Internet Cryptids

  Your source for all of the internet mysteries you wish to seek. Concise descriptions, 3 A's (Authenticity, Abstract, Analysis)  

[internetcryptids]

Deeper

AUTHENTICITY STATUS: NOT AUTHENTIC

Abstract:

Deeper is an ARG (Augmented Reality Game) that Joined May 20, 2016. The first video uploaded was 73 65 63 75 74 69 20 73 75 6e 74 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l79Ir9OGvX0) on May 20th, 2016. The video is a perspective viewpoint of somebody running on a sidewalk. The video style is of that of a vhs tape. The hexadecimal once implemented into a converter translates to the latin phrase “secuti sunt” which means “followed by”. This matches the content of the video.  

Some videos have “weird noises”. In “l i s t e n” towards the end you can hear those weird noises (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KR118pqtdo). When inputted through a spectogram, it produces Stephanie Ann Bauman. Stephanie Ann Bauman was a 15 year old girl who died of hypothermia after being stripped and attacked. “There was evidence she was followed by a car filled with as many as five people who harassed her and prevented her from seeking help. Exhausted, she fell in a ditch and froze to death after wandering in circles.” ( Kirk Mitchell, The Denver Post). This case is unsolved and is tied to 37 others. 

Analysis: Deeper has had many uploads since the two videos listed earlier are how the channel came to fame. The morbid mention of Bauman in an ARG has led many to believe that the person behind the channel is connected. Although possible, it is unlikely to be any sort-of suspected murderer. The channel displays effects to resemble a vhs however, are clearly from a filter. The channel is by no means underground as it boasts 35.6K subscribers. When the channel was in relatively early development it was referred as the “Angler Killer”.  It will be interesting to witness the series progress and see how it turns out!

Want more? Look more in-depth with these resources:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN6lfthWfZXIHcBmrwBPylQ - Deeper youtube channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyX9EgyBro8 - Analysis @OrdinaryGamers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTd1cDywYOo - Analysis @ReignBotYT (mildly dated)

[internetcryptids]

Kanye Quest 3303

Authenticity Status: UNDETERMINED 

Abstract: Kanye Quest 3303 is a role-playing video game that was made in 2013. It was widely loved and seemingly normal. However, In 2015 an anonymous user posted an entry describing a secret level. The level was revealed through an aspect of the game where an NPC asks you a question and you give a response. When replying “ascend”, “their avatar was turned into a butterfly. More notably, they were shown a message that explains that the main story of Kanye Quest was all a facade, meant to conceal the true purpose of the game - recruitment into a cult” (plus1player). There are cryptic puzzles that had connections with seemingly random words that solved them but, were found in the game’s code. As you went deeper it finally resolved with a contactless message implying that there would be real-world messages would be coming your way. 

The cult in question is Ascensionism. It’s “a New Age cult that goes back to at least 2006. Its main beliefs focus around there being two spirits that make up a whole being.” If you’re interested in the contents you’re going to have to sift and search for resources covering it without the connection to the game. Content by genuine followers is...interesting. 

Analysis: It is undoubtedly likely that Kanye Quest 3303 is apart of an elaborate Alternate Reality Game (ARG). An ARG is “a relatively new form of storytelling that utilizes various types of Internet media (such as social media, videos, and email) to unfold the narrative, usually allowing players to be directly involved” (plus1player). As of now, 7 months ago the Ascensionism records youtube channel posted an ARG-like video. Regardless, this content does have truth to it. There are people who believe in ascensionism and, this game showed a connection that would have gone overlooked without the anonymous user.

Want more? Look more in-depth with these resources:

https://www.youtube.com/user/AndromedaUGC/featured - Key organization related to this mystery. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhLPL3rt1pA - Despite click-baity title, this video has very nice information. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrVVL5wjMUY - Analysis

https://www.youtube.com/redirect?v=FrVVL5wjMUY&event=video_description&redir_token=bR1ohf-QceSoDEKW_Lh0z0HFlet8MTU4NjU3OTgwOUAxNTg2NDkzNDA5&q=https%3A%2F%2Fmega.nz%2F%23%21j9hSTL7I%21UTLjwCSK7jBjYiDyIoQr9tFHMCmlUSP-8hsKQfWZff9  - Game download

[internetcryptids]

Erratas

Authenticity Status: UNKNOWN

Abstract: Erratas is supposedly a computer algorithm that is used by big corporations. Some employees have claimed to have their jobs taken away for searching the term. The word roughly translates to “error” in Latin. In 2015, a 4chan user posted on the paranormal board a summary of a conversation with a woman regarding her shady job. She claimed that her job shadow-banned the word erratas and flagged any employee who typed it.  After a month, another mention of the post was made in a separate context. A person asked for information regarding IT jobs from 2000-2010 wondering if there were any details of HR-related programs called Erratas. 

Around a year later, a channel was discovered called Chronosforlife. The channel was found through 4chan’s music board, specifically, deep internet. This music is from videos with less than 20 views and it’s compiled noise of the videos to make a soundtrack. Chronosforlife was discovered through it. A link leading to his channel showed the video called "Youtube is MONITORING and controlling my life." This video explained that youtube’s algorithms were out to get him. The channel uploaded another video called "Here goes nothing…" this video had Erratas in it. In youtube’s automated captions, an address showed up and was listed on the Bandcamp page of "KFC Murder Chicks," all of which was later removed. 

