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Outer Wilds |OT| Life, the universe, and everything else all in 20 minutes!
- Thread starter Jawmuncher
- Start date
Not sure about a guide, but the Wiki is pretty comprehensive.
Otherwise people in here (myself included) are happy to provide hints if you're having trouble. We can be as spoilery or as non-spoilery as you like ;)
This is a pretty good one with escalating hints and explanations spoiler tagged
Steam Community :: Guide :: Spoiler-Safe Outer Wilds FAQ
Are you stuck on just one thing and it's driving you nuts, and you want to get it over with so you can move on? Are you thinking of consulting a guide, but it feels wrong to just be handed the answer
Not that this would have had a major impact on your overall experience, but did you know that
you can sleep at the bonfire on Timber Hearth to speed up time? That may have made your wait for the sand column a little more bearable.
Thanks for input. I was aware of it and it certainly helped. Now that it has been some time since i completed the game it has certainly grown on me. It really is one of the most unique games i have played in a good while and the design is really top notch outside snag i mentioned in my spoiler. Any news on what the studio is up to next because i will certainly have an eye out for what these talented people can create
I think there are three main things driving people away:
- controls for the ship and the jetpack have a steep learning curve (but are really good IMO)
- basically no hand holding, you proceed if you're curious enough to investigate around, not because you reach an icon in the map
- the time-loop can be daunting for some
If these are not problems or you get invested enough in the story to overcome them, you'll be rewarded with a truly wonderful little game.
No real way to know if you're going to like without trying.
Also - there are a lot of people for whom thinking, reading, and unravelling a story is exactly what they don't want from a video game. As it turned out, it was exactly what I wanted, though - Outer Wilds, without hyperbole, gave me one of the best experiences I've ever had playing a video game. But that doesn't mean everyone's going to like it.
Perhaps once it releases on Switch, we'll start hearing how it's one of the best games of all time more. 😭
Oh boy. I want to say "you ain't seen nothin' yet" but I don't know what you've seen! You may well have seen some things.
Hope you continue to enjoy. It certainly doesn't let up in the "haunting beauty of space" department.
I've been to the giant deep so far, that was really something. Can't believe how awe inspiring this game feels, trying to get the hang of the ship controls so far so I don't keep crashing around on the planets. But yeah just floating around space is damn relaxing.
Now I want someone to give me a selective lobotomy and remove my memories of playing this game; I just learned, courtesy the DLC podcast, that there's a user mod for Outer Wilds that makes it completely playable via the Quest. Full hand controls and even added VR tutorials. One of the things that VR brings in a way that flat screens can't possibly compare is a sense of scale, and I can't imagine how incredible Outer Wilds in VR would be.
I've been playing this for about three hours now and really like it (apart from the janky controls).
There's one thing I don't get, though: According to the log, I had missed something on a planet. So I returned there to explore it again, and for some reason the Nomai writings which I've already read/translated are now untranslated again. How come?
Do I have like return to the ship to save? Because I might have died when I explored this part of the planet the last time; I can't remember.
There's one thing I don't get, though: According to the log, I had missed something on a planet. So I returned there to explore it again, and for some reason the Nomai writings which I've already read/translated are now untranslated again. How come?
Do I have like return to the ship to save? Because I might have died when I explored this part of the planet the last time; I can't remember.
There's no saving in that sense, the only persistent thing in the game is your ship log. Each loop is a reset besides your knowledge.
Yup, I understood that not long after posting my previous post. In-universe, it makes sense, of course.
I'm kinda stuck now. Not totally stuck as I haven't visited all planets yet, but on the planets I already have visited, there's a few locations I can't figure out how to access. I'll keep playing for a bit longer before asking for hints. I'd rather figure this out on my own.
There are a couple locations that you can only visit at certain points in the loop. I put 50 hours into the game, and towards the end there were still some things I couldn't quite figure out without looking them up; usually I had the right idea but wasn't doing it the right way. I don't think there's any shame in looking up something if continuing to fruitlessly beat your head against it would lessen your enjoyment of the game.
Spoiler-safe hint guide if you need it
steamcommunity.com
Steam Community :: Guide :: Spoiler-Safe Outer Wilds FAQ
Are you stuck on just one thing and it's driving you nuts, and you want to get it over with so you can move on? Are you thinking of consulting a guide, but it feels wrong to just be handed the answer
Just popping in to say I've been playing this on Gamepass for the first time the past couple days and it's absolutely incredible. This is like the game of my dreams. The feeling of discovery and how rewarding exploration feels is out of this world. So many little things happening have just floored me. It's a real gem of a game and I've barely scratched the surface.
So glad I went in to this completely blind as well. Knew basically nothing about it before playing.
So glad I went in to this completely blind as well. Knew basically nothing about it before playing.
Oh, I'm not doing that. I tried a few approaches, and then gave up and explored other locations instead. By doing so, I've actually figured out how to get into one of them. The others are still a mystery, though.
