no way to know where we are for sure. Let’s forget it for now, I guess. I barely know any of you, so there’s no way I’m going to be able to figure out what ties us all together, if there’s anything at all.The music stops. Whatever his reasons for capturing us, Sent clearly isn’t his real name. We, uh... we’re not dating.  So the two of you are complete strangers that just happened to wake up in the same room?   Please. Why don’t we get started on this puzzle? We can chat about Sent later. Remember that we’ve got a time limit.(Music: Duress)   There may be no explosives or time limit. Right now we’re just taking his word for it. Liza! You’ve been so quiet. I almost forgot about you. I’m the sidekick, actually... If you’re convinced this whole thing is a joke, then why are you so dead-set with getting rescued? Sent has committed a crime in kidnapping us and forcing us to play this game. There’s no telling how far he’ll go. It’s too risky to not take action, even if this is all a big prank. Then why did you even suggest it? Well... I don’t want to look like an idiot if this is all fake. Obviously.   Guys, come on. Not this again. Liza, you said you messaged your father. Does that make him your ‘Contact’? I dunno. I guess so. What exactly did you tell him? I told him my kidnapper wasn’t interested in a ransom. Instead he’s forcing me to play some weird game and threatening to kill me. Did you let him know that there are other people who have been abducted as well? Oh. Well, did you at least tell him that you’re in a hotel called ‘The Four Elements’ and that you’ve only got 24 hours to find a way out? No... Then what did you tell him? I told him what I told you. That’s it?! It took you five whole minutes to type that out?! I’m slow at texting, okay? Give me a break!  Shouldn’t we get started on the puzzle? You’re wasting a lot of time asking me pointless questions.Music stops. It’s pretty obvious she just wants to change the subject – but she’s right, we need to push on.  Five pairs of wary eyes turned to the terminal. Let’s get to it, then. As before, you can switch any tile with any other tile, regardless of whether they're adjacent. All the tiles are still square, so you’re not swapping around half-tiles for this puzzle; it’s just that four of the tiles have two colours. Tiles can’t be rotated.
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Oct 15, 2021 08:19
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quote:
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Oct 15, 2021 08:36
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We need a wider pool of names in this game before we can determine where the naming convention lies on the anime-scale.
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Oct 15, 2021 08:39
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Puzzle solution: Group two diagonals on the ends of the shape, adjacent to two square blocks, adjacent to two triangles pressed together, to form the letter 'Z'.
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Oct 15, 2021 09:30
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Sent obviously has to know enough about them to know who to send the other half of the Gemini pads to. Beth's inclusion also makes it extremely unlikely to be random - if anything, everyone being from the same town would make it MORE likely that it was random kidnappings. Going so far as to pick her up means she was needed specifically.
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Oct 15, 2021 13:11
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 13:42 |
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quote:Heh.
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Oct 15, 2021 17:52
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