Darkwood: A Love Letter to Slavic Horror

[@ethanpriest157]

The first time I played Darkwood, I had just moved in to a new house and, unbeknownst to me, the wiring was really bad in the bathroom. So I played enough to get through one night without knowing that I had to fill up the generator to keep the lights on, and naturally, the lights went out in my safehouse, which didn't end well. When I put the game down for the night and went to the bathroom before going to bed, the lights flickered and went out and that was the closest to having a heart attack I've been so far in my life

[@jessicag.3694]

That's hilarious!

[@ethanpriest157]

@@jessicag.3694 It was quite scary at the time but now I can look back and laugh lol

[@sorceric6676]

New Objective : Survive.

[@TimBuktu666]

storys from the paulaner garden

[@Sosodaisies]

Mustve scared the 💩 out of u

[@afterpasthours7504]

“This game really makes you FEEL like you’re in desolate Eastern Europe with no hope of escape.”

[@blowedup3207]

Poor Vasiliy. Hope he make it someday, lul.

[@hotdogwater9522]

well, living in poland i feel like this everyday ahaha

[@Elp99t]

So just Eastern Europe basically

[@blowedup3207]

@@Elp99t more like CIS, absolute shithole.

[@TheVoidIsBees]

Lmao that's how I feel every day, living in Bulgaria

[@Pa3DoJI6au]

Slavs and despair. Name more iconic duo.

[@aviantheassassin9103]

Japan and Mass Destruction

[@vivvy_0]

@@aviantheassassin9103 you mean self-destruction

[@cactusmann5542]

Cheeki and breeki

[@monochromedream-eatingbaku]

Slavs and alcohol

[@TheLukeylala]

America and Oil.

[@angelofdusk13]

I watched Markiplier's playthrough. It's astounding how attached you get to the Trader, even though you don't know much about him, and his motives seem to conflict with yours. But he's there every day, and he seems to care about your well-being. He's the only true friend you have in a world that wants, unequivocally, to kill you. It's such good writing--and visuals, you feel so bad for this guy, trapped in his suit. He's so lonely.

[@AiSyYoo]

I couldn't accept losing him too. I got too comfortable with having tradable NPCs live forever in many games that seeing him dead in the most gruesome way made me go through the five stages of grief. I honestly thought I would prove the trader wrong and we'll give him hope escaping the woods.

[@Shockxv]

He always warned us. "The forest wants to devour you, you're heading right into its jaws". He was right after all. Crazy the ending was being told to us since the begining

[@mikehawk8984]

From the morning that I woke up in the new Silent Forest hideout and he showed me "There's no way out of here, brother.. We're stuck with each other." I literally got a bit teary eyed lol Like, how the fuck do you make me care so much about some creepy, mute Polish guy that shows up in my house every morning 😂😂

[@nikko1358]

thats because the trader is a clone of the protagonist made by the being

[@Shamino1]

Of course he wants to help you. Of course he is lonely. Of course he's interested in your well-being. He's you. Well, he's the forest's interpretation of you- the embryo's you find and consume for additional lives are embryo's that are fascimile's of people trapped in the forest: You included. That's why the trader visits you every morning, and looks like you- wears your old clothes, and it, too, like you, cannot speak.

[@alexandras3596]

Polish game devs: Its about the *despair*

[@RagnarRoxShow]

Hopelessness, despair, and a lot of polish.

[@cygneturesounds]

☝️😮 ✊😑

[@Vexillifer]

RR is the real Pole watcher.

[@spinachslurp9176]

Tbh tragic apocalypse stories in eastern Europe is what zombie apocalypse is in America. I wonder how both of these tropes got so popular in these places

[@callmesleeper]

Fun fact . My music is mostly popular in Poland. But then again, It's dystopian tones in Midtempo/Cyberpunk spirit. Maybe there is something to this.

[@alexilyin6134]

American writer - I will die for freedom French writer - I will die for love Russian writer - I will die

[@TheAna2800]

Brazillian writer - I'm already dead ehehehe XD

[@MyNameisRevenant]

Japanese writer- Omae wa Mou Shindeirou.

[@visionaeon]

@@TheAna2800 Taxes killed me already!

[@AnthonyDaFox]

Me: I will kill.

[@thefutureisnowoldman7653]

Italian write: I will eat Spanish write: I will sleep

[@Vito69PL]

As a Slav myself I can confirm, we exceed in very depresing stuff involving lonelyness, fragility of human life, complete madness and subjection to higher and unspecified powers... Thats why we drink so much...

[@sebastiantafoya3609]

My brother, as someone from mexico I would like to shake hands.

[@casedistorted]

@Eric Bolin as an American.. you all drunks lol

[@LizzaRob160]

*British lady enters chat*

[@chulebam]

@Eric Bolin mexico is also América.

[@thecpalumbo]

H A H A S O F U N N Y ! EASTERN EUROPE= LONELY AND DRUNK🤣😂🤣🤣 reddit moment🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@masterzoroark6664]

I wouldn't say that "Kill the dog" scene is there for us to resent the doctor, the scene for tbat is when he beats the shit out of the stranger. Killing the dog is the scene to show haed and painfull choices, you don't murder the dog, you mercy kill the dog

[@monochromedream-eatingbaku]

I agree, although clubbing it to death is not exactly a very pleasant or quick death either

[@masterzoroark6664]

@@monochromedream-eatingbaku yeah... But unfortunately lethal doses of painkillers weren't available

[@justanothershitpostinglose8800]

For me, I didn't even see it as a moral choice. I grew up in a rural area where that sort of thing is just "what you gotta do" when your pet is dying. If you don't put it down, it'll suffer with no hope of recovery. It's actually kind of interesting to see how people view emergent choices like this, where some people don't even think of them as choices at all. Up until the scene where he tortures the protagonist, I honestly thought the doctor was going to be a grim everyman, surviving as "morally" as he could given the circumstances.

