the cutting room mirror

Unused Captchalogue Items

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This is a sub-page of HIVESWAP: Act 1.

Here's a list of every captchalogue entry in Hiveswap: Act 1, with unused items highlighted in red. As you might expect, the internal name strings can't be read in-game; however, the display names also can't be viewed in-game! This might suggest that an earlier version of the UI made use of these strings.

Techniche Abilitechs#

Internal Name

Display Name

Icon

Path ID

style=""|Notes

Ballet Dance

Ballet Dance

2401

Cuebat

Cuebat

2402

Flashlight No Batt

Flashlight No Batt

2403

FlashlightAbility

Flashlight

2404

Loaded Flare Gun

Flare Gun

2405

Tap Dance

Tap Dance

2406

Telekinesis

Telekinesis

2407

Joey Tablet

Joey's Tablet

2562

Ref Joey Tablet

Joey's Tablet

2563

An early version of the tablet Joey uses on Alternia. Its files contain an unused narrated version of the scene where she sends a selfie to Xefros, which was replaced with a cutscene in the final game. Its icon is blank.

Ref Xef Tablet

Xefros' Tablet

2564

An early version of Xefros' tablet. Its files contain a few unused lines of narration. Its icon is blank.

Walkie-Talkie

Walkie Talkie

2565

Xef Tablet

Xefros' Tablet

2566

Test Ability

Test Ability

3353

Allows you to use the "Exposit" ability, just in case you need to recite some Charles Dickens. The ability uses a placeholder icon.

Sylladex Items#

Internal Name

Display Name

Icon

Path ID

Notes

Attic Key

Attic Key

2574

Autotune Mic no batt

Autotune Mic (no batteries)

2575

Autotune Mic

Autotune Mic

2576

An unused powered version of Xefros' autotune mic! This item can be obtained through hacking/glitches by combining the E-Cell Batteries with the unpowered Autotune Mic. Curiously, the E-Cells remain in your inventory after this interaction. Combined with the fact that there's a single E-Cell icon in the game's files, this might suggest that the mic only requires one E-Cell, and the second battery will have some other purpose in Act 2 and beyond.

Bent Silver Spoon

Bent Silver Spoon

2577

Big Book of Beasts

Big Book of Beasts

2578

Bowl of Milk

Bowl of Milk

2579

C-Cell Batteries

C-Cell Batteries

2580

Carrier Pigeon

Carrier Pigeon

2581

D-Cell Batteries

D-Cell Batteries

2582

Dammeks Hoodie

Dammek's Hoodie

Hiveswap-Act1-Icon-Blank.png

2583

Based on this unused item entry and its associated narration, it seems Joey would have originally grabbed a hoodie while exploring Dammek's hive! Although the hoodie was scrapped from Act 1, she can be seen wearing one in the trailer for Hiveswap: Act 2.

Diary Key

Diary Key

2584

E-Cell Batteries

E-Cell Batteries

2585

Unlike any of the other batteries in the game, the E-Cells have a second icon of a single battery. Although it's easy to miss, this second icon is used very briefly in-game: it's possible to throw one of the E-Cell Batteries at a monster during the basement and kitchen STRIFE battles, which swaps out the icons during the brief moment it leaves Joey's hand. The batteries also have an unused interaction with Xefros' Autotune Mic, which can be seen here. Oddly, the E-Cells remain in your sylladex after combining them with the mic, suggesting that only a single battery is needed for the mic and the second battery may serve another purpose in Act 2 and beyond - despite this, the single battery icon isn't applied after this interaction.

Empty Bowl

Empty Bowl

2586

Flare Gun (Empty)

Flare Gun

2587

Flares

Flares

2588

Flarp Manual

Flarp Manual

2589

Flashlight Container

Flashlight (container)

2590

An unused version of Joey's unpowered flashlight, which is treated as a sylladex item rather than an abilitech. Its files contain an early script with a number of unused lines.

