Using All My Brainpower To Decode Alien Technology! - IFO

[@Aliensrock]

How about those aliens? You could say that they... seem pretty cool.

[@lucasc8972]

maybe

[@yooooooooooooooo696]

they might even rock, perchance

[@frujey]

@@yooooooooooooooo696 yeah just maybe

[@Dra3oon]

Perhaps, we shall see

[@zaxtonhong3958]

@@yooooooooooooooo696 Nah that’s crazy

[@angelgsant9671]

"What about this one?" closes out of the game

[@gabrielhenson5751]

yeah when he said that i was like "well it's got an X on it so it's probably the quit button" *game closes* "yup"

[@L4Vo5]

Interesting how their counting system seems to be a version of trinary but without the number 0. Instead of going 0, 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 22, 100... it seems to go 1, 2, 3, 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 111... where the dot means 1, the diamond means 2, the line means 3, and numbers are read top-to-bottom instead of left-to-right. Edit: Looking at wikipedia, this would actually be called a "bijective base 3 system". Every number in it is equivalent to the same number in base 3, except there's no 0, and numbers with a 3 are the same number but with the 3 replaced by a 10 So 3 is 10; 13 is 10+10 = 20; 30 is 100; 33 is 100 + 10 = 110... notice how both after 33 in bijective trinary, and 110 in normal trinary, comes 111

[@leroymilo]

Exactly, I was surprised he didn't found out about it since he's a former computer science student and that he noticed reused symbols. There's a similar counting system in triga.

[@Aliensrock]

@Leroy Can't believe I missed it too! Made a lot of sense while watching over the footage, but I must've been too distracted in the moment.

[@L4Vo5]

​@@leroymilo I actually think Tyler thought of it being normal base 3 (with a zero) during the 20 minutes he spent thinking, then realized what it actually was some time after the video was done, since he mentioned something about it under another comment.

[@L4Vo5]

oh well that's a redundant response on my part :P should've hit refresh

[@electricheisenberg5723]

it's arabic numerals but in 3s instead of 10s

[@redcharget5894]

this is like finding the language setting button after accidentally setting your language to chinese

[@frujey]

Ecept you arent smart

[@AceFuzzLord]

I find that easy because I always know to look for 文

[@Crazyclay78YT]

@@AceFuzzLord one person knows

[@zihaoooi787]

@@AceFuzzLord ok do it with burmese

[@electricheisenberg5723]

@@AceFuzzLord do it in spanish then

[@armokthebunny7409]

For the coding puzzle, the last line is a switch control command, that's why it didn't work. It doesn't look like you figured it out so I might as well tell you now.

[@Aliensrock]

Ahhhhhhh that's the one

[@anthonycannet1305]

5:32 I think the 6th command is swap arms, so the second arm doesn’t execute unless you use that command

[@matanui232]

Oh, that makes so much sense! I didn't notice until i read your comment, but only the first blip in a string of 6th row commands gets activated, implying you can jump back and forth between the arms using that command. Thank you for that, because I wasn't gonna figure it out on my own lol

[@Dark_Slayer3000]

I love the detail how the alien numbers were used to show square magnet strenght in the last minigame :D

[@estrelagalaxia3869]

Such a nice and small game with a cool premise, doesn't explain anything with long paragraphs and let's you figure it out yourself, very nice

[@ReReCoil]

It gives me major Understand vibes, especially that last type of puzzle.

[@cicada_games]

Don't want to self promote too much, but if you haven't checked it out yet, Linelith and Triga (my own game in the bundle) are similar in that way! Also, my other game Akurra has no text. It's something I love to do in puzzle games and I think it makes figuring out the gameplay so much more satisfying!

[@the_nick_knack]

What a fun little game. Was pretty cool how similar that early section was to Opus Magnum, felt appropriate.

[@Poyal]

These waves actually are a cool method of representing the flow of finite set of actions. Thanks for the vid!

[@overpower3382]

This is why I love this channel. It introduces me to games that are perfectly fitting for me and my interests. Some of the games you have shown me that I decided to get were Tametsi and Patrick's Parabox. I also want this.

[@IcelyPuzzles]

check out the rest of the cosmos bundle, IFO is a game in it, I've played Gordianaut/IFO/Linelith in that (linelith being my favorite out of it)

[@skytime9444]

i desperately want to make a bad "wow, aliens rock" pun bc of alien themed game but tyler already beat me to the punch :(

[@ArsonIsAmazing_]

Wow, aliens rock

[@galvanizeddreamer2051]

0:20 "Press any key to continue"

[@anthonycannet1305]

The counting system is in ternary with 1=circle, 2=square, 3=line. Then instead of 4 it’s 11 which is 2 circles, then 12 which is circle square, and so on

[@uberknarf1]

Exceptional design and aesthetic. Thanks for sharing this one, Tyler!

