The Haunting Peace of Being Lost

Getting lost is a sensation that may cause a bit of panic in the real world, yet somehow in a game is one of the most rewarding, refreshing, and strangely peaceful things you can experience. Today on Psych of Play, we take a deep dive into how that feeling of being lost and then finding your way again affects our psyche, how games capitalize on our natural curiosity, and what games can do to make their environments truly captivating. Get cozy... and enjoy the ride :)
Twitter ▶ / daryltalksgames
Twitch ▶ / daryltalksgames
Support Daryl Talks Games on Patreon! ▶▶ / daryltalksgames
Bonus content, early access, YOUR name at the end of videos, and more all for $1/month!
▶Games Shown
Ori and the Blind Forest (2015) - Moon Studios
Control (2019) - Remedy Entertainment
Ghost of Tsushima (2020) - Sucker Punch Productions
Hollow Knight (2017) - Team Cherry
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011) - Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) - Nintendo
Minecraft (2009) - Mojang
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) - Rockstar Games
Skyrim (2011) - Bethesda
Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) - Guerilla Games
Dark Souls (2011) - FromSoftware
Dark Souls 3 (2016) - FromSoftware
Super Metroid (1994) - Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006) - Nintendo
Dandara (2018) - Long Hat House
The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask (2000) - Nintendo
Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020) - Square Enix
Fire Emblem: Three Houses (2019) - Intelligent Systems
Dead Cells (2017) - Motion Twin
Axiom Verge (2015) - Thomas Happ Games LLC
Subnautica (2014) - Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Spiderman (2018) - Insomniac Games
No Man’s Sky (2016) - Hello Games
Far Cry 4 (2014) - Ubisoft
ABZU (2016) - Giant Squid
▶Clips/Movies Shown
Avengers: Infinity War (2019)
Carole & Tuesday (2019)
The Incredibles (2004)
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
The Big Bang Theory (2007)
Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)
Interstellar (2014)
Django Unchained (2012)
Ed, Edd n Eddy (1999)
Looney Tunes (1930-69)
Tom and Jerry (idk, its old af)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Cellular (2004)
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Primal (2019)
Bruce Almighty (2003)
TENET (2020)
Teen Titans (2003)
Her (2013)
The Shining (1980)
Midsommar (2019)
Your Lie in April (2016)
Your Name (2016)
Other Clips and Considerations:
• LOST
▶Music Sources:
Wrongnumber - will you be back?
Mewmore - Winter in Lacunosa
Stiig - Going Home
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders OST - Danger Draws Near
heartmath² - Through the Current
Mewmore - Lake Verity (Pokémon Diamond & Pearl Remix)
Wrongnumber - Maybe I Was Wrong
Iam6teen - remember me when i leave
Hollow Knight OST - Reflection (Gramophone version)
Aso - Seasons
▶Research Articles Cited
Phone Call Latency
www.statista.c...
Biophelia - Nature helps us
www.ncbi.nlm.n...
Cognitive and affective responses to natural scenes:
www.sciencedir...
Restorative Effects of Virtual Nature Settings
www.liebertpub...
Walking in Circles: The Psychology Of Getting Lost
www.ua-magazin...
Why Certain People have a terrible sense of direction:
www.psychology...
Why People Get Lost: The Psychology and Neuroscience of Spatial Cognition:
oxford.univers...
The Loneliness of the “Social Distancer” Triggers Brain Cravings Akin to Hunger
www.scientific...
Review of Psychology of Curiosity
www.ncbi.nlm.n....
The Wick in the Candle of Learning: Epistemic Curiosity Activates Reward Circuitry and Enhances Memory: journals.sagep...
Tracking restoration in natural and urban field settings:
www.sciencedir...
Prospect and Refuge:
cgscholar.com/....
Massachusetts General Hospital Atrium:
• Cubicles don't work. H...
www.nbbj.com/pr...
*All images, graphics, and fonts created or found with postermywall.com, Pexels.com, Videvo.net, and Lightworks v14 editing software. All gameplay footage captured with Elgato 60FPS recording device*
#PsychofPlay

[@DarylTalksGames]

Howdy folks, I recently made a twitter. Go follow me! Or don't. Either way, I'm just glad you're here

[@_chadrose]

Just wanna let you know, the F*, Kill or Marry is the cherry on top. Video is perfect in a many ways! Just the right amount of memes to make it feel not too tiring but funny, great pacing, and really just well laid out facts, man. Thank you so much for making this xD Glad to be a subscriber

