The Lowest Layer

Welcome to the lowest layer. Beware, the distortion is at its highest here.

To access this rare line of dialogue, the player must purify themselves in the consciousness simulation. Upon returning to the real world, the Sentry Angel will deliver this quote. His existential crisis is understandable, as he’s already failed in his mission and the game hasn’t even started yet.

This event is achievable by running the game through a rom corruptor (such as Real-Time Corruptor). Baroque encourages players to embrace distortion, so why not embrace it even harder? Upping the distortion within the world will eventually cause the wall behind the Sentry Angel to melt away, revealing the entrance hallway within.

Any feelings of guilt experienced from witnessing the Sentry Angel’s expression of total defeat as the player casually strolls into the laboratory will soon be assuaged, as this method will allow the player to complete the game without a single casualty (besides the Littles).

The Sentry Angel doesn’t see the long term benefits of this course of action, so he lashes out by preventing the player from exiting the entrance corridor.

Upon purifying themself, the player is now free to explore the outside of the outside world.

A strange, violently convulsing ring of light can be seen in the distance. Inaccessible, it lies to the distant northeast far beyond the catacombs. After its initial sighting, it has never been seen again.

Vitality and film are limited however, so this post-apocalyptic urban exploration has to end eventually. This route allows the player to sneak into the Nerve Tower without the Archangel even noticing.

Due to the increase in distortion, the walls of the Nerve Tower have grown soft in areas. These localized instabilities allow for the player (and stray Grotesques) to travel freely through the walls of the sanctuary.

The inhabitants of the tower seem to be at risk of succumbing to the rapidly deteriorating surroundings, but the run will be completed before they can be absorbed by their environment.

As an added bonus, the minimap unlocks a hidden Etch-a-Sketch function as it continues to trace the player’s route through the void.

The player won’t plummet into the abyss, but any thrown items will.

We don't talk about this room.

While the void can only be accessed through localized instabilities, each floor can be re-entered anywhere. This effectively unlocks cages and other previously forbidden forts.

Any enjoyment is short-lived however, as Grotesques also traverse the void and will swarm through walls to ambush the player while they’re in comfy, confined spaces.

The Creator and Preserver, experiencing difficulties.

She can’t even finish her sixth “Don’t go mad” before the game, ignoring her advice, swiftly crashes.

The Creator, from behind. Merging from this direction causes the camera to get a little confused. Nevertheless, the game has been completed in a single run without any (human) casualties.

The Sentry Angel is still unburied and intact, so we can finally see his reaction to the Littles’ crystal - an otherwise inaccessible line that Baroque Typing mysteriously quizzes the player on.

Neck Thing has also survived, and is doing so well that he’s even able to avert his eyes from the origin of the Littles’ crystal he’s just been handed.

Urim and Thummim, and even their chamber, have survived the ordeal without a hint of further collapse. The Guardian Angel has come to terms with her past sins. The Archangel has accepted his existence within the distortion. The Sentry Angel continues guarding the lab, successfully deluding himself into forgetting his prior failure. Furthermore, Box Thing has been ignored and left to rot, so his daughter will never remember her past trauma and lose the will to live. All is truly well in the world of Baroque.

Or it was, until the effects of the distortion finally caught up.