A Psychological Analysis of Fran Bow

An explanation of the story and a breakdown of the characters in Fran Bow.
STEAM
store.steampowered.com/app/36...
GAMEPLAY
Chapter 1: • We escaped from a ment...
Chapter 2: • THE CONJOINED TWINS AR...
Chapter 3: • Help! I've become a tr...
Chapter 4: • Escaping the Ultrareal...
Chapter 5: • Finding Our Way Back.....
MUSIC
Intro
Anno Domini Beats - Shadows
Background
Audio Hertz - World War Outerspace
Patrick Patrikios - Feels
Anno Domini Beats - Archetype
Analysis
Audio Hertz - Mission to Mars
Anno Domini Beats - Drop
Yung Logos - El Secreto
Patrick Patrikios - Away
Conclusion
Emmit Fenn - Tangled
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
Fran Bow Lore
• Fran Bow FULL TIMELINE...
• Fran Bow ENDING EXPLAINED
History of Mental Illness & Treatment
historycooperative.org/a-beau...
open.maricopa.edu/culturepsyc...
www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health...
sunrisehouse.com/addiction-in...
online.csp.edu/resources/arti...
opentext.wsu.edu/psych105nusb...
Lobotomies
psychcentral.com/blog/the-sur...
Nuremberg Code
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Twin Experimentation
www.history.com/news/nazi-twi...
Podcast Interview with Developer
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Killmonday Studio History
killmondaygames.com/history/
Solitary Confinement
libcom.org/article/look-insid...
www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/ar...
ia903102.us.archive.org/5/ite...

[@21oli12]

I choose to believe that she finally found peace and happiness, Fran deserves it after all she went through, especially knowing that the inspiration behind the game is a personal experiences.

[@phatmidnight]

You’re right, and especially knowing that this is a shared Universe with Little Misfortune so the other “realities” exist in this game!

[@21oli12]

​@@phatmidnightwill you play Little Misfortune too?

[@phatmidnight]

It’s my next game! Is there anything specific about Little Misfortune you’d like covered in terms of psychological themes?

[@21oli12]

@@phatmidnight I actually don't know the game so much, just from shorts, but from the little I've seen it would be nice to cover the relationship between the main character and her mom, and the influence that an adult can have on the mental development of a children. Can't wait for the gameplay!!

[@makinginternetcontent]

To me, what makes this game so powerful is that it doesn't shy away from the horror of trauma or mental illness but also doesn't just use it for shock value. A lot of games will just use the "aesthetics" of mental illness without actually portraying the experience of mental illness. I think the game's strongest part is being made by someone that has this experience first hand. great video!

[@phatmidnight]

So well said. Thank you!

[@Alicia-rv3sf]

This game beautifully embodies the saying that art is meant to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable… It really hit some spots in a younger me, that no game before or after ever has.

[@phatmidnight]

I like that saying. And I feel the same, the game hit different when I played it fully

[@nurulnatalia8040]

love this comment! i had forgotten about this game but i had a soft spot for it after watching some youtuber play it at age 9, something about this game is sort of comforting and warm to my younger self

[@monroerobbins7551]

True dat

[@thewindisblowing7520]

This game creeps the shit out of me, so I must be too comfortable lol

[@Gold-kb1ws]