[@DarylTalksGames]

So glad someone actually liked that 😂

[@_chadrose]

@@DarylTalksGames caught me off guard and had me laughing hard! XD Quick question! What can we generally expect from your twitter tho? :D I really hope you could also tweet out that a video is coming soon because KZbin notifications is weird sometimes, even if I had set it to "all"

[@yoshiman9521]

@@DarylTalksGames i had to pause the video to stop laughing at the FMK

[@DarylTalksGames]

Chad Rose a little bit of everything, hot takes on games, memes, and definitely updates on the channel when necessary 😁

[@lolglolblol]

“Loneliness is dangerous. It’s addicting. Once you see how peaceful it is, you don’t wanna deal with people.” I think Jim Carrey said that, or at least quoted it

[@ธนาเดชศุภนัทนพร]

*It’s Not addicting It’s Haunting There At Every Turn At Every Corner Watching From your back In Your mirror under the table in the shadow*

[@ธนาเดชศุภนัทนพร]

But it does makes sense

[@pablolopezgomez9658]

Being alone, not loneliness.

[@fallzero7304]

I thought he meant being alone. Actually I'm 24 now and I can honestly relate The amount of BS reduction and the energy you can spend on yourself to be in a place which you never could've imagined Through college i was a imposter trynna impress people by being someone I wasnt and when I graduated i had to deal with the consequences. I was lonely but my housemate helped me understand why I feel as such and i Started to use it for myself I got good at where I worked,quit hazardous habits and invested a lot on health and i went places that I literally Never even dreamt off and now live in a place that I've always dreamt of getting to It's totally us Life is actually very simple to figure out but we just complicate ourselves with unnecessary things

[@Mark3nd]

Comments do not make you feel alone, even though you are alone, just not for real

[@cloudzintheskyz467]

Hearing “have a damn good one” almost made me tear up.

[@DarylTalksGames]

I was as big a fan of Etika as anyone, saying that at the end of my vids is just my little way of keeping his memory alive.

[@Princemohamed8]

In the description there is a list of all the games, movies and shows shown in this video, and they are all categorized by format and given dates... Except Tom and Jerry, which is listed as such: "Tom and Jerry (idk, its old af)" This had me laughing way more than it should have!

[@Heymisterbadguy]

How to make my weekend better:

[@cactusdip4680]

1st comment

[@cactusdip4680]

E

[@isweartofuckinggod]

look at some treeeeeees

[@iamavoidtrippergutterslush666]

I wanted to like but I'd ruin your 666 likes. 🤘

[@Flymerick]

Eat some pancakes.

[@EtraGames]

Hey Daryl, long time no see. The biophilia you mentioned is fascinating to me. I wonder if we can reproduce this feeling in games, could open world games help speed up patient recovery time just like putting plants outside a window could? This could potentially be a great alternative if neccessary for patients or a supplement on top of the current treatment.

[@DarylTalksGames]

DUDE, first of all it has man! Hope all is going well in your world. And that’s such an interesting idea dude, I’d be curious to see if it’s any better than just a window to be able to experience an entire environment 🤔

[@benedict6962]

I mean, that's why so many scifi settings stick you in VR nature whenever you get hospitalized. Personally, I think Pokemon Snap is the way to go for getting people on a stimulating task while also appreciating the nature "around" them. It's why I'm surprised it took so long for anyone to do it again.

[@dylbol]

nice

[@darthtace]

Already a fair amount of work done on this, since the 90s even. I remember researching this for school back in the mid-00s. This paper goes over some previous uses and future applications, along with possible drawbacks: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6231506/ Ton of papers linked from it in case you wanted to deep dive as well.

[@EtraGames]

darthtace Oh my goodness thank you so much! This is exactly what I was looking for.

[@duchi882]

Eating good food and consuming your quality content is such a satisfying combination

[@anonymousowl7099]

I see you everywhere

[@Jack-ex7kc]

watching your videos tends to help calm me down when I'm stressed so you couldn't have released this at a better time

[@DarylTalksGames]

One day at a time my friend, glad this could help :)

[@corinnebloom7005]

@Rohit Chavda indeed he is

[@AlanStryman]

Hey Daryl, have you played a game called "The Long Dark"? I think you might like it. It's a completely new experience of isolation and loneliness.

[@ReubMann]

i've tried that game three times in my life. I don't like the hunger or freezing mechanics.

