| “ | Under a watchful eye(s), our story continues into the eerie Game Station... | ” |
| — Mob Entertainment[1] | ||
The Story So Far: Chapter 2 is a storytelling tape that retells the story of Chapter 2: "Fly in a Web" of Poppy Playtime. The video is narrated by a familiar-sounding narrator, and contains several hints that lead to the Chapter 4 ARG.
Analysis[]
The tape begins with the black screen and redacted date (XX-XX-2005) from the first tape. Meanwhile, Playtime Co.'s security system creates a second security log. This time, the system documents unscheduled transit access originating from the Game Station, referring to The Player's usage of the Train.
The camera then cuts to a shot of Poppy Playtime's glass case (now open and empty), while a familiar voice states that the now-freed doll "began to guide the intruder through the office of Elliot Ludwig." During this part of the narration, the image transitions to footage of The Player approaching the red door of Elliot Ludwig's Office, entering the office for the first time in years.
Next, the camera displays an overhead shot of the Brown VHS Tape and Experiment 814 document, before shifting and slowly zooming in towards the TV above the Brown VCR. A clip of the biography's concluding statement is heard: "How did he manage to stay determined, even after suffering such a tragic loss? It all began..."
The narrator states that when Poppy gave the intruder an escape route, they swiftly jumped at the opportunity. Footage of the two's second encounter in the Maintenance Closet is shown as Poppy revealed her plan: "I'd like to pay you back! There is a train station nearby. It needs a code, and I have it." As the intruder exits the vents and travels to the Navigation Room, the narrator insinuates Poppy's plan was easier said than done, foreshadowing what would happen next.
The subsequent scene displayed footage of Poppy's capture by a pink hand and The Player pursuing them a few seconds later. The latter's descent into the depths brought them out at the Senior Staff Access Hall, facing the entrance to the Game Station. As they approached the facility, the intruder came face-to-face with Poppy's abductor: Mommy Long Legs. During the encounter, the narrator remarked that Mommy's history meant the Game Station partially belonged to her. He also revealed her plan for the two trespassers: to use them as participants in the facility's games. (Though Poppy's diminutive stature rendered her unfit to participate.) Mommy warned her would-be contestant to, quote: "Obey the rules, or I’ll tear you apart... and eat your insides... while you’re still alive."
The camera then cuts to the intruder entering the Game Station, before transitioning to an overhead shot of a mechanical trapdoor sliding open; this revealed a staircase leading to the first game, which the narrator revealed to be Musical Memory. During footage of the ex-employee's struggles in the game's fifth round, the narrator stated that the game was a simple cognitive test, one once useful to the Special Projects division. After completing the game, the intruder exits through a vent, passing through the Rejected Room during their trek back to the Game Station.
Next, the camera displayed footage of The Player using their GrabPack during the second game, which the narrator revealed was Wack-a-Wuggy. He explained that this game was primarily focused on the reaction times of its participants, while also remarking on the hyperactivity of the Mini Huggies, the primary obstacles for said game.
As the camera showed the ex-employee's journey following Wack-a-Wuggy, the narrator revealed they were heading toward the last game, but encountered a "familiar silhouette" in the Cart Corridors. The following scene revealed the silhouette (initially perceived as Huggy Wuggy) to be Kissy Missy. The narrator noticed that she displayed a more passive yet wary demeanor, and she helped the intruder pass through the halls before retreating into the darkness.
The subsequent scene shows The Player in the last section of Statues, the third game, while being slowly approached by PJ Pug-a-Pillar, whose appearance the narrator described as "over a dozen legs and a long winding body". The former employee ultimately escapes the experiment, and the scene transitions to them leaving the Incinerating Room via a bridge. As the narrator voices his statement, "When they came face to face with Mommy Long Legs, though..." she climbs onto the bridge and begins pursuing the intruder in her hostile form; the narrator finishing his sentence with, "There was nothing left but anger."
The camera then shows transitional footage of Mommy's climactic chase. As the chase scene reaches its conclusion, the intruder activates the machinery that Mommy Long Legs got her hand stuck in, and the footage cuts to black. The next scene revealed The Prototype's hand appearing to collect Mommy's severed torso, with the narrator voicing an ominous statement: What's left of her... is his now."
The next scene reveals the intruder reuniting with Poppy in a control room above the Game Station, who tells them "[they] need to leave." After The Player inputs the code and starts the train, they finally leave the Game Station behind. The narrator remarked that despite the path to freedom being clear, an unexpected event occurred. Said event was Poppy changing the train's destination - thwarting the ex-employee's escape attempt - as she still had need of their services, which were invaluable to her.
As the train unintentionally picked up speed - ultimately crashing and derailing at the secondary Train Station despite the intruder's best efforts - the narrator discussed Poppy's actions, stating that, quote: "It has long been the custom of those who call this factory home to use others for personal gain. To stab them in the back." Upon the train's derailing, the tape cuts to black and ends with one last statement from the narrator: "I'm certain it came to Poppy naturally."
