A Psychological Analysis of Little Misfortune

[@JSlink22]

To your point about the art style, I like that the cute art style creates a sort of cognitive dissonance for the game. Like how can such a beautiful art style coexist with such dark themes and ideas? I think this contrast depicts the loss of childhood innocence beautifully.

[@phatmidnight]

It's what makes it more scary to me really; not everything is as it seems

[@bunnybitesback]

just like little nightmares… both some of my favorite games

[@cookiemonsterz413]

I remember a lot of people being upset about the enternal happiness making her mother happy about Misfortune's death, but I think a lot of people missed the fact she was sobbing as she spoke to the police. She isn't happy, she's relieved. I have no reason to believe she didn't love Misfortune. Her love just wasn't strong enough to overcome the resentment towards Misfortune. This happens to a lot of mothers. Trapped in an abusive relationship because of a child they didn't want. The fact that they stay shows that they do love their children, they don't want to leave their children with a man who will just hurt them, but they can't escape with them because the child will always be a tie to the person who hurt them most. They could take the opportunity to escape on their own, it'll be a lot easier. And some do, but a lot don't because of the children. It's a resentment that a lot of these mothers do regret, but they can't get over. Misfortune's mother got a second chance to be happy upon her daughters death. She will grieve for her daughter, but she is finally free.

[@phatmidnight]

So well said. It’s so much more complex than meets the eye

[@user-ye6fp7kl1o]

Ppl thought she was happy about Little Misfortune's death?? I just thought she was given the ability to move on and find happiness despite it

[@VeWatchesVideos]

Exactly. Callista Hernandez wishes she never had to be a mother or be stuck in a relationship with her child's father. Misfortune's death allows her to be free from both. But seeing how utterly devastated she is at the event, it's clear that she never actually wanted Misfortune dead. If there was any other way out of the situation, she probably would've preferred that over a child losing their life.

[@ferretappreciator]

How do people actually have that little reading comprehension??

[@Fenrisson]

That's a great way to put it.

[@LadyxSky]

The way I was laughing throughout the whole game, but the line, "I guess I was your little misfortune for a while." BROKE ME -sob-

[@kimmyyyyyyyy1015]

omg it just dawned on me after 5 years 😭

[@Kittykat81572]

It broke the voice actress too. She bawled just as hard as we did 😭

[@thesardonicpig3835]

There is one moment in Little Misfortune that leads me to believe Mr Voice wasn't entirely gaslighting her, or at least that he felt some kind of fondness for her: at the fair, he addresses the player while Misfortune is out of earshot, asking them to please help give her a nice time while they're there. The player is in on Mr Voice's game from the beginning, so he has no reason to lie to them.

[@phatmidnight]

Interesting take

[@CurlySpicyGirl]

Yes I totally feel the same. Or maybe he (Morgo) wants control over everything and everyone, and therefore the player too. But yeah I’m not into the whole gaslighting thing. But maybe he wants to play family, with the children, but stay a monster.

[@nationalinstituteofcheese3012]

Maybe he just wanted the player on his side by pretending to care but he could also see her as a pet/doll. Something to play with but you still show a little bit of care for

[@awesomegirls10]

Part of me wonders if part of the reason he wanted to guide misfortune to The Beyond had to do with him being, for all intents and purposes, a child predator, meaning that he would have a sort of craving for that youth and innocence and sweetness. He may have wanted her to remain soft and sweet for the purpose of gaining what he wanted after leading her astray, not wanting her to be like other souls. Maybe there's power in the innocence since The Beyond is where parasites like him come from.

[@lackules]

@@awesomegirls10 that is a horrifying perspective but honestly makes a lot of sense

[@DissonantSynth]

The most horrifying and disturbing part of this game was the revelations about her abusive parents in her diary, and her anecdote about the stone that her father attacked her with.

[@phatmidnight]

Yeah that stone scene was glossed over and I was like 😳

[@JSlink22]

17:59 Oh I like how Mr. voice is an unreliable narrator. Fitting that a child would depend on an unreliable nature because, as children, we don’t yet know who to trust. You mentioned earlier how people joked about Mr. voice being a better parent than Misfortune’s parents. I do think that there is something to the relationship a child has with authority figures as first modeled by their parents and then as carried on by all the adults in their midst.

[@phatmidnight]

I wonder how Misfortune would've regarded Mr. Voice if she was indeed raised by loving parents. She might've still been "too trusting" anyways since she's a child, but you're right, her original parents had set the standard.

[@ashersatton212]

she definitely would trust him nonetheless, because nothing he suggested except for the wolf scene that he was something bad

[@DarkWingsCarryMeAway]

It also demonstrates a relationship where a child is being groomed and misled by an “adult” for their benefit

[@Victoria-vd2li]

I feel like the course of the game is Misfortune's consciousness fading and her dreaming as she passes away. The sky getting darker as the day goes by was a cool feeling. Near the end when she's walking through dreamy forests and fields, I realized that the sun represents her life force. As the sun goes down and she gets cold, the game comes to it's conclusion, and her soul departs.

[@phatmidnight]

Very well said.