[@jlco]

I could've sworn that last puzzle was way more complicated than filling two rows when I played... huh. Glad to see you tackle this game. It was probably my favorite in the CosmOS 9 bundle (or perhaps Linelith).

[@AdrianWoodUK]

5:30 - (Spoilers for the games and this puzzle. . . . . . . ) The bottom command is to switch which arm you're controlling. In the runs where the second arm didn't move, it's because you didn't finish the input with that command. In theory, you can set up a set of commands where control flicks back-and-forth between both arms at multiple points, but in practice that's not useful for the puzzles in the game. It's a shame there're only 3 of them, it really feels like they couldn't done more with this mechanic.

[@afeathereddinosaur]

5:17 it might be because the wave pattern formed from the three minigames I'd a continuous pattern, meaning that the start of one pattern is the end of the other, in that scenario you made the yellow wave of the final pattern didn't start where the purple wave of the second pattern ended, and vice versa, as the yellow wave of the second pattern started rising up as the purple wave on the third pattern

[@leroymilo]

Nope, it's because the last row isn't "wait" but "swap sides", so the right claw won't trigger unless you put a pin in the last row.

[@olixx1213]

Its clearly not continuous between the first 2

[@afeathereddinosaur]

@@olixx1213 yeah, it is weird because in this hypothesis, the first two match with the same color, if you imagine that in the gap between the first and second images, there is a rise in the yellow wave.

[@nintendomario007]

9:30 It's a base 3 counting system with no zero, circle is 1, square is 2, line is 3. There's no 0, so you don't do 10 for three, but rather a single digit for 3, then 4 becomes 11. Then it goes vertical, so circle on circle is 1x3^1+1x3^0 = 4.

[@Maker0824]

13:14 me 4 seconds into the puzzle: “oh neat, diagonal” 13:34 Tyler after a cut, and even then seeing it be diagonal TONS of times “I have no idea what I’m doing… wait why is it diagonal?”

[@zachgarner3314]

loved this game, I feel like it struck the perfect balance between the puzzles being hard for tyler and being fun to watch for us! hope you play some of the new gmtk game jam games at some point, a few of them I think are really up your alley!

[@WolfRose11]

0:18 clicks the one symbol not in Alien mode, "Oh" 😂

[@electricheisenberg5723]

for the 3rd puzzle order, there is a way to memorize it circle is one, square is two, line is three, so it goes: 1, 2, 3, 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23. same as Arabic numerals but in 3s instead of 10s.

[@thomasjones9648]

RE: there's no easy way to memorise the numbers, It's actually a positional counting system with base 3. Where the higher the units go above the lower. The dot is 1 the Circle is 2 and the line is 3. So four is two dots one above the other. I think that's really well done cause it's exaclty the same notation we use (positional notation) but in a different base. Well done on the devs part

[@Pilot15555]

very neat, keep them coming

[@GeekSensation]

This seems like a more digestible version of a game called Mu Cartographer. Similar idea of figuring out how some alien technology works, but this is a lot more straightforward to figure out.

[@OpenKeith]

5:26 it's a yield instruction, the "do nothing" command actually switches control over to the other arm

[@Zack_Zander]

0:19 Huh… I guess Aliens uses the X button the same way as Humans. That’s good to know

[@benjamincurran5799]

Dude, this is basically just the video-game equivalent of opening a puzzle box only to find a Sudoku book sealed within.

[@greggbot]

I love these kinds of puzzle games, where you have to puzzle out the rules rather than them being handed to you

[@m90e]

The number system is in ternary (three digits), so circle is 0, diamond is 1, and line is 2. This is also visible in the power grid puzzle, where the power meters are divided into groups of three.

[@blizzard8958]

On a camping trip and haven't seen these on time. LOVE IT

[@Sprayer-px3tu]

Pretty sure the last operation in the first puzzle wasn't "do nothing" but "switch arm"

[@foxingratchet]

It wasn't "switch arm," actually, I think it was "remove or create bubble." That's why Tyler was able to pick up the goal the last go around. He removed the bubble from the left side and was then able to grab it with the right side.

[@techwizsmith7963]

9:25 What do you mean no easy way to remember it? It's a Trinary system instead of a decimal system, except it doesn't have a 0 for some reason. Dot is 1, Diamond is 2, Line is 3, then we jump to 11(4) as Dot Dot, 12(5) as Dot Diamond, etc

[@MrBlinky10101]

this together with Linelith and TRIGA were my favorites of the CosmOS 9 bundle. word of caution though, most of the rest of the bundle sadly doesn't hold a candle to these 3. I think you'd enjoy TENDY: Robot Gardener though, that one's fun.

