Uhm, sorry for more inactivity. Hopefully this long break comes to an end and I begin to become more productive, working on my website that is.

Anyways,

Potential spoilers ahead! Turn back if you wish not to see it!

I strongly recommend that you play the game spoiler free.

also some of the images are sourced from other videos, and eventually from myself, although some are low quality

Discovering OneShot

About a month ago I bought the game OneShot on Steam during a sale. I've heard about the game so many times, hearing that it was a "4th wall obliterator". The first time I heard about the game was around December 2022, seeing Youtube recommend me a video talking about OneShot. That video is what made me get into OneShot... unfortunately I did not have the money to buy the game at the time. Well, I'm here now, now absolutely amazed by the gameplay and what it had to offer. This post will be mostly me talking about my first playthrough of the game.

The start

Waking up in an unfamiliar bedroom, with everything dim. I just wandered around the bedroom, interacting with stuff before picking up the remote on the ground and progressing to the computer, which was the only functional thing.

The computer (or The Entity) talked about stuff that "Your actions will affect Niko.", and that the world was ending, and to top it off, the game literally opened a window (that is NOT inside the game) saying that I have only one shot, with it saying my ACTUAL name. I was kinda freaked out, but that was a small piece of the 4th wall being broken off. It knows your name as it takes it from your system name.

The Barrens

I knew this game was about to be real good. We later have access to outside the bedroom where we found many run down stuff. The entire room was a puzzle. With a bottle of alcohol, a branch, and a broken CRT TV, we now have a key to the basement, which contains the main item of the game, a lightbulb. Now finally having access to the outside world, we meet ProphetBot, who tells us that lightbulb is their "sun", and we have come to replace the sun on "The Tower", as the old one had suddenly died. With Niko waking up in an dark and unfamiliar place, and having the "sun", Niko is the messiah.

Niko then asks about who this higher-being is (that being YOU, the player, or me), ProphetBot says that (you, me, us) are the god of their world, and that you can contact them. Then I realized. I'm not controlling or playing as Niko, I'm guiding Niko. Niko and the player are separate from each other. This... made the game feel unique.

After the interaction with ProphetBot, I guide Niko through the Barrens and what it had to offer. There was this place in the Barrens where toxic gas fills the air, Niko couldn't get past there since it hurts for him to breathe there. Say, what does that vault at the cliffs contain? With a bit of traversing around the Barrens, we've gathered a broken battery, a camera, and a screwdriver. Oh, we also met a robot named Silver. Sliver being different from the other robots that we've met, being that she is "tamed". Neither me or Niko knew what the term "tamed" means. Well, with her accompanying us for a bit we now have the previously mentioned items. A quick fixing, recharging, and now we plop in the battery in the generator. Oh! The robots are running again, and so is the computer.

We interact the computer, The Entity contacts us again, saying that progress must stop.

The Entity then mentions that there is a code to unlock a box, but that code does not exist in our world. Then another window outside of the game opened, saying that if I know what this means. I answered no, which then gave me this hint:

Document?

I then realized where the code is. I quickly opened my folders and went into the Documents tab, to find a new file in there.

The game had created a new file, upon opening it, most of the text was scrambled around that it couldn't be read, some parts were untouched, and there it was, the code to the vault. We unlocked the vault and inside was a gas mask. Neat! We can venture through the toxic gas! And- uhm. What are those square things? Eh, not gonna worry about those. Oh, forgot that we do have a way out of the Barrens and to the place called the "Glen", which as stated by the operator of the boat (a robot), is the nearest place to the Tower. However, that robot, or rowbot, cannot move due to the heavy rusting over their body. Alright, so we gotta clean the rowbot somehow, well lets just venture through the gaseous areas and see what can we find.

I return back having to do some chemistry, now having a bottle of acid, gloves, and a rough sponge. Looks like that'll be good enough to get that rowbot moving again, and it did! And... it cannot determine where the Glen is. The rowbot tells us to contact the "head engineer" in an event of a malfunction. I immediately brought Niko to meet Silver again. She hands us an amber necklace, amber from the Glen. She says that piece of amber should make the rowbot remember where the Glen is. Before we left, Niko asks if there is anything we could do in return of her help, she says we could play chess.

