Night in the Woods' Most Profound Question

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  • Опубліковано 23 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 462

  • @pokkiheart
    @pokkiheart 23 дні тому +3626

    every time someone makes a night in the woods video essay my lifespan increases another year because that's usually how long it takes for another person to make a good night in the woods video essay

  • @shieldgenerator7
    @shieldgenerator7 15 днів тому +1038

    9:13 the quote that stood out to me the most was from Bea:
    "I stayed here and grew up, while you left and stayed the same"

    • @ReiAkaris
      @ReiAkaris 5 днів тому +13

      christ that hits so close to home

    • @sapphiresupernova
      @sapphiresupernova 4 дні тому +21

      I've been on both ends of that sentiment and it hurts both times

  • @KaiboStudios
    @KaiboStudios 21 день тому +1942

    When you brought up no one mentioning or missing Casey, that was like a rude awakening.

    • @Makememesandmore
      @Makememesandmore 12 днів тому +44

      Same bro, but I've been trying to get people to notice me, so I hope it won't happen to me

    • @anxiety_elemental
      @anxiety_elemental 11 днів тому +40

      @@Makememesandmore This sounds kinda dark. Friend, may i recommend talking to someone before the darkness encroaches more?

    • @zacky7572
      @zacky7572 10 днів тому

      @anxiety_elemental he just said that he is

    • @anxiety_elemental
      @anxiety_elemental 10 днів тому +36

      @@zacky7572 "getting people to notice" and "talking to someone especially a professional" are two different things.

    • @GenZareNPCs
      @GenZareNPCs 9 днів тому +11

      And the fact nobody cared about Casey goes against his narrative of us mattering.

  • @BingusTingus-ls4mf
    @BingusTingus-ls4mf 21 день тому +1336

    A little game design decision i always treasure is that Mae's default response to being asked to do/talk/listen to something/someone is always a No. She has to actively force herself to answer yes to these questions, her first dialogue choice is her impulse. If you zone out through dialogue so does she.
    She struggles with doing most things and has spent a large part of her past few months rotting inside a dorm, barely getting enough sustenance for her body to even function.
    I am currently in a very similar position and have more or less been in it for around 3 years. It is very difficult to reconcile turning 20 beginning January when i really haven't had a substantial amount of even little social experiences since i was 16. Most of my changes came from singular reflection and engagement with art in my bedroom. I also have to ask myself what I'm gonna do today. I don't know if i will ever succeed in doing something today twice in one month.

    • @Chestet
      @Chestet 18 днів тому +6

      Or its done to not incidentally agreed to something due misclick or skiping

    • @BingusTingus-ls4mf
      @BingusTingus-ls4mf 18 днів тому +67

      @Chestet The analysis certainly fits with the established characteristics that Mei already has. This is the troughline of the game, that Mei learns to engage with her environment and rediscovers meaning and care in what her condition leads her to believe to be but simple meaningless shapes. The art style of the game consists of simple shapes, most small characters don't have immediately interesting dialogue, and there is nothing that forces or even directly encourages the player to seek them out. You get to know them only through repeatedly doing the thing Mei finds difficult.
      "I get it. This won't stop until I die. But when I die, I want it to hurt. When my friends leave, when I have to let go, when this entire town is wiped off the map, I want it to hurt. Bad. I want to lose. I want to get beaten up. I want to hold on until I'm thrown off and everything ends. And you know what? Until that happens, I want to hope again. And I want it to hurt. Because that means it meant something. It means I am something, at least... pretty amazing to be something, at least..."
      While i do believe this to be an intentional design decision, it ultimately doesn't matter all that much. Art is to be created, engaged and interpret. This is media analysis and i choose to engage with it because i believe it to be an important part of our experience engaging with art. Art isn't a math problem to solve and there is no art for which we know all authorial intent, very often the authors themselves wont be able to answer either. Humor me and engage the text regardless of your impulse to shut down thought, you might find something intended you previously overlooked, or something uninteded that is incredibly compelling regardless of its accidental nature. There is always something to gain when on chooses to think.

    • @eg-draw
      @eg-draw 15 днів тому +23

      I am 28 and still stuck in my 19ish times as a person. I think I am just defective. Nothing will changes.

    • @MintBunHunter
      @MintBunHunter 15 днів тому +17

      rotting in my room for 4 years now. covid, then war.

    • @doomslace
      @doomslace 14 днів тому +29

      @@eg-draw There's a reason people say adults are just big kids.
      I am who I was when I was 20, just with different beliefs, and more importantly with a more mature view on life. I'll still always want to spend my time playing games with my friends, I just have to do it differently now.
      It took hitting 30 to really realize "Oh, I'm an adult now..." I still feel like I'm 20, I just feel more pains and discomforts lmao.

  • @Bloody_crow
    @Bloody_crow 25 днів тому +1968

    For me, Casey is one of the most tragic characters. Whenever I hear 'Die Anywhere Else' I think of him. He didn't get that. He couldn't escape.
    Beautiful video, thank you.

