Supermassive Games' The Dark Pictures Anthology is continuing with House of Ashes and a new trailer launched during Gamescom to show off more of its story, but it also contained a hidden URL at the 1:24 mark which leads to an ARG-style website chock full of new lore revelations.
It's a pastiche of Windows XP that serves as a military database for Caelus. The initial prompt asks you to verify that you are 18 years or older. Upon clicking yes, you are brought to a username and password login screen. Simply clicking the password box autofills it.
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Once in, you'll find three folders, an internet browser, and two post-it notes. One such note reads, "They can track my movements and follow my trace online. I need to vanish amongst the data. 1103 / 5000 clicks on this page are needed for me to safely upload more information." It's a goal that's a bit on the nose for an ARG. Evidently, if enough people visit, more will be unveiled. The other note reads, "Confidential information has leaked about the top-level operation in the Sumerian Desert. Today, I'm organizing my files on the case and everything I've managed to learn thus far."
The three folders are labeled Local Reports, Missing Tourists, and Markings. The first has photos of "Dead Live Stock," a medical note, a missing person's report, and two mp4 files. These are slightly immersion-breaking, taking you to YouTube. You'll find some grainy security cam footage of a monster lurking the corridors, at any rate.
The second folder has missing person reports, found possessions, camera roll, and video footage. The latter has a shot of the mountains to the beat of a sunset with cows mooing. However, the horror seeps in as some unsettling screaming sounds begin to take hold. Best not watch this one at 4am with the lights off and the window wide open, aye?
Finally, Markings is a folder containing a series of pictures that show off.. well, strange markings. Symbol 9, for example, has two crosses – one large and one small – connected by a straight line.
The last thing on this page is the internet browser which is a page that plugs the game. There's the pre-orders, social media links, and about pages. It even gives a first look at the Pazuzu Edition which has a detailed rendition of the game's monster, the same one that's barely visible in the security cam footage on the same page.
House of Ashes will launch just before Halloween on October 22. 2021. You can pick it up on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
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