What you see
The Farpoint Outpost is a hub with four rune rooms around it. Each room has rune machines, plants and runes to move around. Airlocks sit between the rooms and the hub. When the right hub machines are on and both hub energy plants are energized, the macrophage in the hub lets go of the two Theta Splice keys.
These rooms have no single stored answer. The start state is always the same, but you can solve each room in more than one order. This page gives the rules and the exact start of every room.
How it works
The game's own text puts it like this:
The plus shaped runes seem to refer to objects, while the triangular runes are ... actions?
- There are two kinds of rune. Object runes (plus-shaped) name a thing in the room, such as a plant. Action runes (triangular) name an effect.
- A rune machine has two slots: one for an object rune and one for an action rune.
- An input machine is on while the object in its slot currently has the action in its slot. With an empty slot it is off.
- Each output machine is powered by one input machine. Some output machines are always powered.
- While an output machine is powered and holds both runes, it gives its action to every object of that type in the room.
- Take a rune out, or cut the power, and the action is removed again. This happens even if another machine gives the same action to the same object.
- Each songflower listens for one Pushcoli. If that Pushcoli has Activate when it reaches the songflower, it gains Observe. If it does not have Activate yet, it gains Observe once it gets it.
- Runes come from three places: machine slots at the start, trade cabinets and pickups.
- Airlocks: when you put a rune in the airlock machine, every rune of that set leaves your inventory. The entry airlock takes the hub's Norček runes; the exit airlock takes the room's runes. The airlock finishes only when neither player holds any rune of that set, so both players must empty their pockets.
- After an exit airlock, a dispenser hands out Norček runes for the hub. It works once and gives the whole set to the player who uses it.
Watcher plants (the eye) track each player separately. A community guide says machines that use the eye only work while it sees a player. We have not confirmed this from the game code.
Action runes
| Action rune | What it does |
|---|---|
 Activate | A Pushcoli with Activate gains Observe at a songflower. On a hub energy plant it counts for the final phase. |
 Big | Likely makes the object bigger. |
 Small | Likely makes the object smaller. |
 Observe | Several input machines wait for it, for example a Pushcoli or a watcher plant with Observe. |
 Energy | On a hub energy plant it counts for the final phase. No Energy rune is placed in the outpost or handed out by a dispenser. |
 Ghost | Likely makes a blocker plant passable. |
“Likely” means the game files show the effect only through the object's name and setup, not in code we have read.
Read the machines out loud as sentences: “Output 1 gives Ghost to Blocker plant A, powered by input 1”. It is easier to follow cause and effect together.
Start state, room by room
The game shows runes only as symbols. The names here come from the game files, so you can match each icon. Zones are how the game files split each room. We cannot yet say which zone is which part of the room.
Room one
Objects
- Zone 1
Blocker plant A - Zone 2
Blocker plant B
Blocker plant C
Pushcoli A
Songflower - Zone 3
Platform plant
Pushcoli BSongflower
Rune machines
| Zone | Machine | Object slot | Action slot | At the start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Input 1 | Pushcoli A | Observe | On while Pushcoli A has Observe. |
| Zone 1 | Input 2 | Pushcoli B | Observe | On while Pushcoli B has Observe. |
| Zone 1 | Output 1 | Blocker plant A | Ghost | Gives Ghost to every Blocker plant A. Powered by input 1. |
| Zone 1 | Output 2 | Platform plant | Ghost | Gives Ghost to every Platform plant. Powered by input 2. |
| Zone 2 | Output 3 | Blocker plant B | Ghost | Gives Ghost to every Blocker plant B. Always powered. |
| Zone 4 | Output 4 | empty | Small | Does nothing yet: a slot is empty. Always powered. |
Runes to collect
- Trade cabinet, zone 3empty
- Trade cabinet, zone 4Blocker plant BBlocker plant C
- Pickups, zone 2Blocker plant C
Songflowers
- Zone 2: Pushcoli A gains Observe at the songflower if it has Activate.
- Zone 3: Pushcoli B gains Observe at the songflower if it has Activate.
Airlocks
- This room has no entry airlock.
