All giveaways have been found. Congratulations to all of the participants!


8

Ready?

Are you sure?

It's time for a group puzzle!

Now make sure you follow the rules.

Break them, and you are disqualified!

Oh, here's a hint.

Wikipedia for spelling and punctuation.


Rules are as follows:

You May:
* Share itstoohard answers  
* Share puzzle methods  
You May NOT:
* Share itstoohard codes or links  
* Share giveaway codes or links  

Follow these rules at all times, unless specifically told otherwise.

Rules Example:

There are many different puzzles you may encounter  
6 of them could be extremely difficult  
xcept there may be hints hidden around the place  
Zzzzzzzz  
l am falling asleep, so you need to work faster
You may say:
* Take the first character of every sentence to construct a giveaway code.  
You may NOT say:
* The giveaway code for this puzzle is T6xZI

Additional rules:

You may NOT share youtube links, but you may share steamgifts forum links and itstoohard puzzles NOT made by me stage 3.
Basically, my intention is for everyone to at least know how to do all the steps of the puzzles. I don't want random freeloaders taking the work of everyone else and just getting directly linked to the giveaways.


Other notes:

  • Giveaways start on Sept. 11 and end on Sept. 25. Sorry for starting a couple of days earlier than planned :P
  • I tried as many hints as possible without giving the puzzles away, but if they still are very esoteric, there's a reason why it's a group puzzle. Bouncing ideas off of each other is both allowed and completely encouraged.
  • Needless to say, work together! You can't solve this on your own.
  • I'm usually in chat, so feel free to contact me if you think I've made a mistake.
  • All answers are in english.
  • The quiz questions are themed by platform.
  • You don't need to brute force any of the puzzles. If you don't think you have enough information, you probably don't

Now get cracking!

You may want this for later

12 years ago*

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done with the puzzle :P

12 years ago
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Looking nice, still going on with the second link stuff and the gurls.

12 years ago
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Clever.

12 years ago
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I liek diz.

12 years ago
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Bumping this up. We could use a little more help.

12 years ago
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And im still in the first giveaway trying to get the first link D:

12 years ago
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I just replied to a question Tomal asked partway down the giveaway page that might help clarify things.

12 years ago
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I may not

12 years ago
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It's Too Hard!!!
:P

12 years ago
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im in the 3rd giveaway! yay

12 years ago
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Stage 3 puzzle, single question: answer is "Terminal Velocity". Thank God I saved my notes from Jexel's puzzle. ;) Not sure what to do with the result, though.

12 years ago
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Perhaps this is when we use the arrows?

12 years ago
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Yep, was just reaching back into my notepad file to find all the arrows. Sounds like it has potential.

12 years ago
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I was thinking about it, but we have only 4...

12 years ago
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we have 7. ... at least I do

edit: seven, sorry I miscounted, I'm dumb.

12 years ago
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dang I have 7 lol

12 years ago
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8? I'm missing one

mNW681q

ULDRUDR

12 years ago
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If you look at the sequence of arrows, we're missing a Left arrow.

12 years ago
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This is exactly the same stuff I noted down, as well.

12 years ago
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Since they are imgur.com links, I think we can share them. He said no sharing giveaway or itstoohard links.

12 years ago
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Yeah, I only have seven as well. Where'd you find the eighth?

12 years ago
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istoohard links have 8 characters

12 years ago
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we have 7 arrows, in order of apareance we have up, left, down, right, up, DOWN, right, we are missing a left one?

12 years ago
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I knew I had heard this music somewhere... deep, deep down in my mind. I played this game a lot back when I was younger.

Not sure if the description given in the puzzle fits, though.

EDIT: Okay, so there is another game that is also a valid answer. I suppose the music is used in both of them.

12 years ago
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GENTLEMEN! The other left is four!
m8
N4 q6
W1

12 years ago
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How did you come up with that?

12 years ago
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I was thinking maybe because "Left 4 Dead" is quoted in the first giveaway. Of course, I could totally be wrong.

