The Hidden Meaning Of The Outer Wilds Ending

Hello everyone! It took me four years to reason this out. I look back on old videos so frustrated because I missed this message. But when I figured it out I found it very poetic and impactful. I hope others do as well!

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[SuperTux]

And the universe said you are not alone,
And the universe said you are not separate from every other thing,
And the universe said you _are_ the universe, tasting itself, talking to itself, reading its own code,
And the universe said I love you, because you are love.

[oligographer]

One thing that really strikes me about the ending image in the new universe:

For all of the themes of isolation in Outer Wilds, the Hearthian is a connector, bringing together three species from across space and time and treating them with empathy.

When we see the new universe, the planets have literal tendrils connecting them, and multiple species coexist on a planet, something we never get to see in our gameplay. In my headcanon, the true impact of the Hearthian was to give birth to a universe that manifests these themes of connection on a cosmological scale. What could be more beautiful?

[kobyrosser]

I don’t know why people move on from the trees our self turns into because the first thing I did was turn my flashlight on and off to see if it changed, since everything in glade seemed to be quantum and when it changed I was all like I KNEW IT !

[payprice]

I always thought that Hornfel's notes were unchanged because the devs figured people wouldn't check. The idea that it's the Eye trying to communicate the importance of scale is one that never crossed my mind until now, and is a fascinating concept!

[WeaponX]

This ending is why Outer Wilds is and forever will be my favorite game of all time

[ryeofthebeholder]

Honestly? The ending made me scared at first, and then somehow, watching everyone around the campfire and a new universe's birth genuinely made me feel the most at peace I've been in a while.

[tommysnell]

I think I always took the opposite message away, more of an exploration of nihilism. The universe is massive, indifferent toward you, and try as you might, the sun will always explode. So all you can do is be there for the people you love, and accept that all things come to an end. Even if you're the spark for the next universe, it all goes up in fire, and the most you can do is accept it, knowing that, whether it's billions of years later, or immediately after your death, life will go on. It sounds sad, but there's a quiet comfort in knowing that you can be your tiny piece of a much bigger picture, and in the end, "the future is always built on the past, even if we won’t get to see it. Still, it’s um, time for something new, now.”

Thanks for sharing your take, what a memorable game experience we get to have.

[james]

Outer Wilds is a very rare perfect game. I've played games for decades and Outer Wilds is one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. The ending had me in shock. Actual shock. I cried like I just had a spiritual experience. I don't know how else I can describe it. No other game I've ever played has done that to me. A hard 10/10 gaming experience.

[LB_]

7:41 actually, all the trees just have their textures changed to the texture of the quantum shards, and the ones you don't observe quickly enough tend to disappear. I captured some videos showing how the entire forest changes like that. Really cool detail that hardly gets noticed.

[bjbarlowe]

Jumping in the grave represents accepting the reality of your own death so that you can truly live authentically, something they just couldn’t do. It is very sad. 16:24

[chrisgilliver]

This video picked up on details I didn't notice before, specifically how you are the wood that makes the campfire. For me, personally, the game is about overcoming anxiety. There was a moment in one of my early playthroughs, where I Iost control of the space ship while landing on the orbital probe. It span away into the darkness, and I realised it didn't matter. This is the essence of the game's 'message'. Anxiety makes you catastrophise, that disaster is always around the next corner. The Outer Wilds is about realising that you there are fears that you cannot prevent, and accepting that you cannot prevent them is the most important part of leading a meaningful life, made up of friendships, music, and whatever else is important.

[ManyBurgers-]

I desperately want to see the giant creature with the blue lantern in something other than a short after-credits cutscene. It would be so cool to see those guys walking around in a mod or something.

[cdejj]

Gabbro is a master, they are far above us, just as their hammock sits in the trees. But they are calm, the hammock itself contrasts with everything Gabbro has done, because they have seen it all. The fact that the are tied into the poem is due to their experience with the nature of the universe, and how they find interest in it: art. I also agree with your interpretation that our relationship with them is time, but that's not who they areas a Hearthian.

[Splatcake]

And when the world needed him most, he was gone.

[MiaMonro-gl]

It's kinda interesting how different people experience different emotions and vibes during the same scene. I didn't feel unsettled, terrified or small when i was at the Eye, i felt so calm, relieved, honored... waited. Like I fullfilled a lifetime purpose. And the Ancient Glade didn't scare me either, it made me cry the moment i saw Gabbro's poem (which seemed so unimportant) and realised that it led me here right from the start. It broke my heart. But also gave me peace cause some things you just can't change, only except.

[DarkDao]

I always thought that game's message is that every life and every experience is important, it's what shapes us and the world around.

[ManyBurgers-]

18:33 In the files, the silhouettes are called "possibility particles". Some of them are quite interesting, and resemble creatures, shapes, and spaceships that don't appear in the game. One interesting symbol is an eye (not the Eye of the Universe symbol, just a regular eye).

[Ghost_Hybrid]

Thank you for the great video. I have the same feelings and thoughts about the ending.

Never thought a videogame could affect my outlook on life so strongly. But it helped me let go of many things I held on to for too long.

We only have one loop in this life, and as we collapse the possibilities before us through our decisions day by day we shape not only our own story, but the lives of those whose story we co-author. It is incredibly humbling and inspiring. Thank you.

[positive-stress]

great video! I interpreted gabbro's instrument similarly to what you said - over the course of the game, we the player know them first and foremost as the other person in the loop with us but they definitely have their own strong identity beyond that. we and the other hearthians know gabbro as the most laid back of the astronauts, not the most reliable worker but someone who is level headed, a lover of art, and to us, a sort of mentor figure with a very calming presence. I think this is what the hammock up high in the trees represents: gabbro might seem lazy and goofy, but they had a very real impact on us and we might not have made it to the eye without them

[lbjworm]

It would be amazing if he just starts with "Hello my conscious observers, I am the Lore Explorer, and this is the Outer Wilds"