[@biosupdate7449]

Jesus that is heart wrenching

[@rydersj]

I love the juxtaposition in this game of such a whimsical and light-hearted artstyle and sound design mixed with such depressing themes. I do think that as you said, one of the themes here is childhood innocence. You get the sense that Misfortune is captivated by everything around her. She never really seems terrified, only uneasy at worst. I think the main reason for this is brain development. Misfortune is only 8 years old, so she would only be at the concrete operational or maybe even preoperational stage of cognitive development, meaning she wouldn't have fully developed critical, analytical, and abstract thinking skills yet. This combined with her general lack of knowledge and higher serotonin production in children as opposed to adults means that in most situations, she may not be able to fully grasp the severity of what's happening. At times, she's even in denial about what's happening. I think this explains why she, as well as children in the real world, tend to maintain a positive outlook regardless of their situation. It's only after people develop critical thinking skills and ask enough questions to reach a point of criticality of sorts with their knowledge, that they perceive their insignificance in the scale of the universe and subsequently fall into depression and nihilism. It sort of loops back to the proverb "ignorance is bliss". I think most adults in her situation would be terrified, but Misfortune is able to soldier on regardless of the threat. I find that in the real world, this is sometimes a superpower that children have over adults. We overthink and tangle ourselves up in situations and surrender unable to find a solution, but a child will look at the same situation and find a simple solution which we failed to see. I think this is because adults are much more susceptible to doubt. We are quick to question our morality, perception, and knowledge, whereas a child does not. Despite their tenuous grasp on reality, children can often perceive it with much less filtering than adults do. Great analysis as always, and congrats on 3K subs! Looking forward to the next one.

[@phatmidnight]

Incredibly well said, and thank you so much! I’m also excited for the next game and analysis!

[@saddragonbean]

BSW background. A more fitting word for what mister voice does to Misfortune is grooming, although gaslighting may be one of the methods he uses among it, he also uses 'kind' treatment, encouragement, attention, etc to to grow her trust and dependence. Gaslighting is a specific kind of manipulation in which one directly manipulates and challenges actual perception of reality with the intent to break down the person's own faith in themselves as possessing the ability to accurately perceive and think about their reality, and thus they begin to act according to the gaslighter's 'guidance' instead, since the gaslighter allegedly sees things how they really are. As you continue through this discussion I agree with all your points, but there's the wording you asked for. :) Great vid.

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you for the clarification!!

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you for the clarification!!

[@sleepy_boi945]

I agree with all of the ideas mentioned(him gaslighting her and or him grooming her), I would just like to add the umbrella term for those “emotional manipulation” to the list. As quoted from the website psychcentral, their definition of emotional manipulation is: “When someone uses your emotions to get what they want, steer your behavior, or influence your ideals, that’s known as emotional manipulation”, which seems to be(for the most part) what Mr.voice does with little Misfortune. He tries to steer her into his world and acts along with her child mindset and kind personality, acting nice and parental to her to get her to go with him easily

[@LadyBern]

This video helped me to realize why the scene of Misfortune having to give herself a pep talk to get up hit so much harder and worked so much better than other games trying to make you relate to a character going through a depressive episode after hardships. In this game this innocent child has been doing her upmost best to see the silver lining. She believes in the power of glitter making things happier/better so much that she eats it. We don't know how much is naivety or denial but we know she's being an optimist about the terrible situation she's in and the things that she sees. So when that moment comes where it's hard for her to get up that hits hard. It's like telling yourself you're going to have a damn good day today after all of the bad things you've gone through only to spill something, and that little mistake just send you spiraling. In other games they tried it but we don't see the characters go through this. Heck in some cases their circumstances is the consequences of their own actions so the struggle just feel like a pointless mini game padding the play time.

[@area52ron]

I saw the ending is the mom happy that she is out of the unhappy marriage but that Misfortunate isn’t suffering anymore

[@phatmidnight]

People are split on the issue, some believe she is relieved and some say she is happy

[@ChristmasCarolyn]

​@phatmidnight It can be a mixture. Being a product of dysfunctional families, I perceive it as her definitely grieving her daughter's death while guiltily feeling relieved that the suffering she and her daughter experience is finally "over". You can simultaneously feel guilt over something u feel "happy" about providing a form of release from inconvenient burdens and relationships, but it's still sad that it has to happen in such a tragic way, so the experience can be bittersweet. Like how adult children can feel really confused feeling both grief and relief when an abusive parent has finally died and ultimately release them from the obligatory toxic bond, while also remembering what little good times they shared in between, if any at all. It's a complex mess.

[@yipipayayiii]

She is both happy an reviled but not because her daughter died

[@iloovelanadelrey]

i think it's because all the happiness and glitter reaches the moms heart and she knows that misfortune is in safe place

[@Nik-ei9st]

That ending line sums up the read pretty well. Is it the pessimistic “I guess I was your little misfortune for awhile” or was it the optimistic “I guess I was your little Miss. Fortune for a while.” Was she Misfortune, a constant reminder of the life the mother didn’t want? Or was she Miss Fortune? The only point of happiness in the mothers terrible life? From the child’s pov you can only ever really guess. Might even be both

[@calebh373]

I have this image of Morgo chucking a bird at the fortune telling machine.

[@nivamae2345]

He definitely did... we see throughout the game that he has a certain control over things in this world, especially through the birds

[@nivamae2345]

(sorry if i'm misreading it and you knew that and are just imagining the actual throwing)

[@ArcaneEther]

Having completed both Fran Bow and Little Misfortune, if Kill Monday Games comes out with another title, it is a day one purchase for me.

[@__keys]

sammmmeeee

[@jadamiller7485]

I don't think Morgo's concern was a concern over her life or safety, but more of... surprise. It won't phase him in his pursuit of his goal, but he does get startled.

[@ZimVader-0017]

I like the idea of a literal monster being taken aback by these things 😂 "I'm evil, but damn isn't this a bit too much?"