    • @MusicMyMind59
      @MusicMyMind59 24 дні тому +143

      Fun sad fact, Casey's theme plays intermingled throughout the soundtrack, forever trapped and forever missed.

    • @kageflour
      @kageflour 21 день тому +112

      @@MusicMyMind59 sometimes remember the "his parents put up POSTERS" line and i wanna cry

    • @hypnoticskull6342
      @hypnoticskull6342 14 днів тому +64

      They said no one missed him, but everyone wanted to see him again. It's tragic and hypocritic of the cult to even say that no one will miss him.
      I'm gonna name my Love in the Woods character Casey just to honor him.

  • @justflavio
    @justflavio 24 дні тому +920

    "I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and in people that do." I really resonated with that line as well. The past couple of years I've learned how much having people that truly care for you. I won't get too deep into it, but the short of it is that my family sucks. And the past couple of years I've built up what feels like the only real relationships I've ever had. And I'm so much happier because of it.
    Even as my material circumstances have deteriorated and gotten worse in that same time period. It's so much easier to keep going when you have people you genuinely love and who love you right back.

  • @FBracht
    @FBracht 25 днів тому +822

    I was thinking, in profound disbelief, "man, you did not have to make this video half as great as you did", and then 17:18 hit me. I get it. I'm sorry.

    • @janedoe3043
      @janedoe3043 21 день тому +11

      Hugs

    • @maxjut3918
      @maxjut3918 20 днів тому +10

      i am new here may i ask who alex is

    • @konstant_ly
      @konstant_ly 19 днів тому +38

      I was basically just retelling every single point to a friend who has never played while I was watching it and then that moment hit. "Fuck"

    • @Carcosahead
      @Carcosahead 19 днів тому

      Who’s Alex?

    • @sprightlyoaf9583
      @sprightlyoaf9583 18 днів тому +91

      Someone who mattered to them

  • @feb4252
    @feb4252 19 днів тому +91

    Man, the "you cannot experience all of life" goes so against everything I've been taught, but it's just so real. Somehow I ended up believing that NOT experiencing life to the FULLEST is an unforgivable crime, because it would be like throwing away something infinitely precious.

    • @JAFKA_00
      @JAFKA_00 22 години тому +3

      Yeah maybe you can’t experience all of life, but you are still experiencing all of your life. I think that is still a lot and enough. I hate that FOMO I get sometimes, feeling I have to have been everywhere. I love that this game kind of just let me know that even if it feels like I’m not doing anything worthwhile, like just doing nothing with s friend is absolutely worth it. And that saying these things are worth less than other things is just making yourself miserable.
      So many things could have been, but just one path is the one you walk in the end. Might as well enjoy that one, it’s still a path full of life :)

  • @Jhakri_
    @Jhakri_ 21 день тому +425

    I stumbled across NitW after dropping out of university at 20 myself. This game landed in my hands at the rightest time possible, the fall after I dropped out, when everyone was going back to classes I was just at home, not doing anything with myself or for anyone. A weekend of playtime later & this game really dug me out of a hole, got back on my depression meds & kicked myself in the ass to get back into the world.

    • @chloe6358
      @chloe6358 3 дні тому +1

      I’m proud of you!

  • @N0tsaved
    @N0tsaved 17 днів тому +406

    "At the end of everything, hold onto anything" resonates with me. It's a genuinely touching phrase that has stuck with me since the game. Thank you for making this and pointing out the sheer significance of that question that I didn't realize I was missing.

    • @pupu416
      @pupu416 3 дні тому +2

      That quote has stayed me through all these years like a friend

    • @keiko3520
      @keiko3520 2 дні тому +1

      Me too, it's etched into my brain

  • @asfandope
    @asfandope 24 дні тому +349

    This is easily one of the best Night in the Woods analysis I have ever had the pleasure of watching. As a directionless college dropout myself when I played it, this game hit me like a train. It really helped me appreciate the mundane futility of life and how life is just that. The profound message is a simple one.
    Great video dot.

  • @AdventureHunters2013
    @AdventureHunters2013 21 день тому +233

    Night in the Woods saved me. It helped me at a time that nobody in my life knew how to or cared to. It's integrated into the very fiber of my being.
    My first tattoo was a quote from it; "At the end of everything hold onto anything"
    This video is beautifully made just like the rest of your videos.
    So, if you don't mind I will take a piece of this with me as a small part of my anything, until the end of everything.

    • @igorigor3960
      @igorigor3960 2 дні тому

      a tattoo ?
      does not look like it helped much

    • @AdventureHunters2013
      @AdventureHunters2013 2 дні тому

      @ I don’t follow, what do you mean?

    • @igorigor3960
      @igorigor3960 День тому +1

      @@AdventureHunters2013 just a silly joke about freaky people who have tattoos .
      Was not intendend to hurt you .
      have a nice day :)

    • @AdventureHunters2013
      @AdventureHunters2013 День тому +1

      @@igorigor3960 I don’t understand how having tattoos is a freaky or a joke.
      I will.

