Secret Project
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| Secret Project | |
|---|---|
| Type | Official |
| Creator | Frictional Games |
| Discovered | 2020-01-23 |
Main Page > List of Investigations > Secret Project
Secret Project is an official ARG created for Frictional Games' first new game since SOMA (2015), originally titled Secret Project #1.
The ARG is taking place on the Next Frictional Game website, mostly comprised of finding YouTube IDs by solving puzzles hidden within the site.
Throughout this article, information has been taken from this Google doc.
Background
Since 10/12/2019, one second videos of a growing embryo are uploaded bi-weekly to the Next Frictional Game website. The name of each video represented the date the video was posted on, in this format: mm/dd.
Each video got deleted from the site after being replaced by a new one.
It wasn't until the 23/01/2020, that the first clue for the ARG finally appeared on the site.
Update 1
Summary
On 23/01/2020, a new eye icon was spotted at the bottom right of the website, along with the other social media icons.
Hovering on the icon reveals a YouTube video ID suWaF-aIdV4 which leads to a video named Box 52, Tape 16.
The HTML code of the site was inspected as well, and another YouTube video ID pBW3V85Y-I4 was found inside an element named artefact.
The ID leads to a video named Box 7 Reel 2, Partial Success
Box 52, Tape 16
The video shows a collection of rocks near a body of water, and then zooms in on a rock with peculiar symbols craved on it. The description of the video mentioned it's a cassette marked Shetpe, KSSR.
KSSR refers to Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, now Kazakhstan.
A notable location regarding the mentioned location in the video is Sherkala, A mountain located near the town of Shetpe.
It is the remains of medieval caravanserai. Tunnels were built inside the mountain during a besiege.
Box 7 Reel 2, Partial Success
Nothing can be seen in the video, but three monstrous screams can be heard.
The description describes this video as an artefact, which is marked Triple Crown.
Update 2
Summary
On 29/01/2020, a hidden text was added to the site that was discovered by highlighting the lower part of the website.
The text reads Exxpedition: frrequenncy oof raddioo 78.3 short WWave seQQuence.
By putting together the double letters and the numbers, we get: xrnodo783WQ.
This served as a YouTube video ID which lead to the video Box 12, Recent Acquisitions.
Box 12, Recent Acquisitions
The video takes place in Salzburg, Austria, in an expedition site. The person in the video wears a bracelet with a black feather on it.
A note can be found inside the ammunition box. The transcript of the note is as follows:
There is an itching behind my eyes as if a beetle burrows there in the gold of my brain, boring its way in, mandibles clawing at grey matter as if a gnarled finger has been pushed into my skill, a broken fingernail working into my thoughts. I want to reach in with a needle to scratch it or perhaps a piece of wire through the tear duct, threading through the lacrimal canal. Threadlike black worms squirm in my eye. When I think about them they are agitated and start to trash around. They know I am scared and it makes them worse. If I hold myself still, if I ease my mind, if I empty my head and try not to be afraid of [...] then the itching fades to the tickling of a feather. I've tried filling myself with the notes of a song or the colours of a beautiful picture, but it doesn't work. Only emptiness gives me any [...] I wish I had my gun.
A notable location regarding the mentioned location in the video is the Salzburg Catacombs, which include ancient christian underground tunnel systems.
Update 3
Summary
On 04/02/2020, a new element was added to HTML page code, named transmission.
By adding /transmission to the site url, a file can be downloaded.
After a .wav extension was added to the filename, the file could be opened.
Upon opening the file, an audio that resembles morse code is played.
The morse code was translated to V0FFI3DDMXXWH4.
By treating the double letters as uppercase and the rest as lower case, we get v0Fi3DmXwh4,
which results in the YouTube ID for the video Box 11, recent acquisitions.
Box 11, recent acquisitions
The video takes place in Saint-Denis, Paris, in an old workshop.
The person in the video is seen operating a short wave radio, which plays an ominous sound of a person singing the song "See Saw Margery Daw".
Cover note translation: "Only with this old radio and in this specific place."
A notable location regarding the mentioned location in the video is the Paris Catacombs, which include ancient underground tunnel systems.
Update 4
Summary
On 13/02/2020, a new button named Press Kit was added to the site.
The button lead to a google drive folder, which contains sub-folders for each of Frictional's games.
Inside the unannounced folder, another folder was found, which contains 11 image files. The name of each file is made of one letter.
The images were placed together and formed an incomplete image.
The names of each photo were put together from top-left to bottom-right, and resulted in: 1KaDkmxsvTo, which is the YouTube ID for the video Box 12, Recent Acquisitions (Card 3)
Box 12, Recent Acquisitions (Card 3)
The video takes place in Algeciras, Spain, in an ex-warehouse, previously owned by different people.
The person in the video wears a bracelet with a black feather on it, suggesting it is the same person from Box 12, Recent Acquisitions.
This events in this video take place two months after Box 12, Recent Acquisitions.
A Twanas-looking artifact made of sticks with feathers can be seen.
A golden ring is located inside the artifact, with symbols craved on it.
Too much light is reflected from the ring to get a good look at the symbols.
Update 5
Summary
On 20/02/2020, a new entry appeared in the HTML code:
// Kifpd kmxdzs rwxszr xe f rbkrwfspz bsdsxls // Woz fsxnfiv uxzr sxw itz ts woz covrtpfi exmn // Kzvxsu rtjow, woz itszr xe woz lxmiu wltrw flfv emxn zhbtitkmtbn fsu fmz mzrofczu // Tw tr f wzfm ts woz gzti // Lofw itzr kzvxsu? // Tr wotr lofw kzpfnz xe Pfrrfsumf? // ztjowstszvwufroztjowztjowMogH
Using the substitution cipher rules, the text was deciphered and revealed the following message:
Black broken stones of a substance unknown The anomaly does not lie in the physical form Beyond sight,the lines of the world twist and are reshaped It is at ear in the veil What lies beyond? Is this what became of Cassandra? eight nine yt dash eight eight RhvQ
Cassandra is a reference to the character from the Greek mythology.
The YouTube ID is:
eight nine yt dash eight eight RhvQ -> 89yt-88RhvQ which led to the video Box 11, Recent Acquisitions (Card 15).
Box 11, Recent Acquisitions (Card 15)
The video shows a person walking with a compass towards the "black broken stones of a substance unknown" from the cryptic message.
When they reach near the black stones, the compass starts to show anomalous behavior, and the video feed cuts.