[@nonamedeviant6014]

I accidentally saw a gameplay of LM when it came out and I fell in love with it right away. Since the very first moment we meet little miss misfortune I saw myself in her. Even starting with a name, I myself am always surrounded by bad luck to the point where it's part of my personality, of me. Misfortune is sarcastic and stubborn, she talks lightly about very heavy topics to the point others that hear thaf feel uncomfortable. She doesn't even really recognise her mistreatment as something bad, but rather mistakes and a norm. I would often joke about my dad hitting and stabbing me with toothpicks and needles in the back for not standing straight or other stuff like that. It really wasn't that bad, but to everyone it's awful, so I'm always seen as odd by others. Both me and Misfortune talk about stuff like that in a way where we could talk about what we made ourselves for breakfast and the tone wouldn't change much. Caring about everything bad that's happening is hard when you notice so much at such young age, so emotionally detaching yourself from the horribleness of life helps a lot.

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you for sharing that. It does feel different when you share that with people who have different upbringings, cause for so long you feel that your own life was normal. I felt that at times when I shared about my past with others and they’re like “um???”

[@oo8962]

My parents are divorced and I'm being so casual about it. Misfortune talking about abuse so casually is totally understandable for me. It's like the norm for kids who grew up in an unhealthy family so they're just so casual about it until someone told them that it isn't normal.

[@ecaterinavisan8178]

I would call this adult horror. No cheap jumpscares or gore or anything similar. If anything I would say the designs are the opposite or horror. But the story itself is as horror as it gets and I think its more suited for a more mature audience because some of the lore is more subtile and hard to understand. You play as an abused child that has two shitty parents. One is a physical abuser and the other is an neglectful alcoholic that tried to get rid of you more than once, but the main character is too naive in her childlike state to realise how this type of life is anything but normal. You explore the dark site of "grow-up life" by going around the town and seeing how no on cares about a child walking by herself all over town because no one can be bothered. And you encounter homeless people(the seagul), perverts(the hamster having no problem to dance in a strip bar with a child) and others, yet no one ever does a thing to help her. And all this time you are being guided by a "friend" that actually wants to harm you(Its an actual monsters but you could say he is a groomer/serial killer since this game is full of metaphors). In the end you find out she is a ghost. And the "good ending" is not even trully for her but for her mother, and personally I saw it as Misfortune taking her mother's guilt away. Something she does not deserve, but this poor little girl still loves her mother even if she did nothing to be so loved. This is beyond dark, and the worst part is how this mirrors so many real life cases of abused and neglected kids.

[@phatmidnight]

Thats a really good point about this being more of an adult horror. It’s not horror in the sense of obviously scary elements like you say but its more unsettling

[@VoidWalkerOblivion]

I actually didn't get the idea that Morgo was gaslighting Misfortune. I got the idea that Morgo himself is... very young and childish. Morgo views her as a toy, the entire events of the story as a game. The very first thing we see is Misfortune playing with dolls - the parallel is that Morgo's doing the same thing. He's not evil in that he's malicious, he's evil in the sense that its his very nature. He expects HIS story to go exactly how he wants it to in just the same way a child playing on their own gets upset when someone else changes THEIR story. And that made me see his protests to things like Misfortune's language in the same way a child hones in on the things they've been told they're not meant to do without having the empathy to realise there's a time and a place to insist that The Rules Are Followed. But if we do want to take Morgo as being purely manipulative and gaslighting, then that changes the implications of the Eternal Happiness ending, because it puts even more parallels between him and Misfortune's mother. She takes her Happy Face mask off, but a tragedy like losing your daughter is one of those events that society ALLOWS adults to display a whole gamut of emotions for. For a little while, she's free of having to worry about her actions and her emotions being judged. She seems happy? "Oh she's so strong". She's angry or sad or emotional? "Oh its understandable". A public tragedy offers its own sort of empowerment if you're self-centered enough to use it as a way to manipulate and get your own attention.

[@phatmidnight]

That’s an interesting perspective with Morgo being childlike similar to Misfortune. I hadn’t thought of that possibility, thats neat

[@christalcavanaugh]

Nah he definitely does. He will blatantly lie to her to make her believe something that isn’t true just for his own benefit. It is 100% gaslighting.

[@GavinTheGray]

The problem I have with the gaslighting angle is when he turns to YOU as the player and says "help her make good choices. She deserves to have fun" in Phantasmagoria. There's no point in him saying this unless he actually meant it. He's not talking to her. He's talking to you. @@christalcavanaugh

[@MireilleAntone]

Btw, the alternate to the hamster adult club is a hamster drug den, depending on the choices you make during the hamster robbery/hold-up. It's not as important to the overall analysis, but that scene reveals that Misfortune's dad is making drugs (she says it looks like her dad's science lab in the basement). She then says her mom is not happy about this, further highlighting that her dad is just a horrible person overall, on top of being an alcoholic who killed his daughter due to drunk driving. I recall reading somewhere that part of her mom's "eternal happiness" is that her dad got arrested due to drunk driving/murder, and hopefully the drugs if the police find his "lab".

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you for pointing that out. What a horrible father 😠😠

[@watching7721]

It's basically the adult world filtered through the view of a child. Morgo is a physical manifestation of the evil of the adult world. Misfortune, as a child, doesn't fully understands this evil and its relative complexity and is thus more vulnerable. Benjamin is a representation of the good of the adult world because he tries set everything right and oppose this evil. Unlike Misfortune, Benjamin is much more able to understand Morgo and has the capabilities to fight back. Every other character is someway of coping with this evil, ironically becoming a part of it in some way

[@phatmidnight]

Thats an interesting take 🤔

[@watching7721]

@@phatmidnight Thank you

[@adamvancleave9200]

I got the impression that she was kind of throwing him off (not on purpose of course). Kind of an "evil being underestimates what humanity is capable of" thing.

