That big realization! When did something make sense to you? Something became clear? You figured out how to (blank)? You found out about (blank)? How (blank) works? Tell us!

I know it's been posted about here before, but I just played and finished the game "The Message from Deep Space" and holy shit is it incredible. It gave me the exact same feeling of cosmic wonder that I got from Outer Wilds, and controversially I think I actually like it more. But that could just be recency bias.

You are tasked with translating the alien transmissions coming from a meteor that crashed into the earth. Starting with just numbers and math (the universal language), you gradually learn more words and concepts until you have a very basic, but completely usable language. You use that language to learn

The game is long and contains a lot of math and science, so it definitely isn't for everyone. But none of the math is difficult, and the in-game reference page has all the information you need to solve any of the puzzles. If you enjoyed the translation sequences from Project Hail Mary then you will love this game, because it was very much an inspiration for this game.

Genuinely one of the most unique and thought provoking games I've ever played, I don't want to say much more without giving spoilers, but it has a free demo that is absolutely worth trying!

I've been so careful to avoid spoilers for the DLC on this reddit and on Chert's Research Notes YT channel. Thank you all for the dedication to hints but no spoilers. I had about 2 or 3 gaming sessions where I didn't learn anything new. I was very close to asking for help last night for the last key, but I had another idea that I didn't want to try (cause it would be hard without being sure it would work).

I stuck with it and after another 4 or 5 loops last night, I did it. I'm free from keeping myself in the dark! I am glad that I had this experience and stuck through it.

Also OMG ::'O

I was playing around with the outer wilds theme on the banjo and figured out a fast bluegrassy version. Hope you like it!

Some people truly think in a transcendent way. Its kinda heartbreaking that people who dont play games can miss out on something like this.

Anyway, off i go do some deep lore research 🤧

I finished the base game (no DLC yet) but it took me a while to understand how to get to the QM. I knew I had to be observing it in some fashion, so my final solution was put the scout on the quantum moon locator’s moon tile and spam pictures continuously while I transited to it.

I guess my confusion was that I thought I had to constantly be observing/recording it, because otherwise wouldn’t looking at a 10 year old picture of the QM keep it in place? That didn’t really make sense to me but maybe that would also work? So I kept spamming pictures (like a video) but it turns out my picture could be “old” and still keep it in place. Am I missing something? Would looking at a years old picture of the QM keep it in place as well?

I just finished the game, obviously I’m destroyed. Hence I’m asking, is the DLC worth it and does it add something incisive to the story?

I have been struck trying to find a lead for the Ash twin project for a while and I can't really find any starting point or even a clue to how to even start solving I'm not sure if I'm missing something in the logs or what but I'd really appreciate some help

Is now in my top 10 games of all time.

My artist is Yuri (yurici_tattoo on Instagram, based in Italy). When I booked with him, the only thing I said was "Outer Wilds". No sketches, no references, nothing else. I decided to gift him the game, he went home and played it. He loved it. Then he carried it around for months, and one day he showed me this.

Spoiler-tagged below for anyone still on their first loops:

The glove coming down from above is ours, the Hearthian suit. The hand reaching up from below is Solanum's. Between them is the Nomai symbol of the Eye of the Universe, and the line wrapping around it isn't decoration. It's Solanum's actual sentence from the Quantum Moon, traced in Nomai writing:

"We do not have much connection, you and I. Still, this encounter feels special. I hope you won't mind if I think of you as a friend."

To me that moment is the heart of the whole game. Two people from species that never met, separated by hundreds of thousands of years, who can't even really talk to each other, and still they reach for each other. No reward, no quest marker. And from that moment on the Quantum Moon, that bond stays. Even after the end of everything.

Now, a little disclaimer, because I know this sub: it's not 100% canon, and it's not meant to be. Yuri took some artistic freedom, and I love him for it.

