All REPO Riddle Answers Explained: Update Theories and Clues
Solving R.E.P.O.'S Semisummer Riddles
The R.E.P.O. devs have never been shy about messing with their community, but their recent riddles might take the crown for most confusing (and entertaining) so far from semiwork. After weeks of teasing cryptic fragments and strange video hints, we are convinced that the official answer to the puzzle is “Red Herring Monster Update.”
But what exactly does that mean, how did we get that, and what could it tell us about what’s coming next for R.E.P.O.?
The Riddle That Broke Our Brains
The puzzle itself unfolded in pieces: scattered fragments, bizarre references, and a closing hint involving superheroes and lasers…I think. Naturally, players started chasing every thread, from monster designs to color codes.
Eventually (after a bunch of jumbling letters around), the phrase “Red Herring Monster Update” emerged as the most likely solution. At first, it feels like a troll answer – but that might actually be the point.
Riddle-by-Riddle Answers
You may want to solve these on your own so I have them hidden, but if you want the answer to each riddle and explanation of why – just click on any of the R.E.P.O. riddles below!
Riddle 1
Riddle: I rise, I dip, I rise, I dip, and I stand first in line with moon.
Why: It’s the first letter in “Moon” and the shape of “M” rises and dips as described.
Riddle 2
Riddle: “I’m the tail of a rodent ham that forms half of an outlaw. I’m nothing without my predecessor. Oh yes, I make little sense alone. What am I?
Answer: The letters “ster”
Why: The tail of hamster is “ster,” and it also appears in words like “gangster” (outlaw).
Riddle 3
Riddle: “A precious metal with no end. It rests tiny and snug on articulate branches.”
Answer: “ring”
Why: A ring is a circle (no end) and rests on a finger (branches).
Riddle 4
Riddle: “Light shifted by many years shines upon you. The answer stimulates your cones.”
Answer: The color “red”
Why: Cones in your eyes react to “color” from the light. “Red” specifically being the answer because of the Cyclops reference (I’ll get to that later).
Riddle 5
Riddle: “It is down to you to figure this out: what word is the opposite but still gives my past verdict the same meaning?”
Answer: the word “up”
Why: The word “up” when changed out with “down” in the previous statement still makes the same conclusion to the sentence.
Riddle 6
Riddle: “Spelled backward, I refuse; spelled forward, I spark a fuse.”
Answer: the word “on”
Why: “no” is a refusal while spelled forward “on” just means to turn something on.
Riddle 7
Riddle: “His sister. Missing brother. His dad was missing dad. Sister loved him and he loved missing. Missing word to be found and replaced by sister.”
Answer: her
Why: the sentence makes sense when you replace “missing” with “her”.
Riddle 8
Riddle: “What is it that people often ask you to save, confined to a span of time and not worth anything but what you do on it?”
Answer: The word “date”
Why: The classic “save the date” clue.
How the Pieces Fit Together
With all of the riddles solved, you get the following:
M – ster – ring – red – up – on – her – date
Which means absolutely nothing but gibberish by itself, but when you realize that there is no coherent answer there – you start figuring it’s an anagram and put together easy words like “up + date” (since we know that’s what this whole thing is about).
Then you put together the rest:
-
her + ring = herring
-
M + on + ster = Monster
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up + date = Update
Throw in red from the color clue (Riddle 4 with a dash of Cyclops inspiration), and you get the full phrase:
Red Herring Monster Update
Ta da!
Let's Not Forget About the Fragments Left in Videos!
In addition to the riddles themselves, semiwork sprinkled some small visual fragments throughout the videos – pieces of what looked like a monster design. Once you line them up, they form a surprisingly coherent figure…though maybe not the one the puzzle originally teased.
Image: R.E.P.O. Fragments Assembled | ReportAFK
The resulting “monster” from the fragments almost feels like a decoy, which makes the “Red Herring” part of the answer feel downright cheeky. It’s like the devs are winking at the audience: “Yeah, you thought you knew what was coming, but not so fast.”
The Cyclops Connection
Finally, the superhero reference at the very end of the last video just seemed out of place to me (Pontus mentioned transforming into a superhero, seeing through eyelids, shooting a green laser), seems like it was another subtle layer…although admittedly, I might just be reaching on this connection.
Cyclops from X-Men is famous for red optic blasts, and the color/vision hint aligns perfectly with the red in “Red Herring.”
So even if the “green” laser was a misdirect, it reinforces two ideas:
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The color clue from Riddle 4 is important.
-
The teased monster might not be what we expected and maybe the “real” reveal will resemble something more Cyclops-inspired.
Again, this is just a guess – but we’ll just have to wait and see!
What This Could Mean for the Next R.E.P.O. Update
If the community interpretation is correct, the next R.E.P.O. update might not be about the teased fragments at all. Instead, it could feature:
A completely new monster design (or a Cyclops-inspired one).
A cheeky commentary on how easily we can be misled (I will destroy you Pontus).
Something else I have no damn clue about…good times?
Either way, the devs have succeeded: they got everyone talking, theorizing, and chasing every little clue. Whether the “red herring” was literal or figurative, the puzzle has been a masterclass in misdirection (and honestly pretty fun).
But what do you think?
Do you have some other possible answers or just think we’re off our rockers? Let me know in the comments below and make sure to check out our other R.E.P.O. guides and news!
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OLLIE
August 23, 2025
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm maybe
Ayefkay
August 25, 2025
lol thanks for stopping by Ollie and I agree with “maybe”
NS
October 4, 2025
> 4. Light shifted by many years shines upon you.
Light from distant stars becomes “red shifted” due to the expansion of spacetime.
Ayefkay
October 5, 2025
Where were you when I was writing this NS?!
My answer was so insanely convoluted lol, thanks for clearing this up!
Hope you come back soon!