Transcript[]
 |
Synthetic Voice:
"Playtime Co. Security Log 0 1 2 6." Synthetic Voice:"Unscheduled transit access in Game Station." ("Fly in a Web" plays in the background.) Narrator:"With Poppy out of her case, she began to guide the intruder through the office of Elliot Ludwig." [VHS Tape]:"How did he manage to stay determined, even after suffering such a tragic loss? It all began..." Narrator:"When Poppy gave them an out, there was little protest." Poppy Playtime:"I'd like to pay you back! There is a train station nearby. It needs a code, and I have it." Narrator:"Were it so easy..." Poppy Playtime:"Listen. I'm going to need you to trust me-*screams*" ("One Last Game" plays in the background.)) Narrator:"The Intruder followed closely behind, descending into another section of the facility." Narrator:"The Game Station." Narrator:"It was here the Intruder met another of Playtime's creations." Mommy Long Legs:"*gasps* A new playmate!" ("A Doll in Distress" plays in the background.} Narrator: Narrator:"In some ways, The Game Station had been hers." Narrator:"And so, with two trespassers in her reach, she saw fit to make a game of Poppy and her... friend." Mommy Long Legs:"Obey the rules, or I’ll tear you apart... and eat your insides... while you’re still alive." ("The Game Station" plays in the background.) Narrator:"First stop was Musical Memory. A cognitive test; simple but a useful metric for us." ("The Tale of Barry" plays in the background.) Narrator:"Next was Whack-a-Wuggy, primarily concerned with reaction times... how those small ones always scurry and swarm." Narrator:"The ex-employee made their way to the third and final game but not before running into a familiar silhouette." Narrator:"This experiment, Kissy Missy, had a calmer more cautious demeanor. She even helped our intruder pass through the halls." Narrator:"At the last game, over a dozen legs and a long winding body slinked behind our trespasser." ("One Last Game" plays in the background.) Narrator:"When they came face to face with Mommy Long Legs, though, there was nothing left but anger." ("Narrator" plays in the background.) Narrator:"What's left of her... is his now." ("When I'm Free" plays in the background.) Narrator:"And inside a control room, far above the Game Station, they were reunited with Poppy." Poppy Playtime:"I'll board the train. We need to leave...." Narrator:"They entered the completed code and the old engine began to stir." Narrator:"The path leading out seemed clear and yet.... something unforeseen happened." Poppy Playtime:"You are perfect... Too perfect to lose... I'm sorry... I can't let you leave. ("Downward Spiral" plays in the background.) Narrator:"It has long been the custom of those who call this factory home to use others for personal gain. To stab them in the back." Narrator:"I'm certain it came to Poppy naturally." |
Findings[]
Going frame-by-frame at the beginning of the video revealed a hexadecimal code: "45 6C 65 76 65 6E 20 57 6F 72 64 73 20 47 6F 6F 64 20 4C 75 63 6B." This code, once decoded, formed the message "Eleven Words Good Luck". Said message informed users to search for eleven words, which were encrypted into eight codes hidden throughout the video.
The first code appeared four frames after the hexadecimal code and gave the phrase "gs tuz".
The second code appeared twenty-six seconds into the video and gave the phrase "rcvju".
The third code appeared forty-four seconds into the video and gave the phrase "wxuqlqj".
The fourth code appeared one minute and thirty-seven seconds into the video and gave the phrase "wn lmibp".
The fifth code appeared two minutes into the video and gave the phrase "gzy n".
The sixth code appeared two minutes and twenty seconds into the video and gave the phrase "pwfs".
The seventh code appeared two minutes and thirty-eight seconds into the video and gave the phrase "hmyhpk".
The eighth and final code appeared two minutes and forty-three seconds into the video and gave the phrase "gpiev".
After finding all eight codes, fans used a Caesar cipher (each code requiring a different letter shift) to decode the eleven words:
1-2. "am not"
3. "paths"
4. "turning"
5-6. "of death"
7-8. "but I"
9. "over"
10. "afraid"
11. "clear"
Mixing up and arranging the words formed the sentence: "But I am not afraid of death, over paths turning clear." This sentence, when combined with the message from the first story recap, formed a four-line stanza with an ABAB rhyme scheme.
sleep draws ever near.
But I am not afraid of death,
over paths turning clear.
Trivia[]
- The narrator's comment about the inhabitants using others for personal gain draws similarities to the F.U.N.F.A.C.T.O.R.Y. guidelines, which "encouraged" employees to report their colleagues if they broke a rule, furthering their own position as a result.[2] (Something that Avery did to his friend Rich Lovitz when the latter insulted the company.)
[]
- ↑ https://x.com/mobgamesstudios/status/1816503765639303378
- ↑ Orientation Notebook | Pg. 15 | "If you see anyone breaking company rules, or acting in a way that might work against the company's interests, report it to a member of the security team at once. A lot of our most valued employees got where they are today by reporting on their colleagues!"