- Exit airlock: takes all of this room's runes. Then the dispenser gives:
Activate (Norček)
Room two
Objects
- Zone 1Blocker plant C
Energy plant (hook only)Platform plantPushcoli A
Rune machines
| Zone | Machine | Object slot | Action slot | At the start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Input 1 |  Watcher plant | Observe | On while Watcher plant has Observe. |
| Zone 1 | Output 1 | Energy plant (hook only) | Small | Gives Small to every Energy plant (hook only). Powered by input 1. |
| Zone 1 | Output 2 | empty | empty | Does nothing yet: a slot is empty. Always powered. |
| Zone 2 | Input 2 | empty | empty | Off: a slot is empty. |
| Zone 2 | Output 3 | empty | Activate | Does nothing yet: a slot is empty. Powered by input 2. |
Runes to collect
- Trade cabinet, zone 1BigPlatform plantSmall
- Pickups, zone 1Blocker plant CEnergy plant (hook only)
- Pickups, zone 2BigBlocker plant CPlatform plantSmall
Watcher plants
- Zone 1Watcher plant ×2
Airlocks
- Entry airlock: takes all your Norček runes.
- Exit airlock: takes all of this room's runes. Then the dispenser gives:
Blocker plant A (Norček)Activate (Norček)
Blocker plant C (Norček)
Ghost (Norček)
Room three
Objects
- Zone 1Blocker plant BBlocker plant C
Energy plantPushcoli ASongflower - Zone 3Blocker plant A
Rune machines
| Zone | Machine | Object slot | Action slot | At the start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Input 1 | empty | empty | Off: a slot is empty. |
| Zone 1 | Input 2 | Blocker plant C | Small | On while Blocker plant C has Small. |
| Zone 1 | Output 1 | empty | empty | Does nothing yet: a slot is empty. Powered by input 4. |
| Zone 1 | Output 2 | Blocker plant A | Ghost | Gives Ghost to every Blocker plant A. Powered by input 1. |
| Zone 1 | Output 3 | Pushcoli A | Ghost | Gives Ghost to every Pushcoli A. Powered by input 2. |
| Zone 2 | Input 3 | Blocker plant C | Ghost | On while Blocker plant C has Ghost. |
| Zone 2 | Input 4 | empty | empty | Off: a slot is empty. |
| Zone 2 | Input 5 | Pushcoli A | Activate | On while Pushcoli A has Activate. |
| Zone 2 | Output 4 | Pushcoli A | Ghost | Gives Ghost to every Pushcoli A. Powered by input 3. |
| Zone 2 | Output 5 | empty | empty | Does nothing yet: a slot is empty. Powered by input 5. |
Runes to collect
- Trade cabinet, zone 1ActivateBlocker plant BBlocker plant CGhostObserve
- Trade cabinet, zone 2Blocker plant BBlocker plant CEnergy plantObservePushcoli A
- Pickups, zone 1ActivateEnergy plantPushcoli ASmall
- Pickups, zone 2ActivateWatcher plant
Songflowers
- Zone 1: this songflower's listening area is not wired to any object, so it does nothing.
Watcher plants
- Zone 2Watcher plant
Airlocks
- Entry airlock: takes all your Norček runes.
- Exit airlock: takes all of this room's runes. Then the dispenser gives:Activate (Norček) ×2Blocker plant C (Norček)
Energy plant (Norček)
Pushcoli (Norček)Ghost (Norček)Blocker plant A (Norček)
Energy plant (hook only) (Norček)
Observe (Norček)
Room four
Objects
- RoomBlocker plant C
- Zone 1Blocker plant ABlocker plant BPushcoli ASongflower
- Zone 2Energy plant (hook only)Platform plant
Rune machines
| Zone | Machine | Object slot | Action slot | At the start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Input 1 | empty | empty | Off: a slot is empty. |
| Zone 1 | Input 2 | empty | empty | Off: a slot is empty. |
| Zone 1 | Input 3 | Songflower | Activate | On while Songflower has Activate. |
| Zone 1 | Output 1 | empty | empty | Does nothing yet: a slot is empty. Powered by input 4. |
| Zone 1 | Output 2 | Blocker plant A | Big | Gives Big to every Blocker plant A. Powered by input 3. |
| Zone 2 | Input 4 | empty | empty | Off: a slot is empty. |
| Zone 2 | Input 5 | Energy plant (hook only) | Activate | On while Energy plant (hook only) has Activate. |
| Zone 2 | Output 3 | empty | empty | Does nothing yet: a slot is empty. Powered by input 2. |
| Zone 2 | Output 4 | empty | empty | Does nothing yet: a slot is empty. Powered by input 1. |
| Zone 2 | Output 5 | Blocker plant B | Small | Gives Small to every Blocker plant B. Powered by input 5. |
Runes to collect
- Trade cabinet, zone 1Energy plantGhostPlatform plantSmall
- Trade cabinet, zone 2GhostObservePushcoli ASmall
- Trade cabinet, zone 2Platform plantPushcoli ASongflower ×2
- Pickups, zone 1Blocker plant CObserveWatcher plant
- Pickups, zone 2ActivateBigEnergy plant (hook only) ×2
Songflowers
- Zone 1: Pushcoli A gains Observe at the songflower if it has Activate.
