THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:59, 25 February 2025

THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt (TFEE) is a long form Easter egg hunt ongoing since September 2022. It spans multiple levels and covers both external and in-game elements. The hunt is led by Embark Studios' Chief Content Officer and Co-founder, Robert Runesson, and assisted by Dusty Gustafsson, Embark's CX Lead.

The hunt began in September 2022, when a series of cryptic Easter egg clues started appearing in concept art released via the official THE FINALS Twitter account, and later the official THE FINALS Discord server. This initial puzzle became known as Level 1 - The Commence, and was followed by Level 2 - The Promise and Level 3 - The Hunt. Clues are usually presented via official artwork and renders, in-game Easter eggs, and messages from Rob and Dusty. The hunt itself operates via the official THE FINALS website, with several hidden pages containing clues, images, and password inputs.

Reminder

Remember to follow the rules and practice good hunting etiquette!

Overview

The first level of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. Started in September 2022, and ended in October 2022.

The second level of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. Started in October 2022, and ended in March 2024.

The third and current level of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. Started in April / August 2024.

Diamond Clues tie into the ultimate solution to THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt.

Guidance

Rules & Etiquette

Trying to brute force or break your way into password-protected webpages is not allowed as it can completely ruin the hunt for everyone involved.
Using AI programs such as ChatGPT to decode content or figure out connections, passwords, etc, is not allowed as it can similarly spoil the hunt.
The hunt is not about trying to bypass website or game security. All clues and Easter eggs are accessible by normal means. Do not share datamined content or try to exploit the game or Embark Studios' websites in any way.
The hunt does not require the use of glitches / exploits / out-of-bounds exploration. In-game Easter eggs may be difficult to find, but they do not require breaking the game.
Hunt-related pages can be found via clues. Do not try to discover hidden pages / URLs on Embark Studios' websites by exploitative or unintended means.
The metadata of images does not contain intentional clues, and so does not need to be accessed; Photoshop file history, layer names, etc.

If you're unsure about whether you might be close to breaking a rule, just ask!

Rob's Helpful Hints

'"Hi.! You are correct… Only look for clues in assets that we release in our channels where we can control naming, compression etc… don’t want you to fall down the wrong rabbit holes… ._."
"No we will never trick you (and you are too clever to be tricked). But it shouldn't be easy to solve puzzles like this... ._.
"Hi.! All passwords are lowercase… ._."
"Was going to comment on the discussion about 'password vs passcode'... I remember that discussion back on the Amiga BBS-era... so as long as it is in ASCII, it is a password, regardless if it is letters or numbers... ._. (but all passWORDS are lowercase regardless if it is letters, numbers or any other characters in the ASCII-table, hehe)"
"Hi.! Yes you CAN solve every EE (and level) with the first image, but, it’s hard… but the answer is there.! For every new image (or dusty text, hehe) we give you it becomes easier, and easier, and easier to solve each level… BTW you were actually really close already with the first image, I first thought TIER 1B was way too easy since you kind of mentioned the actual password (or is it a passcode @Giriko .?!) buuut then for some reason it went south… ._."
"Short answer is 'No, the images released during one level/tier are used to solve that level/tier'. However that said, there might be (and often are) clues and hints that potentially can (or will) be very useful (or obvious when you see the full picture in the end (or is it really the end, or perhaps just a new beginning))..."
"Everything is connected, but it's not THAT obvious... ._."
"Great puzzles need to be deep and complex to be fun and challenging, for this little EE-hunt there are always at least 4-5 connections between different clues on each level and often also multiple connections between both tiers and levels. That way the web becomes an intricate aventure, a beautiful painting and a puzzle that is much more satisfying to solve... after all don't we all want to honor Archimedes.?1"
"No, I’m only use standard ASCII, actually to keep the password very easy to figure out, I’ve made sure to only use lower case letters and numbers, for this level [Level Two] that is… ._."
"No spaces in psw in this ee-hunt… ._."