Fran Bow Theory 1: If you look at the family picture of Fran, Aunt Grace, and her parents you notice something. The mother has a black collar and is off to the side - strangely framed by her husband. Aunt Grace in the white collar is wearing a white collar, smiling, and standing close to Fran (like a mother would). One of her hands is hidden behind Fran. Fran’s father has one hand hidden behind Fran. They could be touching Fran’s back… or they could be holding hands. I think dad and Grace had an affair. Here is my speculation: The mother killed her husband and Grace one night. And then, the mother stole Grace’s identity. That is why Grace acts strange. The mother is Remor. Remor wears a dress that looks like hers. As Remor, she blames the murder on Fran because Fran liked Grace better or told her about the affair by accident. The mother drugged Fran, Grace and dad. That is why Fran saw the face. Being an adult, the mother would have had the strength to kill both Grace and her husband when she found them passed out at the foot of the wedding bed. But she had help. The mother might have had an affair herself with another man. He could have helped “free” her from the marriage so they could be together. They could have put the pentagon on the floor to make it look like a cult thing but Fran interrupted them and they sent her to the asylum to erase her memories with the help of Dr. Oswald. I would suspect Oswald of being the lover, but he is in a wheelchair and we saw the man carrying Fran at the beginning was not. Edward makes sense. It explains why he was around at night to tell Fran stories. We see his jacket hung up in the house and Fran wonders what he looks like naked. I wonder if she walked in on her mother and Edward having this affair? Edward would also have been strong enough to help kill her parents. The only problem is that in the narrative he is shown to be a good guy. He helps Fran and saves her from the gun shot wound at the end. So, I am not sure it is him. My final suspect is Dr. Deer. We see deers a lot in the visions. Including in the Queen’s bedroom where she sleeps. You are right. How would Fran know that his father abused him with a knife? She knew because she overheard him and her mother talking. He is strong enough to do the murders and he has a history with Knives. AND when Dr. Deer picked her up in his car - he took her to the graveyard to dig up bodies. That is not kind. That is not good. Edward tried to help Fran get home. Dr. Deer took her to the graveyard to dig up bodies. This man is not right. And to top it off he is the one who gave her the first taste of the drug in the asylum. Yes, he said it was an accident and acted concerned… but he was concerned when he took her to a graveyard to dig up body too right? At the end of the game, his eyes bleed and we are told he is completely under Remor’s influence. If Remor is the mother. Then, he is completely under the mother’s control. I am calling it. Dr. Deer had an affair with the mother. He used his strength and his knives to cleanly slice through Grace and the father after the mother drugged them. Fran didn’t pass out. She had a hallucination. She went to the bedroom and saw the whole thing. Traumatized- she ran to the woods but the drug kicked in and Fran fell asleep. Dr. Deer took her to the asylum where he “accidentally” gave her a dangerous drug to remove her memories. The mother met him at the asylum when she was having second thoughts only to find he would not let her take Fran home* (correction). The mother went to see Fran and blamed her for liking Grace better. Saying Grace and the father died because of Fran. Fran internalized that. At the end when you can shock Dr. Deer and inject him with the drug. I bet that reflects what he did to Fran to erase her memory and that is why she is messed up when we meet her. And that guard is sexually abusive. I don’t think Dr. Deern knew about that, but it all explains Fran’s trauma and why she acts the way she does. That is my theory. I have no way to prove it but that is what I think happened in the game. Update: I watched a misfortune play through and after thinking it all over… I am putting in this quick theory Theory 2: Remor is two people. A man and a woman find Fran in the woods. The man is the doctor (represented by the deer skull head). It is a pun on his name. Dr Deern = Deer 🦌. The dress represents Fran’s mother. - Evidence: When Fran goes home, the house is ruled by Mother Mabuka - not Aunt Mabuka. It can’t be Aunt Grace. That has to be the mother pretending to be Aunt Grace. - Dr Deern is the head. Symbolic of the fact he is the mastermind behind the murders. Trigger warnings for sexual abuse of adults and children. Time to speculate: 1. Fran was in the asylum as a child but it was to visit her mother. Her mother had mental health issues and it did not help her husband was cheating on her with her sister while she is locked up. It think the mother had a few revenge affairs. Dad probably used it as justification to lock her up in the asylum so he could openly be with her sister. Dad was a fool because none of those affairs were real to her until she met Dr. Marcel Deern. 2. Dr. Deerne worked there and developed a weird crush on Fran. He started an affair with the mother (his patient) to get close to Fran. He was plotting to add her to his collection of children - All the children in the are sexual assault victims and one boy even saw Remor. Fran’s mom wouldn’t care about the kid. Dr. Deern has a collection of kids - and he wanted to use Fran’s mom to add her to the collection. 3. Dr. Deerne gave Fran’s mom the drugs and played on her pain and his position as her shrink to manipulate her into drugging Grace, Dad, and Fran so he could come in and kill the unfaithful husband and mistress at the foot of the wedding bed where they betrayed the mother. - But Fran gave part of her food to her cat. She accidentally killed Mr. Midnight and feels responsible for it. Because she ate less, she was awake and witness the murders. 4. This was perfect for Dr. Deerne. Since the mother was his patient he knew how to control her. He convinced her to take Grace’s identity so she would have less power to take Fran from him. But he framed it as poetic justice- her sister Grace had tried to steal her husband, her daughter, her life. It was the perfect revenge to now steal Grace’s life. 5. Dr. Deerne used drugs, electroshock, and gaslight to try to rewrite Fran’s memory so she would be his perfect girlfriend. - When he caught Fran with that pig guard on her way to escape- he was mad she was escaping but he reads as jealous too. I think Remor flew into a jealous rage and killed the predator guard. 6. There is one scene of the mother and Dr. Deern together. On a rewatch - it shows Dr. Deern is the one keeping Fran locked up and in the dark. Dr. Deerne: Absolutely not! You cannot tell her Mother: You cannot keep me from her (the mom was the one who wanted to tell her the truth and take her home!) - Mother wants to tell Fran the truth and take her home. Dr. Deerne hides behind medical reasons and is trying to keep them apart. Again he doesn’t want Fran to go home. - He even calls the mom Grace to remind her she is no longer Fran’s mother. Digging in her lack of power. - Fran even said to herself that the Doctor has no soul - At the end when Fran is shot - Deern cries blood not because he is sad but because he cannot have her. He gives into Remor. He gives into his dark side. A deer monster that wears the fur of innocence but is evil underneath. The game lies. Later Deern will pretend to be trying to help Fran gee answers only to lure her into the car. The mother will be shown chaining up Fran and killing Mr. Midnight… but not everything is as it seems. - in that conversation with Fran’s mom we learn Deern was the one who kept Fran in the dark - Fran mom was able to bring her home for a bit. And going home was scary. But it was important and probably the only way the mom was allowed to bring her home was in chains - the mom probably told Fran the truth. Mr. Midnight is not dead because Fran fed the cat human food but because mom drugged the food and it was too much for a cat. Fran no longer had to blame herself and attacked her mother. Oswald was a good guy who the mom went to and reported Dr. Deern too. Yes, she had to tell on her crime but though unpleasant. She was finally telling the truth. Wild crazy Misfortune theory: Dr. Deern would have lost everything. His practice and credibility. Would he have goes to jail or would the asylum have done a cover up? I think cover up. That is why in Misfortune his family is living in a dump… and he is now murdering kids because he can’t collect them anymore. He even goes after his own daughter. But at least he goes to jail - there are no children there for him to hurt. Just because I write these theories… it doesn’t mean I am done thinking about them or they are THE answer. I am just opening up new way to engage with these games. They are well made games that are worth thinking about. That is why I think about them so much.

[@phatmidnight]

Woah this is an interesting take. Maybe not all the proof is there but I love me some game theories!

[@Gold-kb1ws]

@@phatmidnight Thanks. It was good to tell someone what I think is going on. Most people seem to think Fran killed her parents because of the Remor illusion, but I don’t think she did. Remor is the villain.

[@LocalAceAJ]

By “Edward,” do you mean Itward? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the gameplay n such, so I don’t quite remember everyone’s names anymore so idk if I’m just forgetting a dude named Edward 😂

[@Gold-kb1ws]

@@LocalAceAJ Fran calls the Skeleton man in a black top hat “Itward”, but the game hints his human/adult name might be Edward. There are 2 ways to look at this: 1. Fran is right and he is a magical Skeleton named Itward. The adults can only make sense of this name they hear, by assuming the children can’t say his name right. They assume kids are trying to say Edward. 2. The game is symbolic. Edward is a real person trying to help children, but is limited by what he can do (for some reason). Fran is a kid with difficulty saying “Ed-ward” and nicknames him “Itward” to make his name easier to say. I use the Edward name here- because this interpretation rests on the game being symbolic. If the magic isn’t real, then his name would be Edward. - I do play with the names when discussing the game because the game does it to and I enjoy this little name game.

