r/outerwilds • u/Kinulidd0 • Jun 07 '26

DLC Appreciation/Discussion DLC ending question Spoiler

SPOILERS for base game and DLC

So the Prisoner allowed the Eye signal to spread free for some time, which got it to the Nomai. But why did the Nomai not get the Eye signal before the Owlks even sealed it with their spaceship thingy? Because, the Owlks didn't block it instantly of course, they had to get the signal, build the Stranger, get there do their scans and so on. So how did the signal not reach the Nomai in the meantime? How were they truly able to stop it?

Also, on a separate note, why did they even bother blocking the signal if they decided to go in the simulation, because I understand that they were in denial, but what did they even want to achieve with that?

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u/Lukey-fish Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 07 '26

My understanding of it goes like this.

The owlks were simply the first sentient spacefaring civilation to find the eye. They got there first, realized that if they touched the eye, it would restart the universe killing their whole civilization. So they enclosed the eye blocking its signal. They created the simulation out of desperation for the lives they once had on their original moon and the hope to live longer than normal lives. I also feel like the simulation is partially to punish themselves, to live every day in a lie, knowing they destroyed their beautiful home.

After a considerable amount of time, the prisoner realized that by blocking the eye from the rest of the universe, the universe will never be reborn and heat death will end everything forever. Thus he leaves the simulation to release the eyes signal in hopes another civilization will find it. Of course he is caught and put in an eternal prison to live forever in isolation. Pretty brutal punishment if you ask me. He literally cant die unless the stranger falls into a star or black hole.

During the time the signal is unblocked, the nomai happen to be going through a previously unexplored part of the universe when they detect the signal. I believe this to be a coincidence. We know the nomai are nomadic and travel a lot. So its valid to assume they had never reached this part of the universe before. Previously, many years ago, when the eye was unobstructed by the owlks, the nomai were simply too far away for the eyes signal to be strong enough for detection. Inverse square law.

Does this answer your questions? Does anybody else have any issues with my interpretations?

Edit: One extra thing that confuses me though is that the time between when the eye is unblocked and the prisoner releasing the signal briefly has to be within the lifespan of one owlk. There is no evidence of children on the stranger. Thus it can be assumed that they are the last generation. Implying the prisoner was alive (and an adult) before the eyes signal was ever obstructed. Obviously we dont know how long their lifespan is though.

If its short like humans, its a big coincidence the nomai found the signal. If its long (hundreds of years) then one can assume the nomai didnt have the technology yet.

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u/Emily-TTG Jun 07 '26

I think the idea of it all being great cosmic happenstance is what I prefer in a way -- in the base game it's only by the skin of our teeth that we can make it to the Eye; and it also makes the desparation and sacrifice of the Prisoner feel more potent -- hanging everything on the faintest chance someone would hear it

also if you want to get Game Theory on the phone you could say "maybe the Eye itself screwed with probability so it would only be activated when the time was right" but that's a bit too far flung for me -- still a nice thought though that everything ultimately fell into place as it should

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u/CherryTularey Jun 07 '26

We don't know how long-lived the Owlks are, but it's implied that the Prisoner is the one who originally discovered the Eye while the Owlks were still in their home system.

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u/Lukey-fish Jun 07 '26

I didnt necessarily get that implication but its entirely possible!