    • @ashleybyrd2015
      @ashleybyrd2015 22 години тому +1

      @@igorigor3960 there's nothing wrong with tattoos. please be kind.

  • @Terrible_tomato
    @Terrible_tomato 22 дні тому +246

    Every time I think my "Night in the Woods phase" is over, someone makes another video essay that brings back that passion, but I must say that this video is different. This video didn't feel like a rambling on about what to take from the game, it didn't feel like an emotional regurgitation and it wasn't a cold analysis. This video has to be one of the best made NITW video essays I've seen, with a clear goal and a fun execution. Props to you 👏👏👏

  • @kordacpz
    @kordacpz 16 днів тому +114

    oh i absolutely fucking ADORE the visuals of the little custom notebook sketches. always love seeing people talk about this game, it's genuinely changed my life

  • @calebbroeker8412
    @calebbroeker8412 25 днів тому +191

    That was quite profound. While many of my years have felt short, this year, 2024, has been the longest of my whole life, and I really felt this message. Great job.

  • @Sapphire_Eye
    @Sapphire_Eye 11 днів тому +21

    My heart sunk when i reached the end, i had a friend named Alex too that died a few months ago, we drifted long ago and hadn't really spoken since, and yet ever since he died he's been on my mind more often than the past several years combined

    • @citricdemon
      @citricdemon 8 днів тому +1

      fake friend

    • @mintbrownieangelfish-6114
      @mintbrownieangelfish-6114 3 дні тому +3

      I get that feeling. Even if you knew them way back in elementary school, you'd still care. You remember everything you did, and wish you did more.

  • @wyatt1132
    @wyatt1132 22 дні тому +94

    Its is always amazing how every so often a brand new question can be asked about a 7 year old game. Its incredible how such a piece of media can be so close to myself and others so many years in the future. Thanks for continuing to look into this game and coming up with yet another way to look at it.

  • @beesare_cool
    @beesare_cool 22 дні тому +82

    the ending has no right making me teary eyed like that. i’m moving from where i’ve grown up from a kid to a teen to adult in 7 days and i have yet to digest that.

    • @virtualv0id
      @virtualv0id День тому

      how are you doing now?

    • @beesare_cool
      @beesare_cool День тому

      @@virtualv0id eh, okay. not perfect but i’m still able to be in the area i love to bits regularly. new place gives me more creative choice about how i decorate which is interesting!

  • @Notion_Hoarder
    @Notion_Hoarder 21 день тому +41

    Somehow whenever I start to feel at my lowest there’s Night in the Woods.
    Every video about this game always adds a new layer of depth and emotion that I had thought about.
    It makes me feel worse, but then a little better. My experience isn’t just a singular experience but a collective. And we share that collective.

  • @xaviere1644
    @xaviere1644 24 дні тому +126

    As a Bea, Gregg, Bea path chooser I have always felt the same way about what could have been happening in Gregg's life. To this day I've avoided looking up what happens in preparation for the time I inevitably play this game again. That may be sooner than expected now after watching a video this absolutely amazing. Dot, you're the best in the gaming essay sphere right now.

  • @meritmeryl
    @meritmeryl 25 днів тому +94

    holy shit.
    the intro, the first 60 seconds; you told me an honest truth that i never figured out myself because i was too afraid to admit it.
    additionally i played this game when i was stupid and young, not understanding anything but now i've been helped to know now. thanks.

  • @benjaminmaier6682
    @benjaminmaier6682 21 день тому +32

    "Gee Benji, what are we gonna do tonight?"
    "The same thing we do every night Benji, stay up until early in the mourning playing video games."

  • @TaxFraudTutorials
    @TaxFraudTutorials 20 днів тому +38

    This has earned a place on my playlist of my all-time favourite videos on this platform. Concise but made me feel and think. This is the type of writing I wish I could do, I've pondered UA-cam for so long but become discouraged when I realize none of my ideas are particularly poignant or interesting, just objective retrospectives of old games. Cheap content. This? This is art on UA-cam.

    • @plebisMaximus
      @plebisMaximus 8 днів тому +4

      I'm probably not the first person to tell you to "just do it" but seriously, man. Just do it. Take it straight from the heart and eventually, this is exactly the kind of writing you will be doing. Nobody makes their magnum opus at 3 years old, art has to come from a lifetime of experience and practice getting familiar with your chosen tools and medium coming together with a lifetime of experiences being ripped straight from the soul. That's what true art is, as long as you maintain your focus on what you always wanted to make and never sell your integrity, you'll make the top end shit. A mindset like you have might end with you never ever being satisfied with what you make, but if you go through with making shit anyway, maybe one day you'll stop to breathe and look back to find you did pretty good after all.

