Correspondences between Problem Sleuth and Homestuck

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Either way, this page could probably be merged with ongoing gags.

Many correspondences have been noted between Problem Sleuth and Homestuck. Homestuck has more depth in it, as while Problem Sleuth was more spontaneous and gags were being created mostly on the spot, Homestuck could play off those and create new ones at the same time while still maintaining a much more solid structure to the story line.

Notable Correspondences

• Problem Sleuth has a lot of weird puzzle shit, while Homestuck has weird plot shit.
  • The differences between the two may not seem immediately apparent, but Problem Sleuth's problems were more upfront and in the face of the MSPA Reader. Coming to a solution to the weird puzzle shit was not so obvious even though the obstruction was right in your face.
  • Weird plot shit is much, much more discreet. Everything is laid out for the characters, or so it seems, until more and more stuff keeps getting added, in where you eventually stop trying to make sense of it and just call it weird plot shit.
• John Egbert's Dad wears Problem Sleuth's hat and Pickle Inspector's bowler hat is in his study. It is as yet unknown if Ace Dick's hat will appear. It may be one of the hats in his room, but it is difficult to determine if it is just another Problem Sleuth hat, due to their similar appearances.
• There are four main characters, although one in Problem Sleuth is NOT a protagonist.
• The main hero in both stories starts out as a downright bumbling fool but gradually matures into a menacing angel of destruction having the support of some rather bizarre and metaphysical powers.
• Both games have alternate worlds and desert all the characters away from that reality. Returning to this reality is the goal in Problem Sleuth. In Homestuck, it is said that they will be unable to ever return home.
• Characters keep popping up out of nowhere to add an almost unreasonable amount of confusion a lot of variety and awesomeness to the plot. To make things worse better, a lot of them are alternate representations of other characters.
• The Donation Funded and non-canon Midnight Crew later appear as alternate versions of Jack Noir as well as his agents; the Hegemonic Brute, Draconian Dignitary and Courtyard Droll.
• As noted in the Homestuck Kids page, it is a lot like the Escaping the Office page.
  • Homestuck Kids demonstrates how much farther along Homestuck is in this phenomenon than Problem Sleuth is.
• A veritable complete and unabridged thesaurus is needed to play both games, as words used to describe the actions and items conveyed in both games are often baffling, uncertain, or really archaic.
  • Go to the Strife page to get an idea of the large variety of confusing words that say exactly what they mean.
• Combat is often over the top and ridiculous. This is cemented even further during Sepulchritude and started to show during the fight with the Crude Ogres in Homestuck.
  • Statistics and numbers are borderline nonsensical in their meaninglessness. The only numerical values that have some sort of significance (And even then that is still somewhat inconsistent) is the amount of Grist needed to build to Skaia.
• Retrieve arms, as an ongoing gag, appear in both. Of course, this stems from the very first pages created in the first adventure, Jailbreak.
• The STAR HEART HORSESHOE sequence was important in Problem Sleuth, and is used by Dream Jade for her wardrobifier. Clover is also shown to have star-heart-horseshoe feelings for Caliborn.
• Initials are common in both series. While Problem Sleuth used initials as identifiers, Homestuck uses initials as a way to shorten the characters' handles during conversation.
• Pickle Inspector and Ace Dick have died once, both of them fought their way out of death via challenging Death to various challenges he gave out. Half of the post-scratch trolls have died, however Vriska has plans of fighting her way out with Tavros as explained here.
• In Problem Sleuth there is a move named Sleuth Roll, mirrored by the recurring move Youth Roll in Homestuck.
• MK's Chicago Overcoat and LE's Cairo Overcoat.
• Hysterical Dame and Kanaya Maryam both have lipstick/chainsaws.
• A significant page in the final battle named "Collide".
• Their endings both feature numerous parallels such as black holes, two different versions of the antagonist, opening a door the other side of which is not shown, and the words "thanks for playing".
  • Problem Sleuth's epilogue was posted a bit after PS officially ended a year after it began; Homestuck on the other hand ended seven years after it began, with the Credits page/chapter being posted some months after. Additionally, a further project known as the epilogue is also planned, although it has been hinted that it may not be a part of the online adventure.

Gallery

PS

AD

PI

MK

EB / John Egbert

TT / Rose Lalonde

TG / Dave Strider

GG / Jade Harley