[@en-men-lu-ana6870]

@@justanothershitpostinglose8800 Yeah, he did give off that feeling until the torture scene.

[@Docklead]

@@justanothershitpostinglose8800 Although I would assume most people put their pets down with a bullet or knife. Not chopping or beating the poor thing till it’s dead, right?

[@j897j]

there's nothing like waking up a a feature-length essay about darkwood from ragnarox

[@edgard142ndofwelshdale7]

I want more Darkwood content to watch!

[@AC-hj9tv]

Bonerization achieved

[@vellvet_xx]

heard this line in another video "Terror is knowing the threat is there, but not knowing what it will do."

[@jocosesonata]

Do you mind putting a link to that video? That line alone makes me want to watch it.

[@skulorao4143]

@@jocosesonata This is a really old comment and probably not much use now, but if you're looking for the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6bLlZmnpZp0ipo I'm fairly sure the quote came from this video, if not then I apologise (If you enjoy Metroid, well here ya go)

[@billbombshiggy9254]

I bet that was a Subnautica video

[@thetimeisninefifteen]

Between this, Pathologic 2, and Disco Elysium, you've proven yourself to be a worthy psychopomp through the world of Eastern European gaming, which is apparently my thing.

[@Speed001]

Wiki def. (they need money, please support) psychopomp: in religion. A spirit, deity, person, etc., who guides the souls of the dead to the afterlife.

[@drift752]

But Disco Elysium was created by an Estonian which is in the northern part not eastern.

[@kamilszadkowski8864]

@@drift752 Poland isn't Eastern European either. Tell that to westerners though. We are all just Eastern Europeans to them.

[@drift752]

@@kamilszadkowski8864 ignorance is présent brother I feel you

[@JGD185]

@@kamilszadkowski8864 I consider Poland to be part of the West. Unless you meant Western Europe

[@dungeonmaster217]

As a slav I can confirm that this game is an accurate representation of our daily life.

[@DarrenSmith-j8m]

Do you get chased by giant spiders made of human parts often?

[@dungeonmaster217]

@@DarrenSmith-j8m in some regions - yes, it's quite often.

[@silent-hills]

As another Slav, I can confirm as well.

[@syrupsnake302]

@@DarrenSmith-j8m Some look like humans. But replace the mutation... With alcohol

[@thomasprislacjr.4063]

@@DarrenSmith-j8m American Slav here, those damn spiders follow us all over the earth.

[@SulMatul]

This is honestly one of your best videos - you've done a stellar job

[@RagnarRoxShow]

Thank you!!

[@michimatsch5862]

High praise from someone who knows.

[@griffinham]

Agree!

[@asneakylawngnome5792]

@@RagnarRoxShow I agree with your view of survival games. I mean, surviving irl is hard enough as it is, I don't want to have to worry about making my character survive because he didn't eat 30 apples in an hour. lol

[@lambbonesdev]

Sul please tell me you like darkwood too

[@domossgameplays9730]

Who would win: An eldritch being of immense power absorbing everything in its path *or* One flamy boy

[@Speed001]

Yeah what, that whole last bit caught me off guard. There had to be other choices, right?

[@bruceluiz]

@@Speed001 I dont think so. The protagonist has only two choices: accept entropy, or defy it. Defying it (burning it down) also kills the protagonist in an agonizing way - denying Entropy only brings destruction and pain. I dont think there would be any other way that would fit so perfectly.

[@CBRN-115]

PURGE THE HERESY!

[@robinkingdon3304]

FOR THE EMPORER

[@Cushla-np4pt]

These abominations absorb and assimilate people into its fleshy mass, there is only one thing that can combat that: fire as it also consumes everything in its path until it is all a crisp

[@blackknightz5036]

Few hideout defensive tips for those that are new to the wood 1-Use big furniture like table or wardrobe to block door,seal off hole on wall and use small furnitures like chair to block the middle of a hall way infront of the room your hiding in,this give you a head up if there's something outside cause it'll very likely move the chair around 2-Light and sound are most often the key to you being found or not,sometime an enemy might break the window and break in only to wander around and then leave cause they didn't find anything,to properly hide make sure the light in your room don't shine outside through crack on walls or on barricaded window 3-Keep atleast two lamps inside the room you're hiding,random event will make 1~2 lamps stop working and standing in the dark is just asking for it 4-Keep a flare in your hot bar at night,enemy like the Banshee (see 41:15 for example) or random event will shut down all light leaving you vulnerable in the dark,a flare will be your life line here cause it'll alway work 5-Bear trap behind the window is one of the best investment in this game,it allow you to finish off what broke through the window or if there are two of them you only have to handle them one at a time 6-Glass bottle can be thrown on the ground and although they deal very little dmg to those that walked on it,it can serve as a sound alarm to you 7-Learn to use melee weapons and the stagger force of them 8-Pistol and shotgun are the best investment in firearm,they are powerful,their ammo and themselves are easier to find compare to other guns 9-Chameleon is the best perk in game cause it allow you to hide perfectly as long as you stand still (you can still use item+weapon) and it give you a free pass to skip 1/5 of the night every day,trust me you gonna need Chameleon for the late game 10-Respect the wood

[@HiddenLunarWings]

"Darkwood isn't actually that hard." Rag, this is the last straw. I'm unsubscribing.

[@Speed001]

It's just like math. Many people say it's hard but they're just discouraged, it's not 'hard'.