  • @despencerz
    @despencerz 20 днів тому +36

    "At the end of everything, hold onto anything" 15:54

  • @yagmurylmaz1549
    @yagmurylmaz1549 24 дні тому +32

    In my play through, I really liked both Bea and Greg but after my first choice of Bea I stuck with her. I was really curious about Greg too but the way the first night snuck in on you and the feeling of wanting to be there for the rest was really overwhelming. We really do have so much ‘water’ to go around, and sometimes I think simple decisions and luck snowballs everything else. Amazing video, thank you for making it ❤

  • @eta0carinae
    @eta0carinae 24 дні тому +38

    this has to be the most thoughtful analysis of night in the woods I've seen, gave me a new perspective, love it.
    thank you!

  • @AnthroAmbrose
    @AnthroAmbrose 11 днів тому +19

    I feel a little silly to say something like a video game saved my life, but this game came out at a period in time where I did not know my mental health status. I was driving to work and on a whim swerved my car at a wall, a random unprecedented attempt at suicide. The game didn't fix me in any way, but it inspired me to leave my hometown, and surely that choice kept me alive.

    • @PenTangleify
      @PenTangleify 9 днів тому +8

      I'm glad you're still here

    • @_krbrs_
      @_krbrs_ День тому +1

      I can relate so much. Happy that we're both here ✌️

  • @charleshill829
    @charleshill829 12 днів тому +5

    I miss my friend Shannon a lot. We would talk about this game a lot and play it again around this time of year. I haven't played it since she took her own life because I see so much of her in every character, but especially Bea. This video helped me process some very difficult emotions, thank you

  • @saraquills6543
    @saraquills6543 25 днів тому +70

    This video has me crying over night in the woods again

  • @icahopilm898
    @icahopilm898 20 днів тому +24

    i watched, and i started sobbing. if i watch this again, i'll be opening up dusty boxes within me that i am apprehensive of opening. it's scary. but maybe.. that fear is a good thing, to move on. thank you, dot.

  • @Mlackakao
    @Mlackakao 24 дні тому +26

    Randomly found this video (UA-cam doing a fine job tonight). Never played this game but I’ve seen a few videos that never stuck with me. This video, it’s editing and messages, was profoundly heartwarming. Cathartic, mostly, as it wasn’t entirely happy but definitely comforting.
    And whoever Alex is, no doubt in my mind that they were a good friend with memorable nights to cherish.

  • @UnderAvg
    @UnderAvg 23 дні тому +16

    Completely and utterly amazing. Your ability to provide analysis yet also show the emotional weight, depth, and meaning is an absolute treasure

  • @MarshmallowAlien
    @MarshmallowAlien 22 дні тому +13

    I miss this game. I used to play it around every October, but I started college and scare acting, making my schedule more busy during this time of the year. I really need to play it again, especially with stuff I've been through since the last time I played. I live in a similar type of area, the characters remind me of people in my life or myself, and friendships are very meaningful to me.

  • @1Keewee2
    @1Keewee2 20 днів тому +19

    I literally almost cried watching this because im in a hard time in my life right now and this was so fucking relatable 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

  • @korigami123
    @korigami123 12 днів тому +3

    I think this is my favorite essay I've watched about Night in The Woods. I've never seen anyone interpret this game in quite the same way I did, and you worded your thoughts in such an eloquent way. Thank you.

  • @LucasAPhillips
    @LucasAPhillips 2 дні тому +1

    This game helped me process grief, grappling with being unable to return to college, unable to maintain real friendships with anyone who wasn't in physical vicinity. A lot of depression about who actually is interested in being a friend, and the realization that out of everyone I had regularly interacted with since middle school, through high school, and new friends in my first year at college, maybe 2 were still interested in keeping in touch once I couldn't regularly visit them myself. I had never understood how much I was scared of being alone until it was put into words.

  • @gariden
    @gariden 22 дні тому +8

    i really love the way you structure these, it feels like such a natural progression. the older i get, the more relatable i find the characters in this game. and the more i like the game.

  • @WhimsyWhespir
    @WhimsyWhespir 12 днів тому +2

    I’ve watched a dozen essays about this game but man, your presentation of the importance of small moments has me tearing up over a quesadilla at 10pm on a Monday. I watched a play-through of Night in the Woods when I was younger, but as the time closes in on my 20th birthday, only two months away, I find myself drawn back to it, seeing everything in a whole new light. So thank you for making this video and sharing your exploration of NITW to the world. Amongst the billions of videos out there, I’m glad I found yours tonight.

  • @palyername
    @palyername 25 днів тому +11

    Having never played Night in the Woods, I still thought this video was incredibly moving, and it's motivated me to give it a shot. I'm so sorry.

  • @Ahrpigi
    @Ahrpigi 22 дні тому +6

    Just when I think Night in the Woods is done getting tears out of me, there's another video essay like this.

  • @existentialcrisisactor
    @existentialcrisisactor 25 днів тому +14

    This was a beautiful essay and I'm more than impressed with the quality of your writing. I hope this channel blows up!

