#caroline re:curse

[logicpng]

studying the brand new raptor hand harlequin

feat. Caroline from the excellent re:curse. yes this is yet another re:curse propaganda post if you like digital clowns you should play it go go go

[devpalmer]

artistic freedom doodle request for puzzlemaster @cicadacalling. caroline visits good friend Elephant’s Foot at Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Site

[skelescrawl]

[skelerem]

I got an email with a link to downloaded a super cool very legitimate halloween-themed program and now I can't get this desktop window to close. She says she'll leave after I give her some candy but I can't get it though my computer screen. Any advice?

[thereminzone]

"kiddingggg lol. that was just one of my classic pranks, where I cause you enormous physical distress."

Hey I played re:curse and you should too!! I love this silly little clown!!

[snaildraws]

nice to meet you. my name's caroline i'm a bona fide Thinking Creature.

Go play Re:Curse!!! It's short, fun, and perfectly encapsulates the horror of sending an email!

[miserys-inkwell]

Similar energy

[cicadacalling]

A few secrets in re:curse

Since re:curse is a game that includes the project file for the game itself, I went poking around in there via the demo version of RPGVXAce and found some pretty interesting stuff. Since I assume not everyone wants to go to that effort I figured I’d share a few of the things I found here, specifically the “translations” for the glitched text present in the game, plus a bit of dialogue from an unused room and one other secret I found regarding the ending of the game.

The glitched text I’ve transcribed here is the email Caroline sends Joan, the dialogue from the version of Caroline present on the CRT monitor, and the alterations Caroline makes to the ASTER code of conduct.

----------------------

lab_normal_01 (the start room for the game)

(Note: this is the email Joan received)

Subject: re:curse

congratulations! youve hit 10000 carolines

want to meet carolines in real life?

click here

----------------------

lab_corrupt_02 (first corrupted room)

CRT Caroline:

hiiiii linda

how goes it? still a dipshit?

haha, i know you don’t understand me.

but the person behind your eyes might.

since it’s such a pain to translate, i’ll at least try to be entertaining

----

ASTER Facility code of conduct:

It’s the ASTER Facility book of bullshit

(...the letters are moving around too much)

----------------------

lab_corrupt_03 (the flipped lab room)

CRT Caroline:

notice how this monitor isn’t flipped? totally on purpose.

in fact, i bent the laws of reality to make that happen. its Very Important Lore

----------------------

lab_corrupt_05_looping (1st “island” lab room)

CRT Caroline:

oh, this one!

i remember this lab.

all the little islands, exactly the same…

extending in every direction…

…

i’ve always existed in places like this, huh?

i wonder if i’ll miss it. when the time comes.

----

ASTER Facility code of conduct:

It’s the ASTER Facility archive of autostereograms

(...the letters are forming strange, repetitive patterns. You can feel your eyes unfocusing.)

----------------------

lab_corrupt_06_looping (2nd “island” lab room with Cube)

CRT Caroline:

just now, i looked through the screen, to the horizon line in the distance.

and i imagined myself. many loops in the future. standing on that platform.

it made me feel…

(CRT Caroline’s head splits in half)

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

(CRT Caroline goes back to normal)

i’ve decided.

i actually hate this room.

----------------------

lab_corrupt_07_maze (vertical maze room)

CRT Caroline:

(Note: This is after the phone conversation where Linda tells Joan her password and Joan is confused about what a vertical bar is)

lol

idiot doesn’t even know about “vertical bar”

...my feelings are a mess.

----------------------

lab_corrupt_08_stairs (stairs room)

CRT Caroline:

stairs room…

what came after stairs room..?

OH.

i just remembered.

i wonder if you’ll realize…

who exactly you’re looking at, that is.

(Note: Linda walks in on herself and Joan kissing after this room. It’s possible Caroline is referring to something else but that context feels pretty important.)

----

ASTER Facility code of conduct:

It’s the ASTER Facility book of moire patterns.

(The pages are covered in high frequency strips. The patterns undulate as you move your head around.)