[@HiddenLunarWings]

@@Speed001 Me, who has died maybe 50 times and rage quit the game even though I loved it otherwise: Yeah definitely not hard

[@Konfide4043]

Fixing to start it up for the first time on Hardcore

[@Speed001]

@@HiddenLunarWings Yeah, like I said you got discouraged

[@burningsheep4473]

​@Cel Bel Guts I played through it on Normal very recently and also struggled with it. Of course, the game doesn't really punish you most of the time, but I never "got good" at the melee combat, which always felt frustrating. I had a stretch on the second map (Silent Forest?) where I got killed almost every night for a while. Molotovs and later guns were really a godsend for me. Though especially early on I also usually just forgot to use potentially lifesaveing abilities. You know, because at first you don't have them available and then you busy with being scared, flailing around in melee, collecting and crafting and then you are supposed to think of it in the right moment. In any case, I'm happy that Normal difficulty exists. I don't think I would have made it through otherwise. Especially after I made it to Chapter 2 and realized I had messed up (trying to avoid spoilers). Took me a few weeks to get back to it, but in terms of ressources I found the game to be surprisingly forgiving. Unless you just waste ressources without regard for the long term, the player shouldn't run into trouble. Though there was that stretch where alcohol just kind of went away for a while. I guess I was too trigger-happy with my lovely Molotovs ;)

[@CrozierCrow]

My all-time favourite game. Glad to see it still getting life from great creators. Your point on survival games was poignant as I'm pretty much the same - Darkwood definitely stands alone from the survival genre. Sound Design and atmosphere are incredible. On a note to anyone reading this, the devs on release put Darkwood on pirate bay and considered buying it on Steam as a donation iirc. Such passionate people behind this project and I don't regret my purchase.

[@RagnarRoxShow]

That Torrent bit was one of the parts that I had to cut for length from the video. It was, interestingly, how I got my first taste of the game when I was really broke. I came back to it and ended up making the longest video on it yet. Extending trust to the community can go a long way.

[@Masterdeber]

It makes me sad knowing how underrated this game is because you could tell the developers really put some heart into it

[@domagojgalekovic8507]

@@Masterdeber Can say the same about Rain World. That game is a beast as well.

[@Masterdeber]

@@domagojgalekovic8507 is one one acid wizard made?

[@caindis-abel-dhisbrother9601]

as a romanian, we pirate everything we can... but REALLY good games I buy afterwards. Pathologic 2, Darkwood, Dark Souls 123, Bloodborne, Elden Ring, Sekiro, Red Dead Redemption 2, Dysco Elysium, Darkest Dungeon, Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, Doom, Nightmare Reaper, Divinity Original Sin 2, V Rising, Gothic 2, Disciples 2, Cuphead just to name a few.

[@CARBman95]

Slavs make good survival horror because that is how real life is in slavic countries

[@symbolicjohnson7]

this is too much of a generalization. By this logic Brazilians should make the best survival games in the gaming industry

[@mr.cup6yearsago211]

@@symbolicjohnson7 yes. It’s a joke.

[@TheManinBlack9054]

sad but true

[@petrusk842]

@@symbolicjohnson7 I spent years in Ukraine and a month in Brazil. Slavic life is more depressing.

[@dungeonmaster217]

@@symbolicjohnson7 I can confirm that this is true. This game is very accurate in representing life in slavic country

[@LastMinuteEssays]

This would be perfect to watch if I still lived in the middle of a forest with my parents, but oh well, guess a position of comfort is just as fine.

[@RagnarRoxShow]

I wrote it so you can have a nostalgia trip to good old domovoi days in forest.

[@ccm4100]

Jokes on me, cause I´m unemployed and live with my parents in the woods. Fuck me.

[@LastMinuteEssays]

@@ccm4100 The real horror experience

[@Kijinn]

@@ccm4100 How do you deal with that? I live in the center of a huge city and struggle with depression. Does life in the woods shield you from experiences like depression or would you assume it's the same? Modern social diseases are commonly associated with growing city life, so I wonder how you might view that topic.

[@ccm4100]

@@Kijinn Well, right now I'm studying and preparing myself to get a job as a public teacher (the exam wil prolly be in 1,5-2 years). But I expect to go back into the private education circuit in a matter of months, so the perspective of having a near goal helps me focus. And about the woods shielding one from mental illness, well I guess some people will find the calm and superficial quietness of the forest soothing. Meanwhile other ones might not. Tarkovskys woods are calm, a joint for the humans to connect with nature and their innerselves, whereas Von Trier sees them as chaotic and reflective of the inherent cruelty of life. I guess different people will have a different perception of them. Even if I've struggled with mental issues in the past I am by no means at all an expert on the matter, so maybe take my opinion with a grain of salt. By this point I don't know if I've answered your question at all, but I wanna let you know that you are not alone and I wish you good luck dealing with depression.

[@RainbowRenegade]

The night events in Darkwood are absolutely terrifying. Every single night in this game was nerve-wracking until the very end. I'm a huge fan of old school survival horror genre and I've never experienced anything like this.

[@misterx-pt5zf]

Slavic survival horror is already it's own genre

[@jakedanielsen4512]

Real life

[@AC-hj9tv]

My grandparents growing up

[@P-rar]

80 years ago basically

[@БорисЯницкий]

Darkwood actually have much more in common with Strugatsky "Snail on the Slope" rather than with "Roadside Picnic", and I stongly recommend you to read it.

[@jordanadams9804]

My cousin showed me this game last year and the first thing i did was search to see if you had a video on it.. saw this in my recommended... its an hour and a half?! I'm genuinely excited to watch this

[@xxbabayagaxx1425]

ngl wouldn't mind assimilating with an eldritch forest being right about now

[@vivvygipe9605]

At least it's something other than my apartment HAHA... ha...