[@Shythalia]

*Dr. Deerne

[@Coolingtulip]

“You can break something in two seconds , but it can take forever to fix it”

[@phatmidnight]

So true

[@rydersj]

I think one thing that history shows surrounding this topic is that it's a _lot_ easier to break the human mind than it is to fix it. From the perspective of mental health research, pretty much all treatment methods of the past are seen as ineffective, unethical, and even barbaric compared to modern standards. Yet even in terms of modern standards, many people fail to find help with mental illness. It's crazy that over such a long period of time, we still have so many questions about the human mind. This game really brings that feeling to the surface for me, because the whole time you're left wondering what's really going on. Did Fran murder her parents as a result of duotine experimentation, or did all of her hallucinations begin after the murder, as a sort of subconscious defence mechanism to escape from the reality of what she did? This is obviously an extreme example, but our subconscious is unbelievably powerful in its ability to change our perception of reality, so it doesn't surprise me that we know so little about it. How are we supposed to know what's real? Great analysis as usual, and it's cool that you included all your sources in the description!

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you so much! And yes it’s interesting to see how accurately a game like this can portray psychological breakdowns. Even we as the player don’t know what’s real and what’s not, so it’s hard to even imagine what it’s like for a young child to experience all this.

[@tyraoqvist350]

a little off topic but regarding the Where aspect of Fran Bow; starting off, I think there's more merit to the game possibly taking place in Sweden than the fact that the developers are from here. Our history with mental health and "asylums" especially is horrific not to mention our parts in the history of the scientific community (eugenics and such). But even more importantly I think getting hung up on where the game takes place misses the point of it. Because all of these countries have a long history of abusing mentally ill/neurodivergent/disabled people, which is why -I think at least- the studio were so vauge about location. Their other game explicitly takes place in Sweden so if they wanted to define where this all happens they would. But I think the crituiqe extending past borders and into the modern(ish) research practices of European science is an important aspect of the game. They're not making it to take a look at any specific country, but a specific medical practice that a lot of countries have adopted.

[@phatmidnight]

Well said!

[@tatltails3923]

Slight correction: the Other Fran in Chapter 5 is not a Past Fran, it's a Fran from a universe where she was never given Mr. Midnight and thus never had the motivation to escape the asylum. Kinda puts a hole in the Fran Was Raised In The Asylum theory, but other than that the video was wonderful!

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you for pointing that out! That does make a difference in debunking that theory

[@bylethdemeduk2775]

I feel like part of the game and it's story touches on misdiagnosis and how that affects someone who is being treated. The medication is clearly the wring one and at the time where the game takes place there was extreme explanations for mental illnesses and so extreme measures were taken. Fran has been giveing multiple differnt medications (if I remeber correctly) at this age but she is very young, and thar also impacts how a child grows up, she was expected to be obident, and 'insane' so, that's what her reality turned into. Her story is sad because she was never in control truely, her options allways lead her to the same end, atleast when she gets there, she finds her own happiness away from the judgement and dictation of the adults who failed her and pushed her into the position she was in during the game

[@phatmidnight]

So well said. Even trying to determine whether what she experienced was real or not was also telling, because that just adds to her being misunderstood and at a loss for control.

[@Matreats]

LORD - This game really hits me hard :( I cried so many times while playing through it and at the end it was just so bittersweet :( Her connection with her cat is also something I deeply relate with, since I grew up with a cat of my own that only just recently died.

[@phatmidnight]

So sorry to hear about your cat 💔 this game gives so many feels, but yeah her love for her cat was so sweet to see even when she experienced those disturbing hallucinations.

[@Matreats]

Yeah!!! @@phatmidnight

[@sp1n4l_sn4p]

i watched fran bow when i was like 8, played it for myself at 12, replayed it twice a few months ago at 15. Fran Bow honestly has always been the kind of comfort game i have always needed, to be able to believe in these wonderful magical worlds and creatures, just for a bit, is so so tun and distracting from the real world.

[@CXLVIII]

same!! i discovered this game 8 years ago when i was 11, and i'm going to be 20 soon! i've been a fan of this game for so fucking long and it means so much to me, i might think about getting a tattoo of the game to commemorate it. :)

[@sp1n4l_sn4p]

@@CXLVIII No way 😭😭 time flies fr!! what kinda tattoo you gonna get?

[@CXLVIII]

@@sp1n4l_sn4p i think i might do a patchwork tattoo of itward, i love the idea of a skeleton with a tophat anyway so i figure why not make it special, right? crazy how its been so damn long

[@sp1n4l_sn4p]

@@CXLVIII thats such a cool idea!!

[@Fairygoblet]

I think that what Fran bow went through was real, but that the drug Works in phases and the first phase is linking you with your subconscious, followed by the differing realities. That's why in the beginning there's a clearer definition between reality and Fran's mind, and it's mostly horror content.

[@prettyevil6662000]

This makes a lot of sense since most mental health drugs have to build up in your system. The only ones that work immediately are sedatives that are intended to keep you calm until other drugs can take effect days or even weeks later. The longer Fran's on the drug, the more it builds up and what once were visions just become reality.

[@randomtree7295]

I personally always belived that it was aunt grace and oswald who killed fran's parents for interfering with oswald's plans- it makes more sense to me and helps reframe fran from "oooh creepy crazy girl" to a girl who was exploited and framed by those with power over her as dangerous. See how when she lashes against Aunt Grace in chapter 5, how oswald immidetiatly decides to use lethal force against her. Its because of how Oswald and Grace have dehumanised her, now seeing her as just a dangerous crazy girl so they can justify all the violence they inflict on her

[@phatmidnight]

They completely treated her like an animal. Poor girl.

[@fizzilacochon]

I was young when Fran Bow came out and to say that it stuck with me would be an understatement. It's been a sort of comfort game for me, if that makes sense to anyone. And despite the coverage it's had from big KZbinrs, I don't think enough people really talk about it and its themes.

[@phatmidnight]

I hope I did it some justice. Such a great game.

[@fizzilacochon]

@@phatmidnight You really did! A great video on a great game!