[@phatmidnight]

Underestimating her intelligence!

[@juliahock5549]

I feel like no one mentions the implications of the carousel scene.. doesn’t particularly change the overall narrative, but it does make things a whole lot darker.

[@JSlink22]

I like the summary of this video. It went down like a smooth drink. This game, more than any of the other games you’ve chosen, excites me the most for your analysis. It helps that I really like the art style. But I like how this game incorporates societal things like the masks that everyone is wearing, familial baggage like the fact that Little Misfortune is an attempted abortion, and spiritual things (and darkly humorous things) like the skeleton who was ferrying Little Misfortune on the water offing himself because, I think you said, Little Misfortune was talking too much. I don’t know, this game just really feels like it is a feast of PSYCHOLOGICAL horror, you know? As an essayist, myself, I’m a little intimidated by how heavy things are - these are some tricky topics to navigate well. Excited to see what threads you pull on in the latter half of this video.

[@phatmidnight]

Yeah this game can still deliver impact despite not having the stereotypical scary atmosphere. I love the artwork too

[@SundayBestStudios]

It's kind of like how good drama infuses comedic relief in order to release tension. Something about creating contrast.@@phatmidnight

[@alexandragabitto2573]

While I don’t think Miss Fortune was aware of the extent of her abuse, I wholeheartedly think that she believes her mother isn’t strong enough to handle the challenges life throws at her in the same way Little Miss Fortune is able to. It’s why she acts more like an adult than the actual adults in her life tbh as it’s clear they’re completely miserable. Miss Fortune wants to find “eternal happiness” for her mother because she’s scared about her mother’s wellbeing. This is why I found the ending so empowering in the sense that I felt her mother was able to feel Miss Fortune wishing her the best from the afterlife, to stay strong in the face of adversity, to attempt to seek happiness in spite of all of the tragedies in her life as she only has herself to rely on now. Even if one can argue that Miss Fortune was just another one of her problems, the fact that her mother was still incapable of finding joy in…well, anything, still stands. It’s an incredibly human conclusion to a story about having the strength to turn the negativity in your life into something positive.

[@phatmidnight]

Very well said, I think that goes to show that there’s more than meets the eye with the final scene showing the mother smiling as she takes off the mask. There are just so many layers to the dynamic between her and her daughter. Very tragic still.

[@claudiabcarvalho]

Yeah, there's this thing about neglected children growing up too fast because they need to parent themselves, to the point they start parenting their own parents. I might've been there too.

[@Fenrisson]

I have played it. Saw both ends. Cried like a child more than once. That game really hits my feelings.

[@torikeys8837]

Do you think you’d ever do an analysis on Sally Face?? It’s genuinely one of my favorite horror games that you learn or notice something new about it each time you replay it. I think it could make a fantastic gameplay series for you too ❤️

[@phatmidnight]

It is on my queue to play! Since it has more story lot to it I wanted to wait a bit, but in the meantime what would you like to see covered from the game?

[@ferretappreciator]

There's a lot of reasons why I could never forget this game but the biggest has to be the song "Lets Play" off the sound track. It's literally just a few notes repeated but something about it calms my thoughts. I know it's silly but im grateful for this game nonetheless

[@phatmidnight]

Also for me, “dance to this music forever” 😂

[@makiroll218]

I love when Misfortune turns on her boombox and starts dancing. It’s so cute. 😂😊

[@phatmidnight]

Throwback to the boombox!

[@meamme8]

the ending, bruh.. I'm not crying you are! *sob*

[@phatmidnight]

Yes I am 🥲🥲

[@paaaaanda3060]

THE CREATOR IS FROM CHILE? We are the best country of chileee!!!!

[@phatmidnight]

🇨🇱 🇨🇱 🇨🇱

[@claudiabcarvalho]

I once read about how children raised in a toxic home were more susceptible to trust in shady adults and engaging in dangerous activities and, well, that's what Misfortune does in the game. She listens to a stranger she can't see and gets in a lot of trouble out of curiosity or by trusting Mr. Voice. If her family wasn't so broken, she would've never bother to listen to Morgo's proposition - the thing that culminated to her death, if we understand she was hit at the moment the screen flashes when she crosses the road. And I love the fact that they tell us the backstory. Because the game states that the laws and conservative views are accomplices to the tragedy of Little Misfortune. She wouldn't have see suffered all of those things if her mother was allowed to have an abortion, and her life would've been a little easier if her mother didn't have to marry her father. Of course, that doesn't excuse their behavior, but it's a determinating fact nonetheless.

[@sleepyote]

I agree with you 💯.

[@phatmidnight]

So very well said, and those are good points. It’s interesting how this game accurately portrays that

[@azurecerulean1279]

you should def continue analyzing more psychological horror, your channel is growing pretty rapidly so might as well

[@phatmidnight]

Thanks for the support! I’ve got a decent list for 2024, let me know if you have any other recs!

[@MikaelaKMajorHistory]

Despite Misfortune’s story being much worse than my own, I related so much of my childhood with Misfortune. I was so happy when I initially watched the play through and I adored Misfortune because she reminded me of me and my brother. It didn’t occur to me until I saw players’ reactions that a majority of people had (mostly) normal childhoods and were horrified at the things Misfortune said. Of course I would never wish anything like that on a child, but rather Misfortune is a kindred spirit.

