Outer Wilds Ending Explained, Everything You Need to Know

Are you looking for “Outer Wilds Ending Explained”, here is a brief explanation of the ending, along with more information about the action-adventure game, Outer Wilds.

by Aishwarya R

Updated May 23, 2023

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Outer Wilds Ending Explained, Everything You Need to Know
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Outer Wilds

Outer Wilds, the 2019 action-adventure sensation developed by Mobius Digital and published by Annapurna Interactive. In this mind-bending adventure, you find yourself trapped in a solar system caught in a relentless 22-minute time loop. Just when you think you've got a handle on things, boom! The star goes supernova, and it's back to square one. But fear not, intrepid gamer, for your mission is to unravel the secrets of this mysterious phenomenon.

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As you navigate the vastness of space, you'll uncover clues and piece together the puzzle of the time loop. Each loop brings you closer to the truth, revealing the hidden wonders and dangers lurking within the solar system. It's a race against time, quite literally, as you strive to make the most of each 22-minute cycle. Outer Wilds received accolades and Game of the Year awards, captivating players with its innovative gameplay and immersive storytelling.

And the excitement didn't stop there! In 2021, the game received an expansion called Echoes of the Eye, adding even more mind-boggling mysteries to solve. But let's rewind a bit and explore the origins of this cosmic masterpiece. Outer Wilds began as the brainchild of Alex Beachum, who turned his USC master's thesis into a full-fledged gaming sensation. Inspired by space exploration epics like Apollo 13 and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Beachum set out to capture the spirit of venturing into the unknown.

The game's open-world design allows for unscripted exploration, satisfying your curiosity without ever feeling aimless. It's like having the universe as your playground, where every corner holds a breathtaking surprise waiting to be discovered. Critics and gamers alike fell head over heels for Outer Wilds. It received rave reviews, with praises for its narrative depth, captivating puzzles, and immersive environments. The game won prestigious awards, including the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and Excellence in Design at the Independent Games Festival.

Outer Wilds also made its mark as one of the best games of 2019, earning a spot on multiple "game of the decade" lists. It's a testament to the game's ability to transport players to another dimension and keep them hooked for hours on end.

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Outer Wilds Ending Explained

Here is detailed explanation about Outer Wilds Ending:-

The Eye of the Universe Ending

The Eye of the Universe ending is considered the true ending in The Outer Wilds. To achieve this ending, follow these steps:

  • Find the Ash Twin Project by visiting the Ash Twin planet.

  • Wait for the Sun to go down and go to the dead body underneath the bridge.

  • When the black funnel crosses over the bridge, quickly run to the adjacent room and enter the teleporter, which takes you to the Ash Twin Project.

  • Launch a scout through the black hole to trigger a new loop and witness the unraveling of spacetime.

Alternatively, you can reach the Eye of the Universe ending through the High Energy Lab on the Ember Twin planet. Here's how:

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  • Locate the High Energy Lab on Ember Twin.

  • Insert a white and black warp core into the slots to open a panel revealing a white and black hole on the other side.

  • Send a scout through the black hole, and it will emerge from the white hole.

  • Send a second scout through the black hole, but remove one of the warp cores before it exits.

  • The scouts will display an error message, and black cracks will appear on the screen, engulfing the player in darkness.

Once you reach the Eye of the Universe, follow these steps:

  • Remove the Advanced Warp Core from the Ash Twin Project.

  • Travel to Dark Bramble and insert the warp core into The Vessel.

  • Input the coordinates received from the tracking probe.

  • Warp to the Eye of the Universe.

  • Travel from the North to the South pole and jump into the upward flowing stream.

  • This will transport you to a new area where you must gather all the characters you encountered on your journey around a campfire.

  • If playing with the DLC, this includes the Prisoner.

  • Jump into the approaching ball at the campfire.

  • Witness the birth of a new universe.

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Game Over Ending

The Game Over ending occurs when players get disconnected from the Nomai statue and die. This can happen in two ways:

  • At the beginning of the game, die before linking with the Nomai statue.

