INSIDE
The world of Inside resembles our own––except that something has gone terribly wrong. The player plays as a young boy pursued through abandoned farms, cities, and flooded zones by a mysterious cohort of armed men who command dogs and a horde of seemingly lobotomized men. To progress, the player must evade these enemies while completing puzzles presented by the game environment.
In narrative terms, Inside's richness comes by way of suggestion. We learn bits and pieces about the game's world as we go, but these details often multiply new questions. This is true right up to the story's enigmatic conclusion. Encourage students to avoid spoilers that are easy to find online. The game is best appreciated as a narrative when speculation is active throughout.
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DAY 1
Getting ready to play
Ask students to download the game before class. They should come with headphones and the device they will use to play (PC/Mac or iPhone for most, Switch for others; note that the game is also available on Playstation and XBox for students who wish to play at home, or for equipped classrooms).
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Some students will find the puzzles in the game satisfying and approachable, while others might benefit from the help of a good Player's Guide. IGN's guide divides the game into chapters and episodes, avoiding narrative spoilers. A good rule of thumb I tell students: try the puzzle yourself at least three times before you consult the guide.
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Class time (about 60 mins)
It's a great use of time this first day to simply let students use class time for play. If the mechanics or puzzles are confusing at first, this is a good opportunity to work together. Today and throughout the remainder of the game, encourage students to take informal notes on sections that feel significant. These notes will help spur discussions and written analysis.
Homework (30–45 mins)
Play through the the conclusion of the rhythm section pictured here (in Part 4, "The Factory").
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DAY 2​
Class time (about 60 mins)
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Begin with informal writing or small groups around the following prompt: (15 mins):
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Imagine the world beyond what we have seen up to this point in the game. Where does the boy come from? Who is he running from? What do you make of the desolate setting––abandoned factories, farms, and cities? To answer this question, you will need to speculate, but do so using concrete evidence from the game.
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Class discussion of prompt (15–25 mins)
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Continue play for remainder of class.
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Homework (about 45 mins)
Students should play through the "twenty-man puzzle" in "The Mines." Although they should be encouraged to stick with it, it's likely that many or most students will need the IGN guide to solve this puzzle.
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DAY 3​
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Class time (about 60 mins)​
Share strategies for solving the "twenty-man puzzle." The main objective of class today should be to get everyone past this especially difficult puzzle and the one that follows: "The Bridge." The latter is another rhythm evasion section––this one featuring deafening (and deadly) shock waves.
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Homework (about 45 mins)​
​Play through the water puzzle near the "Facility Entrance" (final picture below).
DAY 4​
Class time (60 mins)
​I like to finish the game together in class. The ending is full of strange and eerie surprises. It makes for a rich group experience.
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Homework (about 45 mins)
It doesn't hurt to leave some flexibility here, in case you aren't able to get through the entire game in class. There will be much to discuss together on the fifth and final day. Ask students to come to class with two questions they have about the ending sequence.
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CRITICAL REFLECTION
1. Offer a close analysis of two of Inside's game mechanics, considering their significance in symbolic or narrative terms. Some examples: the mind control helmets, levers, water (physics-defying or otherwise), propulsion boxes, husks, elevators, mermaids, submersibles, etc. What do your chosen mechanics suggest about the ethical or philosophical questions behind the game? How do puzzles drive literary elements of the game?
2. Explain "The Lab." Your response here will necessarily be speculative, but it should show detailed awareness of the clues we do have access to. What is the purpose of the water tank that holds the "mass"? Is the massing of these bodies by design, part of an experiment, or did they "arrive" that way? Why do the people lined up at the glass outside the tank not move to stop the boy from freeing the mass? Does the mass succeed in escaping or not?
3. Inside is widely applauded for sound design, but what makes it so good? There are no words in the game, and only small segments are accompanied by music. In fact, the most common noisescapes feature silence, whirring machinery, rainfall, or underwater quiet. For this prompt you should consider sound design's significance to narrative elements including character, plot, and the lore embedded in Inside's strange world.​