Tod Ellsworth uploaded a video in 2015 with content from a song by the band KFC murder chicks. The phrase "Erratas or Rusts" is written at the end of the description. Tod Ellsworth’s twitter page posted an image of a computer-generated police sketch of a suspected Maui rapist. It is suggested that Tod Ellsworth is an anagram of The Lost World which, is one of the Jurassic Park Movies. 

Analysis: Its origins are questionable but, there’s a lot of potential that huge corporations would want an algorithm to detect people that simply, “know too much”. 

Want more? Look more in-depth with these resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKWcuREU_wU - Thorough analysis of Erratas by SomeOrdinaryGamers. 

[internetcryptids]

Cicada 3301

AUTHENTICITY STATUS: AUTHENTIC

Abstract: Cicada 3301 is an organization that has on occasion released complex puzzles to recruit code breakers. The first puzzle started on January 4th, 2012 on 4chan. The second puzzle released one year later. Then, in 2014, January 4th the third round was announced. A clue was released in 2016 but, in 2017 the organization released a message stating that “Beware false paths. Always verify PGP signature from 7A35090F.”   It is important to note that many fakes have been released.  

The puzzles focused on data security, cryptography, steganography, internet anonymity, and surveillance. There are unidentified individuals who are claimed to have completed the process. Communications have gone from the internet to real-life locations.  

Analysis: The organization has been met with much criticism. It has been labeled as a cult and a hacker group. Although there’s still a lot of mystery regarding the intentions of the association, real-life applications from the navy have used challenges inspired by the cicada 3301 projects.  According to Marcus Wanner, those who solved the puzzles were asked questions about their support of information freedom, online privacy and freedom, and rejection of censorship (Wikipedia).

 Want more? Look more in-depth with these resources:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2O7blSSzpI - Popular analytical upload about Cicada 3301 by  LEMMiNO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svJF_FoSI9o - How the puzzles were solved by TheBraveZombies

[internetcryptids]

Petscop

CONTAINS SPOILERS 

I encourage you to watch the series to create your own theories. 

Authenticity status: NOT AUTHENTIC

Abstract: 

Petscop is a web series about a mysterious Playstation game. Made in 1997, It was developed by a fictional company called Garalina. The play through is narrated by our protagonist Paul. As Paul discovers new layers of the game, it becomes apparent that the game is related to him and his life. 

 The beginning of the game is inherently cute. The player solves puzzles to retrieve “pets” in the Giftplane. As Paul plays, he knows the puzzles of the game where he can execute them very efficiently. By the end of the first episode, the game is seemingly unfinished. Paul reveals that the copy of the game had a note attached and, with it, there was a warning and a cheat code. Upon entering the cheat code, his journey through dimensions starts. 

Analysis:

 Petscop is a very convincing series but, it doesn’t exist. There’s no evidence of a company called Garalina existing in the time the game came out or, prior. There are several theories regarding the similarities between the game and the tragic story of Candace Newmaker. Candace Newmaker was a child who sadly, suffocated during an attachment therapy session. The correlation between the game and incident is apparent with the name usage like the Newmaker plane. Some characters have similar names like Tiara. Candace’s full name was Candace Tiara Newmaker. Connections like these lead to the impression that there’s a connection between the two games but, this theory has yet to be confirmed as it could also be an original piece of work. 

Want more? Look more in-depth with these resources:  

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZKQv0ZFHpeIUkOtNjtq4KA - Official Petscop Youtube channel. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Petscop/ - Official Petscop subreddit. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CM4EDrrgEs - Analysis of the production of the game by Nitro Rad.

[internetcryptids]

Polybius

Authenticity Status: NOT AUTHENTIC 

Abstract: Polybius is a fictional arcade game named after the Greek historian Polybius. Supposedly, Polybius is made by Sinneslöschen Inc. in 1981 and in Portland, Oregon. This game is rumored to cause psychoactive effects like amnesia, insomnia, night terrors and hallucinations. Allegedly, the game was created by the government to collect data amongst its users. Agents or “men in black” would take pictures of the high scores and… do something.  All of the arcade machines, reportedly, have disappeared. 

Analysis: Regarding the main identifying features of the game like the name and associated company we can conclude the following details: 

Polybius, as a Greek historian, was known for the conceptual idea that “historians should never report what they cannot verify through interviews with witnesses”. This, ironically, describes the skepticism the game faces.

Sinneslöschen Inc. Is a fictional company where the name roughly translates to “sense deprivation”. It is important to note that the German word isn’t used. It is likely an English speaker taking the German translation of the words and combining them.

There is no evidence of the game existing during the time period it is claimed to have thrived. All material surfaced around the early 2000s. No popular gaming magazines mentioned the iconic Polybius until an article featured by Gamepro released around 2003. Kurt Koller, the owner of coinop.org, submitted a lead to Gamepro regarding the game. This ushered in many tales of people associated with the development of the game. All known to be fake.  

The legacy of the arcade game, Polybius, is undeniably remarkable. Fanmade creations linked below are evidence of its impact. 

Want more? Look more in-depth with these resources:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7X6Yeydgyg&t=3554s - Ahoy’s comprehensive investigation of the Polybius game. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBIURrxE9s0 - Portland Retro Gaming Expo (2013). 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-sFVNh1jsk - *EPILEPSY WARNING* Fanmade gameplay of Polybius. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Emg09EcatE - Amateur video of men finding the Polybius cabinet.