Cutscene playback on the Linux port of The Inner World is often problematic, at least as of early October, 2017. There are two primary failure modes for cutscenes, one of which you will definitely run into regardless of your system:

1. Cutscenes may not play at all (including, for instance, the opening cutscene)
   
2. If the opening cutscene works, you'll still find that many other cutscenes don't.

This guide primarily just deals with the second problem, since I don't have much advice to give with the first.

TheLimeyDragon has created an unofficial patch which should fix most (or all?) of the issues detailed in this post. I can't vouch for it myself, but it's worth checking out, and is probably the easiest way to get the native Linux version of this game running properly. The link as of Jan 2, 2020 is: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ox6sa4mxwjoca94/TIW_LUP-0.9a.zip?dl=0

Though you might want to check the comments below to make sure that there's not an updated version, in case that happens and I don't get around to updating this guide.

This was a problem I had a few years ago, and at the time I ended up giving up and letting the game sit unplayed. Just recently I'd tried again, on a different distro and with a few years of software updates inbetween, and this seems to have fixed itself for me, in the meantime. I don't have any actual advice on this one, really, except that if you're on Arch, perhaps you'd want to check to make sure you have at least these packages installed (though I bet that many of these aren't necessary) -

• ffmpeg
  
• ffmpeg2.8
  
• gst-libav
  
• gst-plugins-bad
  
• gst-plugins-base
  
• gst-plugins-base-libs
  
• gst-plugins-good
  
• gst-plugins-ugly
  
• gstreamer
  
• gstreamer-vaapi
  
• gstreamer0.10
  
• gstreamer0.10-base
  
• lib32-gst-plugins-base
  
• lib32-gst-plugins-base-libs
  
• lib32-gst-plugins-good
  
• lib32-gstreamer

I do not have any ffmpeg-compat* packages installed, which you may see recommended elsewhere. Also, the Arch-provided openjdk works just as well as the Oracle JDK, so there's probably no need to look into alternate JVMs.

Another user on the forums has mentioned that on *buntu 16.04 LTS, the cutscenes require the following packages:

• openjfx
  
• libopenjfx-java
  
• libopenjfx-jni

If the opening cutscene works, you'll probably soon notice that other cutscenes seem to not be playing, and you'd be right. If you ever get a one-or-two second gap where both the video and the audio stops, that's probably an attempted cutscene failing to play. You'll get that somewhat frequently while solving puzzles -- there are often short little cutscenes as you find solutions, or attempt partial solutions. Some of these include information more-or-less necessary to solve the puzzles, so you'll want to fix that.

Three files must be present in the game's "media" directory - the video itself, the audio file, and the subtitle file. When a cutscene doesn't play, it's because either an audio file or subtitle file is missing.

This accounts for the vast majority of non-playing cutscenes. Creating an empty subtitle file with the correct filename, in the "media/Data/Subtitles" directory will fix these, though in many cases we have to guess at the correct filename. I wrote a script which will generate all possibilities, which seems to do the trick (or at least, I finished the game and never had another cutscene failure due to missing subtitle files). It generates far more files than are actually necessary, but it saves having to figure out the exact filename for every case. That script is here: https://gist.github.com/apocalyptech/3f9c3cc1b13ef8a400d2604d1c1da4b9

Alternatively, if you want to just create 'em by hand, or make your own simpler loop, this is the list of empty files that I created in the Subtitles directory:

• MOV_020.srt
  
• MOV_020_EN.srt
  
• MOV_021.srt
  
• MOV_021_EN.srt
  
• MOV_025.srt
  
• MOV_025_EN.srt
  
• MOV_026.srt
  
• MOV_026_EN.srt
  
• MOV_035.srt
  
• MOV_035_EN.srt
  
• MOV_040.srt
  
• MOV_040_EN.srt
  
• MOV_050.srt
  
• MOV_050_EN.srt
  
• MOV_070.srt
  
• MOV_070_EN.srt
  
• MOV_080.srt
  
• MOV_080_EN.srt
  
• MOV_090.srt
  
• MOV_090_EN.srt
  
• MOV_105.srt
  
• MOV_105_EN.srt
  
• MOV_112.srt
  
• MOV_112_EN.srt
  
• MOV_120.srt
  
• MOV_120_EN.srt
  
• MOV_125.srt
  
• MOV_125_EN.srt
  
• MOV_130.srt
  
• MOV_130_EN.srt
  
• MOV_140.srt
  
• MOV_140_EN.srt
  
• MOV_150A.srt
  
• MOV_150A_EN.srt
  
• MOV_150B.srt
  
• MOV_150B_EN.srt
  
• MOV_150C.srt
  
• MOV_150C_EN.srt
  
• MOV_150a.srt
  
• MOV_150a_EN.srt
  
• MOV_150b.srt
  
• MOV_150b_EN.srt
  
• MOV_150c.srt
  
• MOV_150c_EN.srt
  
• MOV_160.srt
  
• MOV_160_EN.srt
  
• MOV_180.srt
  
• MOV_180_EN.srt
  
• MOV_185.srt
  
• MOV_185_EN.srt
  
• MOV_190A.srt
  
• MOV_190A_EN.srt
  
• MOV_190B.srt
  
• MOV_190B_EN.srt
  
• MOV_190C.srt
  
• MOV_190C_EN.srt
  
• MOV_190a.srt
  
• MOV_190a_EN.srt
  
• MOV_190b.srt
  
• MOV_190b_EN.srt
  
• MOV_190c.srt
  
• MOV_190c_EN.srt
  
• MOV_195A.srt
  
• MOV_195A_EN.srt
  
• MOV_195B.srt
  
• MOV_195B_EN.srt
  
• MOV_195a.srt
  
• MOV_195a_EN.srt
  
• MOV_195b.srt
  
• MOV_195b_EN.srt
  
• MOV_196A.srt
  
• MOV_196A_EN.srt
  
• MOV_196B.srt
  
• MOV_196B_EN.srt
  
• MOV_196b.srt
  
• MOV_196b_EN.srt
  
• MOV_197_1.srt
  
• MOV_197_1_EN.srt
  
• MOV_197_2A.srt
  
• MOV_197_2A_EN.srt
  
• MOV_197_2B.srt
  
• MOV_197_2B_EN.srt
  
• MOV_197_2a.srt
  
• MOV_197_2a_EN.srt
  
• MOV_197_2b.srt
  
• MOV_197_2b_EN.srt
  
• MOV_200A.srt
  
• MOV_200A_EN.srt
  
• MOV_200B.srt
  
• MOV_200B_EN.srt
  
• MOV_200C.srt
  
• MOV_200C_EN.srt
  
• MOV_200a.srt
  
• MOV_200a_EN.srt
  
• MOV_200b.srt
  
• MOV_200b_EN.srt
  
• MOV_200c.srt
  
• MOV_200c_EN.srt
  
• MOV_205.srt
  
• MOV_205_EN.srt
  
• MOV_207.srt
  
• MOV_207_EN.srt
  
• MOV_208.srt
  
• MOV_208_EN.srt
  
• MOV_210.srt
  
• MOV_210_EN.srt
  
• MOV_220.srt
  
• MOV_220_EN.srt
  
• MOV_250.srt
  
• MOV_250_EN.srt
  
• MOV_265.srt
  
• MOV_265_EN.srt
  
• MOV_300A.srt
  
• MOV_300A_EN.srt
  
• MOV_300B.srt
  
• MOV_300B_EN.srt
  
• MOV_300C.srt
  
• MOV_300C_EN.srt
  
• MOV_300D.srt
  
• MOV_300D_EN.srt
  
• MOV_300a.srt
  
• MOV_300a_EN.srt
  
• MOV_300b.srt
  
• MOV_300b_EN.srt
  
• MOV_300c.srt
  
• MOV_300c_EN.srt
  
• MOV_300d.srt
  
• MOV_300d_EN.srt
  
• MOV_305.srt
  
• MOV_305_EN.srt
  
• MOV_310.srt
  
• MOV_310_EN.srt
  
• MOV_315A.srt
  
• MOV_315A_EN.srt
  
• MOV_315B.srt
  
• MOV_315B_EN.srt
  
• MOV_315C.srt
  
• MOV_315C_EN.srt
  
• MOV_315a.srt
  
• MOV_315a_EN.srt
  
• MOV_315b.srt
  
• MOV_315b_EN.srt
  
• MOV_315c.srt
  
• MOV_315c_EN.srt
  
• MOV_320.srt
  
• MOV_320_EN.srt
  
• MOV_321.srt
  
• MOV_321_EN.srt
  
• MOV_322.srt
  
• MOV_322_EN.srt
  
• MOV_323.srt
  
• MOV_323_EN.srt
  
• MOV_325.srt
  
• MOV_325_EN.srt
  
• MOV_330.srt
  
• MOV_330_EN.srt
  
• MOV_331.srt
  
• MOV_331_EN.srt
  
• MOV_332.srt
  
• MOV_332_EN.srt
  
• MOV_333.srt
  
• MOV_333_EN.srt
  
• MOV_334.srt
  
• MOV_334_EN.srt
  
• MOV_335.srt
  
• MOV_335_EN.srt
  
• MOV_336.srt
  
• MOV_336_EN.srt
  
• MOV_337.srt
  
• MOV_337_EN.srt
  
• MOV_338.srt
  
• MOV_338_EN.srt
  
• MOV_340.srt
  
• MOV_340_EN.srt
  
• MOV_350.srt
  
• MOV_350_EN.srt
  
• MOV_360.srt
  
• MOV_360_EN.srt
  
• MOV_370.srt
  
• MOV_370_EN.srt
  
• MOV_410.srt
  
• MOV_410_EN.srt
  
• MOV_420.srt
  
• MOV_420_EN.srt
  
• MOV_450.srt
  
• MOV_450_EN.srt
  
• MOV_455.srt
  
• MOV_455_EN.srt
  