What does lessen my enjoyment, though, is having to backtrack to the location I'm currently exploring all the time. Brittle Hollow was a Nightmare. I've lost count about how many times I fell into the black hole and proceeded to smash my face against the nearest rock so I could restart and go all the way back there, again.
Spoiler-safe hint guide if you need it
Steam Community :: Guide :: Spoiler-Safe Outer Wilds FAQ
Are you stuck on just one thing and it's driving you nuts, and you want to get it over with so you can move on? Are you thinking of consulting a guide, but it feels wrong to just be handed the answer
Thanks!
Some areas are more tricky than others to navigate, getting better with ship and jetpack control will help.
By the way if you want some spoiler-free answers to specific questions you can ask here :)
I had one of the more incredible experiences you can have with the game at Brittle Hollow, and it's possible I'm the only person for whom this happened:
I tried many times to get into the Tower of Quantum Knowledge, but could never manage it. Towards the end of my playthrough, I misjudged a jump on Brittle Hollow and fell towards the black hole. I tried to avoid it using my thrusters, and managed to slingshot my way around it. I was going at an incredibly fast velocity at that point, so I was startled to almost instantaneously find myself inside the Tower. In later reading about the game, I found out that the entire solar system is constantly running throughout it, so that the celestial motions all happen at the right time, but in order to conserve resources they turn off collision detection on everything not in your immediate vicinity. I suspect I was going so fast that collision detection was turned off when I rocketed through the ToQK's wall, but was on by the time I would have rocketed out the other side, so that far side wall kept me contained within. I still don't know how you're supposed to get into the Tower (actually, I think I remember reading that most people simply wait for it to show up at the White Hole), but I'm pretty sure it's not by slingshotting yourself around the black hole.
[edit: previously misidentified the Tower of Quantum Knowledge as the Southern Observatory. It's been a while; I can still see it in my head, but I'd forgotten the name.]
[edit: previously misidentified the Tower of Quantum Knowledge as the Southern Observatory. It's been a while; I can still see it in my head, but I'd forgotten the name.]
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Brittle Hollow is the most "platforming" you have to do in the game and some bits are quite difficult. I would take a break from it and do other planets. It's not linear so it's no tlike you can completely tick off one planet and move to the next. You have to dip in and out a bit.
Also - you can avoid the black hole if you manage to loop around it and hit one of the blue wavy tubes
Also - if you go through it, there is interesting stuff you can do on the other side...let me know if you've done some of that and I can test you :-)
Also - you can avoid the black hole if you manage to loop around it and hit one of the blue wavy tubes
Also - if you go through it, there is interesting stuff you can do on the other side...let me know if you've done some of that and I can test you :-)
Taking a break: That's what I did. But now there's apparently only one thing left to do in Brittle Hollow, and it seems to be important.
Black hole: Yeah, that's what I do, if I can manage it.
Other side: Yup, I've already visited the station. I also had a brief look at the debris from the planet, but I didn't see anything interesting there.
Black hole: Yeah, that's what I do, if I can manage it.
Other side: Yup, I've already visited the station. I also had a brief look at the debris from the planet, but I didn't see anything interesting there.
Ok - there may be a bit more you can do on the other side....there's also a much more general thing you can do there but you can do it from lots of other places too so it doesn't really count
As a bit of a hint - bear the planet debris in mind if you come across another puzzle later in your explorations
As a bit of a hint - bear the planet debris in mind if you come across another puzzle later in your explorations
By coincidence, I realized that this is how I can get to the top of the Quantum Tower. Man, even though someone actually mentioned it here just recently, I didn't realize it!
Are there any other ways to get to the top?
Also, which much more general thing are you talking about?
Are there any other ways to get to the top?
Also, which much more general thing are you talking about?
Spoiler about a certain location:
I revisited the Quantum Moon and figured out how to get to the North Pole. I'm talking to Solanum right now, this is just incredible.
Ah I should probably tap out, you've figured out more than I did when I did it!!
no, as far as I know that's the only way to get into the tower of quantum knowledge. That's the way you're supposed to do it.
With the quantum moon I completely missed that using a photo would lock it in place...so I spent hours wondering how to approach it directly from the north pole. So I had to look that up. :( Well done you for figuring it all out!
The more general thing is that you can get from white hole station to one of the other "planets" early in the time loop...but you don't need to, you can fly to it whenever you want.
I'm assuming you've "used" white hole station?
With the quantum moon I completely missed that using a photo would lock it in place...so I spent hours wondering how to approach it directly from the north pole. So I had to look that up. :( Well done you for figuring it all out!
The more general thing is that you can get from white hole station to one of the other "planets" early in the time loop...but you don't need to, you can fly to it whenever you want.
I'm assuming you've "used" white hole station?
Makes sense, I really I couldn't see any other way. Maybe slingshotting using the black hole? But damn, you'd need so much luck.
Locking it was obvious to me. But the third writing in the tower said that there's additional quantum stuff I needed to know, which I assumed to be in the Quantum Tower. That's why I didn't even bother trying anything and returned after visiting that tower. When I noticed that the environment outside the moon tower had changed, I realized that I could get closer to the north pole that way.