  • @newgene24
    @newgene24 16 днів тому +4

    I was crying by the end of the video. Thank you for diving into this aspect of my favourite game and thank you for making me appreciate my friendships and all the nights I spent with my friends!

  • @papa_NCF
    @papa_NCF 21 день тому +4

    Excellent analysis on an excellent game! I have been thinking about this game a lot and just randomly decided to search it here on YT to find this gem just got uploaded a few days ago! From one writer/editor to another, fantastic work.

  • @starswitch1274
    @starswitch1274 23 дні тому +11

    This is one of my personal favorite games of all time, and I'm really glad to have discovered it when I did. Casey was a character I would've wanted to see in a dream of sorts, but I guess we can't have everything, heh. I always replay the game every chance I get, and I still find new things about it I didn't see in my first playthrough, or the one after that, or the one after that, and so on. I have chosen to play the game again solely for the chance to see this characters again.
    Your video is definitely one of the best I've seen from a game in its meaning. Commendable work, mate!

  • @PlaceHolder994
    @PlaceHolder994 5 днів тому +1

    Im watching this video right before starting what will be the final week of my second to last semester of college, and I played this game right before starting my third smester back in 2022 right on 22nd my birthday. I remember that when I finished it the first time, and every subsequent time, i just sat there in silence watching the credits roll, processing it all.
    I'm as close as I have ever been to finishing college after so much time and after messing up multiple times, at some point I was just going along with the flow of things, with no real aim or motivation to my name.
    Playing this game changed the way I view life, and I can describe it with two quotes from it
    "At the end of everything, hold onto anything" and "Nothing can save us forever, but a lot of things can save us today".
    This game has taught me that things will keep moving, and so will you if you chose to do so, what may or may not happen can be scary, but you will always be able to find something for yourself, even if it's just a little thing that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, all that counts is that it mattered to you.
    I may be scared and uncertain about my future, even now that I have put myself back together, in no smalll part thanks to NITW. I'm scared now as I write this. However, I am certain of something, I will sure as hell try anyway.

  • @nguyenarchive
    @nguyenarchive 24 дні тому +28

    Hi dot, thanks for presenting Night in the Woods the way you did!
    I HATED playing the game... But after watching this and seeing it from this perspective, I realised I had missed the forest for the trees.
    Also thanks for the custom animations and on-theme art direction in your presentation too. Way better than just using gameplay footage - these little details don't go unnoticed, well done.
    Looking forward to seeing more from you and your team.

  • @Marcelinho3Dplus
    @Marcelinho3Dplus 3 дні тому +1

    This actually resonated very deeply with me. I feel like something I've always felt has been beautifully put onto words. Like finally letting out a heavy sigh.
    I'm touched. Thank you for this video. Truly.

  • @Tipsy--Turvy
    @Tipsy--Turvy 5 днів тому +2

    I'm so sad that we'll never get a sequel to NITW. Maybe its for the better but I just want the feeling of experiencing a game like NITW for the first time again.

  • @Ariamaki
    @Ariamaki 17 днів тому +4

    This is an energy the world really needed right at the moment we got it. Thank you.

  • @sagedeen4180
    @sagedeen4180 24 дні тому +4

    Thoughtful analysis, wonderful visuals and an ending speech that made me tear up a little. Love this video essay, thank you for making it!

  • @idun_porra
    @idun_porra 23 дні тому +9

    The best analysis of nitw i've ever seen, hoping it gets more popular

  • @OpossumFan
    @OpossumFan 14 днів тому +1

    I love hearing people's perspectives on this game. I always learn something new about the game, myself, and the world. And I love how what our favorite quotes say about our perspectives. This whole video is in lovely contrast to my experience of the game and my favorite quote. Mine is the whole "I want it to hurt scene." Where your experience was a reflection on being there for people, on finding people who care in a universe that doesn't, mine reflects my personal experiences of losing everyone, of losing everything, of losing myself to the pain of it all, and needing to find a way forward anyways.
    And these perspectives end up complimenting each other, because I needed to find the people who care. I found people who I could hang on to, people for whom the pain is worth it, because they are there through both the traumatizing and the mundane. And it's nice to come across a piece that reminds me of that perspective. That holding on isn't just for me, but that these small decisions to hold on can profoundly help the people I care about too.

  • @possiblespartan
    @possiblespartan 23 дні тому +4

    I have nothing but respect for your channel my guy. This wonderfully written video made me cry, something most media fails to do.
    The ending card hit me the hardest, I guess because it kind of relates to me as well. I don't mean to overshare as some random stranger online, and you might not even believe this but what the hell. When I finished ANITW it was after an all nighter and the beginning of 5am when I rapped up the astronomer dlc. The message of things changing, some good things going to make room for the bad, and then the better just seemed right. A family member of mine was diagnosed with dementia for a while leading up to that night, and somehow I knew that it was the day they'd be gone. I poured out a soda I could only get from their country that I'd been saving since Christmas outside a couple minutes before sunrise and went to sleep. When I woke up, I got the news that they weren't here anymore but wasn't even surprised. It's weird yknow? The fact that I was so sure and confident that the day was the day, but not really sure why it was. I've never been good with change, it's something I struggle with for big things and small ones alike. That night was different though, something I don't think I'll ever fully know why.
    I'll forever be grateful for A Night In The Woods for ripping out my heart and gently putting it back in my chest, it's one of the few games I truly adore and feel grateful to have finally played (even eight years late). Thanks for the video, wasn't expecting to feel this way today but I'm not complaining. Please keep up the great work my guy. If something as simple as an 18-minute video on video games can make some bozo online feel this way, I can't imagine the amount of people you could reach and the extent you could make them feel. Here's to more art, gregg rulz ok!