[@superceilingfan9741]

Both of these comments are top tier Moods

[@sneasnake6368]

Mood

[@lucasart328]

Youre doing it already with our system

[@kchinag7872]

Polish game devs: Its about the despair

[@rickimaru915]

"a game that manages to make the player organically engage in behaviour they would otherwise never consider, because it genuinely feels like the best possible way to go in that situation" This War of Mine is also very good in this regard. I managed to avoid stealing (other than from bandits) for most of the game. However there was one point where I was desperately low on supplies and had already cleaned out all the other available areas, and so I quickly raided a well-stocked house. I didn't harm anyone and only took the contents of their fridge (which had a good amount of food and medicine) but it turns out that was most of their supplies. There's no mechanical consequences (other than the effect on your character's mental state) but the game still makes you dwell on your actions. Did those people slowly starve? Were they also forced to raid others out of desperation? Could I have scraped by without stealing? To bring it back to your quote, I wasn't scripted to steal, I had to make the choice, but the game pushed me towards doing so out of desperation

[@unslaadkrosis9435]

I love that game

[@isaacjones748]

Poland proves that some of the best artistic expression comes from pure suffering. Glad you reviewed this game, it's one of my all time favs.

[@AC-hj9tv]

Thank you we have a long history of it

[@Rauser142]

@@AC-hj9tv Just like plenty of other nations yet only Poles are still whiney about it.

[@ЕкатеринаЛоженко-ж1ъ]

From now on this channal is a part of The Great Slav-lands

[@sono_chi_no_sodium_chlorid7635]

I appreciate that you stated it's "slavic" Most westerners think that slavic = russian

[@petersutor5845]

As a Slovak living in America... oh, boy ain't this the truth.

[@symbolicjohnson7]

To be fair. "Slavic" isn't the best descriptor either. It's too much of a over-generalization.

[@borealsullivan5486]

@@symbolicjohnson7 But still better then just calling entire population of eastern Europe "russians"

[@petersutor5845]

@@symbolicjohnson7 I disagree. If your word for "words" in your language is "slov" or something to that effect, then you are Slavic. It's where the "Slav" comes from (mispronunciation of "slov"). Basically, do you speak "the words" (slova)? Then you are Slavic. Yes, it does encompass quite a lot of people, but I don't see it as an ethnicity really, but a common stem of cultural evolution.

[@symbolicjohnson7]

@@borealsullivan5486 It's much worse. The idea to call all slavonic speaking people inhabiting Eurasia slavs comes close to pan-slavinism. Which is basically the same as calling everyone russians. With the flavour of nationalism.

[@Lynn_Lore]

I have waaay to many hours on this game for being a student. I cant. I cant stop and I keep coming back to this absolute gem of a horror experience. I get excited as soon as I think of this game.

[@Lynn_Lore]

Also have done all combos of the story. Because I can.

[@Argonaut1ka]

"If it's a quest completing it is always good right?" I love how some recent games really use this. Like Disco Elysium, giving you smoke cigarettes, or drink alcohol as permanent quests does a pretty good job of showing the addiction in them, the constant chase of them. I love it.

[@masterwr4943]

I love how the main character knowing who he really is doesn't save him from being lured deeper into the forest under the strong conviction that he needs to get home. Just like your character you don't see the picture clearly until the very end, this is true horror

[@Kagrynac]

Absolutely loved this game! The haunting, oppressive atmosphere and intriguing world is intoxicating. It feels like one of the few games to really nail Lovecraftian/Cosmic horror and not simply resort to *"Fish people! Tentacles! And you're **_Craaazy!_** "* The whole game my mind was twisting trying to understand what was the plague, what is this forest, who/what are these "people?" *Should I be really be consuming these mushrooms?!* Edit: And what an ending! Straight mindfuck swiftly followed by a revelation and cathartic release.

[@martinnolhaf3151]

Hey Ragnar, I would have watched and listened to this for 3 hous. So IF you ever find yourself wrting a script this long again, I'm sure a lot of eople would watcht he video.

[@Speed001]

Same. I wish the ending was explored more if you do a shorter part 2.

[@ArdannaL]

I wish he'd do audiobooks or something like that, he's got a good voice to listen too. I've lost track of how many times I've rewatched his Rule of the Rose, Pathologic, The Void and plague videos. Just to put them in the background and listen.

[@daniellion5291]

It's almost like the real life Slavs went through real-life horrors (they did)

[@MyNameisRevenant]

The horror is too real here, taking the monsters aside of course

[@SecuR0M]

It's the core metaphorical narrative of Darkwood, too.

[@SunsetEnvy]

As a Polish person, I can confirm that forests like this exist.

[@thelvadam2884]

Damn what keeps this forests inside poland then since in Germany we don't have this forests?

[@nightcrow1688]

The greatest thing about this game is that there's almost no jumpscares in it. But that doesn't mean all the scares aren't there at all, in fact all the scares feel so dynamic in combination of the atmosphere that it just makes the experiance all the more terrifying, not to mention some very very nerve racking moments that bring up my own anxiety up a lot.

[@-gray-6966]

A great example of a hybrid of jump scares and atmosphere is the wedding. The song and banging and the ghostly guests dancing in the forest coupled with your very first red chomper is chilling. Nearly as chilling as the well in the village.

[@TheLeafar99]

I had been postponing this video, in order to avoid spoilers, but since my last attempt to survive the night in the woods, i gave up. And now, i really dont feel like you spoiled anything, much the opposite, gave me a new-found desire to try again.

[@RagnarRoxShow]

That's really cool to hear actually, I'm glad. Good luck for the next attempt!

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

Im going to fall asleep to this. Nobody can stop me. And nobody can keep me from having intense despair filled dreams

[@AC-hj9tv]

Ok

[@blakechildress944]

Ragnarox your editing skills has come a long way and this video is probably one of your best!!! Thank you for making great videos about my favorite game genres!