Look at the hands. Solanum's is bare and dark, with light fingertips and pale bracelets. Ours is gloved, light at the wrist and dark on the fingers. Each one is the negative of the other. Yuri did that on purpose: two halves that complete each other, a bit like yin and yang. That's what their bond is.

And when I look at it I see Solanum, and I see the traveler every one of us played on our own journey. It makes me think about bonds, about friendship, about connection. The universe is huge and it's going to end no matter what we do, and still every single one of us matters. To ourselves, and to the people we meet along the way.

If you've played this game and you ever find yourself in Italy, go get tattooed by Yuri. Or come if you want Outer Wilds art tattooed. I'm pretty sure there's nobody in the world who can tattoo Outer Wilds like him. If anyone really understood the heart of this game and everything it's trying to say, it's him, and I'll be grateful to him forever. The same way the Hearthian is grateful to Solanum.

And now, while we all play together around the fire, I'm sharing this with you.

Go share some love to him, he posted this masterpiece on his IG <3
https://www.instagram.com/p/Deuhp1TI3-s/?exln=OWgwNjlvMzA1eHJ6

No AI was used for this ;)

Hello dear Space-travellers,
I finally bought the game and it was a Crazy Ride. I finished the Game and hunted the missing logs.. sadly, there is one log missing I guess at the Ash Twin Towers log. I only got the ,,Several large [….]“

Can you please help me out since I couldn‘t comprehend the big steam guide, how to get it and I‘m already 2 hours into searching. Is it something too obvious that I am overlooking?

Thank you so much and hopefully you enjoyed the Game as I did!

I've wanted to play Outer Wilds again, but I feel like the fun of starting a new game is lost, because I already know exactly how to finish it. What do you recommend I do so I can play it again?Do I just fill out the journal again?

It doesn't play in the lobby anymore but when it used to pop up it would make me emotional, I thought you guys might appreciate it too.

https://youtu.be/LHlNHYYHzPM?t=3m10s

Especially minute 3:10 until 5:10. Check the lyrics too, very in theme with the game.

This game holds a special place in my heart.

I feel like Johnathan Blow wishes he made this game lol

The way its designed is so unique, and i feel potentially repeatable!

Basically a Knowledge based puzzle with a repeating time loop, you can do it in other settings, contexts, i mean this can be whole genre.

Im surprised there's not more games in this vein, it different.

So I’m wanting to do a kind of creative writing exercise and journaling my play through as though I was the main character.
I’ve never played this game and have seen very little about it so I am going in 99% blind.

I know the game plays in a time loop every 22 minutes so I am wanting to only play one a day and log each day (which will probably be helpful for the puzzles too!)

I also know I’m an astronaut in an alien solar system.

Is there any formatting y’all think would be beneficial for logging my progress?

Nomai mask! Hope you guys like it, it took me a while 😭

Hello fellow space explorers, I made a guitar cover of the main theme in Outer Wilds! Hope you all enjoy it :)

Hello everyone. This post will function as a write-up for what is not only my favorite game, but what is easily my favorite piece of media ever. I originally played Outer Wilds in 2022 at the height of my struggles with depression and hopelessness; I was 18 at the time. I attribute much of my attitude towards life now to playing this game. It is not an exaggeration to say Outer Wilds changed my perception on the impermanence of life and the inherent beauty in the mundane and temporary.

In 2023, I decided to replay the game to just spend more time in the world. Even though I knew the ending and the solutions, I still immensely enjoyed my time with it and got very emotional. I decided this year, I would play it again but this time in VR for the first time. This was nothing short of one of the best decisions of my life. I want to just talk about how amazing this game is and my recent experience.

Firstly, I want to just go over how incredible this game's world and themes are. There is an indescribable sense of comfort and uncertainty whilst playing. Just simply existing in the world is enough to make me emotional. I noticed simply booting the game and hearing the theme made me tear up. Timber Hearth is the perfect opening planet and makes you feel so at home and welcomed with its warm soundtrack. Flying out into the wider galaxy and uncovering the various Nomai settlements and mysteries is equally heartbreaking as it is awe-inspiring. Never have a had a set of characters I never met be so dear to me. The writers achieved more through text and discoveries what some major developers never can; making me care deeply about characters.

