PETSCOP: The Darkest Game You Cannot Play
Nexpo・88 minutes read
There is an in-depth exploration of the intricate mysteries and dark storyline of the video game Petscop, involving peculiar characters, enigmatic puzzles, and psychological themes that lure the protagonist Paul deeper into its grasp, revealing disturbing revelations and connections between players and the game's narrative. As Paul delves into the game's complexities, he uncovers layers of intrigue, manipulation, and eerie parallels to real-life events, hinting at a deeper connection between the virtual world of Petscop and the players themselves.
Insights
- The Golden Age of arcade games in 1981 featured iconic titles like Defender, Centipede, Pac-Man, Berzerk, and Space Invaders.
- Polybius, a mysterious game sparking urban legends, led to claims of severe player conditions like amnesia and nightmares, despite never being physically found.
- Petscop, a video game with a single copy, follows Paul's journey exploring eerie elements like psychological abuse, metaphors, and hidden secrets.
- Petscop delves into themes of child abuse and psychological torment, intertwining real-life events and player interactions within its enigmatic narrative.
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Recent questions
What are some popular arcade games from 1981?
In 1981, the arcade scene was at its peak, known as The Golden Age, featuring iconic games like Defender, Centipede, Pac-Man, Berzerk, and Space Invaders.
What is the mysterious game Polybius known for?
Polybius emerged as a mysterious game sparking urban legends with claims of players developing severe conditions like amnesia and nightmares, despite the game never being physically found.
Who is Paul and what is Petscop about?
Paul is a character in Petscop, a video game with a single copy that surfaced in 2017. The series follows Paul's journey to uncover the game's secrets through a series of recorded episodes, exploring mysterious elements and encountering unique characters like Toneth, Randice, Amber, and Roneth.
What significant change occurs in Petscop after a note with a code is discovered?
After Paul discovers a note with a code in Roneth's Room, Petscop undergoes a transformation from a cheerful collect-a-thon to a mysterious, barren landscape, prompting Paul to make a pivotal decision at a metaphorical dead end.
What themes are explored in Petscop, and how does Paul's connection to the game deepen?
Petscop delves into themes of child abuse and psychological torment, with Paul's exploration leading to revelations about Care's disappearance, connections to Marvin's house, and a deeper understanding of the dark story within the game. Paul's connection to Petscop deepens as he uncovers more about its mysteries and his own involvement in the unfolding narrative.
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Summary
00:00
Arcade Legends and Mysterious Video Games
- The year is 1981, the peak of arcade popularity, known as The Golden Age, featuring games like Defender, Centipede, Pac-Man, Berzerk, and Space Invaders.
- Polybius emerges as a mysterious game, sparking urban legends with claims of players developing severe conditions like amnesia and nightmares.
- The game's origins trace back to a post on CoinOp.org, detailing eerie player experiences, fueling intrigue despite the game never being physically found.
- Petscop, a video game with a single copy, surfaces in 2017, following Paul's journey to uncover its secrets through a series of recorded episodes.
- Paul explores the Gift Plane in Petscop, encountering pets like Toneth, Randice, Amber, and Roneth, each with unique characteristics and puzzles to solve.
- Amber's behavior hints at psychological abuse, with her reluctance to leave her cage and confrontational item descriptions.
- Paul discovers a note with a code in Roneth's Room, leading to a significant change in the game's atmosphere and visuals.
- The game transforms from a cheerful collect-a-thon to a mysterious, barren landscape, prompting Paul to make a pivotal decision at a metaphorical dead end.
- Paul faces the choice of continuing deeper into Petscop's mysteries or shutting the game off, symbolized by a door representing a point of no return.
- Petscop Two begins with the trap door opening by itself, leading Paul to venture further into the game's enigmatic world.
18:14
Exploring underground labyrinth reveals mysterious connections.
- Paul explores an underground labyrinth with corridors, living quarters, and roads with active traffic.
- Paul collects bits on the ground and hears a phone ringing in the distance.
- Paul encounters Care, a major character, who left the room and is depicted in three emotional states on a flyer.
- Care and a little girl are revealed to be the same person, raising questions about the emotional states depicted.
- Paul finds three portraits showing a green house, windmill, and school, with foreboding sounds.
- Paul discovers the grave of Michael Hammond, a child who died at seven years old and was a gift.
- Paul encounters Care NLM standing on a plateau with a stem protruding from her head.
- Paul plucks petals from a large daisy, causing Care NLM to become distorted and appear almost dead.
- Paul interacts with an obscure red object that responds with "I don't know" and displays a windmill on a screen.
- Paul finds a mirrored room called the Quitter's Room with an eerie face and a jingle causing the girl within to exhibit movement.
36:34
Mysterious figure alters windmill, luring Paul deeper.
- Paul discovers the windmill in Petscop Six, with a dark figure emerging and causing a rumble.
- The figure approaches the windmill, reverses its direction, and spells out questions.
- Paul observes the green house, school, and Toneth spawn before the figure leaves.
- Paul notices the windmill disappearing after the figure's departure.
- Paul catches Toneth, reflecting on the game's changes and his curiosity.
- Paul reads the unfinished Pet Compendium, finding odd notes and unfinished descriptions.
- Paul discovers slots for Care A, B, and NLM in the compendium, realizing he can catch Care.
- Paul questions Tool about his house and the school, receiving cryptic responses.
- Paul creates a new file to test Petscop's continuity, noticing differences in events.
- Paul realizes Petscop's mysterious nature, feeling lured deeper into the game's grasp.