[@wierdsnake]

The stranger isn't a blank slate. He has a back story. He has clues telling who he is. The photo of the road home isn't truly his, he only found it. Only the inhabitants know the road as the road home. Its why he isn't hypnotized by the madness of the forest, and is able to wake up from the sleep. He went into the forest for reason he didn't end up there by accident. The center of the forest was his target before he even entered the forest.

[@112523]

i absolutely love this game. the survival elements make sense but are not overbearing. they make sense and fit the game very well plus the story is really cool as well. one of my fav survival horror games ever

[@I-Am-He.]

A big shout out to “The Long Dark”. A snowy survival masterpiece, which has made great strides since its release

[@phonkwizard7667]

i love that game so much, ive been playing since 2017 and i just got back into it the other day and im honestly impressed with how far theyve come

[@thelvadam2884]

Great game

[@milanjudak7574]

Im really suprised that so few people got the full picture of the story how the Being is creating copies and combinations of everything only about 10% of the forrest are trees everything else is a copy the trader is a copy of you,the wolfman a copy of the hunter and a wolf,the mushroom granny and her house a copy of the dead granny and her ruined house the first evidences of this you can see right as you enter the tunnels you find a guy on the floor,his original body found later in the tunnel,a cross and a bullet in the head on Steam in the Guide section there is aguide called *MAJOR SPOILERS* Scrumptious Lore and Where to Find It its one of the top rated its explains soooo much and still not damage the mistery

[@drakewarrior1013]

Thank you that you've pointed me to the guide. I knew this info from earlier, but yeah, it was hard to come to the conclusion by myself. Only after getting the journal and the key of the trader, and that copy of a killed guy, I started to have *some* suspicions. Still, never knew the Granny is a copy, and not some corrupted human, up until you nemtioned. Are there even "corrupted" people? Or everybody who is corrupded - is in fact a combination/copy?

[@milanjudak7574]

​@@drakewarrior1013 i thing the chomperes and suicide bombers would count they have been changed but are not created and still somewhat think and talk the chompers sometimes say things like they can hear you or will ask you not to do things,such as the musicians parents

[@aarend5168]

Hell man. You are the guy behind that guide? Kudos to you, it literally made me wonder at how much I missed out on the game on my first playthrough. You really did put a lot of efford into it

[@milanjudak7574]

@@aarend5168 Nah just seen the connections and started looking for anything i could find the internets had nothing so i started searching the forums and in the end found this in the guides

[@milanjudak7574]

@DARDANIA SOLDIERS sure it is xD

[@BagshaaEmshen]

56:16 Also this biker will drink all your moonshine from your stash in transit. Hah! Very typical "Дед" villager in our slav reality.

[@RagnarRoxShow]

Wait really?? That's such a cool detail, I had never noticed ahaha!

[@Vl4d21]

I'm so proud to watch your material about a game that was made by fellow devs from my country. It was me that asked you for this material some time ago; so, in a way, it's a dream come true. Thanks Ragnar. :)

[@hemangchauhan2864]

DARK-fockin-WOOD. Thank you for covering it. It came out in 2017, one of the best years in gaming. It stood head and shoulder against RE7, Evil Within2 and Detention. It is crazy how something 3 friends came and made crazy good horror experience.

[@mr420quickscops2]

Infinitely scarier experience than either Evil Within game as well I literally can't get past an hour or 2 of gameplay in Darkwood

[@yekokataatheplacetobe7447]

Ahem, *ackchyually* these houses look more like "brezhnyevkas" than "khrushchyovkas" PS Great video, man

[@Aarons_Sigh]

My God, that was truly an experience in it of itself. The voice modulated portion of this video gave me chills and I honestly want to do another playthrough to get the true ending just after listening to this video. You are an amazing human being, I honestly wish the video was longer lol

[@oliviapenelopehope4497]

I love the nod to “Chapter Two” being where it is in the video, describing those who take the time to watch so far. I just love video essays like this. I watch and listen to several a week. I love to hear the passion people have for good games and media. Thank you for making this and sharing it with the masses. :)

[@ozmaozmaozmaozma]

I want to play games like this, Pathologic, Stalker, and Silent Hill so so so bad because, aesthetically and lore wise, they have so much appeal to me. But I’m so bad with horror and the gloomy nature of such games mentally drain me to the point of exhaustion in just a few minutes. I’m jealous of people who are able to tough them out. Maybe one day I’ll be able to get through them

[@edward-byanyothername]

same dude, im fine when watching, idk, a let's play on KZbin, but whenever i try to play a horror game myself im just paralyzed with fear lmao

[@dantevalehuntik28]

Literally same lol, I love the story and aesthetic things you can do with horror, but unfortunately my anxiety hates me Let's players are a godsend

[@corradosoprano5408]

I would still highly recommend Stalker, its in my opinion, the least scary overall but still packed with Amazing moments, a truly phenomenal series

[@Skarwind]

As good of a game as each is, they also have a lot of busy work that turns off people. Pathologic is not a scary game at all. If you think it's going to jump scare you, it won't. You'll be turned off more with inventory management and the janky fighting than the dark world you are in.

[@juanjbrieva5168]

You could begin with easier games (or not so scary games) I mean, I played the first Resident Evil when I was 13-14 approx. and couldn't finish it (it was in English, and I'm from Spain, so I couldn't understand most of it) Resident Evil 2 was a bit easier and it came with Spanish subtitles, and Resident Evil 3 already had an Easy Mode (you get an assault rifle from the very beginning) That was probably how I begun "training" my patience and feeling somewhat "comfortable" playing horror games, even though we horror fans never feel 100% comfortable I'd like to think!