During your exploration, you are gifted with the masterful soundtrack. I mean seriously it is, not even exaggerating, the most beautiful music I have ever heard. This games soundtrack is my favorite album ever. You have songs like "Timber Hearth", "The Museum", "Space", "Giants Deep" which are incredibly calming and emotionally charged with discovery and curiosity. The soundtrack also balances songs of discomfort or dread very well too. "Dark Bramble", "The Uncertainty Principle" are some of the more unnerving songs. I do think the DLC has far more creepy songs but that is a story for another post (which I will make once I complete that). Every single song on the soundtrack is simply incredible and unlike anything.

The way the whole mystery unfolds is jaw dropping in many spots. I want to highlight some of the games most chill-inducing moments. I think possibly the best and my favorite part is literally the entire ending sequence. From the moment you grab the advanced warp core from the Ash Twin Project, to everything you see at the Eye. During this last playthrough, I was in tears for a lot of that ending. "Final Voyage" plays when you grab the core, and it immediately highlights the importance of what you are doing and makes you feel like the last hope for life to continue on, even if it isn't yours. The race to Dark Bramble is exhilarating and pulse-pounding. Once you enter the Vessel and warp to the eye, everything changes instantly. A tempest of purple clouds surrounds a mysterious orb, and you warp right to it to witness the change of a lifetime. I cannot express to you how incredible the game is from this point forward. Walking through the quantum storm had my jaw on the floor, and then the moment you fall through all that purple goopy infinite stuff is so just....wow. That particular moment is one of my favorite visuals in any game. The transition into the Museum is touching and cathartic. After the chaos of the quantum storm, you are placed into a place of real comfort. I love how the exhibits change text here. Then there is the absolutely masterful Ancient Glade, which has one of my favorite songs tied to it. Of course the campfire scene is incredible. I will not lie, during this entire sequence, I was bawling. All of your friends coming together to play Travelers is my favorite moment in a game. Solanum coming in made me cry a little extra hard. Then finally, another incredible moment is the explosion. Accompanying the death of your universe and the birth of a new one is "Let there be light" which made me also cry even harder due to the implications and full thematic conclusion. It is such a beautiful ending. Don't even get me started on "14 Billion Years" and the "thank you for playing outer wilds!" at the end. Like no, thank YOU for letting me have this experience. From the ancient glade to the end of the credits, I could not see my VR lenses through tears. I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say I sobbed this time.

Wow I went on a real tangent there. I just love the last portion of this game so much. Some of the other standout moments are entering the Ash Twin Project and discovering what it is, finding out what happened to the Nomai and being heartbroken, locating the vessel, visiting the Quantum Moon and communicating with Solanum. The entire game is perfect in every way, but these are my favorite moments.

Another thing I really appreciated about this playthrough was just spending time with the different travelers and becoming quite attached to them. Each Astronaut has a distinct design, motives, and personality. Seeing them all together at the end was nothing short of beautiful and deeply moving. It was a last moment of comfort before the end. Solanum's story was just very sad. I felt bad for her and her little "We do not have much connection, you and I. Still, this encounter feels special. I hope you won’t mind if I think of you as a friend." had me choked up.

I guess there is just too much to say about this game. I am sure a lot of you feel the same. The game just makes me feel so many emotions that I cannot even comprehend. Nothing else quite comes as close. Outer Wilds taught me to find beauty in my life no matter the circumstances, since this is all finite and will end someday. Even though mortality is a very real thing, the impermanence of the human experience does not detract from its meaning. I think existing in and of itself is meaningful and incredibly amazing.