[@treesimp6686]

My personal idea was some aspects actually happened, however some didn't. [Spoiler for Little Misfortune as well, as it's a part of the same universe, be warned.] Thanks to the fact Little Misfortune and Fran Bow are part of the same universes, and Little Misfortune confirms the five realities' existence, the idea I have is the only way to access / see the 5 realities are Death [as seen in Little Misfortune] and Tainted Duotine [as seen in Fran Bow, the duotine she has is full of something i don't remember the name of, but it starts with ecto.], which allows you either permanent or temporary access / sight to the ultrareality and the other 4 realities [Pandora, which has earth and stuff, would be the 5th reality.] However, I'm pretty sure the murders in the opening cutscene didn't happen, but rather something tainted by fran's mind after seeing her parent's corpses, as the skeletons in the coffins weren't apart, and I doubt they'd put the time and effort to stitch two grown skeletons back together after multiple limbs were severed. However, the idea Fran killed her parents would make sense if this was the case. A young girl couldn't sever limbs of grown adults, but could definitely deliver a fatal stabbing.

[@phatmidnight]

That is a pretty good take, I’m also inclined to believe that the murders didn’t happen. I just want to root for fran!

[@Ghost_of_spades]

I believe her hallucinations were real, the way the doctor reacts to her telling him his story is odd…. I mean he agrees to it and it would be highly weird that he would ever speak of his tale during his work. So it’s odd for her to nail the hammer on the head.

[@kingo8914]

I like to believe that it's all real. The game itself is the metaphor, but not her actual journey. No 10 year old could imagine all that, and also she knew about Dr. Deern's past. I also choose to believe that Remor killed Fran's parents and was just gaslighting Fran. The way her parent's were cut cleanly with that little knife by a 10 year old girl, who somehow had no idea she did it while they also didn't expect it seems impossible. Their bodies were lying on the floor (out of their bed) meaning they would have had to struggle with her or see her coming in with the knife. But reports on the murder said there was no signs of struggle, which i interpret as Remor coming in, using his powers to lift them out of bed and slicing them both at once into pieces. It's the only way it could have happened. Even if they creators were to say "fran killed her parents and the rest is in her head," I would still believe the opposite because it makes me feel better. This is a great game.

[@phatmidnight]

I agree!

[@momoception1180]

I always tought it was set in Germany because of Fran's last names, the twins experiments and, ofc, the year.

[@phatmidnight]

It’s possible!

[@BlankComicsMain]

For the timeline, I’m not sure if this is relavent but near the end of the hospital sequence, if you click on the mop Fran says « a mop that will dance on the floor » which could be a reference to Disney’s fantasia. It could be an in-universe reference (meaning fantasia was out and Fran has watched it) or just a fun thing the game devs put in.

[@phatmidnight]

Interesting tidbit!

[@elena3941]

I remember when this game out and I have been a fan ever since. Natalia (the artist/animator of Fran Bow) said this game is almost biographical for her, so it really is a personal one... I love killmonday Games, I have some pins and a Killmonday Games Shirt from when they had an etsy, as well as a makeshift palontras plushie :) My favorite is the Vegetative State chapter with the season clock, but I like the Asylum and Forest areas as well.

[@phatmidnight]

I also became a fan after playing this game. My dream would be for the devs to see the video and give it a thumbs up of approval 🥲

[@nidohime6233]

I prefer the theory where Fran didn´t actually killed her own parents but the aunt and another worker (probably the pederast) of the psychiatric clinic where the real culprits under the orders of Dr. Oswald. If you check the flashback of the crime scene it looks too orchestrated to be something done by a young child. How she could beheaded and mutilated her own mother corpse when she looks too skinny and frail to cut bones? And how she knew how to draw a demon pentagram in the first place? Is likely they gasligthed her to think she was the murderer while also lying to the public too by making look like she became part of a satanic cult to make it easier to hide the true intentions of the hospital. What better way to keep human experimentation as a secret by using religious panic as a cover up, uh?

[@alchemistbanii]

It's genuinely a really nice experience seeing videos like this made after seeing you play through these games. I like games like this but tend to have problems getting through them cause I'm very bad with horror games. I really look forward to whatever you play and cover next

[@phatmidnight]

I appreciate that, thank you! Publishing the gameplays help give me enough time to make the analysis videos, so I’m glad you like the format.

[@thefbiman2116]

I like to think its a mixture of both. It's been hard confirmed the other worlds are real, that was shown at the end of Little Misfortune, but some things in the game are definitely hallucinations. While the medicine allows you to see into other worlds, the human mind can't handle the other worlds before death so it slowly drives you insane.

[@donnieboi6409]

i don’t think fran killed her parents. I think Grace and Oswald did it

[@PolyBiBadger]

That’s what I think

[@bluestrife28]

This game still sits with me today, so many emotions just ripped out of my heart by it.

[@TheAbigailDee]

Great video! Love to see this game having a bit of a renaissance! I subscribe to the theory that Oswald and Grace killed Fran's parents. Grace and Fran's mom were twins and were studied by Oswald. Maybe his thinks she has some sort of psychic abilities, so he wants to continue working with this family and studying Fran. Fran's parents want no part in this. But Grace wanted to go along with Oswald's plans so she and Oswald killed Fran's parents and made it exceptionally traumatic, so the Duotine would do its job. She awoke to see the massacre which would traumatize anyone, but they also allowed her to think she committed the crime to further her state of psychosis. Oswald and Grace were able to create the exact test subject they wanted. I also lean toward the other worlds being literal, because I think thematically, Fran not being taken seriously works well in conjunction with the themes of mistreatment of those with mental illnesses. Even when she knows things about the doctors and patients she couldnt possibly know without some psychic connection, she is easy to dismiss because she's viewed as crazy.

[@lilof_6408]

It’s so weird to say that I grew up with this game, I used to love watching ihascupquake play it when I was around 10 or 11. I never really understood the full meaning, but it was always intriguing and I always wondered what it meant. I kinda wish the creators would explain to us what happened so we understood it a little more, ofc I know it’s based off of Natalia’s experiences, but I’m curious on what Fran actually has.