[@rickimaru915]

I too am not really interested in survival games for the most part. But a few, including Darkwood, as well as This War of Mine and Subnautica, really grabbed me. Subnautica is actually one of my favourite games ever

[@Mixppmix]

People on steam forum didnt like it, but I think that the whole story is a metafor on socialism in eastern block (especially Poland) during the years the game is taking place (1984-1986 I think). There is a horror of colectivism - the main tree "collecting" other lives. There is everlasting distrust between people living in the area, only family units are usually living together (in those times, snitching to state security bloomed). There is a non-travel, isolationist policy (iron curtain). And a scarcity (poland even have a retro boardgame called Kolejka/TheLine about this). The wolf is giving you morally degraded assignments and calls you comrade, or meat (as a joke threat, that he can end your existence anytime, exactly the same power as a KGB officer would have). To be fair, this could be set in modern day as Stalker is, but they went with the era closely resembling what is happening in the forest anyway. But on a scale for the whole country.

[@JapanischErfahren]

yup, very true.

[@miliocito2293]

It’s 2 : 27 at night and something catches your eye, something you’ve been anticipating, but still makes your heart skip a beat. The video essay calls to you...

[@Indigo_Ninja]

It's because of this video, specifically, that made me get Darkwood finally. I've clocked in double digits with the game, and I just... have a lot to say. Living in a "post quarantine" world, the game... very much feels likes a game about loneliness and isolation. It's absolutely a dark fairly tale, but it's also a dark magical realism game. There's magic, but it's portrayed in such a classic literary sense, that it almost feels wrong to call it anything else. I've been making attempts to learn about what could have been going on in Poland during the late 80's trying to better understand what was going on in the real world to better understand the world in the context of the game. I've made little headway. Still, this game is absolutely about loneliness. The Stranger's lack of speech is, I feel, a very purposeful choice in design. Speech, and by extension, language, is what allows humans to connect to one another more fully than nearly any other way. That lack of language, that lack of explicit expression, added another layer of isolation and loneliness. Our only friend, for a good portion of the game, is the Trader. However, the main difference between him and us, is that he's able to "speak," in a way. Eventually, they're gone, for reasons I won't spoil. And we're alone again. We have to continue on, and, depending on our choices in the first chapter, we're alone for the rest of the game. Yes, we get someone(s) else, but it's not the same. It's not really *our* trader. This game will probably mean a lot to me for many years. It'll stay with me. It... well, it's sort of scratched an aspect of being human that I've yet to encounter from any other game. The aspect of loneliness, of isolation, of wanting to reach out from within and making connections, but being unable to. The reasons for why we're unable to, can come from many things; poverty, distance, time, illness, as well as physical and mental ability. Long story short, this is a game I would recommended to nearly anyone. It's a mature game, it understands that its players are grown (or nearly grown) adults, and creates the deep, underlying anxiety that comes with fear of the unknown, as well as fear of what we do know. This game will, if given the time and open mind needed, give you a different perspective of life around you. At the very least, it did that for me.

[@CreatorGrey]

Oh my heart, I’ve been hoping you would do Darkwood for so long and this is just amazing.

[@moltar706]

17:37 Something about the horror trope of Pagan looking dudes like that in deep dark cold forests is just something that will never get old to me, i love the look of it.

[@naomigray575]

Same here, its definitely an aesthetic that screams, "respect the forest or die". Makes us tree-huggers look more badass lol.

[@Levitator94]

was wondering when we would see Darkwood on the channel, it’s damn good!

[@jesterlogic6886]

There’s allota subtleties to the game that really make me appreciate and enjoy it so far, got through day 2 without dying but i know death is just around the corner, but the mechanics and desire to see the end will bring me back

[@zacheymczachface]

God that video was excellent, you're a wizard when it comes to atmosphere, I'd say honestly of all the video essay channels I love you are the one I enjoy the most. Keep up the great content, also thank you for using your sponsorship time to showcase something thematically relevant rather than breaking the immersion by hocking razors or socks.

[@thalianox2492]

The Slavs really know how to make survival games. This War of Mine really had me questioning my morals

[@WobblesandBean]

It becomes even more disturbing once you realize many of my fellow Slavs have lived that very horror. Your sense of morality and community goes right out the window when you're forced into a situation like that.

[@caindis-abel-dhisbrother9601]

that game relaxed me so much, just good music and atmosphere.

[@michimatsch5862]

@@WobblesandBean Eh, not true. Some survivors of the real life events that "this war of mine" portrays spoke about it and they say that everyone worked together as best they could. They also praise the game for other parts but that was their big criticism.

[@AC-hj9tv]

I just killed everyone in it or let them suffer

[@theviking8189]

Glad to be this early for such a great game.

[@blehblehblereh]

I felt so at-home playing/watching Darkwood, there is something so strongly polish about it, from characters to themes and details that remind me of Everyday life. . Its weird to say about a horror game but damn, it really helps my homesickness

[@piotrtoborek2442]

Using pre-1989 Polish aestethics surely helps ;) There are Fiat-126p and Fiat-125p wrecked cars, Klubowe cigaretts, Trybuna Ludu newspaper, picture with People's Army soldier and so on... :D

[@flockofflamingos]

I likely won't get around to watching the video until tomorrow but wanted to pre-emptively express my excitement on seeing the "1:27:04" timestamp in my notifications. An hour and a half RagnarRox video?! A blessing. If you're ever uncertain about your videos that go this long, please be encouraged that I--and probably most of your viewers!--love it. I can't wait to sink my teeth into this!