  • @amessiah560
    @amessiah560 24 дні тому +12

    This video essay destroyed me at the end. 10/10

  • @ghostie6618
    @ghostie6618 10 днів тому +1

    such a touching and beautifully edited video! thank you so much for making it, made me cry my eyes out! i played nitw for the first time as a young teen and it genuinely affected me a lot. recently replayed it as a college student and the story felt so much more personal and relatable, it felt eye-opening in a way! truly my favourite game ever alongside disco elysium:)

  • @LuckyBKPK
    @LuckyBKPK 20 днів тому +4

    This is one of the best NITW video essays I have seen. Thank you for making it.

  • @wormghost
    @wormghost 8 днів тому +1

    "i believe in a universe that doesn't care; and people that do" was my high school senior quote- the town i grew up in was a podunk place a lot like possum springs and this game has always been so important to me as a result.

  • @grasshopper36948
    @grasshopper36948 20 днів тому +5

    absolutely fantastic video!! wonderful job!!

  • @shewwy1509
    @shewwy1509 21 день тому +5

    I LOVE THIS. And I never comment!!
    This video is gut wrenching and I cried the most at the end. KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK.

  • @gaydes1012
    @gaydes1012 8 днів тому +2

    I played this game at 16 and didn't really understand it, back then it was just a cute game about funny animals going about their day to day lives, but at 21 I get it now, I'm slogging through a degree I've lost passion for, I feel neglected by my immediate family at home, I have barely any money and I have even less direction. my friends and my partner are my whole world, they're the reason I wake up in the morning, the reason I go to work and do what I can to build savings, the reason I went to therapy, the reason I take my meds, I've kicked addictions, stopped self harming, learned new things, and so much more I can't even begin to list because I have them to prop me up, I don't care that the world is uncaring towards me because I have people who are caring, and this silly game about silly animals helped me realize that, and I'm forever grateful for it.

  • @Ayyaii24
    @Ayyaii24 13 днів тому +2

    This game never made me cry while playing it, instead it left me feeling... Nostalgic, comforted, small, insignificant, trapped, and deeply, deeply guilty. It has a special place in my library purely from the complex emotions it kicked up in my chest that i still don't know how to name or even make amends with. How do you even grapple with the idea that you might not have made the right choice? What WAS the right choice? Are you doing this for yourself or because someone told you you should? How do you handle the fallout of a mistake?
    It left me feeling like i forgot something. Like i made a promise that slipped my mind and the person i made it to just quietly accepts the pain of my mistake. Like no matter what i do I'm hurting someone, even if they don't tell me. Like nothing i do will ever be good enough for those around me.
    This game read to me like trying to pick up the pieces of a broken picture frame only to find out the garbage can you're using has a hole in the bottom while still staring at a picture from times passed. What's gone will never come back, no matter how badly we want it to. Life. Goes. On.

  • @MooperLoops
    @MooperLoops 22 дні тому +2

    This is my favorite game of all time. Your video essay captured the ideas I had that I couldn’t put into proper words, thank you for sharing!!

  • @dylanG565
    @dylanG565 25 днів тому +5

    I actually just started playing this game recently, fun how that works out. I’m only barely to Weird Autumn, so I can’t really say too much on the game. However i think it’s funny that the “friends are like trees,” was a line I didn’t really pay much attention to before this video. Goes to show that different people get different things out of media. Either way fantastic video (The editing and scripting is god tier) and thanks for the skip-spoiler timestamp!

  • @memdic6987
    @memdic6987 14 днів тому +4

    I remember how the game wrecked me on my first playthrough, especially the ending of epilogue. Never could formulate my feelings for it, or lessons I learnt. Watching your video and looking back at the life I lived after the game, now I understand NitW and realise that I lived by it's lessons ever since.

  • @wildchild_1130
    @wildchild_1130 20 днів тому +4

    gorgeous insight on one of my favorite games ever, your video made me tear up a little (in the good way!!) and i love your take away from this game and recognition of the simple things that make it so great. you really offer a unique perspective that i don’t see many others speak on, and your editing for this video is really great. love your little doodles!!