[@phatmidnight]

The interesting thing is how the game just leaves you wondering whether any of it was real or fake, and there really aren’t any answers

[@veldo2908]

been some time since i've seen any talk of fran bow good video

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you! Let me know if there are other games you’d like me to cover!

[@veldo2908]

@@phatmidnight ib would probably be up your alley

[@phatmidnight]

I do have Ib on my list! Thanks for the rec!

[@kat_the_lad9156]

I love seeing someone take this game seriously. From my experience watching popular youtuber playthroughs, it seemed like they saw the asylum and its inhabitants as just creepy horror tropes, rather than victims. These same people reacted harshly to Itherstia too, almost like asking 'where did my fun horror game go?' rather than questioning what this meant for Fran and her story. Again, the ending left these people laughing cause it's just 'so random', but in my experience, after sympathising with the victims, after watching Fran be chased by her demons, after seeing her finally decide to live and forgive her childhood, the endig couldn't have been more perfect. The world was too cruel for her, so Palontras, Itward and Mr Midnight finally took her away from it.

[@phatmidnight]

I feel like there are many youtubers who play horror games for comedic effect, and others who just play the game like how it’s intended. Since many of these games do cover complex themes, I was hoping to shed some light on it to get people to appreciate the story more. I hope I did some justice for this game

[@pipaliveshere]

love this game🥺 it's my comfort game with its colourful fantasies and different dimensions which seem so so creative to me!! honestly absolutely love the aesthetic and feel of it, it's so... I don't know, weird in a good way😭 i want to replay it again, even after so many times i can't get enough, it's that great!! thank you for covering it, great video!!

[@Alicia-rv3sf]

I’m so happy that this game is still being talked about in 2023

[@phatmidnight]

I hope more people talk about it especially with the devs working on a new game!

[@Alicia-rv3sf]

@@phatmidnight Thank you for making such an insightful video haha, i learned new things like the historical contexts and all that

[@PicassosSister-rj5zp]

I love psychological analyses, and you delivered!

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you!!

[@MariiiiMarija]

I am so happy people are covering this!! Fran Bow has been one of my favourite games for years :)

[@phatmidnight]

Thanks for watching!!

[@gemstone4264]

I love this game, I've had this in my watch later for a bit and I'm really excited to see people still covering it!

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you! This game excites me too

[@iiraspberrycupcakeii1547]

Wow I must’ve dissociated a lot watching gameplay of Fran Bow because I’m 99% sure I watched all of it but I don’t remember so much of it and I can see why. The game is good don’t get me wrong but there were so many triggering moments as someone who has battled severe depression, anxiety, C-PTSD, and OCD. I’m in a better place now but man it still hits home so hard. I was in the psych ward at age 15 and I can attest I probably left there with more mental illness than I came in with.

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you for sharing, and I'm glad you're in a better place.

[@iiraspberrycupcakeii1547]

@@phatmidnight thank you!

[@olivebranches8246]

This is an amazingly well-worded video. Fran Bow is really relatable for me and it's definitely comforting to know it's based off of something even one of the developers went through. Thank you for making this :))

[@phatmidnight]

I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you!

[@camdlewik]

absolutely amazing analysis. great watch and high quality, look forward to more of your stuff❤️❤️

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you!!

[@mo0nflowersart]

Love this game. I got my friend into this game and honestly i had o idea it was this good. I was obsessed with it when i was 14 and it has been on my brain ever since.

[@belialkott]

when I first played this game I was still a kid entering teenage years and now I'm 21 and recently I decided to replay Fran Bow. I've noticed a lot of things I've missed on my first play. It felt so comforting yet I kinda felt like this game traumatized me when I was a kid. I definetely can tell I had same themed nightmares with bloody horror before. I don't know. Fran Bow just really hit close to home

[@phatmidnight]

Thats quite a throwback

[@spookiuwu768]

i just wanna say i really love your vibe and im happy to have found this channel! Very cozy

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you!!

[@elise6894]

This game is always so cool and also kinda scary and creepy but it’s cool to see a video about it

[@phatmidnight]

I’m happy you enjoyed it!

[@itsdanagainnnn]

I'm sorry, I'm German and I giggled when you tried to pronounce the names😂Anyways, nice video!

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you! I tried my best 😂

[@einzigwahreando]

tbh I’m german too and even i can’t pronounce the name

[@octaviusroosevelt7355]

​@@phatmidnight If it makes you feel better, you were very close.

[@trustedroot]

​@@phatmidnight you could have looked up pronunciations. sorry, but that moment really took me out of this video. if you're going to deliver information, commit to it

[@hope987]

This is not a psychological analysis. It’s primarily just a summary of the whole game. Only saying that cause I wanted to use this as a source for an essay.

[@phatmidnight]

I always start the vid with a summary in case viewers havent played it before, then I go towards “analysis” in the second part of the vid

[@thunderclancat123]

Fran Bow has always been my favorite horror game, and there's never been anything quite like it. The constant questioning if whether or not what Fran is experiencing is real or not, even to the point that the players don't know by the end of it, was so expertly done. Did she really find eternal happiness or was it just a crude experiment? The mystery adds to the appeal. I'm glad this video ignored Little Misfortune, I've always felt it was a disappointing "sequel"/new exploration of the world of Fran Bow, quite possibly undermining or even ruining the original. Even to this day, I like to think of Fran Bow as a stand-alone game.

[@phatmidnight]

I appreciate you saying that. I wanted to try and analyze a game distinctly from others that are part of a series especially if there’s a lot to cover for each game. If people want to know more about the sequel, they can watch the analysis for that sequel. Or they can just watch the fran bow analysis. I’ll keep this in mind when I play other games in a series in the future!

[@akonts09]

this is a wonderful game and a wonderful analysis! good luck to the author in creating new videos!

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you so much!!

[@shuraaki]

i feel like the fact nothing in the game can be easily defined as real or not real is intentional. thats what mental illness feels like, after all. so many things that i cant tell if actually happened or not, sometimes the lines between reality and my own imagination are so blurred i can barely interact with others...or interact with myself. everythings incoherent, but it makes sense in a way, yet i dont understand what any of it means. its a painful, confusing and traumatic experience. i dont know if im just too weak, if its normal to be a slave to your own mind or if this is simply what i deserve for some sort of sin ive committed. heck, sometimes i find myself questioning if anything is real at all or if ive been living inside my own head for all of this time. you see, it feels like i lost touch.

