where she HAS to fall.

It seems like I have to stack up my guys, but they can't jump high enough to make a stack higher than three, can they?

stacking up the guys to get some height, but it wasn't enough. Then I realized I could position each successive copy at the very right edge of the previous copy's hat, covering some horizontal space. But even with stacking up to two person-lengths (the maximum jumping height) below the ceiling, and getting as far to the right as possible with the offset stacking, I still haven't been able to clear the gap. What am I missing?

why he killed her and her life?

I just started making a bunch of clones and jumping off the cliff, trying to jump off of jumpers... over and over and over again. Eventually I jumped off enough of them to get across

you can jump off the head of a clone that is jumping. I had found earlier that if a copy below jumps, the copy above does not stay on top and falls through, so I figured the rule was that being in a jump canceled contact between clones. But rather, the rule is that contact only works from top-down, and bottom-up contact doesn't work.

disturbing.

that I'm in a mental hospital because I went crazy and killed my wife, and therefore I'm a complete loner.

The psychiatrist saying this is his last report on Jack because he is unlikely to improve?

yes

The ending was a bit weak. What stupid psychiatrist doesn't recognize trauma-induced anterograde amnesia when his patient tells the same story 400 times? I waited for the line "based on a true event" - which would have saved the vague storyline. In this case, the introversion was only one symptom amongst many others, probably even a multiple personality complex. I also recognized quite a lot of my own thoughts in the headlines, and it's a shame that we introverts haven't been credited yet with a casual storyline.

But I loved the level where he "killed" her. The process was so casual and following the game's logic that you really could identify with the reasoning that lead to this event.

Disappointing. I was left feeling like all the game was just a metaphor for a reality we can't see or identify with. Might as well have ended with the hero simply perishing.

The level where the girl died was actually clever, but the ending could have worked out better if the levels had gradually introduced us to the reality of the hero, rather than simply dropping it in an ending cutscene.

For me the ending was over determined and took away from the poignancy of the game. Leaving the story up to the imagination can often make a better game, and I am surprised that the imagination behind an otherwise great game would not have realised that was the case. I thought the murder was jarring when the character was otherwise sympathetic, and "read" his being forced to lose Kathryn as his having been in a situation where he could either save himself or her. That, to me, would have been a better ending more in keping with the ethos of the game. (Not to mention the weak understanding of psychology.)

I DID love the actual game, though!

I thought the end was extremely clever, a tad cliched, but it was really well done

You make a tower of guys sitting on your hat.

Don't move, just jump once, space, then jump twice, space, then jump thrice, space, etc. Wait for each shadow to complete it's jump before continuing, and don't allow any shadows to stand in place without jumping to their place in the tower.

You know you're doing it right if the bottom shadow tumbles off when you make your jump. There can't be a shadow supporting the stack, or they won't move with you when you cross the bridge.

Once you have a tower of five or six shadows, just walk across without jumping. Jumping will dislodge the shadows.

Wait a second, then move down onto the green barrier and just stand there for about ten seconds. After that, jump to the right and move to the right a bit. Hit space, then get down onto the barrier as quick as you can so your clone can stand on top of you.

Once your clone is on top of you, move all the way to the right and wait for him to do his thing. Once he's reached the door, hit Space and move on.

I couldn't actually work this out either, but in the end I used the solution for the final level suggested by lew, above.

I just kept jumping off the edge until I had such a large amount of guys that I could not miss some as I jumped across the gap

that constitute as murder? It seemed more like man slaughter.

Look at the odd thing on the other side of the black wall. What would that be?

You seem to be able to jump on top of your past selfes. What would happen if they moved when you were on top?

The slowly but surely way of doing it is to deliberately stand on top of your clone's heads, moving one space forward, or just 1 pixel short of falling. Be careful not to fall down. When you get enough height, you can jump over the barrier and to the ground. After that, I walked to the space below the box and "stacked" my clones up until I could jump/reach the box.

I don't have any step-by-step solution for this since I beat this out of luck. I did what everyone else did and went on a jumping/cloning spree (running to the edge of the cliff first and jumped, but eventually, when i hit space, i jumped immediately, I'm not sure which works best, though). Fortunately, my clones bumped me up to spring over the gap.

flower checkpoint

that throughout the entire game, Jack was actually trying to find his way back to Kathryn (the girl) each and every stage, starting at the flower(s) that he planted for her. After all, Kathryn was buried inside a green box - and Jack wants to be friends with it more than anything else...

It makes me believe that even though Jack "says" that he is truly content with being by himself, he ultimately wants to be together with Kathryn more than anything else. He doesn't want to be alone... even though he killed her for his own gain (and probably nothing more than that, too).