  • Remove the Advanced Warp Core from the Ash Twin Project and die. Without the core, you cannot initiate the time loop, resulting in death.

In the Game Over ending, you receive a message saying "You Are Dead" and return to the Main Menu to reload your last save.

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Isolation Ending

To get the Isolation ending, follow these steps:

  • Remove the Advanced Warp Core from the Ash Twin Project.

  • Return to your ship and fly as far away from the Sun as possible.

  • Eventually, the Sun will disappear from view, leaving your ship floating alone in space.

  • A message will inform you that you have escaped the supernova event, but your survival depends on the remaining supplies.

  • You will be alone in the universe, as everything else has been destroyed by the supernova.

Quantum Moon Ending

Achieve the Quantum Moon ending by following these steps:

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  • Remove the Advanced Warp Core from the Ash Twin Project and take it to the Quantum Moon.

  • Once on the moon, use the quantum elevator to travel to its sixth location.

  • Present the warp core to Solanum.

  • After some exploration, the screen will fade to black due to timed events.

  • You will be informed that you have completely lost track of time and survived the supernova event with Solanum.

  • The game will return to the Main Menu after the credits, and you can restart from your last save.

Self Ending

The Self ending occurs in the Ash Twin Project on the Ember Twin planet. Here's what you need to do:

  • Jump through the black hole in the Ash Twin Project and trigger a new loop.

  • Upon returning to the Ash Twin Project, you will meet Self, the version of yourself from the previous loop.

  • If you do not jump through the black hole again, you create a paradox since Self is a past version who did jump through the black hole.

  • This ending triggers the Breaking Spacetime ending.

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Dream Ending

To achieve the Dream ending, follow these steps:

  • Remove the Advanced Warp Core from the Ash Twin Project.

  • Approach the simulation fire on the Stranger space station.

  • Instead of resting, die in front of the fire and enter the simulation.

  • You can do this by jumping into the fire.

  • Players cannot die in the simulation or let their artifact flame go out.

  • You will lose track of time and be stuck in the simulation while the supernova passes outside.

The Stranger Ending (Echoes of the Eye DLC)

The Stranger ending is specific to the Echoes of the Eye DLC. Follow these steps:

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  • Travel to the Stranger after removing the Advanced Warp Core from the Ash Twin Project.

  • Explore the Stranger while waiting for the supernova event.

  • The Stranger will avoid destruction, providing a new realm for you to explore until the end of your days.

These are the various endings available in The Outer Wilds. Each ending offers a unique experience and outcome for players to discover.

Outer Wilds Plot

In this captivating adventure, you step into the shoes of a nameless space explorer embarking on their first solo flight. Little do they know that their journey will lead them to a mind-bending discovery. Paired with a mysterious Nomai statue, the player finds themselves trapped in an unending time loop. Each loop lasts 22 minutes, resetting when the sun goes supernova or when the player meets a perilous end.

As the player delves deeper into the secrets of the ancient Nomai civilization, they learn about the Nomai's obsession with the enigmatic "Eye of the Universe." This colossal anomaly, rooted in the mind-boggling world of macroscopic quantum mechanics, predates the very existence of the universe itself. The Nomai sought to locate this mysterious entity and developed a remarkable plan.

To find the Eye, the Nomai constructed an orbital cannon and launched countless probes into space, hoping for a visual sighting. Realizing the near-impossibility of this approach, they devised the Ash Twin Project. This groundbreaking device sent the probe's findings back in time by 22 minutes, allowing them to recalibrate the cannon and try again indefinitely.

The power required for this time travel was immense, necessitating the energy released by a supernova. The Nomai attempted to trigger their sun's explosion artificially but were unsuccessful, leading to their extinction. Now, in the present, the system operates on its natural course. As the sun nears the end of its life, it unleashes a supernova, supplying the necessary power to the Ash Twin Project.

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This energy transmits the player's memories back to their previous self, resetting the time loop and enabling the probe's scan to be repeated. Equipped with this newfound knowledge, the player embarks on a quest to recover the coordinates of the Eye and input them into an abandoned Nomai vessel. With a daring warp, they find themselves at the very location of the Eye.