A quick game of chess, and Niko loses. Being honest, I did expect Niko to lose against Silver. Like, Niko is a child and has only seen others play chess, who went up against a robot who was programmed to be a good chess player.

The Glen

Anyways, amber made rowbot remember, we cross through the ocean and now we're in the Glen. Green and lusheous. We meet the residents of the Glen, first one I see is a child running around in circles catching fireflies. (bird child go nyooooooom) Did a bit of exploring and found someone who is looking for his little sister. His name is Calamus, and says that his sister had ventured into the ruins and would meet him in the forest, but did not come in time. Alright, a new quest. We venture to the ruins to find a couple of robots, water, and a... plant lady.

She doesn't look ok. Niko interacts with her, we learn that she's on the brink of death and requests Niko to give her the sun to feel its warmth. I accept. She says that some vines had receded. We progress forward and find a computer. I interact with it. The wallpaper changes.

The Entity says that the puzzle is found in the easiest spot to find on your machine. I was genuinely confused at first, my wallpaper changed, assuming that it was just an effect on using the computer. Looked on my documents to find nothing new... then I dragged the game window and found the key. It's like, hiding your house key under the doormat.

I expect more of what is to come, stuff like this.

Niko returns back to the small town to meet a shepard. He needs some help herding rams around, having to herd them into darker patches of grass. We agree and begin herding. It took some time, but we did it. (Without resetting btw, also on the first gameplay). With our effort, the shepard awards us with a piece of ram wool... what are we supposed to do with this? I'll figure that out later.

I venture to the flooded ruins and I find a room that has these diamond shapes that are tiled, making a square shape. Alright, time to draw the lightbulb on those tiles. Upon completing the puzzle, the wallpaper changes back to its original form, and a door that was blocked off by squares is opened. A person walks out of the room, and look who it is! It's Calamus' sister, Alula! Now, why were the squares there? Nevermind. We got out of the ruins and reunite Alula with Calamus. Apparently their home is in the ruins, despite being flooded; now with another concern that the squares have spread to the ruins. They invite Niko and me over to their house.

As we make our way to their house, we return back to a path that was blocked, by blocks. We've encountered this path before, Niko said that we couldn't get past it. Alula and I, having the same idea; kicking the block. She rushes to her home afterwards. Well, I hope you'll remember that, Niko. We enter their home; Alula is rummaging through stuff to find something. She returns back to us, with a golden colored feather. Wait a minute, I then remember about the Glen guardian robot, saying we need a pen to enter the final region of the game, The Refuge. Feather, ink, oh sweet! Ah, well, I briefly stayed with the two, even going to the courtyard before bringing Niko out of the flooded ruins to continue our journey. Of course, we made a quick stop to the garden room. Maize isn't there anymore, and all what is left is the unpowered sun, and a seed of some sort. Niko panicked about the sun, but upon touching it, it lights up.

Ok, ok, the sun's alright. We return back to the west of the village, as I've figured out what to do with the piece of wool Niko has. I've forgot to mention him, Magpie, a trader. I recall him saying that if we need to rid some junk, he is the person to talk to. So we talked to him and asked what a piece of ram wool will do. Best he could offer is a... vial of... it's ink or dye. We accept the trade. Quickly ran back to the guardian robot, dipped the feather into the ink, and wrote our name.

Niko's dreams

Before we entered the entrance, Niko exclaims that he needs a place to sleep. I remember about the bed, only a few steps away. So I guided Niko to the bed, and I let him sleep. Oh wait, that reminds me, this is the second time Niko had slept. Upon Niko gets on the bed, the game window fades away and closes itself. That's is interesting. Well, I forgot to mention the first time that Niko slept, being in the Barrens. Everytime you open the game after the game closes by letting Niko sleep, a dream sequence is played; all of them relating to Niko and his home.

The first dream sequence is Niko standing on a large wheat field. He looks around, and eventually in the distance, obscured by the bright sky. The dream ends, Niko wakes up, he asks me if I saw the dream. I reply "Yes". Niko asks a bunch of questions, mostly relating to the place where I live. I answer all of it truthfully. Looks like to me that Niko and I live in similar worlds.