I wished we knew how exactly Jack killed the one human being that he desires more than anything, but I suppose the game left it open to interpretation for its own reasons. He did mention how he did not truly apprieciate her presence even when she was alive - and perhaps moreso even when she died.

That said, I have the strongest feeling that - had Jack had the oppurtunity, he would try his best to kill himself so that he would be with Kathryn again. Until then, he just goes on each day trying to forget the horrors of what he has done to his true love.

the checkpoint would keep my solid guy where he was when the shadow was made.

What's the trick? I'm not getting it. I cannot go across the green barrier with more than one shadow on top of me. The rest of them keep falling off.

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Level 6

Level 7

Level 8

Level 9

Level 10

Level 11

Level 12

Level 13

Level 14

Level 15

Level 16

Level 17

Level 18

Level 19

Level 20

if the guy had found out that the girl actually hadn't died and found her and so on.

Do realize that a lot of this game is based on her death... so if she doesn't die, the impact might be lost...

"The shrink leaves, and suddenly I don't even have a person to tell my story to anymore."

disturbing game. I didn't even connect him putting her in the green box, therefore wanting to be friends with it the most, until someone explained it to me. I really think he was psycho, maybe he even made the "married" thing with the girl all up...It could even be that she was just his only friend, (or did really love him, who knows) but left him, prompting him to kill her. The cops come and such, and he is taken to the hospital. Maybe he's trying to push the memory out, or doesn't remember, killing her. How scary.

Jack murdered Kathryn, so much as she had to die. This act of running around pulling levers and jumping and collecting green boxes is something they were compelled to do. The compulsion to complete the task is what causes Kathryn to be in the position she's in when Jack pulls his lever and she falls. It's an act of sacrifice on her part, not an act of violence on his. It's a metaphor, if you will, for the solider who falls on a grenade to protect his brothers-in-arms. It's the meerkat who fights off the cobra so the rest of her den can get away. The mother who is willing to put her own life in jeopardy to protect her kids. I'm no psychiatrist, but based on my own hypothetical how-would-I-handle-this scenarios, Jack's loneliness, despair, etc. seem to match up with a lot less in the line of "I killed the love of my life" and much more "I watched the one I love die and couldn't stop it."

I don't understand what everyone is whining about. I don't think that the ending was depressing as much as it was sad, and if you think it was abrupt, then remember: there are people out there who have to go through illnesses similar to this EVERY day of their lives. It shows how weak the human mind may be, and that we are not as in-control as we want to be. Our lives may be changed drastically within seconds. You can never know what lies ahead.

that Jack didn't kill her,he is saying ''I watched the love of my life dying and couldn't do anything about it'' means that she died because of him,but he didn't do it himself,like: They were attacked by a thief who pointed a gun in them and wanted to take their money,but Jack started to struggle with him so the thief fired the gun and instead of him,shot her,and then he watched her dying,and couldn't do nothing,while the thief escaped. So he went mad and was put in a constitution
Or something similar

Kathryn it seems that the game treats falling off of cliffs as being the same as reaching the goal, so in the level right before Kathryn's death you actually [b]can[/b] have yourself die and Kathryn survive, or even kill both characters. Unfortunately this looks like it's a bug instead of a hidden way of accessing some kind of secret alternate ending. It'd be cool if the author did make that set of actions lead to a different outcome, since it's something that most people wouldn't think about on their own (at least, it seems none of the other commenters here have encountered that yet).

until the "insane murderer" ending left me feeling ridiculous/alienated. Totally made what had been a meaningful game into something much cheaper and clichéd.

The possibility that Kathryn could have gone on instead of you, kind of a secondary paradoxical storyline if you tried it the other way round, save for the limiting mechanic where you do not jump on her head

The way that you killed Kathryn for your own gain was a clever way to portray the event, and for me that brought the story into a clearer view.

No sequel though. The story was ended in a decent fashion

it all ties up at the end when you find out kathryn is in the green box which is why he wants to be friends with it.

That Kathryn killed herself for the sake of you living, she pulled the lever to help you, but it ended in her death, it was some event where one of you could die, but she chose to die, and every day you regret your choice and you wish you would have died. The search for the green box represents regret, and to find some way to undo your action you keep on searching, but you find nothing and all you have left is the company of yourself.

