Note to latecomers: The first story cycle of Under the Surface has concluded, which means that some of its secrets have been spoiled. While it won’t be the same experience as those who were there while the story released its monthly chapters, most of its story elements, hidden content and puzzles are still able to be explored in much the same way.
So, you want to play Under the Surface? Or play with it? Here are some basic tips on how to get started.
The most important element for getting up to speed on the story behind Under the Surface is by reading the chapters. To read the chapters, head to the drop-down menu and select the Read option. If you just want a basic idea of what’s going on (to the extent that a fan of Axel Lundén would know in 2014), read the News section first.
To get some deeper backstory, explore the Ephemera page.
To get an idea of Axel’s mindset at various points in his past and present, read the Lyrics and perhaps you’ll get some hints into things he isn’t quite open about. Just be aware that lyrics for every song are not present. Only those that he was able to add in 2014 appear on the website.
If you run into Swedish or Norwegian language content, there is always a translation. Sometimes, the translation is found in an image’s alt text. Some images can be clicked on to change them to an English version. At other times, a translation is plainly given. All videos have subtitles. Pay attention to the subtitles! Most content is in English.
If you feel overwhelmed by the amount of content you encounter, please keep in mind that if you were only to read the Chapter pages, you will still get a lovely experience out of Under the Surface. Everything else is there to enrich the experience and tell a deeper story or to explore the underlying mysteries. People have lives, which is why it was built that way, but also to be friendly to non-ARG enthusiasts in the e-literature community for example. Remember that you do not have uncover everything at once either! The most important thing to follow along is to read the chapters. Under the Surface will also be playable after the story arch has reached completion, although some interactive elements and mystery may be spoiled by then.
Axel Lundén – An indie folk star who rose to prominence in the 2000s as frontman of the indie rock ensemble Nauru.
Micke Berg – Axel’s late husband and drummer both for his live solo band and in the Swedish punk band, Attax.
Kåre Jansson – Bassist in Axel’s solo band and Axel’s best friend.
Maia Lund Martinsen is a Norwegian woman in her late 20s who once was a rabid Axel Lundén and Nauru fan. One day she stumbled upon some posters for a show she attended in 2014 in the year 2021 and thought she was being punked, so she headed to Twitter to find other Axel Lundén fans. She’s a bit anxious about social media and so she only posts sporadically but is trying to overcome her social anxiety. To challenge this, she made a Facebook group and subreddit for fans as well for the sake of discussion.