The second dream sequence is Niko standing on the same wheat field, he looks around, and runs toward a specific place, revealed to be a village. Niko wakes up, he asks the same question, yes, I saw the dream. He says that his world and the world he is in now is vastly different. All dark, and sometimes scary. Niko then questions me if I have ever seen a wheat field before, yes, I have. Then if I've been to the ocean, also yes. Then he says that he couldn't even sleep in the dark without a lamp on. "Me too." I replied. Niko then exclaims that it's good that he managed to get over the fear of the dark, the sun made things less scary, and me, guiding him, made things better.

Anyways, hold on. Is that- oh!

It's them! They'll be here for a short time as I discuss my experience on OneShot. Alright, alright, back on track.

Brief opinions

Looks like we're coming close to the end of the game. The many 4th wall breaking moments is what amazed me. The fact that the game literally communicates you not just through the game window, but a separate window, and that it changes your wallpaper and creates documents relating to puzzles that Niko can't completely solve, but yourself only. I wonder if there are more games like this, that tampers around with your computer. (In a non-malicious way of course).

Near the end

The Refuge

We enter the final region of the game: The Refuge. We traverse some rooms and- oh. The squares have arrived. It blocks one of the doorways that we just passed. Niko runs, as more square continue to form behind. Finally, we reach the final door and get a scenic view of The Refuge.

It appears we're pretty high up. Tower's not far now, we just need to get down from the catwalks. We meet another guardian robot, just telling us about our goal to restore the sun, but to also check the library before we enter the Tower. We make our way down the catwalk, to hear the sound of metal clanging around, followed by a "Come ooonnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!" We investigate where the sound is coming from, and it's from a man kicking the elevator door. Well, yet again, we might have to find a solution to whatever we gotta do. We ask the man about the elevator, he says it broke, understandable, there can't be a nice day. The button from the elevator is gone for whatever reason. Alright then, make a new button, but how though?

Before we ventured to look for materials to make a makeshift button, I come across the same computer that communicates directly to you. What do you have to offer now? Well, no new file, wallpaper is the same, oh, a film. The computer tells me to "Expose the film to the void" and I'll get my answer. Well, I'll figure that out later.

We continued to look around to find stuff that we could use; found some fridge magnets, an empty can of ground coffee, and scissors. Turns out we can use the scissors to cut the can to fit into the slot of the missing "Ground" button. Then tried to make the magnets stick onto the aluminum surface of the can. Well... of course it didn't stick, but Niko managed to keep the weak fridge magnets in place by putting the magnets between the folds that were made when we cut the can.

That's gotta work? Right?

Eh... yeah.

This only happens when you combine the ground button and the fridge magnets, then attempting to put the magnitized button(?) into the button slot. The result is the button falling apart. Well... yes, I knew about the tape. A quick taping and... now it works. The elevator powers up, the squares, and... now it needs a password. Off we go again, after telling the man to just stand there.

Say, you see the "weird film" that we have in our inventory, right? Well, it took some time, but turns out you need to drag the game window past the borders of your screen, like, the place where you can't see your windows. The code is revealed, and we inputted it. Oh, Niko's tired again. We find the bed and Niko sleeps. (Also, yes, I did make Niko ride on the roomba, VROOM VROOM)

Dream #3

Niko's third dream, he dreams about his mother, giving him pancakes. Well, after Niko's wakes up, he says that he gets pancakes everytime on his birthday. Again, Niko asks me questions. Yep, I have a birthday, I have neighbors, no, they don't share food with me... well, not everytime unlike your neighbors, Niko.

The Refuge (Ground)

We finally reach the ground level of The Refuge. Time to make our way to the library. There were many spots to explore, the back alleys, the factory (that stupid security thing), vendor lane, a camera room? And of course, the base of the Tower. Speaking about the camera room, we've found some plastic sheets of some sort found in a room in the alleys, (which I guess belongs to the man that we first met at the elevator), and four rectangular slots. Looks like we can insert the sheets there.

But turns out we need to put the lenses in a specific order. Well, with a bit of help I've managed to figure it out. The Tessar design is what helped me. With a pull of the lever, the camera is now ready to snap a photo. A quick snap, and we have a photo of Niko! Well... where are we gonna use this photo? I think we'll figure it out later, like the other stuff.