There, they make a staggering revelation—the imminent demise of not only their star but all the stars in the sky. The universe itself is on the brink of extinction. Within the Eye, the player encounters quantum versions of the companions they met throughout their journey. Working together, they channel their collective efforts to initiate a momentous event—a new Big Bang. The universe is reborn, teeming with life forms, marking the start of a fresh cosmic chapter.

As the credits roll, the game leaves players in awe, showcasing a solar system similar to the one they explored, now thriving with new and vibrant creations. 14.3 billion years have passed since its birth, carrying the promise of limitless possibilities.

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Outer Wilds Dark Bramble Map

Exploring the Dark Bramble is no easy task, but with our guide, you'll uncover the secrets it holds. Let's embark on the journey to find Feldspar, locate Escape Pod 3, and discover the Nomai Vessel. Here are the steps broken down for your convenience:

Finding Feldspar

Prepare yourself for the treacherous Dark Bramble, a planet enveloped in fog, thorny vines, and perplexing nested dimensions within seeds. Beware of the colossal anglerfish that can swallow your ship whole.

  • Fly into the foggy core of Dark Bramble and activate your signalscope tuned to Outer Wilds Ventures.
  • Listen carefully for Feldspar's harmonica, which emits a distinct signal.
  • Navigate through the core, keeping an eye out for glowing orbs representing the seeds. The first seed with Feldspar's signal is located downward and to the left.
  • Exercise caution to avoid attracting the attention of anglerfish. They are blind, so use your ship's engines sparingly and make gentle adjustments to your trajectory.
  • Reach the seed where you detect Feldspar's signal by maneuvering around the vines obstructing your path.
  • Proceed to the next seed, keeping an eye on the leftmost orb. It will lead you closer to Feldspar.
  • Enter the subsequent seed, and continue forward until you encounter an anglerfish skeleton housing Feldspar's camp.

Feldspar's Camp

Engage in a conversation with Feldspar, exhausting all available dialogue options. Although he may not offer much assistance, he appreciates company and has an abundance of marshmallows.

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  • Feldspar can provide information on accessing the core of Giant's Deep, but since we've already accomplished that, there won't be any new insights.
  • When you inquire about reaching the core of Giant's Deep, Feldspar will direct you to a nearby location worth exploring.

Frozen Jellyfish

From Feldspar's Camp, head towards the tail of the anglerfish skeleton. There, you'll notice a flickering light—Feldspar's ship.

  • Proceed straight towards the ship, but avoid physical contact as its electrical system is malfunctioning and could shock you.
  • Instead, navigate around the ship and enter the hollow vine it crashed into.
  • Follow the path within the vine to the left and upward.
  • After a brief warp, the path will continue. Keep moving forward until you reach a snowy path.
  • Follow the snowy path, and it will lead you to the Frozen Jellyfish. Take a moment to listen to Feldspar's recording.
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With these instructions, you'll successfully find Feldspar, explore their camp, and uncover the Frozen Jellyfish. Prepare yourself for the wonders and challenges that lie ahead in the Dark Bramble of Outer Wilds.

Outer Wilds Complete Ship Log

Here is a transcription of the ship logs in Outer Wilds:

Sun Station

  • The Sun Station was designed to make the sun go supernova.
  • The Nomai fired the Sun Station, but it had no effect on the sun. They concluded that the Sun Station could never cause the sun to go supernova.
  • After the failure of the Sun Station, the Nomai took a break to investigate the newly arrived comet.
  • According to a Nomai computer, our sun has reached the end of its natural life cycle.

