Inside ARG

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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

If you load the 12th last checkpoint and head to the left, you'll see a printer in the background. Normally, it will print nondescript pages, but if you walk in front of it and then wait roughly 10 seconds, it will begin to print a sequence of pages with large, visible symbols, which vary by platform. These are not randomized strings, but turn out to be chosen from a list of predetermined strings. Each platform prints from a different pool of strings.

PC/PS4

On PC and on the PS4, the printer will display one of the following 41 strings, composed entirely out of dots dashes and slashes, apparently at random. We haven't made any progress in understanding how they are to be understood. Of these strings, 32 of them are 32 characters long, and 9 are various shorter lengths.

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

Xbox One

On Xbox One, the printer will display one of the following 47 unique strings. Of these strings, 35 of them are 36 characters long, and the remaining 12 are a variety of lengths, shorter than 36. At this time, their meaning has yet to be determined. Note that one of the strings was observed to occur about exactly twice as often as the rest. 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.

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

We have made a bit of progress understanding the scheme of these, but haven't completely cracked it yet. After looking carefully for patterns, it was discovered that they could be arranged to form an ascii circle which serves as a scheme to give every code a definite position in the order. This reveals unknown information encoded as dashes overlaid on top of the circle. This also explains why the reoccurring line occurs twice as often: the top and bottom of the circle happen to be perfectly identical.

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

iOS

On iOS (iPhone and iPad), 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