Inside ARG

Inside ARG
Active since 2016-06-29
The Inside ARG revolved around mysterious codes being printed and deciphered.
Type	Official
Creator	Playdead
Discovered	2016-06-29

Main Page > List of Investigations > Inside ARG

INSIDE is a puzzle platforming game created by Playdead. After the game launched on June 29th, 2016, players noticed a printer in the background of one of the game areas. This printer was quite notable - on PC, the printer prints sequences of characters that are referred to in the game files as "Morse", despite the fact that these messages do not form legible Morse code. On other platforms, the printer forms other messages, some of which have already been deciphered.

Throughout this article, information has been taken from this Google doc.

Printer Strings

Near the end of the game, there is a printer in an inaccessible background area. The printer cannot be interacted with in any way. The printer slowly prints out a string of characters randomly chosen from a predetermined pool of strings. These pools of strings are different on different platforms.

PC

On PC, the printer will display one of the following 41 strings. At this time, their meaning has yet to be determined.

-------------------------/-///-/
----------------------//-//----/
------------////-----//-///-----
---------//-/////////-///-------
--------/----/-////-////--////-/
--------//--//////-/////-/-//---
--------//-//-//-----//-/-//----
--------///-/-///-///--////----/
--------////-//--//-////-------/
------/----/-----///--//-///-/-/
------/---/------/-//////-/-//--
-----/--/------/-----//./-./..--
----.-//////////-------/-/-//--/
----/--/------/----...///.//.--/
---.-///../---////-..--/-/--/---
---/-/.-----/----.-/..--/.--.--/
---//-.----/----.-/--.--/----.--
--.....-.--.-.--------/.--.---.-
--./-...//--.--/.--..//-/.-.-.-/
-.-.././----..----./.--.--...--/
-...//..----.---..//.--.-..-----
/----------------------///------
/---------////-///--//-///-----/
/--------/////--//-////-/////--/
/-------/-//---//-///////-------
/------/----/---///-//--////-/--
/----..-//////---------///--/---
/----/---/------/---/////////--/
/---/-/------/------.---/.-...--
/---//----//-..-///-----.------/
/--/----.-/-----..-...//..--..-/
/--/.-......--.------//....-----
-------.
--/.
-.-.-
-.-.-.-.-.-
-.-.-.///
-.-./
.-.--..-.-.-.-/
.-.-.-.-.///
/.-.

Xbox One

On Xbox One, the printer will display one of the following 48 strings (36 long, 12 short). At this time, their meaning has yet to be determined. Note that one of the strings appears twice. Testing has shown that on average, it appears to be twice as frequently as the others, leading us to believe that it is its own unique string. Additionally, including it in the list brings it up to 36 strings that are 36 characters long each, similar to how the PC strings have 32 strings that are 32 characters each.

--------------////////--------------
--------------////////--------------
-----------///---..-..///---------/-
---------///-//////////////------/--
-------//-../---//-//--//////---/-/-
-------//...--.......--.--.//-------
------/...-...---.--...-.-.../------
-----/...--..-....---.......-./-----
-----/......-.///////////-/-///-----
----/------//////////////-------/-/-
----/.-.....--.-/////-//////-///----
----/.......-.......--.-...-.../----
---/-----//..--...-..--..//---------
---/..-..--...-.//--/////////////---
---/..-...-.--.-..-..-.....--.--/---
---/...-.--....--.--...-.......//---
---/........--.../////-/--////-//---
--/---/..--..//--/--/////-////------
--/..-.-.--....--.--....-......../--
--/...--.-......-.-///////////////--
--/...-.---.-..-..///--////--/--//--
--/..........-......-..-.-..-.-.//--
-/...--..--.-..-...-.--....-..--.//-
-/....---......-..--....--.....////-
-/....--.--.--.--.-../-////---/////-
-/....--.-.....--..-..//--/////////-
-/..........-......./-//-////--////-
-/....................-.--.--.--///-
/.....--.--...-...--....-...////////
/.....--..-..-.....-.--...-//---////
/.....-..-..----.....--.///-/-//////
/......-.-..--.-......-...---./-////
/......-..-...-.-..-.....///////////
/...........--.......-...-..-/-/////
/...........-.........-.--/-//-/////
/............-........./-//-//-/////
---.-.--------.-.--.----.---
-..-.--..----..-....
.-.--.....-.-.-------..-.-
.-.-.-.------------
.-..---....--.-.---
.-..-.-.-.--
.-..-.-.-.-...............
..-.------..-.-
..-.-.--.-....--
..-.-.-.-.-...
...-.-.-.-.......
.......--------

iPhone

On iPhone, the printer will display one of the following 24 strings. The string chosen is determined by the iPhone's local system time - they are ordered below in terms of when they'll appear on the printer. For instance, the first line will appear from 00:00 to 00:59.

⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛
⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜
⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜
⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ♻203
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜ ♻206
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛
⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ♻208
⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜
⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜ ♻205
⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜ ♻214
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜ ♻206
⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜ ♻204
⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜
⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ♻208
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜ ♻215

Solution

Each string is comprised of 25 characters, and can be divided into 5 segments of 5 characters each. For instance, the first string can be split up as follows:

⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛  ⬛⬛⬜⬛⬛  ⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛  ⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛  ⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛

Stacking these segments into a 5 by 5 grid yields the letter 'M' in the form of the following pattern:

⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛
⬛⬛⬜⬛⬛
⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛
⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛
⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛

Repeating this process for each string yields the following message:

MULTIPLEPROBESDISPATCHED

This phrase was later entered on the main Playdead page.

Switch

On Nintendo Switch, the printer will display the following string (NOTE: there may be more!)

⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬛⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬛⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛

Solution

The Nintendo Switch string can be translated to Morse code as follows:

⬜⬜⬜ -> /  (a long pause between words)
⬜⬜  ->     (a shorter pause between letters)
⬛⬛  -> -   (long Morse character)
⬛    -> .   (short Morse character)
⬜    -> (pause between Morse characters)

Decoding this Morse yields the following message:

CTRL CON DISCON

At this time, it is unknown if this message has any further meaning.

Printer Button

TODO

Terminal41

TODO