[@phatmidnight]

thank you for sharing. interesting to see how you can relate to a game but then it's different compared to how other people reacted to the game

[@JSlink22]

14:49 beautiful layout! Love the way you chose to articulate the five realms through your visuals! I also know that this kind of editing is harder and more time consuming than just including b roll. Also, I just uncovered another layer of your intentionality. Recently, when making my LOTR video, I was struck by how much B roll I need to gather. When I get lazy with screen grabs, I have fewer choices to pull from when editing. Choosing to film the entire gameplay before your analysis means you have a wealth of b roll to pull from. That may be really basic knowledge to you, but I didn’t realize it until just now. What an excellent workflow.

[@phatmidnight]

I'm trying to get better at marking clips I'll want to include later on. When I have so much footage, I often have to scroll through the whole game just to find a specific clip I'm looking for. I think that contributes to taking up the most time in the editing process. I'm thinking of ways to get better at that.

[@SundayBestStudios]

I feel that way too. When I watch something the first time around, I like to mark the time stamp when possible. Otherwise its more work on the backend@@phatmidnight

[@erichzannbusoumuzan]

Thank you for the video! Played the game long ago, it was one hell of a journey. It didn't even need all the gore and horror of "Fran Bow" to hit hard.

[@phatmidnight]

Each character definitely hit hard in their own ways. Thank you for the watch!

[@autismadventures7686]

I actually commented this to my friends. That mister voice/ Morgo reminds me of a narrator kinda like some of the british kids tv shows I would watch. And how in the game it changes when missfortune makes him mad. And he becomes more and more scary and controlling. While in those shows. The narrator shows self control and tells the moral of the story. I think how Morgo pretends at the beginning of the game. Shows how he is trying to not just deceive us.

[@phatmidnight]

Shows the power of the British narrator

[@Gold-kb1ws]

It has been a good story and interesting game. I enjoyed all your videos. And left you some stuff I noticed to add to your great analysis as you added to mine. At the beginning of the game the car was parked on the lawn. The black tire marks where already there. It couldn’t have hit her. When she went home later that day the car was gone - the house was empty because her parents where looking for her? Misfortune died the day after. Morgo is a liar except when it suits him. The hallway tells clues. There is a black and white photo of an old woman at the beginning of the hall. The grandmother? Misfortune talks about seeing her grandpa die but never talks about granny. On the top shelves we see beer glasses, wine glasses - but normal dishes at the bottom where the girl can reach. In the wedding photo - we see the dad. It is the only time we see him. Brown hair and a beard (he looks like a young Dr. Deern? Am I looking for connections between the games too hard? Men can have beards like that and not be the same guy). The bump was under the parents - like a baby bump? A green land with a dead flower under it. The light is off and a large square thing is blocking the sunlight. A dead leaf is near by. The lamp is off so it cannot give light. The sunlight is blocked by a big unknown thing and it is killing the pink flower. The picture that I am most interested in is the picture of the car. Who has a picture of a car in their house. A car kills Misfortune. Is this the car? We see a picture of Misfortune above the picture of a duck. I'd this the same duck that hit her twice when dancing OR blows smoke in her face? What is he doing here? Then the antlers. Morgo. Mr. Voice’s antlers. The dad is a hunter. He hunts deer/stags. Story: stern mother. A drunken night in the back of the car makes a baby bump and out fall Misfortune. A beautiful pink flower dying without light. The duck hurts Misfortune in some way. He hit her and blew smoke in her fave and she said it was “normal”. The duck is bad, but Misfortune came out on top. Morgo is worse than the duck. He is bigger than her and the duck. Across from him is a white flower. White orchids are often seen as symbols of purity and innocence. The ending looks dark but it could also be a news beginning. Name game: Remor - remorse? Romer. Morer. Morre. Remember - - Itward sounds like Edward but does not spell it - Remor sounds like remember but does not spell it - Fran is trying to remember Remor Morgo - Morgon. Groom. It is Groom! As in Groomer? Or as in a wife’s groom - who she marries? Could be both things at once. - This one is a scrabble puzzle PS Fran Bow’s dress is in Misfortune’s closet! They might not be the same timeline. Could this be a different timeline or different dimension? Could it be a hand-me-down from her mother? Wild guess: Dad might have groomed mom first. He got her pregnant on purpose. He lost contact of her when she began sleeping around with single dads. He wants it back and turn to his daughter because he wants the mother to be a little girl again when he had power over her. The father looks like Dr. Deern. The mother looks younger than him in their wedding photo (she doesn't look very old at the end either - and could be mistaken for a big sister) (maybe that is just me and I will be wrong about this) That is it from me! I love this game and your videos. Keep it up!

[@phatmidnight]

I enjoyed reading your interpretations so much 😂 I was looking forward to the next installments and kinda sad to see this is the last one. Im glad you enjoyed it though! Would you say you are more fascinated by fran bow or little misfortune in terms of story/game?

[@Gold-kb1ws]

@@phatmidnight Lunch break. Or a chance to heat up food. Little Misfortune is more fascinating because it tells its own story and also reveals more about Fran Bow at the same time. Example: Mr. Voice and Dr. Deern take the protagonist to a graveyard to dig up bodies. The parallels are so well done. Misfortune is also a little easier to understand- I had to think about Fran Bow for years to come up with my theories (which where mostly wrong, but a little right) A lot of my stuff is theoretical. I will think I have something figured out only to be shocked by new evidence, but that is what I like about these games.

[@JSlink22]

16:29 I like the way you highlight the text. Each video I see you trying new ways to make text, whenever you put it on screen, more readable. In the past, you zoomed in. But I find this one particularly helpful.