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you for sharing. I hope you take some time for self-care ❤️

[@Cricket_hoppz]

will contain spoilers??! **has watched multiple different playthroughs, countless times** OH BOY

[@phatmidnight]

You were warned!

[@Defnothere]

Her disturbingly cute humour was probably the best part of the game, Fran Bows is a sweet gentle curious little girl who values her empathy for others above all the evil she faces even after discovering she is the killer. The hopelessness really sets in at every chapter even in her relm of healing, it's something we all feel deep down about death itself and the way those tree people described death was really touching and its what makes us brave enough to cross that bridge which was destroyed from under her feet. I haven't played little misfortune but I think I will.

[@phatmidnight]

Very moving, especially comparing the intense topic of death to Fran's gentle soul. Let me know what you think if you do play Little Misfortune!

[@Defnothere]

@phatmidnight I played little misfortune and thought "Nah" and also "wtf did I just play"

[@NatDoesGames]

Lol every time she said Ithersta the captions said Bethesda😂 “embarking on a journey through Bethesda”😂

[@phatmidnight]

😂😂 oh no

[@badwaterhater]

underrated channel :)

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you!!

[@SpectatorOfLife]

SO THIS IS THE GAME I WATCHED SO MUCH OMG.

[@nebuloxxx]

I remember this game!

[@phatmidnight]

It’s such a good game!

[@CallMeKes]

New to your videos. Do you really have a PH? (Checked your channel. You did Sanitarium?! I'm excited for that after this. What about American McGee's Alice and its sequel?)

[@phatmidnight]

Tried to come up with something better but settled on (P)sychological (H)orror at Midnight! Might eventually switch to something more catchy later. In terms of your suggestion, if I covered the game and its sequel, what would you like to see covered? Like characters, story themes, etc.

[@RonaldReaganOfficial]

loved watching this playthrough and analysis. hopefully you'll play little misfortune soon too.

[@phatmidnight]

Thanks! Little Misfortune is actually my next game to play :)

[@boopbop8321]

As unsatifying as it may be i think most things take place in her mind due to the drugs and in the end she attacks her aunt gets shot and dies going to heaven, as for the parent murder and how she ended up in the asilum idk

[@monroerobbins7551]

Gotta admit, I wish there were more games like this. This game is something I remember when I’m not feeling well mentally, it just… it comforts me and disturbs me, and yet it comes to a sort of bittersweet ending. It doesn’t leave you crying, nor does it leave you afraid, somehow. I dunno why, the game is both frightening yet comforting. I wish more games approached mental illness and struggles like this, instead of using it for shock value or an accessory that is resolved in the end, instead of being something that you can’t escape, but learn to work with, and get treatment for. It’s scary, but it’s apart of an experience, not an enemy to fight, if that makes sense.

[@phatmidnight]

Totally get you, and it’s part of the reason why I made this channel. I wanted to be able to showcase games like these that tell a story with struggles and mental trauma.

[@bradleybrown8428]

I thinkyou've improved upon this (I'm checking out your little misfortune video and it's not there as far as I can tell,) but there's a buzz in the background of the video, perhaps it's your computer/mic setup? Either way I'll be subscribing, I like your stile of videos.

[@phatmidnight]

Definitely trying to improve my audio setup, I appreciate you noticing it getting better!

[@KoskotOwl]

10:45 did you pick the map without Denmark as a joke or did you accidentally pick it XD?

[@phatmidnight]

Definitely an accident I’m sorry Denmark I love you

[@KoskotOwl]

@@phatmidnight as a dane its still funny either way. Anyway forgot to say great video ✨

[@MadameSomnambule]

In a way, I like to think of some of the other realities as forms of an afterlife, which is further emphasized by the premise of Little Misfortune. I'm honestly looking forward to seeing this concept expanded upon in future games.

[@phatmidnight]

Same here! Thats an interesting theory too

[@Brxken_bxnes.ex3]

You should definitely make more content like this! Games I could recommend are Danganronpa (Junko Enoshima's mental state and her personalities), Doki Doki Literature Club (How smiling depression is represented via Sayori), and Omori maybe if those are things you would be interested in. I enjoyed the video very much

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you for all the suggestions! Those are definitely all great games to cover and I have them in my queue to hopefully cover in 2024

[@misatoholic]

All of those are such great games!

[@gagaplex]

Regarding your point about cruel medical treatments back then: I think it's important to point out that ECT (electro-convulsive therapy) is still in use today and a very important and useful tool in the medical toolkit. It is performed very differently, though, under anesthesia and muscle relaxation. Its history and the way media portray it makes many patients who'd really benefit from ECT extremely hesitant, though.

[@phatmidnight]

That’s an interesting point. Lots of medical discoveries and inventions have such a dark history but are still used today. Very interesting

[@psm3d0]

Would you ever do a physiological analysis of Sally Face?

[@phatmidnight]

It’s my current game! Stay tuned :)

[@massiveidiot77]

Very interesting

[@phatmidnight]

Thanks so much! Let me know if there are other games you’d like me to cover.

[@AntoinettexKitten]

You can still get ECT. Luckily they sedate you first. I woke up during one of my multiple sessions. I couldn't move and thought the doctors wouldn't notice before they continued. Luckily one of them noticed because my heart rate went up and put me back under. When i woke back up i freaked out and thought i was being kidnapped. After i got home as soon as I got near my couch i collapsed and nearly fell on my face on the hardwood floor

[@phatmidnight]

I think the process is different today too compared to back then

[@bast4rdlyreaper]

15:16 Oh finally, here's the theories that i actually came here for... You didn't really have to spend three fifths of the video reciting your dogma. 20:38 Wow, that was short, straight back into the dogma.