12 years ago
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Notice it says "stage 3?" at the top? the others were "stage 1", "stage 2". maybe the ? means something, like we haven't found the real stage 3

12 years ago
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Ok, so we're at a bit of an impasse. Outstanding, unused hints that spring to mind for me:

-Solving the stage 2 quiz provided a string of 8 letters/numbers that do not seem to form an itstoohard link (at least not directly).
-We have 7 arrows, each pointing in a different direction with a single letter or number.
-Each giveaway page has featured a snippet of text referring to a game completely separate from the game being given away. First one refers to Left 4 Dead, second one Driver: SF, third one Anno 2070.

Anyone got any ideas on where to go with any of that? Or anything I'm missing?

12 years ago
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His youtoube account name was missing the "j". I subbed that as our eighth letter for the arrow group, but couldn't get anything with it. Tried UUDDLRLR too.

12 years ago
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I'm rewatching the audio clip video. If he borrowed Jexel's song, he might have borrowed his trick of hiding a quick flash of information in the middle of a long, otherwise motionless video, too. ;)

[edit]: No luck there, unless I missed something.

12 years ago
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Tried taking the J out of OcZJKkXbf as well, didn't lead to any quiz.

12 years ago
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Good idea to try that one. It might still be the trick to the puzzle, but the letter could be wrong.

12 years ago
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He also says "deja vu perhaps?" for the third giveaway. Might be something to that.

12 years ago
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I'm assuming that refers to reusing the question from Jexel's puzzle.

12 years ago
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He just said it means more than we think it does.

12 years ago
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My brain is at its max level and it isnt enough D:

12 years ago
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Alright here's two tips that you may have not noticed and looked rather strange:

  • The 8 at the beginning of this post.
  • The first letter of each phrase in the beginning spell RAINBOW.

Anything?

12 years ago
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Good eye there, it might be related to something, but I don't think it's for anything right now.

12 years ago
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Perhaps a password. I think 8 refers to the number of stages.

12 years ago
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since we got to the quiz2 by shifting, i tried to shift those leters (Q2 "answer")with the number and direction, no luck

12 years ago
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Found it. Trying to post this without violating Jatan's rules: here's quiz 10B from Jexel's massive group puzzle. Check the comments on the video that Jatan reused.

12 years ago
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Welp, now we're at stage 3.

12 years ago
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Q1: Pizza

12 years ago
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Pretty sure Q2 refers to "Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage," but I don't have the answer beyond that.

12 years ago
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Q2 is probably about Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage if that helps.

12 years ago
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Hah, you beat me by 18 seconds.

12 years ago
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:)

12 years ago
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For reference

1 - NES

2 - N64

3 - Genesis

4 - Dreamcast

5 - PC

6 - SNES

7 - PSX

8 - DS

9 - Gameboy

12 years ago
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Q8: hollow pen

12 years ago
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Oh, durr. I was typing the name of the game, didn't read the question correctly.

12 years ago
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How were we ever supposed to figure this one out, lol.

12 years ago
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Magic.

12 years ago
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A bunch of people did jexel's last puzzle. I assumed that at least a few of you would remember it. Looks like I was right ^^

12 years ago
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Some of those songs are absolutely seared into my brain. I was working on Jexel's puzzle when we discovered that he had hidden flashes of information in some of the videos, so I was one of a couple people sitting there staring intently rewatching all the videos to find anything we might have missed. Instant deja vu when I clicked play on yours!

12 years ago
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Q9: Kingdom Crusade

Q8: Hollow Pen

12 years ago
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Q2 is: Archmage's Staff

12 years ago
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Q7: Dark Souls

12 years ago
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Q6 refers to 7th Saga on SNES

12 years ago
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Moon rune

12 years ago
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Q6: Moon Rune

12 years ago
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Q3: 72

12 years ago
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Q4 -- omikron: the nomad soul

12 years ago
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Nice find.

12 years ago
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Thumbs up! Q5: Leather Goddesses of Phobos

12 years ago
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Nice all done now

12 years ago
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Thanks

12 years ago
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Thanks

It's a really cool game with a good story. it's on pc as well. David Bowie did the soundtrack.