Ember Twin

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  • Anglerfish Fossil:

    • Nomai children used to play a game here. One player was the anglerfish and wore a blindfold. The rest of the children (the littlefish) lined up against one wall. When the anglerfish said go, the littlefish had to sneak across to the other side.
    • The blindfold rule was added because real anglerfish are blind.
    • The adult Nomai were delighted to see the children incorporate their research into the game's rules.
  • Gravity Cannon:

    • A huge cylindrical structure that generates a strong upward gravity field. (Launch something from this cannon to get this log.)
    • you recalled a Nomai shuttle from the Interloper.
  • Chert's Camp: (Talk to Chert at different parts of the cycle to get these logs)

    • Chert has set up their astronomy gear on the north pole of Ember Twin.
    • Chert has spotted an unusually high number of supernovae recently.
    • All of the stars in the universe are dying, including our sun.
    • The stars are simply dying from old age. Apparently, they're much older than we realized.
    • Chert has become catatonic in response to our sun's imminent death.

Escape Pod 2

  • One of three Nomai escape pods that crashed in our solar system.
  • All three escape pods were launched from something called the Vessel, which was badly damaged.
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The Sunless City

  • A Nomai city built into the walls of a huge underground cavern. The city is divided vertically into four districts.
  • The Nomai debated building a Sun Station to power the Ash Twin Project. Several Nomai opposed its construction, arguing that failure could result in the destruction of the solar system.
  • The Nomai traveled to this solar system in pursuit of a signal from something older than the universe itself. They named the source of this signal the "Eye of the universe."

Quantum Moon Locator

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  • A Nomai device created to track the Quantum Moon's location.
  • The Nomai hypothesized that the Quantum Moon might be a form of macroscopic quantum mechanics.
  • The Quantum Moon travels to a total of five locations.

High Energy Lab

  • The Nomai successfully reproduced the temporal anomaly first observed at the White Hole Station (warped objects appear to arrive before they depart).
  • The Nomai discovered they could increase the negative time interval between arrival and departure by adding energy to the warp cores.
  • The Nomai wanted to know if a 22-minute negative time interval was possible. They concluded it would require new technology to produce the necessary energy, as well as an advanced warp core to handle those energies. Ash Twin was proposed as a location for the project.

Ash Twin Tower Designs

  • Designs for each of the towers on Ash Twin's equator.
  • Each tower warps to a different planet (although many Nomai were quick to note that the sun is not actually a planet).
  • Each tower was designed to visually reflect its warp destination.
  • The towers allowed the Nomai to quickly travel between Ash Twin and all other locations crucial to the Ash Twin Project.

Quantum Caves

  • The Nomai noticed a strange wandering rock that appeared in multiple caves in Ember Twin's northern hemisphere.
  • You found a strange rock shard that moves when you are not watching. It emits a signal on the Quantum Fluctuations frequency.

Lakebed Cave

  • A Nomai named Coleus was standing on the wandering rock when another Nomai's lantern died. When they relit the lantern, Coleus and the rock were both gone.
  • To travel with a quantum object, you must stand on the object and cease to observe your surroundings (meaning you must be in complete darkness). Coleus used this quantum rule to escape the cave he was trapped in.
  • Coleus and Elorae returned to examine the rock. They theorized that when a conscious being is in contact with a quantum object and ceases to observe their surroundings, the being can become entangled with that quantum object, and they both move together.

Outer Wilds Hotshot

To gain hot shot achievement you have to successfully unlock the Sun Station in Outer Wilds, follow these steps:

Prepare for Launch

Spawn at your starting point and ascend the elevator to reach your ship. Take off and begin heading towards the sun.

Spotting the Sun Station

Locate the Sun Station by observing the sun. Roll your ship so that the station orbits from the bottom to the top of your screen.

Approaching the Sun

Maintain a moderate speed and aim for the top horizon of the sun. As you get closer, the sun's gravity will pull you forward and downward. Adjust your speed using the upward and downward thrusters. Allowing the sun's gravity to increase your speed, thrust away to "miss" the sun and carry your momentum forward.

Tracking the Sun Station

Continuously monitor the sun station's orbit as you approach. When it starts coming underneath you, try to match its velocity. Let the sun's pull propel you forward, avoiding excessive use of forward boosters to prevent loss of control. If you miss the station, wait for another orbit and try again.

Landing on the Sun Station

Once you are close to matching the sun station's velocity, aim to land on the bright orange teleportation symbol. Utilize your downward boosters to hold yourself against it.

