No Players Online is a game that has taken the indie scene by storm over the past week. What was initially thought to be a short horror throwback to classic FPS arena shooters has now spiraled into a full-on alternate reality game that holds too many questions. Ahead is a guide of everything we know and how to reach the ending.
Spoilers ahead
The Konami Code
Once you’ve completed a playthrough and returned the final flag, you’ll be kicked back to the server list (main menu) and receive the prompt “Kicked From Server, Reason: Connection To Host Lost.” Even after quitting the game and launching it once more, your server list will be empty. At this point, you might assume you’ve experienced the game in its entirety, but there is so much more to see! Entering the infamous Konami Code (up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A) on the empty server screen brings back the server list and allows for another playthrough.
Assuming you take the typical players path on your first playthrough and play a 2nd playthrough, John will join your game. While delivering the 3rd flag back to your base, you’ll receive a message from John saying “Why are you here again??” followed by “Please, just leave us alone..” At this point JOHN_DEV will join the game. Upon first inspection, you may not recognize a difference in the game world but if you head to the center of the map and look to the skies, you’ll see a floating eye! Pretty creepy, but now would be a good time to put that gun to use. Shooting the eye begins a cutscene of somebody writing with a pencil on paper. It’s pretty hard to make out, but it’s gotta mean something, right?
A Hidden Date Disguised as a Save File
In the games itch.io page, along with the game itself a file called “100percent_save_file.sav” can be downloaded. At first glance, it looks like just that, a typical .sav document containing a save file. However, opening the file in an image viewer shows that the file is actually a photo of a streetlamp and the date 11/15/19 in the bottom left corner. On 11/15/19, we received version 2.0 of the game, this is where the bulk of the mystery began.
Everything from here on can seemingly only be accessed on version 2.0 of the game.
The Hidden Sound Test Menu and Removing Mesh #345
On the server screen, typing the word “haunt” will take you to a sound test menu. This sound test claims to have 1,389 sounds and we find the game is made by Enuit Games LTD. You have the option to enter a 5 digit code here; entering any string of numbers will seemingly play sounds at random, however, entering the number “25467” will play a loud scream sound effect and give you the message “Removed Mesh #345 collision.”
Following the removal of mesh #345, entering a server and navigating to the middle of the map where the pit now means you can drop through this area and fall beneath the map for quite a way. After falling for a while, you will be spawned into a new area; it’s a dark, grimy room that contains messages written on the walls and floor, screens of code and an eye flickering and a large tube in the center with a flag, connected to a keypad and a monitor telling you to enter a 6-digit code “To Confirm Removal Of File: SRH.CS.”
The Ending and How to Get the Code
After a few hours of digging through the game’s files, discord user @Cr4ck Horse#5896 located a file called “Level 7.” Opening this file with notepad, you will want to scroll until you see a message saying “PLEASE MERGE WITH VESSEL TO BEGIN SOUL TRANSFER.” Scrolling a bit further down provides you the code 191421. Return to the keypad in the secret room and enter the code. This will then open the tube with the flag, and entering the tube will cause you to be kicked back to the server screens. Now, every server is full! Selecting a server will begin the credits.
No Players Online is a mysterious experience, one that begs for players to dig deeper and discuss all of its possible secrets. The story and some loose ends are still being pieced together by the community at developers Adam Pype and Viktor Kraus’ itch.io page as well as the Discord ‘Some Players Online.’
