After five years, the OXENFREE ARG (Alternate Reality Game) has returned in the form of OXENFREE II: Lost Signals, a brand-new supernatural thriller from Night School Studio that appears to be just as intriguing and enigmatic as its predecessor.
The main character, Riley Poverly, returns to her hometown, Camena, only to be met with strange and unnaturally occurring electromagnetic waves that have been interfering with the electrical and radio equipment all around.While she’s trying to figure out what’s going on, Riley stumbles across a strange group called Parentage that wants to open a mysterious portal. She needs to figure out who they are and what they’re up to.This is a standalone story, so you don’t need to have played the first game to enjoy this one. Having said that, the experiences from the first game do enrich the second.Strange Electromagnetic Waves in CamenaLike the first game, the story changes based on your decision. This means you can play the game multiple times, make different choices along the way, and have different experiences with different endings each time. You also encounter a variety of characters (and some villains), and what you decide to do can change their lives as well.As you explore Camena and solve puzzles, you’ll also get to enjoy the beautiful artwork and music that create a spooky atmosphere. Similar to the radio in OXENFREE, here too you get to use a walkie-talkie to talk to other characters and gather information.Remember, the choices you make have serious consequences.
The OXENFREE community has been busily engaged in deciphering the new ARG since 2021. Here is a timeline of all the recent ARG-related events that you need to catch up on.✔️ January 15, 2023: Night School Studio thanks Oxenfree fans on the 7th anniversary of the game, confirming the 2023 release date for the sequel, Oxenfree II. They share an image from the upcoming game and announce a community survey open to everyone over 18, with sweepstakes open to U.S. residents until January 30, 2023.The first official teaser for OXENFREE II✔️ April 5, 2023: The release date of Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals is announced as July 12, 2023.✔️ April 19, 2023: Night School’s official channels confirm the release date for Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals as July 12, 2023.✔️ June 26, 2023: Night School uploads a cryptic video titled “🀫🀰■🀫 🀰◼︎🀫◼︎ ONE” at 12PM EST featuring a song from the original Oxenfree.✔️ June 27, 2023: Night School releases another video titled “L🀰■🀫 🀰◼︎🀫◼︎ TWO” on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.✔️ June 29, 2023: The third “L🀰■🀫 🀰W🀫◼︎ THREE” video is published across multiple platforms.✔️ June 30, 2023: Night School releases a fourth video in the “L🀰O🀫 🀰W🀫◼︎ FOUR” series, first on Instagram and then on YouTube and Twitter.✔️ July 3, 2023: A fifth video, titled “L🀰O🀫 🀰WA◼︎ FIVE”, is uploaded to Night School’s Instagram and Twitter. It later appears on YouTube.✔️ July 5, 2023: The sixth video in the “LOO🀫 🀰WA◼︎ SIX” series is released on Night School’s Twitter and subsequently on YouTube.✔️ July 6 & 7, 2023: Content creators receive portable radios playing audio from the game. One of them shares a 25-minute recording that’s embedded below. The recordings introduce a new character, David Ratley, who is a baseball announcer.David tells a lie about running into something, saying it was a dog. This might link to a graffiti message in the Oxen1Free cave that says “Saw the man but not the dog”.He sounds disoriented and confused, repeatedly experiencing the same events as if stuck in a time loop. His behavior also occasionally aligns with cult-like actions.Riley is also heard in the tape, on her first day on the job. There is also a longer version of the same Parentage speech that we’ve heard before in there.✔️ July 6, 2023: Night School releases the seventh video in the “LOO🀫 AWA◼︎ SEVEN” series on Twitter and YouTube.✔️ July 7, 2023: The eighth in the “LOOK AWA◼︎ EIGHT” series is published across multiple platforms.✔️ July 10, 2023: The ninth video in the “LOOK AWAY” series is published on Night School’s Twitter and Instagram. It contains the characters “/9867f”, bringing the assembled url so far to: www.parentage.org/89z902jkl-nagt80pqh-407/9867f✔️ July 11, 2023: The tenth video in the “LOOK AWAY” series is published on Night School’s Twitter and Instagram. It contains the characters “0192”, bringing the assembled url so far to: www.parentage.org/89z902jkl-nagt80pqh-407/9867f0192The above-constructed URL redirects to Night School’s Twitch Page. A little while later, a live stream on the studio’s YouTube channel featured a radio transmission following which some members from Night School Studio, answered questions via live chat and played OXENFREE II.Lastly, a new ASCII ART was found posted on the PARENTAGE website which reads “FINALLY PLANETSHINE…” in big bold letters.
As more information rolls out and the game launches on the 12th of this month, there is going to be a lot more code-cracking and puzzle-solving to do. The Oxenfree discord is going to be buzzing with theories and interpretations.Where to find more clues:If you also want a shot at unriddling the new riddles, then make sure you follow and check these resources periodically:For New Clues
Join the Community:The most fascinating aspect of this game is the ARG, which brings many gamers together to collectively solve the puzzles and unravel the mysteries. Whoever said playing video games was a solitary activity devoid of adventure, camaraderie, or teamwork definitely missed this genre.Like last time, a number of enthusiastic fans have already begun collecting clues, brainstorming potential theories, and piecing everything together. The best part is that you are welcome to join them on Discord or Reddit.
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