----------------------

map8.5 (wide maze with breaking floor)

(Note: Computer Caroline mentions going though Linda’s administrative warning folder and learning about “Tube Incident” in this room.)

CRT Caroline:

i have one regret.

“tube incident.”

i looked at the pictures.

it’s not something you can unsee.

----

ASTER Facility code of conduct:

It’s fucked up, or what?

(It’s an illustration of an elephant. The feet are drawn in the negative space between the legs, which has a disorienting effect. You’ve seen this one online before. She must be running out of ideas.)

----------------------

map10 (spiral walkway)

(Note: Computer Caroline’s dialogue ends with “that phone has now rung for the eleventh time. that’s my cue.”)

CRT Caroline:

my cue too.

thanks for chatting, cheater.

i’ll see you later.

----------------------

There is also an area in the game labeled lab_corrupt_testZone that is not accessible during a regular playthough of the game and presumably was used as a debug room. There’s a lot of text here specific to this room but in particular I want to share the dialogue that the two Carolines have in this room. The places where [number] is present are presumably spots where fonts would load.

----

Computer Caroline:

well, well, well…

fancy seeing you here, lindy!

yep…

a real treat. a real welcome intrusion.

from a real. good. pal.

----

CRT Caroline:

[1]youre not supposed to hear me, stupid!!

euuuuuggh go awayyyy

[1]eeeeughhh cough co[0]ugh cough cough. better?

----------------------

As one final thing: When looking around in the files I noticed that the file for the noise that plays when the game is forced to close had a name that indicated it was actually an image file. I converted it into something I could open in a graphics program and this is what I got:

(as an aside I think there’s supposed to be some color present in this image but I was legitimately unable to get it to open in anything but greyscale. If you want to check out this file yourself it’s in Audio>SE)

[ironraven]

the program encountered a memory leak and needed to close.

[jinbugs]

of all the flavors of Guy on earth, when your gaze settles on the humble pierrot... does the jingling of her bells not please you? does her bumbling not crinkle your cheeks with mirth, moreso than any other kind of Guy?

caroline from "re:curse" @devpalmer

[querical-equinox]

We support women's wrongs in this house Buy her album

[logicpng]

with ocs out of the way i had a brilliant idea of making a reel of these doodles on my site. i always wanted to make some kind of a blorbo shelf on there

so, for now just three, with two that didn't end up getting used

[creakysocks]

How to solve re:curse

[skelescrawl]

I like re:curse a whole lot please play it

[skelerem]

How does it feel to get what you wanted?

[recurse-game]

re:curse megamix!!

As of now, re:curse has hit its initial download goals and then some. As thanks, I've dug up some of the music I was inspired by/made me think of the characters during development, and polished them up into a nice mix for you. Actually, a version of this playlist has been living on my phone for almost 3 years... Now it sees the light of day. Also, enjoy a new illustration I did just for the occasion :D Listen on SoundCloud here! Tracklist under the cut:

PART ONE: Linda The Books - I Didn't Know That KNOWER - Time Traveler Guerilla Toss - Skull Pop Angel Electronics - Secret Teachings of All Ages Bill Wurtz - Slow Down Guerilla Toss - Hacking Machine They Might Be Giants - Prepare CHVRCHES - Science/Visions The Books - Smells Like Content PART TWO: Joan Lemon Demon - The Only House That's Not On Fire (Yet) They Might Be Giants - She's An Angel Jamie Paige - Bizarre Love Triangle (with Natbird) ROAR - Wondering Why Lauren Bousfield - A Tiny Streak Of Daylight (with Judy Balmin) Clarence Clarity - Vapid Feels Are Vapid Jack Stauber - It's Alright

PART THREE: Caroline Beach Boys - Caroline, No YMCK - 迷宮ピエロ (Pierrot in Labyrinth) ABSRDST and Diveo - In Case It Crashes XTC - When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty Evil Arrows - Last Living Doll rook & nomie - slime brooch G Jones - Thought Tracing ABSRDST - Imaginary Friend Lauren Bousfield - A Joke Poorly Told Black Dresses - CREEP U