[@123amsterdan456]

There is a simple way to understand the counting! It's just vertical trinary with the least significant trit in the bottom and instead of 0, 1, 2 you have dot, square, dash

[@sashagornostay2188]

8:42 Let’s make this sentence this game’s tagline

[@realtuna123]

Hey Aliensrock, if you like puzzle games like this then I suggest you should play Blackbox, though its only a thing that is available on phone.

[@baotan774]

scientist: trying to decode a code from 20 years ago Aliensrock:

[@theblueberrypi6152]

Finally, another time when Aliensrock lives up to his name.

[@mw2zorzest]

This game was really neat, I like it

[@tylermorath9098]

Congrats on 500K subs!!

[@FinetalPies]

I'm surprised he didn't notice the number system was a sort of base 3 affair, definitely not "no easy way to memorize it"

[@DrArtiePoole]

That diagonal battery realisation had me pogging.

[@IcelyPuzzles]

I'm kinda looking forward to the developer's other puzzle game in development Alephant. I kinda was indifferent about IFO and didn't like or dislike it.

[@AceFuzzLord]

This game is proof you don't need language to play a game

[@Oxygen1004]

technically there IS language with the symbols

[@L4Vo5]

Similar proof would be those children games where the UI is so intuitive it can be understood by people who can't read. You can argue those games use some recognizable symbols (like a play button), but kids will still click around randomly to learn their way around, so I wouldn't give those symbols too much credit.

[@Oxygen1004]

@@L4Vo5 Fair point, but the first part of the feet puzzle uses the 1st puzzles sequences as numbers to order how you press the buttons thus making the symbols correlate to numbers which makes it a language as we know that those symbols mean "1" "2" etc. Edit: I completely mistook what you said in your comment, I'll still leave it as proof onto why I think the OP was wrong with this specific case

[@Fyreupblock]

i love this guys videos

[@Dulingo424]

I can't breathe after he said my front ass is blinking

[@GreyMaria]

"What about this one?" -game closes- "Oh."

[@elijahbuck6499]

Btw the number system is a form of tertiary, a base 3 system. Theirs is meant to be read from top to bottom. They oddly don’t have a 0, though so the 1 acts similar to one in some ways

[@wauchi1895]

I feel like all this time we there the aliens and were decoding human satellite. What I think happened, is that a much more advanced satellite of Voyager kind was flying around and got hit by an asteroid, to which it started sending a distress signal due to its malfunction. And since we the aliens were nearby, we just decided to come by and help the satellite. Sure the language used is that of alien, but that is most likely our alien translation of what it could possibility be, kinda like those text language translator apps.

[@passingshadow8934]

Bruh. Imagine if this is secretly made by a government and anyone who are able to go far in this game will be considered for an actual alien decoding project.

[@cedrick25]

Honestly, that's what i really hope Cicada 3301 truly is. Just some very obscure recruitment program that requires the brightest of minds to help decode alien tech lol

[@nicreven]

@@cedrick25 I mean, it WAS a recruitment program

[@FluffyPrincess888]

I love how everything is so cryptic you accidentally close the game.

[@IchorFire]

Speaking of decoding and aliens, you really should try out Tötem if you haven't already

[@magetsalive5162]

For some inexplicable and totally mysterious reason (so anyone who has played it before knows I am being the _slightest_ bit sarcastic,) I am reminded of the Zero Escape series. I wonder if you have ever played them, Tyler, and... if I have already asked this question in the past.

[@lorenamontes3760]

What a great video. Super well explained, thanks! Any video in your channel on how to record yourself with soft soft? I'm under the

[@patattack6847]

Uploaded on my birthday! Happy to watch the video! 🙃

[@Aliensrock]

Happy birthday!

[@patattack6847]

Thanks!

[@colored_hotdog9388]

Awesome!

[@Funny_Man_bruh]

this makes my brain hurt lol

[@Kolon01]

Hey, I just saw this greate videos on games that have extremly good reviews but struggle to meet an estimate of the recognition they should (video: Are great games being ignored? An investigation by Nick caston) out of all the games. He found only about 3 honorable mentions and 1 really good game, and it looked like something you would love! It's called linelight on steam. Hope you read this, would love to see you play it! :)

[@cheesecake1255]

It would be extremely funny if at the end was just a message saying hello world

[@NStripleseven]

That was super cool

[@Cow-Moth-With-A-CRT-Head]

That was super cute!

[@ialreadySATdown]

I was screaming at 8:43

[@Matheus-gc5fn]

you have montains as a background for your computer?