We eventually did find the library, and we need to talk to the head librarian. We meet a robot at a desk, asking them about the head librarian. She's in, but rather busy. The robot attempts to call her.

(insert that one ringing tone)

...

...

...

No response.

We ask if we can meet the head librarian, the robot says we can, and she's upstairs. We make and way and- now we need a library card. The robot attempts to call her.

(insert that one ringing tone)

...

...

...(pain)

No response.

Well, now we need a library card in order to progress, but the head librarian is busy. Oh wait, maybe we could ask that lady, Kip, that we met in the factory! So that's what we did.

We ask Kip about the library card, she says that we can use her library card instead. Sweet! But, oh! She also remembers about that the library robot we met earlier also has face recognition, soooooooooo we can't get in without having to stick our own face on the- wait! I remember about the glitter glue that we collected and the photo! Niko applies the glitter glue on the library card, and then the photo. Another moment of arts 'n' crafts, we now have... "Niko's" library card!

We return to the library to present "Niko's" library card. The robot scans "Niko's" card, then his face... finally! We can meet the head librarian, George! We cross up the stairs and finally meet her.

We meet George, and she has a rather, how should I describe this? Fancy? Show-off? Wait, there also... Rude? Nice? Tired? Sweet? Oh, I see. George has multiple personalities, 1 to 6, and it is random on each playthrough. I've met George #1 on the first playthrough. We wandered around for a bit before asking George about the "strange book" we had in Niko's inventory for quite a while. It's written in an language unknown to us. Oh! Looks like George can help us translate the language. She says it'll take a while, so a quick nap could do.

The final dream

With our fourth and final dream; Niko has finished his stack of pancakes. But he notices something, something that is a bit off... Niko looks panicked. Why- oh, it's the sun. What's that doing here, why- oh I see. The sun is... shattered. The obly thing that ends the world we're in. Fortunately, this was all a dream... Niko wakes up, I expected him to ask some questions, but no, he just says we need to get going. I'm now a bit concerned.

The Tower

George has finally finished translating the book. The book appears to have been written to me... Well, what follows is the translated transcript of said book.

"Greetings, (Player Name).

If you can finally read

this, that means you

are near the Tower.

--

The Tower is the domain

of an elusive Entity.

This being is connected

to the world.

For now, you can think

of it as the spirit of

the world.

--

It has no physical

form, but it can communicate through

computers and other

machinery.

--

...You know who I am

talking about, of

course.

--

When you first arrived

here with our savior,

it no doubt contacted

you right away.

--

Through its own means,

the entity will guide

the both of you to the

Tower.

--

The entry room is at

the Tower's base.

Not only do you need

the sun there, but also

three pieces of the

previous sun.

--

The savior will not be

able to do anything

there.

You, (Player Name), on the other

hand...

--

Look at the pattern on

the floor. Do as it

says.

The window will be

gone, so you need to

bring it back.

I... definately need to do something once we enter the Tower. Doing as what the note said, we make our way to the Tower. We enter the Tower and...

...

Are you serious? You're telling me to close the game, by clicking on the X? But I've been told not to close the game. DO YOU really want me to do that? What- what about Niko?

...

With a bit of hesitation, I close the game window.

Separation

I open the game again to see if Niko's ok. Well, he is, just waking up, I guess, in a white void that suddenly turns dark, that's the Tower. So we're finally in the Tower I presume. Niko's in a dark room, wait, where's the sun? Niko? Can you hear me? Niko! NIKO!!

NIKO..!

...

He can't... he can't hear me. I see you Niko, but you can't see me.

But... I can understand your situation, Niko. I'm not there... but I'm also there, or, here. What's going on? My heart feels like it's sinking. Niko thinks I'm gone.

Niko walks around the dark room, the floor makes the wavy rings of water, like rocks thrown into a pond, for every step he takes. He finds a computer, it's the entity. They speaks to Niko directly now. The entity says that I've left, I wont return, and will never return. A bed appears, they say that once Niko sleeps in the bed, he'll wake up back in his world, as if this was a bad dream. But, Niko expected more. He thought they had to go up the Tower and restore the sun, not...

Yes, Niko. Indeed, this feels wrong.

...