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-== Overview ==
+'''THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt''' (TFEE) is a long form [[Easter Eggs|Easter egg]] hunt ongoing since September 2022. It spans multiple levels and covers both external and in-game elements. The hunt is led by Embark Studios' Chief Content Officer and Co-founder, Robert Runesson, and assisted by Dusty Gustafsson, Embark's CX Lead.
-In early September 2022, after the Gamescom teaser trailer for THE FINALS was released (late August 2022), a series of related cryptic Easter egg clues started to be presented through concept art released via [https://twitter.com/reachthefinals THE FINALS Twitter account]. Several additional clues to help the community solve the puzzles were also posted exclusively on THE FINALS Discord. The initial Easter eggs (which, following it being solved, became known as Level 1 or 'The Geocache Easter Egg') indirectly prompted members of the community to add specific words to THE FINALS website URL, as a suffix, which was a way of providing answers to the puzzle to see if they were correct. From Level 2 of the Easter Eggs ('The Promise') onwards, prospective answers were input as passwords via a specific [https://www.reachthefinals.com/tfee-level2 password page] created by the Embark Studios art team, led by Embark's Chief Content Officer and [https://www.embark-studios.com/about Co-founder], Rob Runesson.
-__TOC__
+The hunt began in September 2022, when a series of cryptic Easter egg clues started appearing in concept art released via the official [https://twitter.com/reachthefinals THE FINALS Twitter account], and later the official [https://discord.gg/thefinals THE FINALS Discord server]. This initial puzzle became known as Level 1 - The Commence, and was followed by Level 2 - The Promise and Level 3 - The Hunt. Clues are usually presented via official artwork and renders, in-game Easter eggs, and messages from Rob and Dusty. The hunt itself operates via the official [https://reachthefinals.com THE FINALS website], with several hidden pages containing clues, images, and password inputs.
-== Level One - 'THE COMMENCE' - A History Of Solving The Easter Egg ==
+{{User:Raid/Template:TempReminderTemplate
+|header=Reminder
-==== Overview ====
+|image=Namatama_(2).png
-This level debuted on Sept. 5, 2022 and was solved on Sept. 16, 2022; 11 days later. The overarching theme was Geocaching and all of the clues therein were related.
+|text=Remember to [[#Rules_&_Etiquette|follow the rules]] and practice good hunting etiquette!}}
-----
+== Overview ==
-=== Slash ===
+{{InfoGridCards
-[[File:Slash.jpg|thumb|400x400px|Slash]]
+|header1 = [[Level 1 - The Commence]]
+|image1 = [[File:THE_FINALS_Concept_BarrelsBarrelsBarrels Cropped.png|link=Level 1 - The Commence]]
-==== Overview ====
+|text1 = The first level of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. Started in September 2022, and ended in October 2022.
-Slash was the first image that was uploaded as part of the multi-leveled easter egg hunt, as such is it among the simplest images thus far. It was uploaded on September 5th, 2022. The main challenge was binary hidden both in the image and in the tweet showcasing it. It lead us on the path to appending clues into the website's web address.
-==== Clues ====
-''> New concept art..!.!!!!''
-This was the text that was shown alongside the image. Putting ..!.!!!! into a binary converter, assuming '''.''' is 0 and '''!''' is 1 results in a /. This is a hint that we'll need to append possible clues into the official website's web address.
-There were two binary codes hidden in the image as well, one spelling DEVON, and the other spelling CROSSING. Going to the website with that appended to it [https://www.reachthefinals.com/devoncrossing results] in a red cross. William Crossing, from Devon, was a man that started the letter of Letterboxing, a precursor to Geocaching.
-----
-=== Statues_001 ===
-[[File:Statues 001.png|thumb|400x400px|Statues_001]]
-==== Overview ====
-Statues_001 is the second  in THE COMMENCE. It was uploaded on September 8th, 2022. There are a series of numbers hidden in each corner of the image. These numbers resulted in Galileo's birthdate with the following image.
-==== Clues ====
-''> 49 53  54 52  48 50  49 53''
-These numbers were hidden in the corners of the image, and this sequence is correct when read from top - left to right, then lower - left to right. Putting these numbers into a ASCII code table resulted in '''15 64 02 15''', a possible date.
-----
-=== Happystatues_002 ===
-[[File:Happystatues 002.png|thumb|400x400px|Happystatues_002]]
-==== Overview ====
-Happystatues_002 is the second image in THE COMMENCE. It was uploaded on September 9th, 2022. There are a series of numbers hidden in each corner of the image. These numbers resulted in the ISO-8601 date format.
-==== Clues ====
-''> 56  54  48  49''
-These numbers were hidden in the corners of the image, Putting these numbers into a ASCII code table resulted in '''8601''',or ISO-8601, a date format. Putting the previous numbers into it gave us 1564/02/15, Galileo's birthdate. Going to the website with ''galileo'' appended to it [https://www.reachthefinals.com/galileo results] in a red cross. Galileo is the name of a European space satellite system that runs GPS for Europe.
-----
-=== BarrelsBarrelsBarrels ===
-[[File:BarrelsBarrelsBarrels.png|thumb|400x400px|BarrelsBarrelsBarrels]]
-==== Overview ====
-BarrelsBarrelsBarrels is the third image in THE COMMENCE. It was uploaded on September 13th, 2022. There are a number of clues hidden within, such as a can of beans, and the unicode for /.
-==== Clues ====
-''> 002f''
-These numbers were hidden the barrels, when run through a Unicode translator it shows '''/''' Another clue that we need to append text to the website's address.
-''> OG BEANS''
-There was a can of beans on the lower figure of the image. '''OG Beans'''. The meaning of this wouldn't be discovered until the next image.
-----
-=== Friend_You_Need01 ===
