I’ve rarely felt as targeted as I did today, when I opened my inbox and the following words spilled out from across a sea of email subject lines and splashed into my brain: “Outer Wilds: Design Works announced.” I can’t remember the last time I clicked an email this fast.
“Lost In Cult is exceptionally proud to unveil Outer Wilds: Design Works,” the press release states, referring to the UK-based publisher of The Console Chronicles, a book which I literally just got in the mail last week, I need a break! There are two versions of the book, a handsome Standard Edition for a reasonable £44.99 and then a sickos-only Deluxe Edition for a sun-exploding £125.99… which is the one I bought, and I am confidant was the right decision for me and my family, no further questions. Both options are available for pre-order now on the Lost in Cult website until November 2nd, and should ship out in the second or third quarter of next year.
The press release notes that this is the publisher’s “most-requested book ever” which, duh, of course it is. It is a scientific fact — and as a fan of Outer Wilds, I of course am basically a scientist now — that each and every person who has played the game would stop at nothing to recapture even a modicum of the wonder and mystery embedded in every minute of its 22-minute time loops.
And while there is no turning back time — again, as a scientist* and an Outer Wilds player, I understand that even when stuck in a time loop, knowledge accrues forward — this book represents perhaps a small chance to discover something new in a world that has been desperate for some wonder and some mystery ever since I pieced together the final puzzle pieces of Polygon’s 2019 game of the year. Here, watch this trailer and don’t tell me there isn’t something in here that will scratch that itch:
“My jaw didn’t just drop while playing Outer Wilds,“ Polygon’s Chelsea Stark wrote in our game of the year writeup, ”in some sections, it felt like it may have just stayed on the floor permanently.“ While this Deluxe Edition book doesn’t come with anything as straightforward as a replacement jaw, it does come with a sick papercraft model, some fun posters, a map of the game’s solar system, stickers, a bookmark, and an ”interactive puzzle featuring replica projection stones.”
Say what? “Use these to reveal one more Outer Wilds secret within the pages of our book,” the press release promises. Ok, you win, Lost in Cult. Hand it over. ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ
