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Are lizards really terrifying? Or is it just the black substance we found on the path? Or maybe it's both. Yes, it's probably Hello, internet. Welcome to Game Theory, the show that's always excited to jump into a well of mysterious substance. It's been a while, actually. I think the last time was Subliminal in May. But now we're back in action with the release of Terrible Lizards. This game comes to you thanks to our good friends and fellow creators JT Music, whom you may recognize from our live stream of creators turned game developers. Or, you know, because of one of the most iconic fandom songs in history. He 's even in a Fortnite trailer right now. It's crazy. But you know what? The iconic black goo of indie horror, or even the fact that it
was made by creators, isn't the only thing that excited me and much of the internet about this game. It has interesting parkour mechanics. In fact, it has a decent length for an indie game. And most importantly, it has Daniel Yordan. As a child I loved dinosaurs. I also loved trains. Uh-huh. I should probably look into that. But I was so desperate to analyze this game that JT Music was kind enough to give me an advance copy so we could bring you this theory as quickly as possible. Just to be clear, this is not sponsored. This is not a paid review. And they didn't tell me anything about the story. They just gave me the game early and said, " Have fun and do your thing." So, like the rest of you loyal theorists, I had to jump into the game and
find out the whole story on my own. And it turns out that, just like dinosaur bones in an excavation, there are a lot of crazy things hidden just below the surface waiting to be discovered. But, like a scientist with no respect for safety rules, I will do whatever it takes to achieve it. So, get out your hammers and chisels, loyal theorists, because we're going to excavate the hidden history in the bowels of Terrible Lizards. Oh, and since we're here early, there are spoilers, obviously. It's September 19, 1992. We play as Jordan, a college engineering student who is lucky enough to be on the track team because, let me tell you, he's definitely going to need those skills in this game
. He returns to university after the summer holidays, but on the way home his car breaks down. He pulls into a gas station and leaves his smoking car right next to some incredibly flammable gas pumps, which, needless to say, is a huge safety risk. But things will only get worse from here. Unfortunately for Jordan, this gas station is completely abandoned. There's nobody there and the crane company is completely overwhelmed. The only place Jordan can turn to for help is the giant dinosaur exhibit across the street, which at first looks like just another strange roadside attraction in the middle of nowhere. It has dinosaurs and animatronics, two of my favorite things. But the situation is rapidly deteriorating. The place is completely abandoned. Half of
the exhibits are destroyed and there are literally no employees, except for a creepy dinosaur that quickly chases Jordan deeper and deeper into the facility. He ends up stumbling upon an excavation site with many truly impressive fossils scattered all over the place. Of course, the terrifying dinosaur keeps chasing you underground, because what's a pet horror game really if you don't descend endlessly into an underground facility? There we discovered more dinosaurs, a mysterious black substance, an indie horror classic, and a military base. Yes, this place doesn't give me good vibes.
Fortunately, you finally find a working elevator and manage to escape the endless caverns, emerging to the surface with a newfound fear of dinosaurs and road freaks. It's a very fun experience and of a decent length, well worth playing. But in the initial stages, many questions remain unanswered, such as: How did a facility that seemed so fun and educational fall apart so quickly? What does the army have to do with all this? And what on earth is this mysterious black substance? Well, loyal theorists, this is an indie horror game. So, as you might expect, there's a lot more going on here than just a guy who enters an abandoned facility and eventually escapes. In fact, the game
indicates that there is something more from the moment you enter the building. Inside the ticket booth, there is a piece of paper with only three words visible: Appearance and Reality. Appearance and Reality is a philosophy book that was written by F.H. Bradley in 1893. It is a large and complex book, but the basic idea is that the reality we experience is a collection of things that have certain qualities and relate to each other. However, when we try to explain to others how those things, qualities, and relationships fit together, the concept falls apart because those things have different relationships and qualities for each person. It's not that our reality is
completely false, it's just that the way we see those things and how they connect is how they appear. But it is not the complete, absolute reality that exists beneath our own perception and relationship with those things. Radley himself states that the purpose of the book was to stimulate questioning. From my own people. But, by placing this right at the beginning of the game, Jay teaches us and invites us to examine everything in search of the absolute truth, not just how we initially perceive them. So, for example, this game is called Terrible Lizards. And the game is about dinosaurs. The word dinosaur itself comes from two Greek roots. We have dinos, which means terrible, and saurus, which means
lizard. Pretty simple, right? However, despite looking quite similar to lizards, dinosaurs are not actually lizards. They are part of a type of reptile called an archosaur. This subgroup includes crocodiles, pterosaurs, and, interestingly, birds. But it completely excludes lizards. The game's name itself invites us to look beyond what things appear to be. Imploring us to discover the true reality, even if our eyes deceive us. The first thing we really learn in this game is that this is the brainchild of a man named Dalton Coolidge, hence Dalton's Dynos.
He, along with his scientist wife Elena and his son Dalton Jr., or DJ, started this operation. And we can see his perspective on the events through some of the notes and audio logs within the game. The oldest of them is dated March 15, 1981. It details the construction of Dalton's Dynos and how, while excavating for the basement, they found a real treasure trove of fossils. This, in itself, is a fantastic discovery. Depending on the quality and condition of the fossil, they could sell for millions of dollars, leading to the rapid expansion of Dalton's Dynos, where they can now teach people about these scientific wonders and
educate them about these marvelous creatures. By 1983, Dalton had found a British benefactor willing to take what was excavated and sell it to buyers in Europe. Three years later, Dalton meets another British man, talented and probably handsome, the runner. Mr. Coolidge, it's been a while since I last heard from you. But the runner isn't interested in fossils. He is interested in exploring the excavation site further to see what else might be down there. It seems I have a habit of playing curious stuffed animal characters. I did the same for TPK, our new D&D program in Theory Verse. But, in short, with the financial help of the suspicious British, Dalton was able to keep digging deeper and deeper
until he found something interesting. Dalton's research journal of January 10, 1989, says they found some samples at the new site, but they are unable to decipher what they are. It 's not amber, it's not fossilized. It probably refers to what I've been affectionately calling the sticky substance. And they began exporting this by the box, keeping the operation going. And through all of this, Dalton seems cheerful. Even excited. The benefit here is enormous, and with the partnerships I've arranged, the sky 's the limit. For him, he's doing everything right. He's supporting his family, making a name for himself, but he's also involving them in the adventure.
My name is Dalton Coolidge and this is my wife, Elena. He places Elena front and center of the entire exhibition. She can teach everyone about the science she loves so much. But that's not the only place where his family appears. Both the exhibits and the mines below are filled with posters and clippings of the Paleo Pals: Benji, Stephanie, Dennis, Terry and Alister. Nothing surprising for a museum, although a bit strange for an underground excavation site. So I took a closer look at his voice lines.
Each character has a defined theme in what they say. Benji dresses like an explorer and tends to focus on friendship or being part of the same team I'm always here to talk, especially if you're a member of the DEST team. Stephanie dresses like a scientist and talks about handling the fossils and equipment with care. Scientists should not use excavation tools without the assistance of an engineer or foreman. And that's when I realized that these weren't just cute characters , they were representations of their families. Dalton is Benji, the explorer who wants everyone to be a family and get along. Elena is Stephanie, the scientist who is trying to conduct real research. Dennis is probably a DJ. He dresses like a child and
is a little mischievous. Dalton loved his family so much that he made them the mascot of the attraction and then continued to use them at the excavation sites, where he also wanted the team to act like a family. They complain about the characters, the signage, the public address announcements, all that, but I know them better than that. I know this really makes people happy. On the outside, Dalton practically had the perfect life he always wanted. He had a successful tourist attraction, a wife and children, and above all, he took care of his family and his staff. It's literally the American dream. But remember, appearances and reality. The connections he believes all these things have are not what is really happening. To begin with, the
commercial aspect wasn't going so well for him. You have failed to meet your production quota for the past six months. I've been feeling very pressured lately. We will not reach the quota again in this period. It has been difficult. So the facade is already cracking, and trust me, you don't want to mess with that guy. From the notes we found from DJ and Elena, it also seems that the family is on the verge of collapse. Elena threatens a very serious talk about how things have been going in her letter to Dalton, while leaving voice notes about how much she hates attraction.
I hate this place. I hate everything we've built here. On the other hand, DJ is suffering. In a diary entry, it is revealed that DJ and Dalton don't exactly have the best relationship. Honestly, the whole thing is a little disturbing to read. DJ thinks Dalton won't even notice if he comes home with him at the end of the day and that his dad is mean to him, but he doesn't hit him, because we can't make Dalton a total monster. But just because he does n't do bad things, doesn't mean he's free from guilt. Sometimes it's failing to do something that leads to problems. In another diary entry in chapter 2, we learn that DJ was very sick last month. It's not that surprising, children get sick all the time. It's definitely the part
of fatherhood that excites me the most, the germ factory. The thing is, I don't think these are just normal kids' germs. Later in the game, we discover that this substance Dalton collects isn't actually very good for you. Signs around the excavation sites warn people not to touch the substance, and a note says that any exposure should require immediate medical attention. Now, we find DJ down here with one of the dinosaurs at the end of the game, and this dinosaur turns out to be the imaginary friend that Dalton mentions in one of the early notes. So, clearly DJ has been down here before and, therefore, could have been very easily exposed to this substance. But the reason he was exposed at all was because of
Dalton's bad parenting. In one of the many random side paths of the game, you can find this comic strip. In this comic, Benji ca n't seem to find Dennis. He asks Stephanie, who directs him to Terry, who, I believe, stands in for Stella, given that Dalton describes Stella as a friend in one of the notes and Terry as a friend in the introductory video. You forgot to introduce your favorite paleo-friend. I. Terry then tells Benji that Dennis found a fossil and wanted to find more, so she told him to go to Old Rock Cave, which looks dark and scary in the last panel. This is how DJ was introduced to the dinosaur and the gooey substance, and the reason he
was sick in the first place. He wanted to find more fossils and Stella, being the loving and kind aunt that she is, told him where to go. But the reason I'm pointing to Dalton here and not Stella is because the only reason he knew about the cave and was able to enter was because Benji, Dalton, wasn't there to look after him. Dalton literally doesn't know where DJ is or what he's doing. And while I understand that parents can't be with their children 24/7, given their history, it's just adding fuel to the fire. Even when they stumble upon the discovery of the century and find a giant dinosaur made of slimy substance, Dalton did not see this as a brilliant scientific discovery or a way to help his
family. In reality, it was just selfish ambition. Imagine their faces when Dalton Coolidge makes another monumental discovery. They won't forget my name anytime soon. It's going to be the beginning of something truly special. I can feel it The only thing that saves Dalton is that technically he is not responsible for everyone disappearing. In one of her audio recordings, Stella hypothesizes that slimy dinosaurs are sensitive to light. They most likely evolved to tolerate low light. We need to install floodlights that operate 24 hours a day. Something we later discovered to be true when we saw that the substance and the dinosaurs were literally repelled by the lights we installed.
However, we come across this newspaper in Chapter 1 with a front-page story that reads " Windstorm wreaks havoc in Gallup and surrounding areas. Hundreds of homes without power or water." The newspaper is dated Thursday, September 10, 1992. One week before this game takes place. This storm occurred recently, just before we appeared, and rendered the entire light containment system useless. Countless employees who worked here were being hunted by superpredators. The only straggler we find alive is devoured almost immediately.