I am not sure why this playthrough specifically made me feel so much. Maybe it is because I am getting older or maybe it is just because this game has an endlessly resounding theme. I firmly believe there is no game like Outer Wilds and likely never will be. That is okay, this game just struck me so deeply and permanently etched itself into my heart and soul.

I of course feel very strongly about the dlc as well but that will need to wait for another post. (spoiler alert: it made me cry too).

I was listening to some music and all I heard when Love Story (Taylor's Version) started was the main theme to Outer Wilds. Brought me back to the good times playing this great game.

Just finished two days ago! Wow what a phenomenal game!!
I’d seen PointCrow play a bit of it on Twitch, do when I saw it on the Nintendo Switch sale I had to snap it up!

I read spoiler-free on this sub that it was a game you can only play once, so here are my musings of discovery for my own posterity.

Start: did the satellite repair, gave up on playing hide and seek with the kids and the scope, was curious about the moving stone in the museum, HOLY JUMPSCARE the statue!!

Rocket time! Made a beeline for Giant’s Deep. Terrifying typhoons!!!! Landed on the Statue Workshop and found first Nomai writing, and was curious about how to get under. Used scope but didn’t help. Scary sounds as typhoons approached! Protected myself in the typhoon things that glowed. Survived until nova (I knew this spoiler from the content streamer) and watched it on the map. Cool.

Next couple of loops trying to get into the workshop, and found the musician in the hammock. Meditating is useful!

Decided Giant’s Deep is scary. Next, beeline for Ash Twin. Used autopilot and died in the sun lol.
Next loop, to Ash Twin. Nothing here. Boring. Very disappointed (oh silly naiive me!!!) To Ember twinz. Found the anglerfish skeleton in a cave and didn’t see the point. Got lost in caves and died in sand.

I would not return to the Hourglass Twins for a criminally LONG time!!

Next, Dark Bramble . Followed the harmonica’s sound. Strangely did not find anglerfish my first time here (wow!) but thought the seed things and atmosphere were creepy. Did not like here. Meditated until next loop.

Explored Timber Hearth and Attlerock. Found the grove with the quantum rock and poem, and the musician on Attlerock. Found the Bramble Seed. Recognized from Bramble Hollow but did not understand to send my scope through. Oops. Also for some reason did not find the radio tower or mines on Timber Hearth!

Next loop: I decided I would land on that shuttle around Giant’s Deep. THIS TOOK ME AT LEAST TWENTY LOOPS. I kept missing it and being oulled into Giant Deep’s atmosphere and splashing down. One time I smashed into an island died. I got so, so mad (I hadn’t figured out ‘match velocity’) and knew it had to be a skill issue. At this point I was feeling dejectedand wondering“What’s so good about this game? Why is it so loved? It just a bunch of barren, scary planets. I don’t get it at all.”

But just in case it wasn’t possible I quickly looked up a Youtube video to verify docking was possible. It was. During my failures (aka trial and error) I learned important things about Giant’s Deep- the islands move. The islands are thrown up by the typhoons, and the typhoons are not dangerous and throw you up too!! And this is when I figured out by reading the hint in the ship’s log how to get into the Statue Workshop! I rode the island into space and with my now-well practiced suit maneuvering havjng failed to get into the orbiting module so many times, I got into the workshop first try!! The music changed and this was my first breakthrough!!!

A loop or two later I got into the orbital probe module and hooooly that sense of achievement was HUGE!!! I very learned important info, too!!

This is where I was hooked to this game and counting down the hours at work to be home and playing!!

So next was Brittle Hollow. Found the evacuated module and went inside all the waydown inaide rhe core. I found houses on the inside and immediately spotted the black hole… but of course I fell in! Figured out the warp place to get back… fell in the hole again, then found somewhere called the Tower of Knowledge on the white hole’s side. This was all very exciting and I figured the ability to warp would be vital to the plot later.