[@phatmidnight]

My goal for this video was to learn how to do the highlighter effect I see in more professional videos. I feel powerful now with this new technique lol

[@SundayBestStudios]

LOL I feel powerful now@@phatmidnight

[@DUSKvsDAWN]

I think the post interesting thing about this game is that Misfortune is so grown up, yet her own age as the same time. As a child of abuse, I experienced the same thing. People would call me an old soul, but some would call me childish (maybe either because of my autism, o some parts of childhood I missed out on), I think this game portrays those types of children really well.

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you for sharing, it’s interesting and comforting to hear you say you can relate to Misfortune’s character.

[@SquishyTheVampire]

Kids are kinda amazing like that. They love their parents no matter what.

[@JSlink22]

14:11 great editing and script choices. Wow, I really like how you fold in Fran bow and it really feels like you’re hitting your stride at this point of the video. Love the way the video is progressing!

[@mkewijorsomething3571]

I find it really interiesting that fran bow is actually based on a true story, or more likely a impression of the game directors contact with medicaments and therapy. I think that alone this fact changes my whole view on this masterpiece of a game

[@phatmidnight]

It does add depth!

[@fairymystonight1783]

RIP Hiro 😭♥️

[@phatmidnight]

🙏 🙏

[@kalliegladue5374]

This needs more views, 10/10 quality

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you!!

[@21oli12]

Definitely worth the wait!! I have been watching your videos since fran bow, and also watched the cooking companion ones, and you can see the improvement in your videomaking skills, can't wait for the next gameplay 😊

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you so much, this means a lot to me 😭 I really wanted to publish this as soon as I could but didn’t want to skimp on quality. I’m glad you enjoyed it and I’m also looking forward to the next game!

[@21oli12]

​@@phatmidnightI'm sure everyone here prefer to wait for you if that means better quality😊. Any hint about the next game?😋

[@phatmidnight]

@21oli12 it also involves a masked character 🤭🎭

[@JSlink22]

19:00-21:00 good progression of analysis. I like how your ideas compound here

[@shevanz1589]

I think examining attachment and parenting styles is a really important step in trying to understand yourself as an adult from what you experienced as a child. I unintentionally figured out that my mother was neglectful of me when i was a child when i was doing my developmental unit for my psychology degree. I always felt like something bad happened to me when i was a kid, i was acting out a lot, i knew something bad happened but i didnt know what, i even sat my parents down and asked them if something happened and they didnt know of anything. I was looking for specific actions when in reality it was the complete lack of action. Sorry for the overshare but i hope this helps someone else out there who went through somethign similar but hasnt figured it out yet themselves.

[@phatmidnight]

I appreciate you sharing that, and that’s a good point it is important to include your upbringing in your self-analysis. Sometimes that takes people a long time to get to that conclusion.

[@neovaiitwilight1]

Amazing Video! I love the *subtle* shade thrown at Morgo at 04:55 :D

[@phatmidnight]

Always love a good subtle shade

[@zainmudassir2964]

Protect little Miss Fortune at all cost ❤😢. I hugged my daughter halfway watching this vid

[@ja_smexo4757]

Fun fact Fran Bow is is seen in the Little MisFortune Game in the beginning, in a car that she is driving with a mask covering her face

[@phatmidnight]

😮👀

[@edwardbartlett5449]

We absolutely adore your videos. I am currently writing up a homeschooling lesson plan that includes one of them. My only complaint is that I wish they were longer and more detailed. If you had a patreon where you offered more in-depth detail videos we would most certainly subscribe. Anyway keep making such awesome content and we will keep consuming it.

[@phatmidnight]

Wow you’re the first to suggest a patreon with more in depth videos. I really appreciate your comment, and I’d love to try and balance this with my full-time job better so I can cover more from each game. If there are any recommendations for other games let me know!

[@edwardbartlett5449]

Well I don't know if this is necessarily up your alley, but the game Tyranny dips into the nature of evil, the consequences of colonialism, redemption... It would be a perfect game it were not for the fact that they weren't able to complete it the way they wanted so the ending feels a bit weak.

[@edwardbartlett5449]

Actually I do have a suggestion for a game that I would love to see you breakdown. The Telltale game Wolf Amongst Us. I'm a big fan of The Telltale Games to begin with put that game really hit me right in the CPTSD riddled heart. Not much media does a better job at relaying the echo effect of trauma and forgiveness better than Wolf Amongst Us.

[@The_Horse-leafs_Cabbage]

Love your breakdowns of this game and Fran Bow-- You've got a knack for these video essays

[@phatmidnight]

I appreciate that, thank you!

[@Sollysink]

I actually played this game because your video appeared in my feed, and thought "I should play that before I watch a video, it used to be on my wishlist" Glad that your video came back up :)

[@phatmidnight]

I’m so happy you’re supporting the devs!

[@ysabellahinunagan8166]

When the explaining came to Benjamin's bag and heard the word "Senersedee" I immedietly knew that both of these games are connected because in the game franbow, later in the game a toad gives you a book that was the owner of Léon with the same experiences of franbow and in the game of franbow we learn about the 5 realities.

[@phatmidnight]

It was all coming together!

[@DarkWingsCarryMeAway]

As to the point on the ultra reality being a figment of Fran’s mind or real, I think it’s a little bit of both. The ultra reality is real in the game but the specific details within the realm that Fran sees is influenced partially by her trauma. There are also details in it that Fran would never be able to know. It’s plausible she could know the trauma of the other kids by overhearing lose lipped nurses and reading the diagnosis charts in the asylum but the specific details the ultra reality reveals she could never know as some of the charts don’t know that information. It’s like the ultra reality is altered by human suffering (or rather human “truth” the nasty things that happen to us no one likes to focus on); trapping it like a fly in a web for eternity and those who perceive the ultra reality can perceive this suffering and the shadows that come to feed on it like parasites.

