Translator

Learn how to use the Translator in Outer Wilds! Discover its purpose and how it helps you decipher the ancient Nomai language scattered across the solar system.

Hey there, future explorer! Before you blast off into the vastness of space, take a moment to get acquainted with your surroundings right here on your home planet. It's like a little warm-up before the real adventure begins. You'll chat with your fellow Hearthians, check out some cool sights, and get a feel for how things work. Think of it as your in-game tutorial, designed to get you up to speed without holding your hand too much.

Pro-Tip: Don't rush this part! The interactions you have now will give you context for so much of what you'll discover later. Plus, some of the folks you meet will teach you about crucial tools like the Signalscope and how to deal with tricky stuff like ghost matter.

Exploring Home

Before you set off to explore the galaxy, you may explore your home planet and speak with the locals, blissfully unaware of the fiery "end" that awaits you all. Your interactions with your fellow Hearthians, as well as sights and signage around the Outer Wilds Venture crater serve as a tutorial.

Speak with the locals

You'll meet a few friendly faces who are eager to share their knowledge. Gneiss will introduce you to the Signalscope, a handy device for picking up all sorts of sounds in the solar system. You can even play a game of Hide-and-Seek with Galena and Tephra using it to track them down – they're little kids, so they won't be too hard to find!

Arkose has a crucial lesson about ghost matter, that invisible, deadly gas. Don't worry, you can use your Scout Launcher to detect it safely. Meanwhile, Mica has a cool miniature spaceship model you can pilot for some practice runs down to some landing pads – great prep for your real ship!

Over at the "Zero-G" cave, Gossan will point you towards a satellite that needs fixing. This is your first taste of maneuvering in zero gravity. You'll need to grab a space suit from the bottom of the cave elevator to breathe and move around in there.

See the sights

Once you've chatted with everyone, head over to the Observatory. You'll find a few more locals here who might drop some interesting lore. Downstairs, there's a museum filled with artifacts from around the solar system. It's worth checking out now, but even more so later when you've learned more – things will make a lot more sense then!

Keep an eye out for a gray stone slab with a swirling, purplish-blue pattern on it. This is where your Translator comes into play! These patterns are the written language of the Nomai, and this tool will help you decipher them as you find them scattered across the stars.

The Observatory also has a cool blue "museum shard" that you can listen to with your Signalscope, and you'll get to see some other neat game mechanics demonstrated, like the glowing purple-blue gravity crystals. Oh, and the very top floor has a working map of the whole solar system!

Before you leave, make sure to get the Launch Codes from Hornfels. He and Hal will be admiring a Nomai statue head. Once you have the codes, the statue's eyes will light up, and you'll see a quick flash of recent memories – a neat little recap!

Head back down to where Slate is roasting marshmallows. Use the launch codes to enter the small lift, and it'll take you up to your ship. Take a moment to check it out! It's small, but there's a space suit with turbo boosters, an oxygen tank (refillable at your ship or living trees), and fuel for those boosters. If you get hurt, your ship has a medical kit, or you can just roast and eat some marshmallows.

Finding Those Off World

Remember Gneiss mentioning that some explorers are already out there? Well, the Signalscope isn't just for listening to weird sounds; it can also help you locate those missing astronauts by the unique instruments they're constantly playing. You might also spot smoke from their camps.

Every explorer's camp, past and present, is a good place to refill your oxygen, find spare fuel tanks, and grab some marshmallows. Here's a quick rundown of who's where:

• Gabbro plays the Flute on Giant's Deep.
• Esker whistles on The Attlerock.
• Riebeck plays the Banjo on Brittle Hollow.
• Chert plays the Drum on Ember Twin.
• Feldspar plays the Harmonica in Dark Bramble.

Warning: If you get lost trying to find these explorers, remember that the Signalscope is your best bet. Listen closely for their instruments!