  • @axalaxawog2044
    @axalaxawog2044 21 день тому +5

    This video was astounding. The writing was thought provoking and invited me to explore this game I love to death's philosophy even further. The editing contributed alot too, I don't know if it was intentional or not, but the fragments of the characters assembling themselves throughout was evocative of the game's "Just Shapes" exploration. In isolation, a very nihilistic take that understandably gets in Mae's head and sends her spiraling, but in the context of the video, reinforces your assertion that despite being small pieces, they make up a whole greater than the sum of their seemingly insignificant parts. They might be just shapes, but those shapes have names and care about you, and that's real, much In the same way that this fictional setting full of fictional characters has had a profound effect on the lives of all the people I know who have played it, that experience is real. Subscribed and can't wait for more

  • @Sqwep_Soybean_Soup
    @Sqwep_Soybean_Soup 19 днів тому +3

    Not me WEEPEING it the end of this, amazing work, you're video essays never fail to bring me to tears :)

  • @adoptionfiles5160
    @adoptionfiles5160 25 днів тому +9

    Been loving your unique videos and editing style, keep it up!

  • @dc526
    @dc526 22 дні тому +4

    like the other folk commenting here, this game/story means a lot to me, and it felt great to see that meaning articulated so clearly. thank you for making this.

  • @doots6554
    @doots6554 20 днів тому +3

    What an amazing video. This is the first one that I've watched, and I really enjoy it!!!! Loved the title cards and animations.

  • @user-ep3ix1cz2f
    @user-ep3ix1cz2f 4 дні тому

    An old friend I don’t have a connection with anymore told me to play this game in 2017 senior year bc Mae reminded him of me. I’m 26 now barely playing it & it resonates with me now more than ever

  • @ehaagrawal6245
    @ehaagrawal6245 22 дні тому +5

    This was such a gorgeous essay!

  • @parettomain
    @parettomain 23 дні тому +4

    this video destroyed me, im not a big fan of nitw, I just recently played the game because an ex-friend recommended it to me, but it felt so... weird, like if I was late on the trend, It felt like a time capsule where I was the only one playing it, it felt so lonely.
    later on i discovered about the main developer passing away, it felt worse in a way, someone that is not with us made this, it put his heart into it
    i took this game as a comfort zone for me, something that I will play until the day I die, no one will know I played this and that it is one of my favorite games, I will keep it for me, forever
    i took the desicion to play it and experience it late, and I think it makes the game feel like a brand new experience compared to anyone else, something fresh just for me, like a gift.
    I will miss the experience, but I will keep it in my heart, forever

  • @Lumen_Lemon
    @Lumen_Lemon 21 день тому +2

    Your favorite quote is the one that stuck with me the most over the years too.

  • @startaru
    @startaru 10 днів тому +2

    making the small decision of playing a game i like one day led me to my now boyfriend. my life has never been more full of love and happiness every day. im still dealing with mental illness, but everything is worth it now for him. he really loves this game, so i'll absolutely play it while thinking of this video and him. :3 ❤

  • @ravensthatflywiththenightm7319

    Night in the Woods launched at a very significant time for me. I'd left two courses that didn't work out and was in my second year in Psychology. I like to think this game helped me graduate. And helped me reconnect with old friends. And opened new ideas for my story writing. For the longest time I resisted the modern setting, it was this game that gave me that push.
    It breaks my heart to this day that there will likely never be a sequel.

  • @cammydwhammy
    @cammydwhammy 12 днів тому +1

    This made me cry about this game all over again. At 16:00 on I was crying from the sheer weight of it all, and that it matters. I'm in the middle of a petty feud with my lifelong friend, a feud that I've been dragging out, that I made petty. I know what I want to do tonight. Thank you. RIP Alex. I can tell by this alone that you were loved.

  • @Coffeepanda294
    @Coffeepanda294 13 днів тому +1

    Beautiful and profound. Especially loved the drawings that matched the game's art style. So glad I watched this.

  • @Hydrolion1998
    @Hydrolion1998 2 дні тому

    Time and time again, I always get reminded with beautiful videos like this how much NITW means to me as it came out when I was a 18 but didn't know what I wanted to do in my life. You did an amazing job with this and thank you for making it.

  • @soggymc1549
    @soggymc1549 21 день тому +2

    I wish I could go back and play this game for the first time again. not because my first playthrough was bad or anything, in fact it was so good I just want to experience it all again for the first time.

  • @BroadHorizon21
    @BroadHorizon21 8 днів тому

    Night in the Woods will forever be one of my favorite games of all time. It’s such a profound and meaningful experience without going overboard. I love whenever people give it the attention it truly deserves. Fantastic work! Honestly had me teary eyed at the end

  • @sixqo4896
    @sixqo4896 5 днів тому

    The "you cannot experience all of life" thing hit in that uncomfortable spot of the mind, the one where you realize you heard something you needed to hear but didn't want to. I'm probably gonna forget about the video and the game I've never played, but I think that quote is gonna stick with me for a while.