12 years ago
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Q5: Leather Goddesses of Phobos

12 years ago
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i want your brain, naw!

12 years ago
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What... Stage 3 quiz has 2 solvers... Share your answers mystery solver!!!

12 years ago
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I solved it twice. It bugged on me the first time I solved it, so I had to re-enter all of the answers

12 years ago
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When I found it there were already 2 players, and 2 solvers, with only 18 guesses. I'm assuming Jatan tested it twice or something.

12 years ago
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From what I can tell from the two quizzes so far, the themes are:

  1. NES
  2. Nintendo 64
  3. Genesis / Mega Drive
  4. Dreamcast
  5. DOS / Windows
  6. Super Nintendo
  7. PlayStation
  8. Nintendo DS
  9. Game Boy
12 years ago
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What is Q3, no matter what I type it ain't right
Edit: nevermind, got it

12 years ago
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Only Q4 and Q5 remaining. Who has played all the pervy games of Dreamcast and PC?

12 years ago
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Q4 -- omikron: the nomad soul (and it's NOT pervy. It has David Bowie!)

edit: It's actually an awesome game, you should play it if you can.

12 years ago
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Q5: Leather Goddesses Of Phobos

12 years ago
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At Giveaway #4 "A" and "B" contain an url each.

12 years ago
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Parts of a URL each*

12 years ago
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BUMPING FOR HALP.

We're all stuck on getting the Stage 4 puzzle link right now. We need fresh eyes for this shit.

12 years ago
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End of Day One Update
Stage 1: Solved
Stage 2: Solved
Stage 3: Solved
Stage 4: Solved
Stage 5: In Progress

12 years ago
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Bumpity bump! Stage 5 solved, it seems :3

12 years ago
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Another bump for progress. :) Check giveaway #6 for solution method to find Stage 6 quiz.

12 years ago
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Stage 7 in progress!

12 years ago
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i dont even know how to get the bit.ly link at stage 4!!!!!!

12 years ago
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If anyone can offer a bit more help, I tried implementing the ceasar shift, and for some reason (probably temporary retardation) I can't seem to get it to work.

12 years ago
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Edit your post right NOW. One of your guesses is extremely close, you just somehow messed one of the shifts up, and if you don't edit those out you'll basically be breaking jatan's rules for this and be blacklisted. Recheck them and try again.

12 years ago
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I didn't think that one possibly close guess out of 3 invalid sequences counted as sharing a code or link, and it's pretty hard to show where I am without throwing them out there, isn't it?

12 years ago
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i remember one of the links you posted was nearly the same as the right one, just use the shifter again and see if you get a different one...

12 years ago
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Don't worry about that rule too much. My intent was to make sure that everyone would have to perform the puzzle steps but if you're having trouble I see no problem asking for help as long as the valid link is not given. Showing invalid links while asking for help is fine.

12 years ago
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Thanks jatan, I didn't think I was out of line there.

12 years ago
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The inside of the arrows leads to secret stage 1, I don't understand why noone else has found it yet, is it really too hard?

Also, way before the puzzle went officially online I got to one of the giveaways. I assume it will be easier to get there from one of the stages, but 5 giveaways have something special about them. And I could find the giveaway even before this thread has been created. Think, what would I be able to see. One of you started questioning that element on one of the giveaways.

12 years ago
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Are you a god?

Also: If people are really knowledgeable about video game music (and I wish to emphasize really) then please join us on Stage 7.

12 years ago
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He's right, it is a secret. but secret stage 1 does exist! :P

12 years ago
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emphasize "really" even more

12 years ago
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:O You could see the future!
Augmentation technology is really amazing!

12 years ago
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A witch! A witch! Burn him!

12 years ago
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you're talking about #12? or 11?

12 years ago
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The first sentence was about giveaway #12, the second paragraph about #14

12 years ago
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thanks, got them both. was hoping it was 11.

12 years ago
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Closed 12 years ago by jatan11t.