[@maggieo1683]

To the part where you said you were surprised by Misfortune loving her mom and wanting to find the eternal happiness to gift to her mom despite her mother's neglect all her life, as a young adult who experienced neglect by my own alcoholic mom, I can say that as a child, you just want everything to be okay. When I was really young I did anything and everything I could to make my mom happy, going so far as to not hang out with friends or join clubs like the other kids because my mom was happier and had less of an urge to drink while I was there. If I was told as a child that I could find eternal happiness and give it to her, I probably would have been just like Little Misfortune and that's why this game struck me so hard in the feels. As a kid I loved my mom too, despite the fact that she fell short as a parent in a lot of ways. Only now at 21 have I been able to understand that I should not have had to put my life on hold to look out for my mom. There's a simple quote at the end of a book I read recently that made me tear up because it was exactly what my inner child needed to hear: "the child isn't supposed to be okay for the mom, the mom is supposed to be okay for the child." I know Misfortune needed to hear that as well.

[@JSlink22]

Woah, strong open. Like the title card! Professional open!

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you! Working on improving my 30 second attention grabber!

[@SweetSassyMolassy-sr4yg]

I hope we see more from Natalia Martinsson in the future. Both Franbow and Little Misfortune are fascinating looks into childhood trauma, the resulting mental decline and how kids perceive traumatic events. Plus, I think her particular aesthetic when it comes to the macabre and unsettling are extremely effective. Franbow was one of the most scarring experiences I’ve had playing a video game. Some of the imagery was just 😟

[@phatmidnight]

So well said. I think the team is working on another game that’ll be centered around Benjamin so I’m excited to see where that goes!

[@CoffeTalks]

If you like paychological games and analyzing them you should play What remains of Edith Finch. In my opinion is one of the best gamee about family trauma and the art style and gameplay are very unique.

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you for the rec, ill have to look into it!

[@colorblockpoprocks6973]

i may be the only person on the planet that wishes these games hadnt ever taken some supernatural spin.

[@phatmidnight]

You’d prefer a more realistic setting?

[@JSlink22]

18:05 - oof poetry snaps!

[@barbadroid]

Wonderful video, I adore it! Misfortune is such a great game and topic

[@phatmidnight]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@Chilling_pal_n01anad91ct]

10:03 here comes the ✨boy✨ Hello boy! Welcome! There ✨he✨ is~

[@rainkoro0449]

The twist at the end of this game SHATTERED me. I had a feeling but I held onto too much hope ;-;

[@phatmidnight]

It’s the ultimate twist :(

[@lavenderrose82]

I recommend checking out Omori, since it's also a really great psychological horror game. It's definitely way longer than Fran Bow/Little Misfortune, since there's multiple routes you can choose and A LOT of hidden(obsure) details in the game as well. So i recommend using a guide while playing the game or watch someone's playthrough that goes through all the details. The ported version of the game adds new things in one route.

[@phatmidnight]

Omori is one of the reasons I wanted to start this channel! But yeah it is a longer game and there’s such a huge fan base so I’m holding off until I feel my video editing skills and writing skills are good enough to do some justice to it 😆 I’d love to cover it sometime in the future though!

[@amyleah08]

You pronouncing "Hiro" correctly at 7:54 just made my day. So many people don't

[@phatmidnight]

Arigatou ~

[@NeverCallEllis]

I know many people made videos on Cry of Fear, but I think you would do a good video on that

[@phatmidnight]

Thanks for the confidence in my skills 😂 what specifically would you like covered if I did a video on that game?

[@NeverCallEllis]

@@phatmidnight About how depresion affects people's mental health

[@MrVlogerGuy]

One of the saddest games I sat through; the ending always gets me.

[@charleslee8313]

I heard of this years ago, on Game Theory. It's wild, to say the least. "'Today'?! But that's today!"

[@phatmidnight]

My favorite line 😂

[@Cricket_hoppz]

You should totally play / psycho-analyse sally face!! it seems right up your ally

[@phatmidnight]

Definitely is up my alley. What would you like to see covered if I did play sally face?

[@floramew]

you say it's hard to predict what challenges you'll face here, because usually you can lean on the subgenre expectations to guide you... and I mean... yes? yes, exactly. I liked the story telling of this game, and also the outcome was disturbingly obvious most of the time, where a great deal of the tension was waiting for the other shoe to drop. but then, I do love this subgenre of horror, the cutesy on the surface, kids trying to deal with severely traumatic shit, kind of thing, which... it sounds like you weren't aware *is* a genre. I don't know what it's called, but it has been a staple in indie game community for a while, I feel like. I definitely played several free RPG maker games that I'd class in this genre.

[@phatmidnight]

I like seeing more of these kinds, and have played different kinds of horror games over the years so it’s an interesting genre

[@seul4gi]

psychological horror is peak

[@phatmidnight]

yes

[@Victoria-_]

This game is so beautifully tragic 😭

[@sovietrazor]

I found the game funny more than horror, i figured it out prettymuch as soon as i crossed the road. My initial guess was i get run over by car and everything after this is a post mortem delirium with glitter mechanic defining weather she goes to heaven or hell.