This was not Dalton's fault. It was a freak accident. So, even though he's a bad father and a somewhat mediocre boss, I think we can at least clear his conscience of this. However, that doesn't mean there isn't someone to blame. I know I just told you that this was an act of God that triggered everything. But, if we follow the book's logic about appearance and reality, I think we might discover that all of this-not just Dalton's efforts, but the dinosaurs and the substance-was part of someone else's grand master plan. Once you enter chapter 4 of the game, you quickly realize that Dalton wasn't the first to discover the substance. There's a giant military base deep within the excavation site that dates back to the 1940s,
specifically 1949. Here, we meet a familiar-looking fellow named Dr. Fellows, who has been investigating exactly what this substance is. We came across this material. Now, a more in-depth study is needed, but at first glance, it appears similar to tar and with some kind of organic properties. I mean, it would make sense that it resembles tar. It is commonly claimed that things like crude oil came from dinosaurs. However, much like the topic of this video, that appearance is not reality. It turns out that the whole thing about dinosaurs
turning into fossil fuels is not true at all and is a common misconception based on a marketing campaign by the Sinclair Oil Company in the 1930s, which used dinosaurs as its main mascots. To be fair, MatPat, I mean, Dr. Fellows says it's similar to tar. But then, what is it? Through this military base, there are many clues about exactly how it works. For example, you can find the container specification sheet that tells you exactly how the transport containers for the substance are made. They are coated with bioceramics, which are ceramics specifically designed for use in biological environments. Dr. Fellows did say that this has organic properties. In the real world, they have a lot of uses. Certain bioceramics have high thermal resistance and
can be used in heat shields. They are also used in certain clean energy technologies, but the most common purpose is bone replacement. Bioceramics made with calcium phosphates mimic the chemical composition and structure of natural bone mineral. A note indicates that the team found fossils, but one day they mysteriously disappeared. Now, I'm sure we all know this, but fossils do n't stand up and walk, at least not normally. Dalton even questions this particular dinosaur when he finds it. It looks like a brontosaurus, but it has mutations, things that don't match any cataloged find or previous knowledge, but the shape is
there, a long-necked dinosaur. So, this viscous substance lives in bioceramic containers, including real dinosaur bones, bringing them back to life. Although it's not an exact recreation, it's a mutated version. Dinosaurs aren't the only ones with bones. There is a note titled "missing man" that says everything was fine, or at least until a child disappeared. Shortly afterwards, they are attacked by what the note calls a hybrid. The thing that attacked them was tall and muscular, like a massive man with shrunken skin and enormous claws like daggers. It sounds a lot like the dinosaur we 've come to know and fear, DJ's imaginary friend. And when it gives you a fright, its mouth doesn't look like the mouth of
a normal dinosaur. Instead, you can see a human head and eyeballs inside. This substance seems to take any organic matter it finds nearby and convert it into its best approximation of what it should be, while transforming it into a killing machine. Of course, the government is trying to cover up the whole thing. In the same note from the hybrid survivor, he says that the local psychiatrist called his experience with the dinosaurs a hallucination and underground mania. The government didn't want this to come to light, just like everything else they were doing at the time. All of this was happening in the 1950s. We were at the beginning of the Cold War. Tensions were high regarding communism, and the
United States was prepared to do almost anything to gain the upper hand over its enemies. Within that there were some good things, like landing on the moon, if you believe the moon is real. But many unpleasant things also came out of it. MK Ultra, an illegal human experimentation program run by the CIA, began just two years after the events of this game. They committed a lot of human rights violations throughout this process. So clearly, they saw the viscous substance that mutates, gives life, and creates killing machines, and they thought, "We can use this to defeat those communists." But it proved to be too much for them, so they isolated themselves from the surface. As much as we want to help people get out of here, it's simply too dangerous. So that's why