-[[File:Friend You Need01.png|thumb|200x200px|Friend You Need01]]
-==== Overview ====
-Statues is the fourth image in THE COMMENCE. It was uploaded on September 15th, 2022. There are a series of numbers hidden in each corner of the image. These numbers resulted in Galileo's Birthdate with the following image.
-==== Clues ====
-''> Nama Tama with a can of OG BEANS''
-Nama Tama, the mascot for THE FINALS, can be seen with a halo and holding a can of '''OG BEANS''', with a stealthy taste. The O.C.B (Original Can of Beans) is geocaching's first trade item. Placed in the Original Stash by Dave Ulmer, the inventor of Geocaching. The O.C.B is the only remaining item from that cache.
-----
-=== Solving ===
-[[File:Awesome.!.png|thumb|200x200px|Awesome.!]]
-On September 16th, 2022. Hunter Duh found the correct answer for the level. https://www.reachthefinals.com/geocache A new image awaited the hunters there. Nama Tama saying Level One Completed! You Are Awesome.! In total this level took 11 days to complete.
-==== Summary ====
-* Devon Crossing relates to William Crossing of Devon. Which can be traced back to the origins of a hobby called Letterboxing in Dartmoor, Devon. The hobby is refered to as the original geocaching, but with compasses and maps.
-* Galileo is the name of a European Satellite System. GPS devices are used for geocaching and they require satellites to function.
-* O.C.B stands for ''Original Can of Beans.'' A can of beans was the first item placed in the original stash by the inventor of geocaching.
-----
-=== Credits ===
-'''Solver''' - Duh
-'''Documentation''' - Giriko, Flex4d, RockhoundBlack
+|header2 = [[Level 2 - The Promise]]
+|image2 = [[File:THE_FINALS_Concept_005_Fire Cropped.png|link=Level 2 - The Promise]]
+|text2 = The second level of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. Started in October 2022, and ended in March 2024.
-'''Various Contributions''' - ATAEGGYU, Darnoux, Dwarf, Madalin, Mike Eggmantraut, Oli, Sparky, Swa
+|header3 = [[Level 3 - The Hunt]]
+|image3 = [[File:THE_FINALS_I_Want_to.png|link=Level 3 - The Hunt]]
+|text3 = The third and current level of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. Started in April / August 2024.
-==== Further Reading ====
+}}{{InfoGridCards
-RockhoundBlack's Video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfC7lvXbPMM THE FINALS: The 'Geocache' Easter Egg!]
+|header1 = [[Diamond Clues]] [[File:Burrw.gif|thumb|380px]]
+|text1 = Diamond Clues tie into the ultimate solution to THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt.
+}}
+== Guidance ==
+=== Rules & Etiquette ===
+# Trying to brute force or break your way into password-protected webpages is not allowed as it can completely ruin the hunt for everyone involved.
+# Using AI programs such as ChatGPT to decode content or figure out connections, passwords, etc, is not allowed as it can similarly spoil the hunt.
+# The hunt is not about trying to bypass website or game security. All clues and Easter eggs are accessible by normal means. Do not share datamined content or try to exploit the game or Embark Studios' websites in any way.
+# The hunt does not require the use of glitches / exploits / out-of-bounds exploration. In-game Easter eggs may be difficult to find, but they do not require breaking the game.
+# Hunt-related pages can be found via clues. Do not try to discover hidden pages / URLs on Embark Studios' websites by exploitative or unintended means.
+# The metadata of images does not contain intentional clues, and so does not need to be accessed; Photoshop file history, layer names, etc.
+If you're unsure about whether you might be close to breaking a rule, just ask!
-[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CLzGtj2w2elVkqEdPV6NgqRiszNAxnwIANXHK-Pa1Bk/edit?usp=sharing Flex4d's Document]
+=== Rob's Helpful Hints ===
+# '"Hi.! You are correct… Only look for clues in assets that we release in our channels where we can control naming, compression etc… don’t want you to fall down the wrong rabbit holes… ._."
+# "No we will never trick you (and you are too clever to be tricked). But it shouldn't be easy to solve puzzles like this... ._.''
+# "Hi.! All passwords are lowercase… ._."
+# "Was going to comment on the discussion about 'password vs passcode'... I remember that discussion back on the Amiga BBS-era... so as long as it is in ASCII, it is a password, regardless if it is letters or numbers... ._. (but all passWORDS are lowercase regardless if it is letters, numbers or any other characters in the ASCII-table, hehe)"
+# "Hi.! Yes you CAN solve every EE (and level) with the first image, but, it’s hard… but the answer is there.! For every new image (or dusty text, hehe) we give you it becomes easier, and easier, and easier to solve each level… BTW you were actually really close already with the first image, I first thought TIER 1B was way too easy since you kind of mentioned the actual password (or is it a passcode @Giriko .?!) buuut then for some reason it went south… ._."
+# "Short answer is 'No, the images released during one level/tier are used to solve that level/tier'. However that said, there might be (and often are) clues and hints that potentially can (or will) be very useful (or obvious when you see the full picture in the end (or is it really the end, or perhaps just a new beginning))..."
+# "Everything is connected, but it's not THAT obvious... ._."
+# "Great puzzles need to be deep and complex to be fun and challenging, for this little EE-hunt there are always at least 4-5 connections between different clues on each level and often also multiple connections between both tiers and levels. That way the web becomes an intricate aventure, a beautiful painting and a puzzle that is much more satisfying to solve... after all don't we all want to honor Archimedes.?1"
+# "No, I’m only use standard ASCII, actually to keep the password very easy to figure out, I’ve made sure to only use lower case letters and numbers, for this level [Level Two] that is… ._."
+# "No spaces in psw in this ee-hunt… ._."