[@AlanStryman]

@@ReubMann I think they are still trying to make it good but at the end games that really doesn't matter at all.

[@AlanStryman]

@@ReubMann this game for me, it's for a great feeling and experience. I've tried the hardest mode, tbh it's for hardcore survival player, so I won't blame the mechanics. Not good for everyone but it's just fine.

[@DarylTalksGames]

A friend played that awhile back! I didn’t see much but I was super invested. I’d love to play it at some point in the future

[@pogfection787]

Daryl Talks Games I liked it. It's very atmospheric and scary last time I played.

[@unseriousproductions8017]

"Yes, they shared a drink they call loneliness. But it's better than drinking alone."

[@Not_Aaron_]

Amazing video again dude! This explains a lot of the reason of why I loved BOTW so much and how I'm always able to come back to it.

[@DarylTalksGames]

Thanks as always Aaron 😁

[@theriffwriter2194]

Yeah. I haven't been obsessed with a game like I was BOTW since I was a teenager (42 now) and let's not forget this is only Nintendo's first experiment into making an open world in 3d (not to mention it was originally made for the very limited wiiu). It's only going to get better from here.

[@dragonicbladex7574]

And to be honest this is kind of why I struggle to get into it, I hate getting lost in games, I'm the kind of guy who likes to focus hard on goals and locations so getting lost is frustrating and confusing

[@dootersnooter5343]

Bottom of the Well or something else

[@benjaminrosa1418]

Hey, i just want to say that i'm gratefull that this type of channel exists. The idea of using something complex, far aways for the normal humans as understanding the psychology by using videogames while still using them as a serious example of study is something that requieres lots of dedication and work. And I'm gratefiul for this. Thank you so much for your time and dedication of your videos.

[@DarylTalksGames]

I can’t tell you how much I appreciated reading that ❤️

[@Varleran]

Daryl makes f/m/k joke about trees in zelda, fully unaware that 10 minutes after hearing the joke my girlfriend and I would still not be in agreement over whether fucking or marrying a tree is worse this is our first Daryl video what have you done to us

[@MoondustManwise]

Me: *stressed* Daryl: *talky talky* me: my crops are watered, my acne is cleared, i am hydrated, stress? never heard of her

[@CobaltContrast]

Or him.

[@timbtw3656]

possible hermitcraft reference?

[@Pianobin]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but one game that I thought captured the feeling of being lost very well is "A Short Hike". It's a small game with the simple task of hiking to the top of a mountain. No guides or maps telling you which way you must go. You're free to explore in any direction and discover areas and secrets at your own pace. It's one of the most comforting experiences I've had in a game.

[@michaelhuebsch572]

I was able to write an essay in college for a nature literature class about Nature in videogames. This video essay is so much better than mine, I wish it was made before I wrote that to cross reference and get some information from those studies. Cheers

[@pancakes8670]

"Surely you have to be lost to find the places that can't be found" - Captain Barbosa

[@cherubin7th]

I find it amazing how well the human brain can just take this changes and is not totally confused by it. Like seeing a face without body in a video call should freak us out, but it doesn't.

[@retinas2001]

Oh no, the part of Hollow Knight you need to do next...

[@retinas2001]

@Sam Oh lord, I wasn't even talking about that. You still have lots to look forward to.

[@retinas2001]

@Sam No.

[@retinas2001]

@Sam You'll see.

[@porchcollapse8612]

Sam hell yeah. i just beat him too. bit sad that cloth died

[@underdrow5572]

I actually fought the traitor lord without Cloth. Basically used brute force to do it, as in I build a charm loadout focused on damage more than sustainability.

[@rubygamer5813]

Don’t mind me, I’m just commenting for this amazing video/channel to be recommended and favored by KZbin for more people 🙂 (Daryl has hit the ball out of the park so many times he should really sign up to be a baseball star lol)

[@MrTivius]

What a beautiful and thoughtful video! I'm in that strange group which finds an elegant peace in the back alleys of GTA, an empty post-apocalyptic parking lot, or the kiss of rain in almost any circumstance. Attuned to the novelties of Lost Spaces, we adore such areas and moments, finding them one of gaming's most fascinating, subtle rewards. There is certainly a similar harmony to be experienced in the virtues of virtual nature, but something about the abandoned spaces of Humans speaks deeply to what is found in each of us. Here's to all the pathfinders...

[@AgentMonochrome]

Every time I hear Cornifer (Hollow Knight) humming, I breathe a sigh of relief and get to him ASAP.