55:27
"Paul's Loss of Control in Petscop"
- Paul puts Mike's eyebrows on a character in the game, questioning if it was intentional.
- The presence of the word "Care" in the game indicates intentionality.
- Paul seems to have lost control of the Petscop YouTube channel.
- The game seems to predict Paul's movements, leading to speculation about pre-recording.
- Paul discovers that the Petscop game has been in his family since 1997.
- Paul's actions are being watched, indicating a loss of control.
- Petscop Nine features a demo in Even Care with different elements.
- The treadmill segment synchronizes with past player recordings.
- Paul becomes the Shadow Man and interacts with Tool for bits.
- Paul encounters a note revealing a mysterious story involving Marvin, Care, and a windmill.
01:15:55
"Paul uncovers dark secrets in Petscop"
- Paul explores Odd Care, altering switches in Amber's room and opening cages.
- Game crashes, warning of possible save file corruption, but Paul can still select it.
- Paul discovers Petscop tracks progress even if not saved, hinting at an evolving game.
- Paul finds himself on the true side in the Quitter's Room, prompting questions about the windmill.
- Paul's discoveries lead to increased censorship, indicating he's onto something significant.
- Petscop Ten acts as a bridge between the series' origins and future developments.
- Paul's gameplay reveals the game predicts his movements and changes based on his actions.
- Petscop delves into themes of child abuse and psychological torment.
- Paul's connection to the game deepens as he uncovers more about its dark story.
- Paul's exploration in Petscop 11 leads to revelations about Care's disappearance and connections to Marvin's house.
01:36:09
"Paul uncovers mysteries in Petscop game"
- Paul has no memory of Care despite sharing the same birthday and looking alike, creating a paradox.
- Paul experiences a strange jingle in the bathroom, leading to a symbol above the bathtub.
- A clock in the game shows unusual times, with time passing in a non-linear fashion.
- Paul enters a building at the end of a road, introducing in-game communication with Marvin.
- The game shifts to a new area, the school, where the gameplay changes to three dimensions.
- Marvin seems to have control over Tool and can manipulate objects like padlocks.
- Paul creates a time lapse by interacting with a block, leading to a mysterious sequence of events.
- Paul discovers a note hinting at Care's disappearance on June 5th and finds Care A frozen in ice.
- Care A is taken from the room, revealing the meaning behind "Care left the room."
- Rainer's messages suggest knowledge of Care's abduction and guilt, adding complexity to the storyline.
- Paul encounters a mirrored side of the Quitter's Room, meeting a new character named Belle who has been playing Petscop for over 17 years.
- Belle receives cryptic messages and encounters Marvin, leading to a final message revealing her true identity as Belle.
01:55:10
Belle's Identity Lost in Petscop Gameplay
- Tiara would still exist if not for giving up halfway
- Belle is a victim of attempted rebirthing, leading to Rainer's assumed death
- Belle's resistance to abuse led to her being labeled a quitter
- Belle's identity and childhood were stolen, leading to her playing Petscop for 17 years
- Petscop implies multiplayer capabilities despite being developed in 1997
- Belle's actions in Petscop are not live gameplay but player emulation
- Other players in Petscop are not human but AI
- Paul manipulates the bucket to find its purpose and gains 15 bits
- Paul discovers a connection between rooms and starts catching pets in Roneth's room
- Paul's gameplay reveals a connection to the Strange Situation procedure, reflecting parent-child relationships and attachment styles
02:15:08
"Paul uncovers unsettling mysteries in Petscop"
- Paul returns to the Newmaker Plane after selecting a file, encountering signs for Care's birthday party in front of Marvin's house.
- Care's mother greets Paul at the party, questioning why he covers his face, leading Paul to interact with various objects and recognize Care's features.
- Paul discovers it's November 12th, Care's birthday and the day she returned home, through examining the calendar.
- Exiting the calendar, Paul receives cryptic dialogue urging Care to come home, raising questions about the party's purpose.
- Paul examines a red calendar, possibly from 1995 or 2017, triggering unsettling feelings and connections to the Petscop channel's launch in 2017.
- In Care's bedroom, Paul encounters Care's mother, who mistakes him for Care, leading to a frantic search for missing discs and discovery pages.
- Paul is bewildered by the game's manipulation of personal conversations and events, feeling increasingly disturbed by Petscop's effects on his mental state.
- Paul explores a computer in an empty garage, discovering the "Discovery Pages" and expressing confusion over the game's unfolding mysteries.
- Paul encounters a censor in the bedroom, reacting with frustration before the video ends, hinting at deeper connections between Paul, Care, and the game's narrative.
- The video transitions to a demo recording in the school, revealing interactions between characters Belle, Marvin, and Tiara, introducing a texture editor mechanic.
02:37:37
"Exploring AI and Consciousness in Petscop"
- Lina Leskowitz is the Windmill Girl, Anna's missing sister, whose fate is implied to involve a car accident, but may have a deeper meaning.
- The ghost room in Petscop is revealed to be a place where people are monitored and forced to play the game for extended periods, drawing parallels to the game SOMA.
- SOMA, a psychological horror game, follows Simon Jarrett's journey after a brain scan operation that transfers his consciousness into a machine, questioning the essence of humanity.
- The concept of artificial intelligence and human consciousness merging is explored in Petscop, suggesting that the game creates virtual counterparts of real people, trapping them within its world.
- The ghost rooms in Petscop are likened to a ship in a bottle, symbolizing the entrapment of AI systems built from real individuals, mirroring their thoughts and behaviors indefinitely.