  • @kameswaradw
    @kameswaradw 20 днів тому +5

    Nice man you made me cry at the end

  • @actiongrandma
    @actiongrandma 6 днів тому

    This reminds me of something one of my friends said when we were hanging out a few years after another one of them committed suicide. They had been suicidal for years, but after watching the fallout of their friend's death, they knew they could never go through with it because they couldn't bear to hurt the people they love so much.

  • @HobGungan
    @HobGungan 20 днів тому +2

    All the scenes are good and it's tough to not be able to do them all in one playthrough.
    I feel that, narratively, the best way to split between them is to do Bea on night 1, Gregg on night 3, and whoever you like best in the middle. Then with Ghost Hunting do Angus the first night and whoever's fourth hangout you DIDN'T get on the third night. (then again I don't even 100% follow my advice there because I tend to always do the graveyard last regardless of whose path I take)

  • @Bobbykattboi
    @Bobbykattboi 22 дні тому +2

    Oh my god, this is truly one of my new favorite videos on the platform. I played this game for the first time on 7/8/2024 (I remember dates really well for reasons I’ll get to) and I fell head over heels for this masterpiece of art, most everything and everyone in it resonated with me, Mae did for being a quirky, neurodivergent person and who just kinda flows with life, I saw myself in Gregg and Angus being a queer myself and seeing how we often go through the same hardships that straights and cis people go through and we really are just people, and don’t get me started on Bea. Bea by far is my favorite character, she’s the best written in my opinion, her design is my favorite, but I love her more for what she did for me as a person, she helped me come to terms with my gender identity and being less of a doormat. Truly the game of all time, also back to the video, easy 48/10, editing and visuals on point and made me teary eyed.
    Honestly, this was kinda a big yap session for me but if you read this far, glad you did.

  • @leetheyeen
    @leetheyeen 14 днів тому +1

    How did you reach into my head and pull forth every thought I have about this game but have been unable to articulate? Bravo.
    NITW got me out of a really nasty nihilistic worldview, and probably saved my life in the process. I'm doing a lot better now, in a much better place than I was before. Thank you for bringing light to this gem of a game 💕

  • @Salted_Pizza
    @Salted_Pizza 17 днів тому +4

    This was astonishingly well put together! Thank you for the time and effort. It really strengthened my view on this game.

  • @mycology5242
    @mycology5242 20 днів тому +2

    Love all the animation of the characters slowly coming together. Great video
    I’m so sorry for your friend 😔

  • @nekothelad5271
    @nekothelad5271 14 днів тому +1

    Thank you for making this video, Nitw is truly one of the best games ever made so it's always nice to see it get talked about even 7 years later

  • @justyourlocaloddity
    @justyourlocaloddity 16 днів тому

    thank you for this. it feels like my life is crumbling to pieces before my eyes, and a reminder like this, to live in the moment and hold my people close, is exactly what i needed right now.

  • @jega3593
    @jega3593 23 дні тому +2

    I love your videos, but this one is just extra fantastic. Really nice work friend, loved every second of it, super high quality

  • @leonardoscrivere7297
    @leonardoscrivere7297 23 дні тому +3

    this video came out just right when i needed it , love it

  • @RainyCloudflii
    @RainyCloudflii 9 днів тому

    This is possibly my favourite night in the woods video on the entire internet.
    Absolutely beautiful, the way it was cut, the summary, and the quotes inbetween. it made me cry too, because this game means alot to me, probably like it does to many others too.
    And yes, this game is a masterpiece. My favourite quote is probably Mae saying "I want to hope again. And I want it to hurt, because that means it meant something".
    I dont even know why that is, but it just struck something within me when that appeared on my screen.
    Anyway, I'm rambling a bit. Thank you so much for this video.

  • @MannyMartinez413
    @MannyMartinez413 12 днів тому

    One of my favorite games, I played Night in the Woods right before I graduated college. It really shifted my perspective, and makes me appreciate each individual day and night a little more.

  • @andreaallson765
    @andreaallson765 13 днів тому +1

    I physically can’t replay NITW without solely hanging out with Bea. I get actual pangs of guilt even trying to hang out with Gregg knowing that I’m not there for Bea when she needs someone, anyone, to be there for her.

  • @lizradically
    @lizradically 6 днів тому

    night in the woods is one of those life-changing games you can't go back from once having played it.

  • @jczbas
    @jczbas 11 днів тому +1

    It takes a LOT to make me sob and as a foster child the bears story BYYYYTTCH I love this game

  • @ReysaAdam
    @ReysaAdam 4 дні тому

    I never played Night in the Woods but THIS, honestly a beautiful essay video! hooked me up from the beginning and left me with feelings in the end
    i can relate alot with Mae's character, now i want to try the game.

  • @connorscortex
    @connorscortex 24 дні тому +5

    I have to fucking comment and just commend you on this spectacular video, I think hands down this is THE best video ever made on this game and I can see it left a really strong impression on you and you had to do it justice. Well my friend, this is a video for the ages! Keep up the lovely work and keep up that creativity and may your flame burn as bright as day