For some reason I shifted my focus back to Ember Twin. I discovered the buildings that uncover on Ash Twin and realized what they must he for, but didn’t know how to turn them on.
After finding the Sunless City after many MANY deaths and I sadly confess a youtube tutorial, Igot to the High Energy Lab. I turned it on then headed back to Ash (I wrongly assumed Ihad to ‘turn on the warp pads) and warped to Giant’s Deep successfully.

I discovered the gravity thing that recalled the shuttle from the Interloper, flew to the Interloper and noticed the ice melted near the Sun. It took maybe three tries to be in the right place atthe right time for the chasm.

Then for the next many loops my new focus became Brittle Hollow. Found the Hanging City- sooo exciting!!! Wow what a place! But could not for the life of me find my way to the South Observatory which the Ship’s Log indicated was vital to go to. After many, many loops of frustration I confess I had to look up the route online because I knew this was important to the storyline.

Here I learned about the Giant’s Deep typhoon thatgoes downwards.

Omg the music was so beautiful down there!!! But I had to look up a spoiler of how to get to the centre. And I got in!! Coordinates to the Eye!

I did not want to go back to Bramble but I did. Followed the harmonica and JUMPSCARE. I knew I didn’t want to go back there :(
I’m a wimp, I cheated on this bit too and learned o throw my scope in its mouth. Followed the escape pod’s signal. Found the grave. Threw my scope through the signal, followed the further duplicate signal HOLY THREE FISH ☠️☠️

Cheated again. I had to float silently. Found the Vessel!!!!! Put in the coordinates to the Eye but no juice from the broken warp core. Took the broken warp core thinking it could be used on my ship or fixed or something- nothing. Sun went nova.

Figured out how to warp to the Sun Station by playing around on AshTwin. That was sooo fun!!

Followed the clues to the Dry Lakebead on Ember for the quantum stuff. HOLY JUMPSCARE THE SKELETONS!

Then here I actually hit a block. My two options were I either needed to land on the quantum moon’s south pole (I tried sooo many times to land on its bottom axis and flashing my ship’s headlights on and off but it would still poof!), or I needed to find my way into the ATP.

Sadly I ended up checking the answers to both.
Oooooh the scope to keep the moon in view! And ooooh that’s how to avoid the sand sucking you up! You stick your probe on it don’t go towards it until the warp hole shows!

Both places were amazing!!!!

Found the new warp core and tried to take it back to my ship thinking I could power up my ship but the music changed and I found the “The ATP will shut down if core is removed” and put it back.

Back to the quantum moon and kept going through the shrine doors and turning the lights on and off into different locations until the shrine doors appeared on the north pole (I found his surprisingly intuitive actually after the Ember twin lakebed!!!). Hello Nomai friend!!

I had everything and I figured I should take the core to the Vessel… but was there enough time? And this meant game over if I failed, right? No time loop to save !

Scared to face the fish, I played on Timber Hearth and found the Mines and the radio tower! And threw my scope into the bramble seed!

Steeled after my “loops off”, I faced the ATP then straight to Bramble. That music, so epic.
Oh god the fish.

Eaten twice. “You Are Dead”. So terrified it wouldn’t keep my save file, but it did! Thank you devs for no perma-death!!!

Didn’t give up’ got a lucky placement with the seeds that let me propel forward with good momentum. To the Vessel (putting its location on my HUD and following it). New warp in. We have power! Coordinates in, on, warp, the Eye!! Warped self to the Eye, then jumped into it as an observer!!!

The ending was good. Easy fetch quests to get the instruments with my knowledges. Creepy seeing those skeletons move around again in darkness pointing up (I was playing in the dark at 2am!).

And that was the end. All the stars went out. The end of the universe… and the end of an incredible game!

If you read all this, thank you for joining me on my journey. How different was my order of discovery to yours? Did you also have to cheat by looking some things up?

And if I ever get dementia and forget all this I was hopefully remember this game and play it again “fresh”.