Watcher plants
- Zone 2Watcher plant ×2
Airlocks
- Entry airlock: takes all your Norček runes.
- Exit airlock: takes all of this room's runes. Then the dispenser gives:Activate (Norček) ×4Blocker plant C (Norček)Observe (Norček)Energy plant (Norček) ×2Pushcoli (Norček)Ghost (Norček)Blocker plant A (Norček)
Hub
Objects
- Zone 1Blocker plant A (Norček)Energy plant (hook only) (Norček)Pushcoli (Norček)
- Zone 2Blocker plant C (Norček)Energy plant (Norček)
Songflower (Norček)
Rune machines
| Zone | Machine | Object slot | Action slot | At the start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Input 1 | empty | empty | Off: a slot is empty. |
| Zone 1 | Input 2 | empty | empty | Off: a slot is empty. |
| Zone 1 | Output 1 | empty | empty | Does nothing yet: a slot is empty. Powered by input 1. |
| Zone 1 | Output 2 | empty | empty | Does nothing yet: a slot is empty. Powered by input 2. |
| Zone 2 | Input 3 | empty | empty | Off: a slot is empty. |
| Zone 2 | Input 4 | empty | empty | Off: a slot is empty. |
| Zone 2 | Output 3 | empty | empty | Does nothing yet: a slot is empty. Powered by input 3. |
| Zone 2 | Output 4 | empty | empty | Does nothing yet: a slot is empty. Powered by input 4. |
Runes to collect
- Trade cabinet, zone 1Blocker plant A (Norček)
- Trade cabinet, zone 2Activate (Norček)
- Pickups, zone 1Blocker plant C (Norček)
- Pickups, zone 2Energy plant (Norček) ×2Pushcoli (Norček)
Songflowers
- Zone 2: Pushcoli (Norček) gains Observe at the songflower if it has Activate.
Watcher plants
- Zone 1
Watcher plant (Norček)
Final phase in the hub
Show hint
Emily's note says it is just cause and effect. Read each output machine as a sentence: give this action to this object. Then check which input machine powers it, and what that input waits for.
Show hint
Work backwards from what blocks you. Find the output machine that could change that object, then work out how to switch on its input.
Show the final goalSpoiler
The macrophage in the hub starts its final phase when both of these are true:
- These 6 hub machines are on:
- Input 1 (Zone 1)
- Input 2 (Zone 1)
- Output 1 (Zone 1)
- Output 2 (Zone 1)
- Input 3 (Zone 2)
- Output 3 (Zone 2)
- Both hub energy plants (the energy plant and the hook-only energy plant) have Activate or Energy.
Not part of this check: Input 4 (Zone 2), Output 4 (Zone 2).
Then the macrophage frees the two Theta Splice keys. Each player takes one: Beyond the Rift
Action-rune key
Object-rune key
Clue documents
Common mistakes
- Expecting to keep runes through an airlock. Every rune of that set leaves your inventory, and the airlock waits until both players hold none.
- Giving the same action twice and then taking one rune out. The action is removed, even though the other machine still gives it.
- Waiting for the songflower in room three, zone 1. It is not wired to anything.
- Expecting a dispenser to share its runes. It works once and gives everything to the player who uses it.
Achievement
Farpoint
Discovered the Human Outpost
How it unlocks (spoiler)
Both players load into Farpoint Outpost entry (entry-to-room-one area).
Essentia Emendare
Finished the expedition team’s project
How it unlocks (spoiler)
Collect both Theta Splice keys from the macrophage in Farpoint Outpost hub.
Read from the game files of version 1.0 (no guesswork). Something wrong in your game? Tell us and we will check it. Report a problem