How to Beat the "Internet Particles" ARG: A Step-by-Step Guide (With a Timed Gag You Won't Forget)
So, you’ve clicked on that mysterious "pointless" button, and now you’re deep in the world of the Internet Particles ARG. If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of the 200+ people who’ve stumbled across the strange puzzle on my support page. Maybe you’ve gotten stuck. Maybe you’re just looking for a walkthrough. Either way, I’m here to guide you through it. Let’s solve this thing together!
Step 1: Clicking the Pointless Button
Yep, the first step is as random as it sounds. You click the button that seems totally pointless. No, really - it doesn’t do anything at first. But surprise, surprise, it takes you to an FAQ page where you start learning about WAF and their strange, behind-the-scenes activities. Nothing too crazy here, just get ready to explore!
Step 2: The Archive and Password Hint
On the FAQ page, you’ll spot a link to the archive at the bottom. This takes you to a login page for the archive, and here’s where things get interesting. There’s a hint in gray text: “It’s On This Page.” Yep, the password is literally on the page. The password? “on this page”.
Type it in, and boom! You’ve got your first journal. It’s as straightforward as it sounds, so don’t overthink it!
Step 3: The Cipher and the Record Player
Now you’re looking at Vincent’s journal entry. Here, things start to get a little more cryptic. Vincent talks about shifting and turning a word, and then drops a clue about something that’s always spinning. A record player! If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll notice a record player spinning on the FAQ page (yes, that FAQ page).
Right beside it, you’ll see the word dual. You try typing “dual” into the password box, and you get a hint: use Vincent’s cipher. What’s this cipher? It’s a Caesar cipher - a simple shift cipher.
Step 4: Applying the Caesar Cipher
Vincent’s journal hints that the cipher involves “shifting and turning,” and he mentions it a few times. How many times? Well, that means shift 3 times - a classic Caesar cipher with a shift of 3.
So, you take dual and apply a Caesar cipher of 3. This means each letter of “dual” will be shifted forward by 3 positions in the alphabet.
D becomes G, U becomes X, A becomes D, and L becomes O. So, the password is "gxdo". Enter that, and you’re onto the next journal!
Step 5: The Text That Changes to “Zach Bilcsik”
Once you’ve unlocked the next journal, you’ll highlight some text. Suddenly, the sentence changes to reveal "Zach Bilcsik is the next password". Sounds simple, right?
Well, here’s the catch: You type “Zach Bilcsik” in, and it doesn’t work. What gives? This is where Vincent’s cryptic clue comes into play again. He said he applied the cipher to every password, so - duh - you need to apply the Caesar cipher to “Zach Bilcsik” too!
Step 6: Applying the Cipher Again
Now, let’s apply that same Caesar cipher with a shift of 3.
Z becomes C
A becomes D
C becomes F
H becomes K
And so on…
So the password is “cdfk elofvln”. Enter that, and you’re onto the next step!
Step 7: Reversing the Fake FAQ Page
Next, you’ll be presented with a new FAQ page. At first glance, it looks similar to the original one - but beware - this is a red herring. Things are reversed here. This is where you need to get tricky.
You’ll either reverse “Zach Bilcsik” or “dual” and apply the -3 shift now, because we’re dealing with the reverse puzzle. Let’s do the same shift of 3, but backwards, to either of those words.
Once you’ve done that, you should have one final password ready to go!
Step 8: The Timed Gag
Finally, we arrive at the most entertaining part of this whole ARG: the timed gag. If you’ve ever heard a parent counting down for their kid to hurry up, you’ll get a kick out of this. The timer starts with a HUGE countdown that’s speeding down fast, and then it starts saying things like:
“You have 1 and 1/2”
“You have 1 and 3/4”
“You have 1 and 5/6”
It’s like the timer’s gone totally bonkers.
Now, you might be wondering: What’s up with all these fractions? Why is it counting in these weird steps? Well, here’s where a little bit of math magic comes in.
The Creative Math Solution: Why it Works
The key is in the fraction 1/2. If you add 2 to both the numerator (the top number) and the denominator (the bottom number), you get 3/4. If you keep adding 2 to both parts of the fraction, you get the smooth, weird countdown sequence.
But why does it only work with 1/2 and not other fractions? Well, it’s because 1/2 is the perfect starting point for this pattern. Adding 2 to both parts of the fraction just works out cleanly in a way that other fractions don’t. It’s like adding the right Lego pieces to make the structure fit!
There you go! That’s your full walkthrough for the Internet Particles ARG. From clicking the pointless button to solving the final timed gag, you’ve cracked it. Now, go ahead and enjoy the rest of the mystery (and maybe laugh at that countdown a little bit). You've earned it!