[@leikeylosh]

This game is the definition of "criminally underrated". No other game ever offered a horror experience like Darkwood. Every creepy character portrait and tense sequences are still burned into my brain even after so many years. I played it on release and played it only once but I still can remember things as vivid as if I played yesterday. I think that's the greatest accomplishment any videogame developer seek to achieve and Darkwood did that amazingly well.

[@tanyuj]

im still looking for a new game to settle the void of completing darkwood. i really love this game dearly.

[@anselravenhart4753]

Play Darkwood... Again.

[@uthergoodman401]

Try the Outer Wilds. A totally different game but one with a deep meaning. It has some great existential horror too. Avoid absolutely any spoilers.

[@quinnsmal4975]

This is my first time discovering your channel, I'm hooked already

[@lorenzopatricio6824]

So strange, I just recently completed this game after having a friend recommend it to me afew months ago and it swiftly became one of my favourite games in general, and ever since I've been seeing so much content about it even though it's been available for afew years. Nice to see it get the love it very much deserves, the Acid Wizard team should be very proud of themselves.

[@vietnamgamer9490]

I am not really a fan of horror games. Sure I like resident evil and bioshock, but that’s action really. But this game? Unquestionably one of the best games I have ever played. I really, really hope that some people play this because of this video, especially without spoiling it for themselves

[@damiancrowley569]

It's pretty cool that such a small amount of people made it to chapter 2 on steam. It's almost like, if any one of us were to actually be in this position, we'd be like all the people who died or just gave up/gave in to the madness. Those who surpass, being the people who might actually persevere

[@bidge6353]

Imagine watching an in-depth video game extrapolation the length of a TV feature presentation and not even falling asleep to it. I don’t have to imagine it. Good shit, mate. It really is a shame that we’ll never be able to fight off the Darkwood’s dread and despair with nerves we never knew of for the first time again. Hope to see more great stuff from you.

[@willgrox4952]

This video was... amazing. I bought the game instantly after finishing it. Thank you so much.

[@josephmatthews7698]

Another game I bought on principle knowing damn well I'll never beat it. I just want more devs making more games like this with love and passion. Don't regret my purchase at all and still got plenty of enjoyment out of it. And who knows? Maybe one day far from now when the kids are grown and the bills are paid I'll have the time and energy to truly devote a piece of myself to this masterpiece of gaming. Looking at my game library gives me immense hope and motivation for the future.

[@MrZerolix]

Completed pathologic 2 because of your videos, amazing, and now im addicted to this. You're a good man

[@by_blood]

i was genuinely suprised when I saw polish in the game, I chose it at random and I LOVE IT

[@m_tmt_m]

as a ukrainian, in the end this video made me cry because of how much i miss the despair and dark, depressive survival i endured back there. i miss it so much. i miss the tug of hope i always had in the dark, snowy days. i miss it all. thank you for bringing me back for an hour or so. this made my wanting to go home so much more raw. one day i'll be back, and the destruction will shine in the morning light like it always did.

[@MelodyRose96]

I've been waiting for this for awhile! I LOVE Darkwoods, have been in love with it since it's early access back in 2015, and it makes me so happy to see others talking about it again! Thank you for making a video about it! Hopefully even more people will play it now!

[@thecpalumbo]

Hell yeah. I’ve been following you for a while man, you’re one of the few tubers I’ve found that is well-versed in both film and games. I come at a lot of games in a similar way I think, and I was just waiting the roadside picnic/stalker reference on this one. And the 1 hr + video essay on an under-played game that deserves it? 😳😳😍 I hope this one blows up g.

[@lilylohmann614]

It’s really funny what you said about Solaris, because that’s one of my favorite movies lmao

[@EightnotesHideout]

This video is a genuine masterpiece! Awesome!

[@finlockhart4572]

Now I'm absolutley determined to get my hands on Darkwood one of these days... what a great video. You're really good at making people want to actually play the games you talk about.

[@fredv3043]

Did you get it?

[@buntado6]

I live in Venezuela, the part of "The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are" is very relatable for me. I've spent decade and a half wishing a solution to this would arrive before becoming the indiscutable hellhole it has become, always discovering new ways to bring new forms of misery to people in order to dominate them. I never looked quite hard for opportunities to leave, because I felt if I did I would forever lose the right to complain about political problems, this is the one place I feel I can do that, for this is my home, at least internally seeing that we live in a dictatorship that will destroy you if you express those feelings where you shouldn't. So I just waited to see if the government would change (with no guns there's no way to fight back), if an opportunity to leave would arise that wouldn't make me feel I betrayed my consciousness... but that never happened, and now even if it did, I'm not sure if I would fit in that postworld. Turns out some values I usually defended, the so called progressive ones, now irritate me, for they've been taken by ideologic grups who are bent in defending these tyrants. And the most ironic thing is that in that shared misery, we've become quite equal in our hatred. There's no point about discussing gay rights for marriage and adoption because nobody can assure the future of their children here, no point about trans rights for medical attention to their mental condition because hospital and clinics are utterly incapable of providing any sort of medical service anyways... Having to live with only 30 minutes of water each two days, constant blackouts, kilometric hours of wait at gas stations due to shortage despite living in an oil country, an inflation rate that has everyone using informal dollars because nobody wants Bolivar bills, the currency of the country itself, makes so many of those things seem completely puerile... To think that a part of me actually fears that prosperity will actually lead to another generation of people worshiping the people that made this, or any other foreign tyrant because they don't know better.... How much would you have to be pushed to end up arriving to that pessimistic conclusion? A lot I guess.

[@thurielangel3239]

Wow that hit hard, didn’t expect to find such a testimony here

[@tsarXadam]

Venezuela is in a bad place because the global superpower just to its north has the country under a suffocating economic siege for ideological and imperialist reasons. Your government isn't going to improve until that ends, though judging by your comment it sounds like you would be satisfied with the US "liberating" Venezuela with its mercenary Contra death squads and turning the country into a colonized banana republic. The PSUV can't do much about LGBT rights when the US tries to violently overthrow your government every few years.