You only need ONE clone.
When you start, jump ONCE in your place, then remain in the same place for like 10 seconds, and then jump again. (This time you may want to jump 2-3 times, just to be sure you'll reach the square later. PRESS SPACE.
Now, your clone will jump on your head. Walk all the way to the right wall, with your clone on your head. Wait some seconds and your clone (that is on your head) will jump, but not reach the green box. So you jump a little before your clone will do his second jump, then your clone will do his second jump WHILE you are jumping, and reach the green box. Press SPACE and win.

The description sounds kinda complicated, but do it and you'll see this level is pretty easy, and you need no more than one clone.

The entire concept of Jack trying to get to the green box because that's where Kathryn is buried works - except when she's alive. In the stages where she is alive (and they both have to get to the green box), that theory flies out the window. I've been trying to come up with something reasonable for a long time, but the game just doesn't give me enough to work from.

Whether Kathryn had to, or chose to, or was murdered. I feel that the game kind of blurs the line between all of this. In a sense, yes, Kathryn died because she wanted to see Jack to succeed. The game makes the gamer clearly know that Kathryn had to die on that level, even before either of them started moving. Whether she actually willingly decided to die... well, that's up to our imagination.

What prevents me from just saying "this is it", though, is the fact that A) Jack is the one that pulled the switch and caused Kathryn to die, and B) Jack did not show any signs of trying to prevent Kathryn's sucidial attempt or any hesitation in pulling that switch. The A) issue is probably why people say that he murdered Kathryn - he was directly responsible of her death, and even he seems to be aware of that. The B) issue is probably why society says that he is mentally insane. Any 'normal' person would at least have some moral emotion that would cause them to behave differently, Jack just let her die as if it was just natural for him.

Of course, some of you will argue that this is natural - and it is, but not with our current society. One could also argue that Jack was powerless to stop her death. Perhaps, but then one could also argue that he could have stopped his pursuit for the green box, or not let Kathryn on his hat. He feels regret for her death, but hindsight is 20-20, so...

Just another thought into the fire. This is surprisingly a deep game - I'd say on par with The Majesty of Colors. It seems straightforward, but it does make the player think back on society through its story. Nothing as big as... say, Metro Rules of Conduct, or Closure, or even Gray. I prefer a game make the player reflect without using a story - that kind of limits the reflective bounderies, and that has its own pros and cons.

Was it based on a real story and the shrink is the creator of the game?

He WAS responsible for the girl's death

Jack murdered this woman Kathryn. The game gives us no clues as to what their real relationship was. Understand that there are 2 realities at work in the game: Jack's, and the anonymous shrink. We're not necessarily supposed to take everything Jack says as the actual truth. Including, OBVIOUSLY, the entire mechanic of the game.

The whole running around pulling levers jumping through rooms and going into green boxes thing is an allegory which occurs only inside of Jack's fractured mind. People obviously don't do that in real life. It's all a metaphor representing his inner struggle. The levels where both he and the girl are present are clearly not evidence that the two of them both spent time together trying to climb into little green boxes. It's his mental representation of his idea that they were once a "team."

So. Maybe they were really married and he just flipped out. Maybe he's a demented rapist-murderer with a strange obsession with a girl he doesn't know and one day he kidnapped and killed her. Either way, what I can tell you for sure is that there was no thief-with-a-gun scenario, and he sure as heck didn't kill her by flipping a lever that dropped her into oblivion. Regardless, that level of reality is completely outside the bounds of this game. This game occurs inside his head, as an allegorical representation of his inner struggle as he tells his story over and over each day, being observed by the shrink.

the game is supposed to have you be the shrink in which jack talks to you and describes what he was doing up until the point where he was probably sent to the mental hospital.also, when on the last level he asks why you are leaving him it is because it was your last meeting with him.

a crazy guy in an institute who caused his girlfriend to die and will never be released

I just used like a hundred of them and jump from one to each one and eventually reached the end.

... on the "death level", if he didn't want to regret his actions, was to give his hat to Kathryn! Of course Jack would've had to die then, but at least Kathryn would've survived!

^_^

When Jack says that the psychiatric left shows that he had always known that he came to visit him once a week, i mean he didn't have amnesia, he only need someone to tell his story

Perhaps the reason he put her in a green box is because that was their shared goal (where their paths converged). Maybe before it was more of a nothing else to do sort of thing, and would relate to reality as we go about our daily lives (go to work, go home, eat, sleep, repeat, think of each of those as a green box), which is why he continues to pursue it. I'm guessing for the game to reality thing, that's beyond my thinking power right now. :P

Now he wants it more than anything. He lost her, and placed her in their ultimate goal, a green box, and now desires that so much, as if the green box now represents seeing Kathyn again.