[@Anew_Returner]

You should check out Stray, it's like INSIDE, but a 3D cat game

[@overpower3382]

Object: Object Action: Flying State: Identified I.F.O

[@MrDarkbishop]

Hey Tyler I know I just some rando sub to you but what really got me into your channel was when you use to play SNKRX and I not sure if it is the same company but a similar game just drop called "Just King" maybe it's worth a check

[@alexharkler]

9:15 - it's just base 3. ● = 0 ○ = 1 / = 2

[@dragodude1800]

Those numbers are just normal base 3 numbers in an alien trench coat

[@Aliensrock]

Is it still base 3 if the numbers represent 1, 2, and 3? Usually it's 0,1, and 2, but none of the glyphs make sense as a 0.

[@dragodude1800]

@@Aliensrock It works like binary which is base 2 with one extra symbol, so I guess so, but I’m not exactly an expert. Also, while I have your attention, I think far:lone sails, far:changing tides, and outer wilds would be good games for the channel

[@L4Vo5]

@@dragodude1800 The numbers go (putting them left to right instead of top to bottom) •, ◘, /, ••, •◘, •/, ◘•, ◘◘, ◘/ It can't possibly be normal base 3, otherwise the pattern would be 0, 1, 2, 00, 01, 02, 10, 11, 12 which in decimal would be "0, 1, 2, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5". Some numbers are repeated as they just have a redundant 0 put in front Instead, it seems instead of representing 0, 1 and 2, the symbols represent 1, 2 and 3. The first nine numbers thus go 1, 2, 3, 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23 Taking into account that 0 isn't a thing, this pattern makes sense as being the numbers 1-9 By the way, the symbol combinations used in the game _could_ be interpreted as a base 3 system, but the first number would have to be /. Since there's no //, /◘ or /• to waste slots with redundant leading zeroes. That's not the pattern however, so it must not be normal base 3. Looking at wikipedia, this would actually be called a "bijective base 3 system". Every number in it is equivalent to the same number in base 3, except there's no 0, and numbers with a 3 are the same number but with the 3 replaced by a 10 (so 3 is 10; 13 is 10+10 = 20; 30 is 100; 33 is 110... notice how both after 33 in bijective trinary, and 110 in normal trinary, comes 111. The system holds)

[@FiveDallaHalla]

@@dragodude1800 As a backer of the project, I can safely say that Outer Wilds would be perfect.

[@sharpshark1158]

@@L4Vo5 Saw someone comment something about "bijective ternary", look it up. Edit: accidentally called base 3 "trinary", even though the correct term is "ternary".

[@thingamajuguer8986]

really cool👍

[@ProgamerAndMaybeProgrammer]

i knew what the left symbols meant when i just popped out cos the 2nd one had it waited for a while to see when he would figure it out

[@3thanguy7]

reminds me a lot of one of the games on Last Call BBS - X'BPGH the forbidden path

[@alex4alexn]

these are my favorites

[@arcanumdelta]

the last puzzle kinda reminded me of a section from Azada

[@MrMcCoyD4]

Oh HELL YES this is a game for me! Sorry I can’t watch the video now haha

[@greenbirdmusic7495]

first time i have ever gotten to a aliensrock video in the first 10 views!

[@AlphaSquadZero]

Print screen is a button that exists on your keyboard

[@owencooke3022]

Got a job interview in the morning. Wish me luck 🙏

[@frujey]

Good luck

[@Aliensrock]

Good luck!

[@owencooke3022]

@@Aliensrock omg Tyler thank you!

[@johnybruh4739]

Link to the game download?

[@heello2u465]

its okay to link to these games so they are easier to find.

[@syndere6755]

I'm a little disappointed it didn't really use the numbers much

[@marmaje69]

I try this game later

[@sebastianturner8811]

500k yea!!!!!

[@HuMoDz]

Please try Great Permutator!

[@IcelyPuzzles]

yeah that game is great

[@BrowneMichell-u9y]

Gleason Roads

[@hlibprishchepov322]

strange iq test

[@bazingatheskialuser3519]

oh my god is that a geometry dash reference??!!???

[@anoukfleur2513]

With 'unclear rules' puzzles like this, many edits are not really appreciated. If we can see more of the details, we can see if we can try to figure out rules Tyler may not have.

[@watchanything8106]

Did anyone try to decode the purple Morse codes that flash in the last few minutes of the video

[@lostdestroyer8400]

aliensrock

[@TheCatelite]

Who noticed that he is using a cube mouse

[@rewto5131]

*mind explosion*

[@ChristopherRogers-g4i]

Ebert Branch

[@kekevids134]

nice

[@JarvisRoccia-l8z]

Dandre Ridge

[@wingedfish1175]

They could've made a coherent number system using dots dashes and squares to make a 3 pictograpgh numeric system but as far as I can tell there's no pattern behind the numerals Edit nevermind I'm stuck in a base ten system it's just a base 3 system

[@CodeNomeL]

Chants of senar alien edicion

[@IrisSappington-s3c]

Carter Common

[@NicholasWindland-x8v]

Gorczany River