[@buntado6]

@@tsarXadam US won't do anything because it knows there's no real opposition here. From a military dictatorship from my grandparents days to a bipartidist one and once again to a military one. We broke records of protests in previous years and it amounted to nothing, people from the whole country flooded caracas and when that happened, the "opposition" sent everyone to their homes. The people wanted their dimmision, the "leaders" only asked for elections under the current PSUV controlled system. Now the only reason you won't see those kinds of protests is because gas, water and electricity shortage has completely crippled the capacity for protest. Ruin is the best way to subjugate, so they don't have any reason to solve it. And don't you dare insinuate that PSUV cares about LGBT when their biggest patron, China, is doing the complete opposite of helping that cause, aside from allying with the Taliban.

[@Sallyfaceoff]

This video is a masterpiece. After getting to know darkwood, I was desperately searching for good videos on the topic and here I found the most perfect analysis of the game paired with your experience. I was reminded of Legend of Zelda, too. When I heard the first notes of the darkworld song, I was getting anxious again. I played that game as a kid and I was so proud when I survived all the hardships without the help of my brother. You've earned another subscriber. Love your calm voice btw. It's a pleasure to listen to you.

[@chibiktsn3]

Loved this video, you are always so eloquent, and even though I'm not much of a gamer (and am a total weenie, so most horror games are right out) I'm enraptured by these games' stories.

[@pogothepurple3826]

Dude I watched your RE7 vid like 5 times, and now I've seen this one. Your videos are so well thought out, your commentary is insightful and thought provoking. You are among the best at what you do on here man. Fantastic work. Love the length too, I enjoy a video I can put on at work and just listen while I do my thing. Keep it up bro!

[@leosabat4636]

when he said i cut alot... my instant reaction was : there is a directors cut version?

[@autumnaxiom]

I am really happy that I discovered your channel, since you are, undenyably, one of the most compelling essayists/narrators I've seen on KZbin to date. You explanations are really well thought out, nuanced and just overall super pleasant to listen to, while raising a lot of interesting points I didn't consider before. I look forward to your new videos, as well as to watching other videos on your channel I haven't seen yet!

[@acadia5898]

just bought Pathologic 2. it has been in my wishlist for a longtime now

[@spiderfingers2113]

I played Darkwood on Nightmare my first run. I was killed by a banshee on my 6th night, in Dry Meadows. My first ever encounter with a banshee was on my 5th night, a banshee in a nest appeared behind my latern, leaving behind "?" I took it and cooked it and when the banshee returned the following night, i thought it was because i ate the thing it left behind. Never did that again on my following playthroughs until i beat the game and looked up the wiki as i was playing blind. On the one hand, playing blind on nightmare was exhilarating, but i spent way too much time in Silent Woods looking for the codes to those damn crates

[@BlaQGhoste93]

That's it. I'm gonna say it. The way you order your thoughts in your scripts combined with cadence in your speech is bar none. Period

[@000Gua000]

This game is a masterpiece. I still can't understand why Darkwood isn't more popular.

[@Oryxification]

I'm also wondering why the Wolfman does't have more fanart.

[@112523]

about the achievements. keep in mind that these devs posted darkwood on a torrent site for people to pirate it with a readme file that asked them to buy the game if they enjoyed it. and i think alot of people actually did just that. i know i did

[@leviathiane]

im absolutely obsessed with this video, I was already so fascinated by everything about Darkwood but you have such an eloquent script put together with a more quiet and thoughtful tone of voice and great editing, and I just love everything bout it. Great work!!

[@samlee7805]

Such an underviewed game, thank you for highlighting this masterpiece!

[@DearAnem0ia]

The soundtrack for this game is genuinely one of the most terrifying ones I've ever heard. The excessive amount of distorted droning in it is enough to send chills down my spine just from thinking about those sounds.

[@ProperBird]

I'm so glad you liked this game, it's one of my favourites in the genre. ❤️ Hilariously, a Zelda game caused me to put down the game and run away for a while too. Majora's Mask and the eel pit at the bottom of the sea. 💀

[@itinerantmercenary6988]

Two years ago I was looking for videos regarding Silent Hill. This was my first visit introduction to you, your writing, and your style. In those two years you’ve grown so much, and in doing so brought me along for the ride. This is by leagues your greatest work, surpassing your peers, and even my expectations on what good storytelling can be. Thank you so much for bringing me along for the ride. It’s been one hell of a trip, and I hope to explore more with you.

[@gabe8072]

9:20 im sorry, but if i had started my first playthru on nightmare and i did end up dying idk what id do. im at the start of the 3rd day on a blind playthu and im still terrified of dying and the game very much does make me anxious, my brain couldnt handle permadeath 😭 id end up just hiding in my shack all day or just turning it off. horror games already make me anxious without permadeath, i kinda make my brain worry about permadeath regardless, like i dont do stupid shit in horror games knowing ill respawn. idk maybe thats just me, i just enjoy being totally immerserd and this game has done a hell of a job so far. excited to come back to this video after i finish the game.

[@broisyougobbling]

i was ASTONISHED when you started the epilogue. never has an hour and a half flown by so quickly. excellent, EXCELLENT video!

[@h.p.lovecraft6904]

This game is an absolute unit.

[@KaiHonsou]

I "fixed" a lot of chronic mental health issues in early December. The last few months have felt like a year while getting used to a new lease of life, but this video will have a strange nostalgic value to me, as something experienced before a new chapter in my life and I think it's always good to share that, especially with the creator. Thank you RagnarRox for making such good and memorable content, you should be super proud of your work!