Why he killed her, who knows? Maybe she committed suicide, and he blames himself for her death? He said he didn't leave the house for days, maybe he didn't report it and ended up being convicted for her death? Especially if he blamed himself, and everyone just took his word for it. There are so many possibilities... goodness this is a good game!

I thought the ending was a bit of a cop-out. The report needs to be re-written so it doesn't sound like the psyche is doing the report on him for the first time, and expand on Jack's psychosis, though the ambiguity regarding the murder and his madness suits the game fine.

To the introverts bemoaning its "loners are freaks" stance - it's not really that. Jack's become an introvert (and a terrible one that that) due to his madness. He's not freaky because he's lonely (at least, before we learn he's a psycho), he's freaky because he's insane.

hold right and when you get to the end of the cliff, jump, press space (to make another clone) and repeat. By the third or fourth clone, if you do it right, you will be able to jump on your clones head. Then you just keep jumping until you have about 20 clones :) then you can triple jump to the other side.

He murdered her, and the game is a way to tell his story. He feels responsible for her death, but has forgotten how he caused it. He says he doesn't know why he doesn't talk to people after that, but that's because he's not allowed to see people.

and the end a little disappointing (but the story at the end was so strange it fit well with the game)

The psychiatrist said that he gave up... What??!?!? to abandon someone like that, I'm glad it's not true.

Isn't it kinda weird that for some reason he WANTS to be in the box with her?

As soon as the level starts have your first guy keep jumping a bunch of times. Then create another guy and wait a breath then keep jumping. Keep going until you've made about 5 of six guys. The last one should stand perfectly still while the others will settle themselves on his head. Then you just walk forward and the top (or second from the top) shadow will be lined up with the green square.

Who's the shrink? If it is the person playing the game, then that makes sense, I guess, but lots of people seem to think the shrink is the psychiatrist. If this is true, then how does Jack know the psychiatrist is leaving? The psychiatrist says that Jack doesn't seem to remember him ever coming to see him, and tells the same story over and over again. So how does Jack know he is leaving? Maybe Jack gets brain-washed in the middle of the night or something...

I loved this game! It's funny: it's just a game, but everyone who posted something on here says it made them feel depressed, or sad, or it sounded like their own story or something like that. This game is surprisingly deep!

I agree with the fact that on the level where Kathryn dies, Jack should be able to sacrifice himself for her. I mean, even though Kathryn doesn't have an awesome hat like Jack does, he should still be able to stand on her head. It would be really cool if this game had alternate endings, depending on who gets killed, Jack or Kathryn. I guess that wouldn't really work if Jack is talking about his past, and Kathryn has already died, but who cares?

Also, if this game is the story of Jack's life,and Jack is telling it to the psychiatrist, how come the psychiatrist doesn't know how Kathryn died? Kathryn died when Jack pulled the lever and she dropped into... nothing. That was part of the game, hence part of Jack's story. So why is the psychiatrist confused about how Kathryn died?

Last comment...
The level where Kathryn dies is kind of stupid, because in the the level before that, I accidentally slipped and Kathryn fell into nothing, just like she did when she died. I just restarted the level. So why did she die the second time, but not the first? And why can't I just restart the level? Weird...

Maybe Jack caused Kathryn's death because of his jealousy... Green is the color of jealousy.

The first time, jump once. The second time, wait until the shadow is done jumping, then jump twice. The next time, wait until the shadows are done jumping, then jump three times. The next time, wait until the shadows are done jumping, then jump four times. Keep going until you have enough shadows to just walk across the gap and touch the green box.

giving up hope on Jack

Go to the edge and jump, space, jump, space randomly and you will eventually step on a clone, and you press space again, and there will be another clone, and you repeat this and you will eventually get over.

make a stack of shadows at least 5 high on top of your current self, then just walk them across.

she had to die :[

1. Hold down the right arrow key forever.
2. Press 'up' at the edge and hold it for 3 seconds, then release.
3. Wait 3 more seconds, then press space right arrow key still down!
4. Goto step 2 - all your guys will be in sync. I only needed 4 copies. :)

01
My attention is stolen by a green square on the other end of the room. I want to be its friend more than anything that I've ever wanted. I decide to use the Arrow Keys to approach it.
---
The square does not react to my approach. Does it not notice me? Or is it only pretending not to notice me?

Which would be worse?
---
Up close, I can see that the green square is actually a door. I think that we can be friends anyway. I decide to push the Spacebar, to move to the next room.

02
Spotting a couple of platforms ahead, I decide to use the Up Arrow Key to jump
---
Take that, platforms!
---
I decide that Mr. Door is a better friend than the platforms. I also note that I can pause the game by pressing P or the Esc Key.

