Valve's Potato Sack ARG Unlocks Portal 2 Early

There was a moment when Valve made the entire gaming community chase potatoes to unlock

a game early. In 2011, Valve secretly launched the Portal 2 ARG inside a huge indie

game bundle called the Potato Sack. Eleven different games were patched with hidden puzzles,

codes, and Portal–themed secrets. Every solved puzzle earned the community

“potatoes” — a real counter tracked by Valve. The twist? Valve confirmed

that if players collected enough potatoes and powered up the “GLaDOS Activation Meter,” Portal 2

would release early. And it actually worked: the community solved everything, hit the target,

and Portal 2 launched ahead of schedule. It was one of the most ambitious fan-driven ARGs ever pulled