Positioning for Entry

Carefully adjust your ship to point across the station towards the nearby open door. Remember, you must enter this door while outside of your ship to obtain the achievement. You can lock onto the door from inside the ship to make the entry easier.

Approaching the Door

Take off and start approaching the door. Lock onto it and use the "match speed" utility to stay synchronized. Continuously adjust your movement and matching speed as you get closer. Rolling your ship can help maintain your orientation. When in front of the door, orient your ship so that its bottom faces the door, and use your downward booster to hold yourself against it.

Exiting the Ship

Quickly exit your ship, as you may lose gravity while inside and be propelled to the ceiling due to centrifugal forces. Ensure you are still locked onto the door. Match speed with the door outside the ship and gently float your way inside. Once you are inside, the achievement should unlock.

By following these steps, you should successfully achieve the Sun Station Achievement in Outer Wilds. Good luck!

Outer Wilds System Requirement

Minimum System Requirement:-

  • CPU: Intel Core i5-2300 | AMD FX-4350

  • CPU SPEED: Info

  • RAM: 4 GB

  • VIDEO CARD: Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 | AMD Radeon HD 6870

  • DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 1024 MB

  • PIXEL SHADER: 5.0

  • VERTEX SHADER: 5.0

  • OS: Windows 7

  • FREE DISK SPACE: 8 GB

Recommended System Requirement

  • CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 | AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

  • CPU SPEED: Info

  • RAM: 8 GB

  • VIDEO CARD: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 | AMD Radeon RX 580

  • DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 3072 MB

  • PIXEL SHADER: 5.1

  • VERTEX SHADER: 5.1

  • OS: Windows 10

  • FREE DISK SPACE: 8 GB

Outer Wilds Ash Twin Project Hint

Ash Twin Project

  • A hollowed-out chamber inside Ash Twin. The energy cables from the surface are plugged into a protective casing at the center of the planet.
  • There are eight monoliths with Nomai masks attached. Three of the masks are actively receiving data from the Probe Tracking Module, Giant's Deep, and Timber Hearth, respectively.
  • The Ash Twin Project was designed to use the energy from a supernova (triggered by the Sun Station) to send probe data from the Orbital Probe Cannon 22 minutes into the past.
  • The Sun Station did not work. Although the Ash Twin Project was theoretically sound, the Nomai were unable to power it.
  • There is an advanced warp core inside the protective casing at the center of the planet. Removing the core will disable the Ash Twin Project.

Ash Twin Towers

  • Several large Nomai towers form a ring around Ash Twin's equator.
  • The White Hole Station was used as a model for these towers, which were built for the Ash Twin Project.


Disclaimer: The above information is for general informational purposes only. All information on the Site is provided in good faith, however we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information on the Site.

Outer Wilds Ending Explained: FAQs

1. What is the purpose of the Ash Twin Project in Outer Wilds?

The Ash Twin Project was designed to use the energy from a supernova to send probe data from the Orbital Probe Cannon into the past, allowing the Nomai to gather information about the solar system.

2. How does the Ash Twin Project receive data from other locations?

The project utilizes eight monoliths with Nomai masks attached, three of which actively receive data from the Probe Tracking Module, Giant's Deep, and Timber Hearth, respectively. These masks serve as conduits for transmitting information to the project.

3. Why did the Sun Station fail to trigger a supernova?

Despite the theoretical soundness of the Ash Twin Project, the Sun Station's firing did not cause the sun to go supernova as expected. The Nomai concluded that the Sun Station was unable to achieve its intended purpose.

4. What is the significance of the advanced warp core in the Ash Twin Project?

Inside the protective casing at the center of Ash Twin, there is an advanced warp core. This core is crucial to the functioning of the Ash Twin Project, and removing it would disable the entire project.

 

5. How are the Ash Twin Towers related to the project?  

The Ash Twin Towers, a series of large Nomai towers encircling Ash Twin's equator, were constructed specifically for the Ash Twin Project. These towers were modeled after the White Hole Station and played a key role in the project's operations and objectives.

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