[@phatmidnight]

I do try to spend the first part summarizing and then go into analysis

[@dcornect53]

There is a positive view of mental illness that I feel like you should have included, as different conditions are sometimes viewed as blessings or communications from deities and spirits, giving the person who has them an important amd respected spiritual role in a community. It is less commonly seen in the psychology side because the positive is a cultural view that is more based in the humanities so often dismissed, and not part of a medical science view that the science latches onto. Hyperfocus on the bad can lead to ignoring the obvious solutions found in the good, like treating people with mental illness can have very insightful and enlightening perspectives that can help make life better and should be treated as equal members of society in terms of their value and capabilities to contribute. Equally capable of knowing and teaching on their own terms and own ways.

[@phatmidnight]

That is a good point you made, and something I can keep in mind for future videos. I think when I originally started this channel my goal was to focus on the psychology presented in a game and cover how it’s portrayed by the characters and how that affected the storyline. As I’m getting more into exploring these characters and storylines I do see more of a need to use these games to talk about psychology and mental illness in the good as well as the bad. I’m still learning how to navigate that while still giving justice to a game and such so I appreciate your comment. I can make that part of my channel resolutions in the new year!

[@dcornect53]

@@phatmidnight Glad to hear that my suggestion was helpful! The psychological analysis was pretty great on its own for sure. I recommend looking at the psychosocial and sociocultural perspectives found in some medical anthropology papers for cultural beliefs, constructions, and practices of health and illness as a place to find these beliefs on mental conditions of various kinds. I'm mostly familiar with seeing neurodivergence like epilepsy or ASD through a cultural lens, like the spacing out or spasming from seizures being moments of complete connectedness with or possession by deities, or the particularities and routines of people with ASD leading them to be great artisans or brilliant innovators due to the need to think outside the box in daily life tasks. In Fran Bow I see the positives being reflected as the resilience of a child finding creative ways to solve problems people wouldn't normally think of. It really highlights this diverse and creative thinking and interpreting when analysing the world and making connections intuitively or logically that others who are much older or more educated, like the Dr. Deern, wouldn't have thought of or wouldn't have connected normally. Things like nonlinear time and/or space in a culture or belief system and flexible internal logic can lead to people with conditions that thrive with nonlinear thought processes and natural outside-the-box interpretations to be extremely capable and resilient.

[@phatmidnight]

That’s a great example, her creativity also does get her through some pretty hard moments. If you have suggestions of other games that cover positive traits of neurodivergence let me know! I want people to be able to relate to these characters and find comfort in that.

[@Maneyaku]

Such a timeless game

[@phatmidnight]

A classic fave

[@takke9830]

My personal theory about the otherworld after having played Little Misfortune is that it‘s neither a hallucination, nor a different kind of illusion. A lot of the otherworld feels like something there to give these victimized characters a sanctuary that elevates them through meaningful trials kinda like therapy does as well. This lead me to believe that especially thanks to the „game“ 4th wall break mentioned over and over in the sequel, that it‘s almost a manifestation of art being what gets people through these things. And these game‘s old world settings also seem to add to this idea that the real world doesn‘t often do enough but art still can heal in ways no kind of health path really can. I mean I‘ve reached personal breakthroughs thanks to therapy but also thanks to art. And I think that‘s really valuable. And it also kind of makes all of this so much more personal too. Since the games literally imply that you as the gamer are part patient but also guide. As an artist it‘s also been really encuraging. I‘m still not ready to write my own experience based magnum opus because I wanna be able to do it without having a constant mental breakdown but seeing people resonate with this does mean a lot to me. Art can help you cope and also give you the same emotional power the games give the characters especially in this game series. And I do love the uplifting aspects of it too. I love the cat lady point and click horror game but it‘s very dark and stays dark until the end at least in it‘s aesthetic. I still love these games but I also appreciate fran bow for focusing on the healing part within a less grizzly and depressing world. Even with little misfortune I was kind of worried having only seen clips of it that it‘d be this silly kinda adult humor satire game that didn‘t mean as much as fran bow did, but playing it myself it did still make me feel as emotional as fran bow did. So yeah. Long story short, to me the other world is art because it‘s a sanctuary made by people who know what it‘s like to their core and offering a helping hand through showing you how they handled things wich ofc also echoes the intent behind the game since the dev said herself that it was her experience with trauma made into art to show ppl how she handled it, how she felt and how she learned to heal. And that‘s also why I like the concept of the otherworld. It‘s strange, personal, absurd and far away from what we see as reality. But it‘s still so meaningful because art is so flexible and personal. No other thing in life is like it really. And that‘s also what makes it special. I love these games, i love their Journey and their messaging and I love the compfort they give. Struggling with trauma is never easy or helpful in life. But we give meaning to anything by using it to make something actually meaningful to us. Fran bow is part of that. And I love and adore it for this reason alone.

[@phatmidnight]

Yes to the art being healing ❤️ ❤️‍🩹 👏🏼

[@takke9830]

@@phatmidnight absolutely!

[@dillpickkle]

When I was younger I always thought this game was based off an old cartoon show which I mean maybe it is but it’s art style is so close to it. I can’t remember it name but it had a very similar name, that show was also very very weird lol

[@phatmidnight]

Let me know if you remember it. This does look like a similar art style to older cartoons so it does give a nostalgia feel

[@dillpickkle]

Angela anaconda was the show I was thinking off. It’s not as close a style as a remember tho the stilted movements are similar to what I remember.

[@Potatomanisgreat]

Omg Killmonday games are so fun yet so dark

[@phatmidnight]

They’re working on a next game that’s set in the same universe! It’ll be interesting to see.

[@nada199000]

If u spare me the background loud music … without the beat is fine , but the trance idk hon ,… other than that i love ur channel keep up 🎉❤

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you! Still working on my audio quality, and I’ll work on tuning the background music better!

[@isthisfake.]

for my own mental health, i choose to believe this little girl who experienced horrific trauma was not just dreaming of a better life while being stuck in an abusive asylum. rather that somehow her body and spirit went someone better and happier with mr. midnight.