The computer turns itself off, Niko has no choice but to... sleep on the bed. I never got to properly say goodbye to you too, Niko.

I will not let this happen.

I'm on my own. But, knowing the nature of this game, there's gotta be something. The first thing I look is my Steam files, going through the many folders to find where the game storage is. I find it, and I also find another executable file. I open it, just a window with a black screen, with a white clover in the middle. Hmm... what if I-

The game opens up to, well, the true final dream sequence. Niko is standing on the same wheat field again. I... can respond: "Niko." He turns around. I'm still here, but...

Niko wakes up, he tries to contact me again. But... I'm "not" here. He finds a black clover in his pocket, and interacts with the computer again. The Entity questions why Niko's still here, then, they contact me.

The Entity tells me that I should've backed up and never return, but of course, I did not listen. They say that... if I did not want to leave, then they'll make sure I'll never leave.

The room changes from a computer and a bed, to a singular door. Niko opens it.

The executable file that I've mentioned earlier is finally put to use. The window changes to be transparent, with a note that has a cutout of a clover on the bottom right. The rest of the paper is specifically cut out, to direct me to a specific path. Wait, I see what's going on. Niko equips the clover, and I align the clover cut out.

Now we're getting somewhere.

After traversing the, maze, I guess, Niko is tasked to draw something out on a square tiled canvas. The other window guides us to create the image, the last one being a lightbulb. Once the lightbulb is completed, the environment changes to a catwalk in the same shape. The sun's there.

Niko approaches the unlit sun, and looks at it. He recalls that I'll never return.

But, I inform Niko, that I'm here.

I've never left you.

I've looked over you as you ventured around.

...

Well, let's grab that sun, shall we?

Final steps

Niko grabs the lightbulb and- we're in the basement; the same room we first picked up the lightbulb. I guide Niko through the hallways after the living room. The Entity contacts me again, with each time altering the environment and returning back to normal. In summary, the Entity tells me to- shatter the sun? To save the world? Oh, you're playing jokes with me.

...

Yes? Yeah, I got some help.

Yes. I want to save the world. And maybe even Niko. I am trying.

I- I don't know about this world.

...

My mission... to make Niko leave. I remember.

Niko isn't from-

The only thing that's matter saving?

...

Only one shot.

Destroy the sun, Niko goes home. Return the sun, Niko...

...

I- I might, I will tell him...

...I care. I do care about Niko.

My heart proceeds to sink even more. We're nearing the end and... you've put me in a tight spot, whoever you are.

Niko finally takes the elevator that leads to the top of the Tower. As we ascend, I tell Niko everything that the Entity has told me. I do not remain silent, I said the truth. Niko, now knowing this information, he's also in the same tight spot. Home, or saving the world.

We reach the glass room. The top of the tower. We just stood there. I didn't know what to do now. The place where the sun belongs is right in front of us. The decision making... The music that played, being the very first thing I've heard when I booted up the game for the first time.

...

I could tell Niko to...

or...

I sat, looking at the screen, switching between the options for 10-15 minutes. I really didn't know what the do...

I was given a trolley problem.

...

I tried to consider what would happen to Niko.

...

...

...

I chose to return the sun.

Niko thinks I'm right, I shouldn't let the others down. The others shouldn't die. And...

...Th- thanks for informing me, Niko.

My opinions

The game felt very, very interesting. The mechanics of the game were like no other. Well, repeating this sentence that I said earlier; I REALLY, really love that the game directly communicates to you, by creating files, changing your wallpaper, heck, using pop-up windows? Oh yeah, even grabbing your system's name, which scared me for a bit. This game, really made me feel emotional. I did not expect for the game to make me feel panicked when Niko and I, were suddenly separated once we got inside the Tower. The puzzles were also interesting. Some puzzles mainly stuck to the base game, while some others, as said before, are solved by exploring your game files. Niko can't solve the rest of the puzzle, but YOU can. It really does amaze me. Do I recommend playing? Y-

Oh! Hey Niko! Looks like you've stuck around more than the other two.

Well, that's just the first run of the game. Could I do it... again?

Eh, maybe later.

Thanks for reading this post! Sorry for the prolonged inactivity. Well, until we meet again, very, very soon.

See ya!