Solution to Enter the Perpendicular Universe
In this round, puzzles are presented as locations on a computer terminal of sorts, and the meta itself shows the “keyboard” of this terminal, which is a standard QWERTY keyboard layout, but with the letters all presented in seven-segment displays.
There are several hints at how to proceed here. The presentation of the keys is a little odd, and solvers may notice that some of the symbols are flips of each other (or themselves). Also, the distribution of letters in the answers is a little odd, and coincides with the letters on the keyboard that can be flipped. Additionally, the flavor text and storyline up until this point discusses going from “MIT” to “⊥IW”, which clues the idea of rotating by 180 degrees.
Each answer in this round, when flipped using the custom font, becomes another common word with a single extra letter. The answers are ordered by their puzzle’s position on the interface after everything has been rotated (as if turning the entire interface upside down).
Puzzle | Answer | Rotated | Word | Extra |
---|---|---|---|---|
Back School To | PLAYSETS | SLASHETD | SLASHED | T |
MIT Confessions | TIMER | JAWIL | JAIL | W |
Common Knowledge | HOUND | PUNOY | PUNY | O |
Don't Let Me Down | SPOILED | PATIODS | PATIOS | D |
Unmasked | EIDOLON | UOTOPIA | UTOPIA | O |
✏️✉️➡️3️⃣5️⃣1️⃣➖6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣➖6️⃣6️⃣5️⃣5️⃣ | EMOJI | IROWA | IOWA | R |
Yes or No? | DUETS | SLANP | SLAP | N |
For Better or For Worse | BOOTS | SLOOB | SLOB | O |
Hockfield Court | SALTED | PALTES | PALES | T |
Better Bridges | SASSILY | HTISSES | HISSES | T |
Just Index | MERINO | OUIJAW | OUIJA | W |
Hey, Can You Give Me a Hand With This Puzzle? | BOND | PUOB | PUB | O |
Not Again! | LOOPY | HDOOT | HOOT | D |
Reading the extra letters in order gives the answer to this puzzle, and the question to be settled before entering the virtual world: TWO-D OR NOT TWO-D?