Oh, I assume you're talking about the interloper. I think I saw it flying by pretty close to the white hole. That's one of the two locations I haven't visited yet. The interloper, Dark Bramble, plus of course all locations not on the star map (presumably just the eye).
Sure did!
Locking it was obvious to me. But the third writing in the tower said that there's additional quantum stuff I needed to know, which I assumed to be in the Quantum Tower. That's why I didn't even bother trying anything and returned after visiting that tower. When I noticed that the environment outside the moon tower had changed, I realized that I could get closer to the north pole that way.
Oh, I assume you're talking about the interloper. I think I saw it flying by pretty close to the white hole. That's one of the two locations I haven't visited yet. The interloper, Dark Bramble, plus of course all locations not on the star map (presumably just the eye).
Sure did!
Oh, man, you've still got some amazing things left to see; really enjoying vicariously reliving the experience through your posts! What a great game.
Hmm. Does the game really expect me to navigate through these spike balls in this really tight area using my jetpack? It seems like it does but that seems kind of insane.
Worst part of the game so far for sure. The worst part is the attempt, death, then having to go all the way back there. It's not even like you can just go straight back. I gotta sleep for a bit first.
Seriously is this even possible or is there something I'm missing?
Worst part of the game so far for sure. The worst part is the attempt, death, then having to go all the way back there. It's not even like you can just go straight back. I gotta sleep for a bit first.
Seriously is this even possible or is there something I'm missing?
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It's possible, but it's not meant to be how you do it.
Stepwise hints. Stop reading once you've got an idea!
You do not have to jet pack through the corridor.
What's the defining feature of the Ash Twin and Ember Twin?
Would it help if I called them the Hourglass Twins?
You mention dying and having to get back there. Are you having to wait around before you can get in?
GIVEAWAY ANSWER:
Be at the building at the right time, and you can walk through on the descending sand.
One of my favorite moments so far was
flying from one module of the Sun Station to the other, trying to get through the door at high speed, while trying to escape the Sun's gravitational pull and avoiding debris, followed by looking at the Sun from the Sun Station's control room. Damn. Reminded me of movies like Interstellar or Sunshine.
I just wanna say that it's easier than it looks, I was blocked there for a while because I thought the game would give me something to get rid of the cacti, but then trying a few times and staying closer to the roof I managed to fly in. Still, there's another way.
Alright I read all the hints other than the solution and I still have no clue. Before reading any hints I figured it was something to do with
the sand. I thought maybe the effect of the sand pull would still be felt inside or it would raise the cacti or yourself or something. No. After reading thr hint that said hourglass twins I thought maybe there's an identical place on the direct other planet and I'm supposed to stand on the roof and let it pull me to the other planet. No. Your last hint makes me think somehow I'm supposed to go there BEFORE the sand is pulled to the other planet but that doesn't make sense. Got any more hints without the solution? Or a point to which of my ideas are closer. One thing. I see in the room that there's a warp point. Which makes me believe maybe you can only get there by warping from a completely different location. But then I think it's only a warp entry not an exit
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Seems like you're really close to reaching the solution, so I'm not sure any more hints can be given without giving the solution away. :p
I'd just suggest just giving it one more go. The cacti and the sand are linked in some way (albeit loosely), and it's probably more straightforward than you think.
I'll drop some hints here if you find yourself stuck again, but they'll probably give a lot away:
Try using the sand to your advantage
Someone mentioned hourglass. What's the purpose of an hourglass?
And by the way, if I remember correctly I don't think there's any use in brute forcing this part.
The
sand doesn't have any effect inside the structure though. It doesn't fill up with sand. It doesn't drain anything from inside all it does is open your way in. It doesn't suck you up while you're inside. Short of trying waiting until the very end of the loop to see if that somehow effects something inside I don't know.
Unless....the dude did say that at certain times the sand does go the opposite direction. I've personally never seen it go the other way. Maybe I'm supposed to wait until it does, if it does? But I mean I don't wanna sit there for 20 minutes waiting to see if something ever happens that probably doesn't
Unless....the dude did say that at certain times the sand does go the opposite direction. I've personally never seen it go the other way. Maybe I'm supposed to wait until it does, if it does? But I mean I don't wanna sit there for 20 minutes waiting to see if something ever happens that probably doesn't
This might give the answer but it's crucial to what you're missing. You're close enough that it's VERY hard not to just give the answer outright.
This is as vague as possible.
You're wrong about something in your post
Slightly more explicit
The room does fill up with sand.
Wait ... are you on the ash twin (one that loses sand) or the ember twin (one that gains sand)?
Can I break the glass on top of the structure somehow? That seems to be the only way sand would effect anything inside. But then if I could do that I could just walk in lol
Well the sun supernova'd and the cacti NEVER moved nor did any sand fill or unfull from inside.
Ok just answer this yes or no.
If I stand there for the ENTIRE LOOP, will the room at some point fill with sand without me doing anything else. Le me guess there's a very small window it happens at a very specific point in the loop?