Adventure Puzzle Game “Inside”

It seems to be a story about a little boy used as an experiment trying to escape a desolate island?

This post was written on June 29, 2017, refreshed on Dec 25, 2020. “Inside” was free for one day on Epic today.

Wikipedia Summary

“Inside” is a puzzle-platformer in which players control an unnamed boy in a red shirt exploring a surreal, mostly monochrome 2.5D world with occasional splashes of color. Players can walk, run, swim, climb, and interact with objects. Midway through the game, the boy gains the ability to mind-control bodies to solve puzzles. If players fail to solve certain puzzles in time—such as being hit by a hunter’s tranquilizer dart, caught or eaten by dogs, or drowning—the boy dies. Like “Limbo,” the boy’s death is depicted with unsettling animation, and the game restarts from the nearest checkpoint. Some scenes contain hidden rooms with small orbs; if all orbs are deactivated during play, a secret ending is unlocked.

Why I Bought Inside

During a summer sale of some finance app, I heard “Inside” was good, so I bought it.

The Normal Ending

This blob of flesh seems to be formed by many experimental subjects like the boy? What makes the game thought-provoking is:

It looks like a puzzle game about escaping a deserted island, but in the end you were just a test subject designed by others, and you still die.

The Hidden Ending

This ending is similar. The boy fails to escape the island. When he pulls the main power, he realizes he is just another experimental subject—no power means no life source.

My Takeaway

From knowing nothing at the start to learning the truth step by step, you realize the early struggle was meaningless.

Some Chilling Thoughts

What’s scary is that when the boy controls Experimental Subject #1, Subject #1 can also control Subject #2. So if you’re controlling your computer, who’s controlling you?