03
Now that risk is involved, jumping on platforms doesn't seem as easy to me.
---
I start thinking about how awful it would be to fall. Luckily, I know that I can push the R Key at any time to restart the level.
---
I find myself proud of and possibly surprised by my ability to leap over harrowing gaps.

04
Even from back here, I can tell that the ledge ahead is too high for me to jump.
---
I begin to wonder what would happen if I pressed the Spacebar before I completed a level.
---
I feel confused.
And a bit tingly.

But mostly just confused.
---
I briefly attempt to think of something to think. Nothing worthwhile emerges.

05
I haven't talked to anyone lately, but at least I can solve my own problems.
---
Geronimo!

06
I see a wall blocking the path to the exit. I am dissatisfied.
---
This area down below is irritatingly spacious.
---
I think to myself that the best course of action is to pull this lever by pressing the A key.
---
I am grateful to my above-average ability to work alone.

07
I notice a a strange forcefield in this room. I become gradually more and more curious.
---
I find myself unable to comprehend the purpose of this forcefield. It doesn't seem to block me at all.

08
Understanding the forcefield, I notice that this room's field is greenish instead of pinkish.

09
Staring at this worthlessly large staircase, I reflect on my past struggles.
---
Luckily for me, no one was watching as I hopped around like a crazy person.

10
I search for reasons why I don't desire companionship.
---
I settle on avoidance of the issue. I can clearly get by without others, anyway.
---
I find myself unable to leave the question alone. Why can I not be around with people?

11
I instantly notice how similar this room looks to the previous one, and almost feel cheated until I realise that my previous tactic will not work again.

12
It doesn't take long for me to understand that I'm going to need some timing to get through here.
---
Almost there...
---
I've gotten used to the idea of solving mental problems, but I still enjoy a test of my physical abilities here and there.

13
I think back to the first day that Kathryn and I met. Our paths converged, and suddenly we were a team.
---
This was before I was as reclusive as I have become today, so I had not learned to truly multitask yet. That talent grow out of simple necessity.
---
Her approach was quiet, as was my response. The connection was instant and unmistakable. A team.

14
Mutual.
---
Perfect.
---
I wasn't ready to let it go.

15
When we faced a problem, we would solve it together. Today I find myself solving the same problems alone.
---
I was underappreciative. Plain and simple. Didn't understand just how much I needed her. How much she needed me.

16
It was perfect. Everything. It was all perfect.
---
I helped her, and she helped me. Mutual.

17
I never suspected the end to come so quickly.
---
I found myself crushed by guilty. I didn't leave the house for days.
---
But she was gone.

18
And now I find myself alone. I can't handle talking to people anymore.
---
Internally, I visualize an overexcited man yelling "Checkpoint!"
---
I grudgingly consider how the ability to start over from a different perspective would have been helpful earlier in life.

Maybe I could have let Kathryn not meet me in the first place.

19
And like this, I continue.

20
What? Don't leave yet. I have more to say.

I really do.

I've been tasked with psychoanalyzing Jack after his mental breakdown. In general he recalls his life very accurately - The things he says line up with all of the records.

The first problem is that he doesn't seem to remember any of my visits. I've talked with him once a week for the past eight years, and he always tells me the same things as if we have never met before.

He described himself as a loner, and this makes a whole lot of sense, as he has been kept in solitary confinement for the duration of his stay at the hospital.

He always briefly talks about his life, and eventually gets into the story of how he lost a loved one, Kathryn.

He understands that she has died, and he certainly feels at least somewhat responsible, but he doesn't recall that he murdered her. She was found buried in their backyard in a green package - Evidently, it was the only box large enough for use as a coffin that Jack could find. Also of note were the two flowers that he planted next to the makeshift grave.

He considers her death to be the reason that he can't talk to people anymore. I suppose that in a way, he is correct.

This will be my final report on Jack. I don't find any reason to believe that he will recover from his current state of severe mental illness, and he is far too dangerous to himself and others to allow his release.

The End

A very special thanks to all of the testers:
(credits roll)

Thanks again, everyone.

The shrink leaves, and suddenly I don't even have a person to tell my story to anymore.

you have to kill Kathryn. I obviously realised that one would have to die and tried to make it Jack instead of Kathryn, when the "not being able to jump on her head" thing caught up with me.

To me, the realisation dawned on me in this way -- of course she wouldn't be able to carry a full grown man. He would naturally have to lift HER up.

On my second play through, on the last level, I had the volume way up, and I listened to the thunderous sound of dozens of shadows of myself throwing themselves over the edge, just so that I could make it.

The ending was sad. :/ Especially considering the prequel...