[@laughingvampire7555]

Natalia, the game creator & CEO of the studio that made both games Fran Bow & Little Misfortune, said that they are going to meet in future games, and they are making a new video game Benjamin, in which the Fox is the protagonist, is going to be a bigger game.

[@phatmidnight]

So excited for that!!

[@bronzeplayergaming2244]

The entire time, I kept having the feeling that the Voice was trying to kill Little Misfortune, whether it be directly or indirectly, since there were a whole lot of things a child normally wouldn't survive from

[@phatmidnight]

And yet she survived it all. Only to find out she wasn’t alive to begin with :(

[@snigeling]

Very nice video.

[@phatmidnight]

Thanks!

[@kiayatwixxer4736]

Why did i think Misfortune was Russian QwQ

[@MeepChangeling]

"Do any of us truly comprehend such experiences?" Yes. Lots of us. Because these kinds of things happen to real people every day.

[@phatmidnight]

you got it!

[@glasperle77]

as someone that suffered from gaslighting in family household and ended up with ptsd and some other condtiions, I can say that morgo's actions are likely NOT gaslighting. And again- I hate that people assume he is "evil" , benjamin is "good" etc. if we don't even know anything about the beyond. It's folklore type, it's 2 sides of a coin. We don't know where Misfortune ended up in the death cave. Maybe children are also gaslit by these people and want their soul as well, same with Morgo. Morgo never said to harm any of these children. They are trapped in limbo until they enter his realm, that's all we know. And they are trapped in limbo before Senersedee gets their souls as well. to me it's both the same.

[@FroggyMist]

I like the fact the game makers didn’t desensitized anything but put it through a kids eyes…

[@phatmidnight]

For sure an interesting perspective

[@N_0_S_t_al_gicben-zo]

How about a dead space video? It's a known horror shooter game but it does have psychological stuff to

[@phatmidnight]

What psychological elements of the game would you like to see explored?

[@justanothermortal1373]

I downloaded and played the whole game, and with it sacrificed a bit of my sanity, to watch this video. Here we go.

[@phatmidnight]

thank you, much appreciated 🙏🏼

[@justanothermortal1373]

@@phatmidnight thank YOU for provoking me to buy this game in the first place. I came across your video and was like, "hmm, this game looks interesting. I'll give it a go", only to finish it and have my breath taken away. Love psychological games.

[@VenusianLissette]

excellent.

[@carterwoodson8818]

Analysis starts @10:34

[@phatmidnight]

My definition of success is when someone starts time stamping my vids 😍😍 thank you!!

[@ekoheriyanto70]

I discovered little misfortune just recently, from a game streamer... Instantly it become my one of my favourite video games, up there with RE4 and Silent Hill 2, yes Little Misfortune really that good, from my opinion...👍👍👍 I wonder if the glitter eating, puking, throwing rock to misfortune, car hitting misfortune are based from real events ? Hhmm 🤔

[@phatmidnight]

I wonder too. I hope you enjoyed the video! I appreciate your comment

[@MushroomEater64]

This game was really sad to play...:'(

[@phatmidnight]

Definitely :’(

[@blxopium]

Did you guys see the way the subscribe button highlighted at the beginning? That was so cool!

[@phatmidnight]

I hope it was cool enough for you to press it hehe

[@sableskullmuncher9848]

I would love to see you cover Sally Face please, recently discovered your content very well made and entertaining

[@phatmidnight]

Thanks so much! Is there anything specific you’re curious about in sally face that youd like to see covered?

[@sableskullmuncher9848]

@@phatmidnight would love to see you perspective on if the "ghosts" and "demons" seen are real or metaphors for mental illness much like FranBow

[@JSlink22]

Lol 3 am upload? Burning the midnight oil?

[@phatmidnight]

The oil has since been spent at this point haha

[@superdupercoolguy69]

this analysis was amazing! i know its been done by a lot of other people, but i’d love to see an analysis of the game omori! specifically on blackspace and/or the effects of trauma on characters other than sunny (aubrey, kel, and hero are all so interesting but i feel like theyre never analyzed as thoroughly as the other characters and its honestly a shame)

[@phatmidnight]

I love love love love love love love Omori and it’s a huge part of the reason I even made this channel. I do plan to cover it at some point, maybe down the line once I’ve covered some other lesser known indie games. I want to give the game as much justice as I can with the analysis video, and you’re right I haven’t seen too many vids cover the other characters as deeply. But thank you for expressing interest in me covering Omori!!

[@kathrineici9811]

Huh, I thought Missfortune was slavic

[@phatmidnight]

What made you think that?

[@kathrineici9811]

@@phatmidnight Her accent was hard to place because the devs really captured the meandering sometimes anxious way a child speaks, but there were harsh breathy consonants that I associate with Eastern European accents. (The people from Bulgaria that I know speak a lot like Little Misfortune though faster and more confidently)

[@H0SH1K0-TSUSH1MA]

could you do an analysis of hello Charlotte?

[@phatmidnight]

I can look into it! What specific psychological themes would you like to see explored if I were to make a video?

[@Speed001]

Found you

[@phatmidnight]

Ya got me

[@nifftbatuff676]

Child trauma is the best trauma. 😊

[@phatmidnight]

😳

[@arstotzkanplaguedoctor]

🎠

[@phatmidnight]

Yes

[@pietroopendragon]

Oh look, yet another game depicting Norse runes as "demonic black magic", I'm so fucking sick of people making shit like this...

[@phatmidnight]

Are there any games you’d recommend that represent Norse runes in a positive light?

[@tragiclolz4587]

i don’t think it was intentional and either way the entire game doesn’t neccessarily demonize anything.