Final secret guide and writeup (Biggest spoilers possible)

[Austellus]

Before I write anything else, let it be known none of this is my work. This was found by a dedicated group of spaders, head over to their thread (Hunt for the Secret Ending) to thank them. This is just a consolidated post.

This is a quick guide to the secret ending, plus explanations of the logic at each step.

First, the part most people manage: Fishing with Chandrelle in SoL will find half a locket, and potentially a message in a bottle. If you use the various walk out of bounds exploits, you can find Carla's computer. Cloning the message in a bottle changes its message to S@XXXX@R177A|XXXXXXXXX|@XXXX$XXX$$@d051

During Waste World, you can walk off the normal path by going right from the entrance to the irradiated city. Doing so lets you get into a fight to save Wizarro.

During Lazarus' chapter, you can fish up the second locket half. You can then walk out of bounds in the lava section to find Wizarro if he was saved in Waste World. Talking to him with the locket has him offer to translate, but he says he needs a cipher.

While mods are loading in Waste World, the text "cipher.cipher?" appears.

Creating a file called cipher.cipher and dropping it in the \SaveData folder will change Wizarro's dialogue. Placing the bottle message text in that is the start, now the missing parts (indicated by Xs) need to be found.

The first part simply says Sarsaparilla in l337 speak, S@rsap@R177A.

The second part is given first through the PUBG section. Going left at the start makes you fight a black player model with a sword, who drops a box with FPPalcon Kick!== Backstage Pass written on it. Using the Down + B command from Combat Arena while in the backstage area of Walk makes you fall through the floor, entering a mysterious area with CRSHACHVS written on the wall. The achievements for crashing the game spell 092X57333 if lined up in the order the games were published.

The third part is given partly through waste world and partly through walk. Both come up in the general loading text jumbles, and are LGIN and DVL. Using these directly won't work, LGIN must be changed to 2734 (The Login password from pony island) and DVL to 666. The final part of the third code just says sado51, Sado being Carla's character (Username Carla51)

(side-note: 2734 is also the answer to one of the sphinx's questions, presumably as a callback)

The total cipher therefore is S@rsap@R177A|092X57333|@2734$666$$@d051

Entering this cipher into cipher.cipher will translate the locket when you talk to Wizzaro.

L: Hey I know things haven't been too great between us lately.
C: ...
L: I don't have any other friends OK? I need a favor.
C: ...
L: If something ever happens to me. Can you make sure this gets into a game? Maybe one of your own?
L: You always wanted to make that fishing game.
L: (.zip file send progress complete)
C: What the hell is this Lionel?
L: Just, please
L: Promise me
L: Remember when we were kids?
L: You used to swing on that swing and yell over to me every time you got above the fence?
C: Ok, ok. Enough of that.
C: I'll hide your creepy files somewhere.
C: I've gotta go.
C: And I'm blocking you.

From here you need to go outside the game. Beneath the Surface is a free fishing game on steam published by Carla51. While playing through it reveals a lot of easter eggs relating to The Hex, the locket that can be fished up is the important one. If cipher.cipher is placed in Beneath the Surface's files, it will be translated to "Type Lionel.exe"

Typing this while playing Beneath the Surface will reveal the final secret.

Edited, thanks to MrInvizible for correcting a mistake in the translated dialogue.

[Aumires]

Uh, guys... surely we shouldn't do anything about... sado.exe?

[MrInvizible]

Originally posted by Aumires:

Uh, guys... surely we shouldn't do anything about... sado.exe?

I'm sure it'll be fine

[MassivePARANOiA]

So I'm a little unclear about something.

What led to the discovery of BtS itself? I get Carla's username is identical, but what led us there? Was it something in game, patch notes, or dumb luck?

[MrInvizible]

Originally posted by MassivePARANOiA:

So I'm a little unclear about something.

What led to the discovery of BtS itself? I get Carla's username is identical, but what led us there? Was it something in game, patch notes, or dumb luck?

Honestly, I noticed it when there was another post about it in the forums. It could have been just someone getting lucky. Or it could've been a Daniel Mullins insider cleverly tipping us off. You'll have to ask them

[Immortius]

I know randomizer from the past (Frog Fractions 2 ARG), so just think it is down to their diligence and observation skills. :)

In theory we would have been tipped off by the decoded conversation, and then discovered BtS, we skipped ahead a little though.

[madpew]

It was however solved shortly after, so I guess we would have gone to find fishing games anyways, and seeing how Daniel Mullins also made "Beneath the ice" the link wouldn't be too hard to get even without the obvious Carla51-developer ;)

[Livingpyramid]

Originally posted by MassivePARANOiA:

What led to the discovery of BtS itself?

One thing that I noticed is in the latest patch notes, the last note mentions fixing the part in Lazarus chapter where Super Weasel Kid is beneath the surface . It's a super subtle nudge but I feel that's what Daniel Mullins' plan was to have players find it.

[jacksonmills]

I was kind of hoping there was going to be more to find after "sado.exe" was installed, but it was a fun ride nonetheless.

[Aumires]

Originally posted by jacksonmills:

I was kind of hoping there was going to be more to find after "sado.exe" was installed, but it was a fun ride nonetheless.

I tried searching all around my system for such a file but no dice. Or in the registry. Was expecting some "Undertale" or "OneShot" kind of resolution with it but I guess not. Or we wait and see what happens...? Sado's parts were the best ones in the game IMO, both intensive and inventive.

[darnok]

Originally posted by Aumires:

Uh, guys... surely we shouldn't do anything about... sado.exe?

I'm living this vicariously- did anyone run Sado.exe? What does it do?

[Austellus]

There's not really a program called that.

[LitteralFish]

so now is the time to record this and put it on youtube. When i posted pony island true ending i goot owhelrwhelming amount of people saying it is fake. Lets see if i get any "this is fake " on this ending. I am also spooked by sado.exe.

[MrInvizible]

Originally posted by Imago:

so now is the time to record this and put it on youtube. When i posted pony island true ending i goot owhelrwhelming amount of people saying it is fake. Lets see if i get any "this is fake " on this ending. I am also spooked by sado.exe.

I mean, people can download BTS and see for themselves XD hard to deny

[tipsyConfection]

Originally posted by MrInvizible:

hard to deny

Not for the sceptical bunch of the internet, there're A LOT of people that will deny crazy ♥♥♥♥ just because it's crazy and sounds fantastical.

[Immortius]

I lived through the days of Final Fantasy 7 Aeris resurrection and cheese weapon rumors - some degree of skepticism is wise.