Green Key

Heirloom Thingamajig

2591

Grub Juice

Grub Juice

2592

Horus

2593

It seems the Horus sculpture in Half-Harley Manor's Trophy Room was once going to be a sylladex item! It appears twice in the item list, but this instance can't be added to the inventory because the file's mostly empty. It seems intended to be an inventory item though, since the file structure resembles one and its PathID places it alphabetically within the item list.

Since it was going to be a key item, and considering Horus is situated opposite the red-and-green-eyed tiger (seemingly symbolising Lord English) that figures prominently in the first half of Act 1, it might be worth noting that Horus' eyes also have strong symbolic connotations! His right eye is associated with the sun (which is used as Joey's symbol) and power, and his left eye is associated with the the moon and healing (which is evocative of Joey's veterinary skills). What this might suggest about Joey's ultimate role within the plot remains to be seen.

Hover Pad

Hover Pad

2594

Lusus Milk

Lusus Milk

2595

Magic Spice Mix

Magic Spice Mix

2596

New Item

Horus

2597

Another instance of the Horus item. Unlike the previous one, this can be loaded as an inventory item and is listed within the game's "StaticDataCatalog". It's missing an icon, and doesn't seem to do anything. All the files related to Horus are peculiarly named: this one's internal name is just "New Item", the previous one is missing a display name, the TargetID file (i.e. the data for the background object you click on in the Trophy Room) is the only one in the game that doesn't have a scene number at the start of its internal name, and the target also has "I need a name!" as its display name. Why this is the case is unclear. He's a deity, and an oddity!

Pet Treats

Pet Treats

2598

Pogs

Pogs

2599

Portal Diagram

2600

A glitchy unused item that always appears to be selected when placed in the sylladex. Strangely, the portal diagram that Joey picks up in Dammek's hive is actually a different sylladex item named "Sketchy Diagram". "Portal Diagram" uses the same icon. Perhaps this half-finished paper scrap item had something to do with the scrapped note that was once found near Dammek's safe? The fact that there's an unused "Got Note" counter that would've tracked whether Joey had picked up the note also suggest that this was once an inventory item.

Pouch with Marbles

Pouch with Marbles

2601

Power Cell

Power Cell

2602

Pusher Playbook

Pusher Playbook

2603

Sketchy Diagram

Sketchy Diagram

2604

Sloth Treats

Sloth Treats

2605

Software Box

Software Box

2606

The Scratchware encryption software that Doc Scratch sends Xefros seems to have once been a sylladex item! Its icon is glitched and can't be selected, although this might be intentional since rustblood Pushers like Xefros aren't allowed to touch "The Man on the Moon".

Stale Cracker

Stale Cracker

2607

Vet Medkit

Vet Medkit

2608

Walkie-Talkie (no batteries)

Walkie Talkie

2609

Example Backpack

Backpack

3361

Part of an example scene used early in development. It can be combined with the Example Book, allowing you to craft the rare and highly dangerous Backpack With a Book In It. It's like alchemy!

Example Book in Backpack

Backpack With a Book In It

3362

Part of an example scene used early in development. Books in backpacks, and imagination in readers' minds.

Example Book

Book

3363

Part of an example scene used early in development. A daunting text, to be sure. Maybe even an unabridged copy of HARRY ANDERSON'S "WISE GUY", BY MIKE CAVENEY?

Example Bowl

Bowl

3364

Part of an example scene used early in development. The EXAMPLE BOWL would level up to become the EMPTY BOWL, later sublimating into the BOWL OF MILK, skyrocketing up its ECHELADDER to a new rung: SUPPER'S CRUCIBLE, earning 413 BOONBUCKS.

Things are really looking up for this vivacious vessel.

Example Throw Pillow

Throw Pillow

3365

Part of an example scene used early in development. A pity it remained unused, since it would've been cute to carry Byers around on the cushion, like a lil pigeon palanquin.