"The numbers are scary" - Redditors react as the Severance game perfectly captures the show’s eerie atmosphere and mind-bending mystery
The hit series Severance resolved many of its lingering mysteries in the season 2 finale, which aired on March 21, 2025, on Apple TV+. One of the mysteries involved the number refining work done by the MDR team on the severed floor. Since the start of the sci-fi thriller series in 2022, viewers have been enthralled by the purpose of sorting seemingly random numbers into specific categories.
Adding to the allure was its mysterious nature. It led to several fan theories predicting Lumon's nefarious activities, many of which were proven right by the end of the second season.
Fans of the show can now play a Severance-inspired game that replicates the refining work done by the innies on the severed floor. However, knowing the true purpose of the work and its real consequences on the show have made some people cautious while playing the game. One Reddit user made their feelings known by commenting with Helly's quote from the show's first season:
"The numbers are scary :("
Others chimed in with similar comments, expressing their fear and discontent with the game.
"Made me understand what a "scary number" is because the way some of them warped felt unsettling somehow and I kept rushing to get rid of them quickly 😭," one Reddit user said.
"I see what they mean when they say it's very 'mind-numbing'. I couldn't imagine doing this 9 hours a day, 35 hours a week. After only doing 1 run in 5 minutes my mind is already numb from it," pointed out a user.
"Disappointed that Kier didn't tell me he loved me when I finished refining," wrote another.
Others, however, are thrilled with the experience and enjoyed the game and other callbacks to the show.
"I don’t care if it’s silly it’s still super cool and sparked some joy over here!" remarked one user.
"I like how at 75% it has an MDE," wrote one user.
"woah is this official? loving all the little extra tie ins! i only recently discovered the lexington letter and the You You Are audiobook and it completely elevates the immersiveness of the show to a whole new level for me!" said another.
A guide on how to play the new Severance game
Firstly, it must be noted that the Severance game is created by a fan and is not an official part of the show or Apple TV+. It can be found at lumon-industries.com.
Severance fans can live out the experience of their favorite Macrodats with this game, as it recreates their work of refining numbers. But unlike the innies, who sort the numbers based on their feelings, these numbers appear in large fonts and can be easily grouped together and sorted into bins at the bottom of the screen. In case the wrong set of numbers are selected, the screen will prompt the message "Nope."
Similar to the show, users are rewarded with a Mr. Milchick-approved dance party after completing 75% of the file. Rest assured, getting to the finish line will not result in any harmful or disastrous outcome, courtesy of Lumon.
Everything to know about the MDR team's work on Severance
The dystopian series focuses on the severed employees of the powerful Lumon Industries who work on the severed floor. One of its departments, the Macrodata Refinement division, comprises the innies Mark S., Helly R., Irving B., and Dylan G.
Their day-to-day work entails sorting out numbers into different sorting bins based on the feelings they elicit. These bins are further divided into the four categories — WO, DR, FC, and MA — which correspond to Kier's four tempers, Woe, Dread, Frolic, and Malice.
Throughout his time at Lumon, Mark S. has worked on 25 files that are named Allentown, Dranesville, Wellington, Zurich, Astoria, St. Pierre, Cold Harbor, etc. Each completed file has led to the creation of a new innie in Lumon's test subject, which, unbeknownst to him, is his wife Gemma. As a result, she has 25 different innies.
Each of Gemma's innies is subjected to a negative experience that ranges from unpleasant to harrowing to test if the severance chip can prevent emotions from leaking through the innie to outie and vice versa.
All episodes of Severance seasons 1 and 2 are available on Apple TV+.
