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Mark of the Demon

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starting

First, identify which role cards everyone has at the end of the game and answer the corresponding question on the game board. You may not always be able to see the cards, but the players' behavior can help you figure out which is which. Each game board question begins "number the xth", which indicates a letter in that question's answer. Turn that letter into a number using use A=1 Z=26.

Next, find a name for each role. These are nicknames given to the players in other real VHS board games. Find the name of those games, and use the number from the first step to index into it and get the answer to Part 1.

To help identify the games, consult the DarkGrimoires.txt file, which gives word lengths for all of their titles. If you get stuck, here is the list of games: (see next hint)

Games

The games you're looking for are
Atmosfear: Khufu the Mummy
Nightmare
Nightmare III: Witch
Nightmare IV: Vampire
Star Trek: The Next Generation – Interactive VCR Board Game – A Klingon Challenge
Star Wars: The Interactive Video Board Game: Assault on the Death Star
Video Grin N' Bear It
Waynes World VCR Board Game

search

Look for letters appearing over the video at 1:09. It’s easier to catch them if you go frame by frame.

dial, blink, ship

TNG SHIP SUFFIX

backwards, reverse, audio

Reverse the reversed audio at 2:36 to hear a clue.

audio, reverse, backwards

DONUT SHAPE

maze

The solve path for the maze at 2:34 draws the letter N.

static

The white bands of static at 3:47 are Morse. Decode them top to bottom, first screen to last.

static, morse

The static decodes to DIMPLED BALL GOES HERE.

games, little

The audio stutter in the line "I must say, I will miss our little games" at 4:10 gives you the letter R.

stand by

The stacked lines in the “Please Stand By” graphics at 4:37 encodes semaphore.

stand by, semaphore

The Stand By semaphore spells out MDMA.

url, /bit.ly/SpookyScaryHiddenURL, colors, colored,

The image at http://bit.ly/SpookyScaryHiddenURL will need to be desaturated in an image editor.

url, /bit.ly/SpookyScaryHiddenURL, colors, colored, image, desaturate

TWO VS KISSING

scan, patience, eldritch group therapy, EGT, audio

The chirping audio at 6:40 needs to be played into an SSTV decoder like RX-SSTV, specifically using Marlin 1 mode. You can get RX-SSTV at https://www.qsl.net/on6mu/rxsstv.htm

scan, patience, eldritch group therapy, EGT, audio, SSTV

A picture of an EYE.

animals, animal crossing, animal forest, insects, bugs, audio

The insect sounds at 8:08 are bug sounds from Animal Crossing (2001) aka Animal Forest. Index the number of times the sound is repeated into the name of each bug to get the cluephrase.

animals, animal crossing, animal forest, insects, bugs, audio

FOURTEEN

masonic, zalgo, pig

The tops of each character column at 10:11 are Pigpen characters

pigpen, zalgo, masonic, pig

LOOK AT ME IM SANDRA

dial, blink

The image that flashes for a frame at 11:51 says DIAL FOR MURDER

numbers, encryption, bit,layer

Convert the numbers on screen at 12:24 from ascii → base 64 → hex → text

numbers, encryption, bit, layer, hex, base64,ascii

ROT THIRTEEN R

qr, face, quick response

Scan the QR code in the demon face at 13:08 to get MOVIE BUT EVERY TIME THEY SAY.

escape, hear my words, little bit

Turn on closed captions on the video while the voiceover is playing at 14:24.

escape, hear my words, little bit, caption

OHM MEASURE

shift, keyboard, XINNIB VKIIS

To decrypt the phrase at 15:24, shift each letter right one space on a QWERTY keyboard

shift, keyboard, XINNIB VKIIS

COMMON BLOOD

extraction

Each of the mini-puzzles in the video gives you either a letter, or a cluephrase whose answer is a letter. Arrange them in the order they appear in the video to get your answer. For complete spoilers, here are full list of clues and solutions: (see next hint)

extraction

TNG SHIP SUFFIX = D
DONUT SHAPE = O
maze solution = N
DIMPLED BALL GOES HERE = T
audio glitch phoneme = R
MDMA = E
TWO VS KISSING = W
eye image = I
FOURTEEN = N
LOOK AT ME IM SANDRA = D
DIAL FOR MURDER = M
ROT THIRTEEN R = E
MOVIE BUT EVERY TIME THEY SAY = B
OHM MEASURE = R
COMMON BLOOD = O

This is a standalone puzzle. Its answer will not be used in the meta; and solving it will not unlock more puzzles. Since this puzzle was not successfully testsolved, we have provided an optional, up-front starting hint in a dropdown. See the original puzzle page for this hint

TW/CW: implied violence against people, explicit violence against plushies.
Starting Hint

First, identify which role cards everyone has at the end of the game and answer the corresponding question on the game board. You may not always be able to see the cards, but the players' behavior can help you figure out which is which. Each game board question begins "number the xth", which indicates a letter in that question's answer. Turn that letter into a number using A1Z26.

Next, find a name for each role. These are nicknames given to the players in other real VHS board games. Find the name of those games, and use the number from the first step to index into it and get the answer to Part 1.

If you get stuck, here is the list of games:

Games
  • Atmosfear: Khufu the Mummy
  • Nightmare
  • Nightmare III: Witch
  • Nightmare IV: Vampire
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation – Interactive VCR Board Game – A Klingon Challenge
  • Star Wars: The Interactive Video Board Game: Assault on the Death Star
  • Video Grin N' Bear It
  • Waynes World VCR Board Game

You find an ominous thumb drive lying around, and make the questionable decision to plug it into your computer.

The videos appear to be corrupted. Track down the malevolent force inside your computer, and don't forget... there's power in names.

DarkGrimoires.txt
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