• MOV_460.srt
  
• MOV_460_EN.srt
  
• MOV_510A.srt
  
• MOV_510A_EN.srt
  
• MOV_510B.srt
  
• MOV_510B_EN.srt
  
• MOV_520.srt
  
• MOV_520_EN.srt
  
• MOV_530.srt
  
• MOV_530_EN.srt
  
• MOV_535.srt
  
• MOV_535_EN.srt
  
• MOV_536.srt
  
• MOV_536_EN.srt
  
• MOV_540.srt
  
• MOV_540_EN.srt
  
• MOV_700.srt
  
• MOV_700_EN.srt
  
• MOV_770.srt
  
• MOV_770_EN.srt
  
• MOV_775.srt
  
• MOV_775_EN.srt
  
• MOV_780.srt
  
• MOV_780_EN.srt
  
• MOV_790.srt
  
• MOV_790_EN.srt
  
• MOV_802A.srt
  
• MOV_802A_EN.srt
  
• MOV_802B.srt
  
• MOV_802B_EN.srt
  
• MOV_804A.srt
  
• MOV_804A_EN.srt
  
• MOV_804B.srt
  
• MOV_804B_EN.srt
  
• MOV_804b.srt
  
• MOV_804b_EN.srt
  
• MOV_810.srt
  
• MOV_810_EN.srt
  
• MOV_815.srt
  
• MOV_815_EN.srt
  
• MOV_820.srt
  
• MOV_820_EN.srt
  
• MOV_840.srt
  
• MOV_840_EN.srt
  
• MOV_850.srt
  
• MOV_850_EN.srt
  
• MOV_860.srt
  
• MOV_860_EN.srt
  
• MOV_870.srt
  
• MOV_870_EN.srt
  
• MOV_880.srt
  
• MOV_880_EN.srt
  
• MOV_890.srt
  
• MOV_890_EN.srt
  
• MOV_895.srt
  
• MOV_895_EN.srt
  
• MOV_899.srt
  
• MOV_899_EN.srt
  
• MOV_900.srt
  
• MOV_900_EN.srt
  
• MOV_905.srt
  
• MOV_905_EN.srt
  
• MOV_910.srt
  
• MOV_910_EN.srt
  
• MOV_915.srt
  
• MOV_915_EN.srt
  
• MOV_917C.srt
  
• MOV_917C_EN.srt
  
• MOV_917c.srt
  
• MOV_917c_EN.srt
  
• MOV_918A.srt
  
• MOV_918A_EN.srt
  
• MOV_918B.srt
  
• MOV_918B_EN.srt
  
• MOV_918C.srt
  
• MOV_918C_EN.srt
  
• MOV_918D.srt
  
• MOV_918D_EN.srt
  
• MOV_918a.srt
  
• MOV_918a_EN.srt
  
• MOV_918b.srt
  
• MOV_918b_EN.srt
  
• MOV_918c.srt
  
• MOV_918c_EN.srt
  
• MOV_918d.srt
  
• MOV_918d_EN.srt
  
• MOV_919C.srt
  
• MOV_919C_EN.srt
  
• MOV_919c.srt
  
• MOV_919c_EN.srt
  
• MOV_920C.srt
  
• MOV_920C_EN.srt
  
• MOV_920c.srt
  
• MOV_920c_EN.srt
  
• MOV_925.srt
  
• MOV_925_EN.srt
  
• MOV_935.srt
  
• MOV_935_EN.srt
  
• MOV_940.srt
  
• MOV_940_EN.srt
  
• MOV_945.srt
  
• MOV_945_EN.srt
  
• MOV_952.srt
  
• MOV_952_EN.srt
  
• MOV_953.srt
  
• MOV_953_EN.srt
  
• MOV_970.srt
  
• MOV_970_EN.srt
  
• MOV_971.srt
  
• MOV_971_EN.srt
  
• MOV_972.srt
  
• MOV_972_EN.srt
  
• MOV_974.srt
  
• MOV_974_EN.srt
  
• MOV_976.srt
  
• MOV_976_EN.srt
  
• MOV_978.srt
  
• MOV_978_EN.srt
  
• MOV_982.srt
  
• MOV_982_EN.srt
  
• MOV_984.srt
  
• MOV_984_EN.srt
  
• MOV_986.srt
  
• MOV_986_EN.srt

The first two cutscenes with missing audio files are because the audio files are completely missing from the media/Audio/MOV directory. The cutscenes in question are pretty minor and I didn't bother trying to find out if just putting a blank mp3 in place would fix these. If you want to know which two those are: They're just Pete/Steve looking at himself in the reflective surfaces of the Courtyard, and the Wind Chapel, once you get those in place. Not a big deal, really.

There's at least two more "missing" audio files, but it turns out that it's because of case-sensitivity issues. Linux filesystems are case-sensitive and the engine is looking for the wrong one. I put together a script to symlink all case possibilities for all audio files. As with my subtitle script, this creates more files than it needs to, but it does at least provide all the necessary symlinks. That script is at: https://gist.github.com/apocalyptech/41293f21758312481237c1dc1429043f

Alternatively, if you wanted to just make the links yourself, or script it some other way, here's a list of all the symlinks which that script creates:

• Linking MOV_150a.mp3 -> MOV_150A.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_150b.mp3 -> MOV_150B.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_150c.mp3 -> MOV_150C.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_190a.mp3 -> MOV_190A.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_190b.mp3 -> MOV_190B.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_190c.mp3 -> MOV_190C.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_195a.mp3 -> MOV_195A.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_195b.mp3 -> MOV_195B.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_196a.mp3 -> MOV_196A.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_196a_EN.mp3 -> MOV_196A_EN.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_196b.mp3 -> MOV_196B.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_197_2a.mp3 -> MOV_197_2A.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_197_2b.mp3 -> MOV_197_2B.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_200a.mp3 -> MOV_200A.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_200a_EN.mp3 -> MOV_200A_EN.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_200b.mp3 -> MOV_200B.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_200c.mp3 -> MOV_200C.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_200c_EN.mp3 -> MOV_200C_EN.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_300a.mp3 -> MOV_300A.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_300b.mp3 -> MOV_300B.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_300c.mp3 -> MOV_300C.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_300d.mp3 -> MOV_300D.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_315a.mp3 -> MOV_315A.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_315b.mp3 -> MOV_315B.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_315c.mp3 -> MOV_315C.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_510a.mp3 -> MOV_510A.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_510a_EN.mp3 -> MOV_510A_EN.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_510b.mp3 -> MOV_510B.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_510b_EN.mp3 -> MOV_510B_EN.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_802a.mp3 -> MOV_802A.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_802a_EN.mp3 -> MOV_802A_EN.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_802b.mp3 -> MOV_802B.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_802b_EN.mp3 -> MOV_802B_EN.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_804a.mp3 -> MOV_804A.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_804a_EN.mp3 -> MOV_804A_EN.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_804b.mp3 -> MOV_804B.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_804b_EN.mp3 -> MOV_804B_EN.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_917C.mp3 -> MOV_917c.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_918A.mp3 -> MOV_918a.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_918B.mp3 -> MOV_918b.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_918C.mp3 -> MOV_918c.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_918D.mp3 -> MOV_918d.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_919c.mp3 -> MOV_919C.mp3
  
• Linking MOV_920c.mp3 -> MOV_920C.mp3

So yeah, with all that, you should be able to see all the cutscenes in the game except for two minor ones near the middle. Not too shabby, really. It would be really nice if we got an official patch which fixed all this stuff properly (including the two outliers), but this should make the game at least playable. Which is a good thing, because it's a quite charming game otherwise!

Anyway, enjoy!