we've had to make a difficult decision. We are isolating ourselves from the surface. Rest in peace, Dr. Fellows, but don't worry, your research will not have been in vain. I will continue what you started and solve this mystery of the black substance. Yes. Do you ever have a feeling of déjà vu? Anyway, at the end of the game, we find a note from a soldier telling us that he heard some scientists speculate that this is ground zero. He also hears them mention two terms: exogenous mass and impact fragments. Impact fragments is a term used primarily when talking about meteorite craters. Impact fragments are the pieces of a larger meteorite that remain intact after the collision. Exogenous, on the other hand, has a few
definitions, but the one I think fits best is "that which is found or comes from outside of something." And the reason I believe that's its definition is because of what Dr. Fellows says. I intend to avoid fantastical theories, but I don't know what to think. Certainly, there are models we could use. Ancient impact or foreign injection, deep time contamination. Those things he mentioned are real scientific models. Ancient impact is the idea that something external to a system, in this case our planet, arrives in the distant past and permanently changes the development of the system. Foreign injection is the idea that something is deliberately or accidentally introduced into a system by an external source. And deep-time contamination is the idea that a
foreign substance enters a system so long ago that it becomes part of its history. So this meteorite, and therefore the substance, comes from outside the terrestrial ecosystem but has been here for a long time. In short, aliens. And that's confirmed if you're very, very lucky. During the final fight scene with the hybrid, you kick him off the ledge and walk away. But there is a 12% chance that something else will happen. Once you kick the hybrid, you look to the side and see a real alien watching you, who slowly turns and walks away. That's right, we have aliens in our Route 66 dinosaur roadside attraction game. This thing looks exactly like the depiction
of the Roswell aliens, who supposedly landed in Roswell, just 150 miles south of Route 66, in 1947. Who would have thought? Ironically, despite Dr. Fellows' insistence that he doesn't create fantastic theories, yeah, right, buddy, they seem to be correct. I wonder if they're trying to tell us something with that. The point is that there is an alien object, a meteorite, that crashes into the planet during the age of the dinosaurs, bringing with it the substance that changes the physiology of the dinosaurs, making them bigger and more dangerous. It's a combination of all those models in one. However, I don't think this is a typical Roswell aliens stunt. The Roswell aliens are usually depicted as
peaceful beings who only arrived in 1947, not long before the time of the dinosaurs. And they are usually just here to observe, to watch us and learn about our customs and what we do. But I think there's something more to these aliens. You see, from the moment I realized that this black substance was inspired by aliens, I started racking my brains looking for other similar substances in other franchises. Things like Spider-Man's symbiote, the black oil from The X-Files. But the one that, so to speak, stuck with me is the black pathogen from the more recent Alien movies like Prometheus, Covenant, and Romulus.
Say what you will about those movies, this substance fits quite well with our alien substance. It is a black substance, obviously, it is organic in nature, it was created by an alien species, the Engineers, it is stored in strange containers and, upon contact with it, it causes mutations and even hybridization. It's an almost exact match. However, the true purpose of the engineers in creating this substance remains ambiguous. By reading between the lines, you can begin to get an idea of why they would send this to other planets. The substance is aggressive, turning everything it touches into a monster that is aggressive towards other life forms and uses them to help it reproduce. It's not about observing or testing
humanity, it's about eradicating competition. And I think we're seeing the same thing here. These aliens sent the substance to Earth to end life as we know it. The alien that watches us when it turns around is slow and menacing. He is not observing like a scientist. He is not excited that we were able to defeat his creation, nor is he amazed by the resilience of humanity. He's upset. If they want to take over this planet, they need to find another way to do it. And they may have that opportunity. Remember, the middleman was very interested in getting whatever was deepest in the excavation site. And in an audio recording from the 1950s, we found one from a British teacher named Elias.
We are closer than we have ever been. Don't delay. I suspect these two characters may be related, which is why the middleman knows so much about the site, is pressuring Dalton to dig deeper, and is so desperate for the substance. He knows he's down there and what his power is. He also promised to come and collect if Dalton didn't comply, which, given his current condition, I don't think he'll be able to do. So, perhaps the aliens in this series can pick up the signal across the pond, in good old England. But hey, that's just a theory. A game theory. Thanks for watching the video. World premiere on Game Theory. This is the complete story of Happy's Humble Burger