[@phatmidnight]

#SaveFran

[@annabellaaaaaaa]

Dr hebb looks so much like dr deern

[@MikaelaCher]

I've never believed Fran killed her own parents, i mostly think she blames herself for it because it fits better with the themes of the story. Grief is a very powerful process that can change us in many ways and children specifically feel this process much stronger. This means the normal grieving process of blaming oneself might show up in a child much stronger than in an adult and in the grieving mind, that is what happened. Fran thinks she killed her parents, because to her she did, she blames herself, but that isnt the truth, she probably wasn't able to save them or help them, but she takes that as murdering them herself

[@phatmidnight]

So true, children unfortunately take tragic events much harder

[@shadowunikat849]

This game was highly disturbing, and I have a little message for a certain set of people: If you are someone who sees things like this, and tells yourself that you enjoy it, that you want to see more, you need to break out of that mentality. I was like that. I enjoyed thrills and horror, and would subject myself to whatever horrifying things I stumbled upon. Whether it was a terrifying ride at an amusement park not meant for kids, a scary game like this that presented disturbing imagery, or books that gave me ideas of the truly terrifying, I subjected myself to it all. It wasnt healthy. It only made my own mental health worse. I realized that I can overcome bits of my depression by stopping the onslaught of these horrors. Its like when you're crying, and you dont want to stop crying, so you keep subjecting yourself to the sadness. All you need to heal a bit is to stop, take a second to breathe, and stop doing whatever it is that is making you cry. Its all self awareness. Dont keep forcing yourself to suffer, or you'll never get out of it.

[@phatmidnight]

That’s a good point, and thank you for sharing. These games are interesting in terms of exploring themes of mental health and to drive conversation regarding mental illness perceptions in society, but seeking the thrill of horror at the cost of your own mental health isn’t good.

[@8QueenArt8]

If the monster who killed her parents was so strong… Why was there a knife at the scene?…. I feel like it wasn’t a monster, it was a murderer.

[@phatmidnight]

🤔 or framing?

[@Hoodprincess096]

Things this series made me think of: Coraline (movie) The Uninvited (movie) Alice Madness Returns (game) Pans Labyrinth (movie) Silent Hill (movie/game) The Haunting of Hill House (show) I thoroughly enjoy psychological horror

[@phatmidnight]

I also enjoy psychological horror! I wonder how many inspirations the creators of the game drew from. Very exciting

[@Hoodprincess096]

@@phatmidnight I remembered another ^-^ the movie Sucker Punch ^-^ and ta for replying :)

[@solarpellets]

Using clips of people screaming to represent mental illness is... not great, for lack of better terms. First of all because there is a stigma around mental illness for being annoying, or those suffering being unsympathetic to those who do have to deal with them. If anything, most illnesses go completely untreated because those afflicted stay entirely silent.

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you for bringing that up, I'll keep that in mind for future videos

[@baltasargamingshow3205]

As much as I value the effort, this is all over the place XD. Sorry but the FACT is that all of it is real. It is so interesting how after 8 years no one and I mean NO ONE has pointed out or even bothered to look up for the pineal gland phenomena. The pine cones representations are all around the game as well as a photo explaining how Fran Bow was actually a special kid according to the Oswald Research Facility. All is in the Ektoplomatin medication which is supplied to Fran. Both files ending in 915000 match between the one in the basement confirming expermiental subject having the pineal gland active and the one close to Fran's bed. We never needed for Little Miss Fortune to let us know this was real. The answer was there all along. Your knowledge is superb but unfortunely wrongly focused. No one seemed to even try tranlsating Itherstian which in English does give even more context to certain things. I encourage you to EXAMINE the evidence and COMBINE it. That way you will be able to USE it in order to find the truth. Regards from Mexico.

[@phatmidnight]

Appreciate the reply!

[@leticiallime]

the art is gorgeous and the story is really cool but i just gives me the ick how casual ped0philia themes are laid out both in Fran bow and little missfortunes

[@phatmidnight]

Yeah those get really weird

[@practicalgamer4991]

elaborate?

[@blaringGagoonie]

​@@practicalgamer4991 Well there are offhanded jokes about either Fran and Miss Fortune usually about them being, well s3xual. It doesn't sit with me either but I feel I can understand it, they're a really horrible thing that with blood and gore gives you the feeling that this is a realistic part.

[@duganetwork5159]

This aint the PH i was planning to watch tonight...

[@phatmidnight]

I’m glad I exceeded expectations

[@oritouwu9069]

the music is kinda loud, its distracting D:

[@phatmidnight]

I’ll tune it down for next time!

[@Forgottensnapdragon]

Can't really complain about a video spoiling a game for you especially when the game has been out for quite a few years

[@phatmidnight]

Figured id warn ya!

[@nada199000]

Try checking lucid dreams

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you for the recommendation! I’ll look into it!

[@Todomo]

great video, but it seems that you used some chatGPT to write the script and didn’t alter it! words like “notion” and “underscores” are GPT trademarks

[@phatmidnight]

There were some parts of the script where I used it to improve the grammar!

[@fronthal157]

I simply do not believe Fran died. That's all.

[@phatmidnight]

Yus

[@ChimeratAlpha]

Damn... Seemed interesting, but the blaring "background" music was starting on a migraine 30 seconds in. If you ever make a version that I can listen to, please link here. (I know that's unlikely, but it can never hurt to ask and to spread understanding to KZbinrs that constantly adding in music can harm some listeners.)

[@phatmidnight]

I’ll keep that in mind and lower the background music for future videos!

[@ChimeratAlpha]

@@phatmidnight Much appreciated if you do. Another channel I watched did the same thing (they kept the music, but it was dropped several decibels) and it was much easier to listen through them.

[@Rissa_1322]

It is genuinely easy to look up how to pronounce the names of known historical figures, Wikipedia has the phonetically spelled out and often there's even an audio clip. Choosing to say them wrong and then apologize does nothing for the quality of the video.

[@phatmidnight]

Yeah I had looked up the pronunciation and had tried replicating. Still didn’t come out right but will keep trying next time!

[@MattVyle]

Great video, though not convinced about your "it could take place in the US" excuse, Americans like to believe the world revolves around them when it does not, in fact the young and immature US is significantly culturally flaccid in comparison.

[@phatmidnight]

Just a theory!