Netflix Reveals New Bandersnatch Secret To Help Reach Hidden Ending

Audiences have pretty thoroughly scoured Black Mirror: Bandersnatch in order to see every depressing/gruesome/surreal ending to mentally ill computer game programmer Stefan’s story. But there’s one short conclusion that Netflix wants to highlight, perhaps because they have the behind the scenes viewing information that suggests that this is the least seen part of the show.

Via their Netflix UK & Ireland Twitter account, they’ve instructed viewers to do the following:

think you’ve seen everything there is to see in bandersnatch? try picking up the family photo, ~twice~

So, what happens if you do that? Well, the murderous author of the in-universe choose-your-own-adventure novel Bandersnatch, Jerome F. Davies, will appear from nowhere and stab Stefan to death. Though many people are calling this a ‘new’ ending, I did actually reach it the first time through (admittedly, by mistake), and it’s a pretty effective jump scare.

But wait, there’s actually another easter egg within this easter egg. You see, Jerome F. Davies is played by Jeff Minter, one of the most famous British 1980s game programmers and founder of Llamasoft. He’s something of an icon in the indie game community, having essentially been ‘indie’ from the very beginnings of the industry. Best of all, he’s famous for his psychedelic mind-bending shooting titles (most of which feature ruminants, constant drug references, dance music and heavy doses of British slang), all of which fits in neatly with Bandersnatch‘s themes.

Even more appropriate for (some) of the endings, one of his most recent games is Polybius, a seriously brain-melting 3D shooter (especially in VR) based on the urban legend of a 1980s arcade game that was secretly a CIA mind control device. Which pretty much sounds like a Black Mirror episode right there.

Anyways, if you’re still in the mood for more Bandersnatch, then give Netflix’s instructions above a try, and if you’re in the mood for incredibly awesome indie games, Minter’s latest, Tempest 4000, is now available on Steam, PS4 and Xbox One.