[@trollkienofficial1225]

I always liked the inbetween. Travelling from somewhere to somewhere, but not really caring about the destination.

[@zab416]

"You'll never have to search a library again." *laughs in procrastinating librarian* ...who's working from home and works for a digital library, but yeah sometimes you gotta search those stacks. It's a high to find the thing either away. I will search for "benefits of loneliness" medical articles to see if I can beat my horrible procrastination. :D Good video! Very interesting. I will sub as this channel is a good procrastination discovery. I was expecting you to mention Yume Nikki unless I missed it.

[@gifdar]

Love the little shout out to Matt “The Mat Twatson” Watson from SuperMega’s new EP

[@YOjeremyRaps]

I love seeing a supermega fan out in the wild, bc like, you know they get it.

[@trisciense]

I think that been able to choose when I feel lonely/lost is the biggest thing that attract me to those kind of moment in gaming

[@randomradon]

feeling alone validates the relationships you have with those around you. when overcome with other people, its good to reset, to come to the understanding that you truly are not alone

[@A1eafFa11s_Turtles]

The example of the Ash Lake in Dark Souls reminds me of an architectural concept used by Frank Lloyd Wright in basically the same way. He used narrow, constricting, portals for doorways and hallways to emphasize openness and release in rooms.

[@HxH2011DRA]

>Checks sources "Why Certain People Have a Terrible Sense of Direction" Ah so this is a personal attack we have here, interesting (imprecise navigator btw~)

[@kaldo_kaldo]

Glad to see you found your way to the comments.

[@patricklewis9787]

Beautiful username

[@HxH2011DRA]

@@patricklewis9787 thanks~

[@lifes2short4aname]

One of the best experiences exemplifying this is metro. Crawling out of the tunnels into the barren surface was one of the most memorable experiences

[@fluffcake]

Damn this is the video I need to tell some on how liminal spaces are NOT at all scary. They’re calming and sweet and you love them. Even though you don’t know what they are, you get a sense of nostalgia and peace and I which people acknowledged that a bit more.

[@boogrs55]

i always get lost so naturally i look for certain landmarks which i often tend to fucking forget

[@Practitioner_of_Diogenes]

That bit of Biophilia reminded of a moment when I was playing Witcher 3. I literally stopped in game to look at the scenery of Skellige, specifically the area between Fayrlund and Fyresdal, which features an abandoned siege tower.

[@timothyjohnson8247]

Shadow of Colossus is the first game that ever truly externally put how alone I truly felt at the time. A time when I was trapped in a bad family, and terrible job. I had to stop playing it for a time because it expressed something in me that was only below the surface at the time, that I had no idea was there. And it brought it out to the surface. I had no idea it was in there, and this game brought it out.

[@auslegungssache]

I find the mention of traffic really interesting, because when you really think about it, the world used to be exactly like that, fun to explore. But this was taken away from us by horrible sprawling single family housing and car centric infrastructure. If you visit big, livable cities like Tokyo, Amsterdam, Zürich or Munich, you will notice that the feeling is still there

[@GeanAmiraku]

Feeling that no one needs me or has to rely on me would be great to feel once in a while. Me needing myself is tough enough.

[@juliemassam933]

Just found this video and I recently started playing Sky: children of the light. It for sure has a lot of the open world stuff and the part about finding places to be alone. It's a social game but also very calming if you just want to fly around and/or find hidden areas, out of the way.

[@Pixelflame5826]

The only time I felt lost in the game was when I was playing Hollow Knight, while in the Fungal Wastes. I had no map, trying to find my way, with those goddamn bomb mushrooms, constantly dying until I found the map. And I tell you, it felt great.

[@oliviapenelopehope4497]

I’ve been alone most of my life. I don’t have reactions to the absence of others anymore. I never learned how to communicate well with people. People are terrifying to me. Phone calls are horrible. I must mute my phone so I can breathe deeply. When on a call, I feel the need to be perfect in my speech, and that causes a ridiculous degree of stress. I’m a slow thinker, so the longer I have to formulate my thoughts, the better. This is how I can write well in comments but almost never speak irl.

[@kc-nh1zt]

Don’t know if it was intentional, but the “have yourself a damn good one” hit me hard

[@dawnhunterraiga131]

This is beautiful in conveying how being alone is okay sometimes and can build character in yourself

[@ShePudding]

I’m glad youtube led me to you. You articulated this unique sensation so well... Especially that sensation in the tram. I felt that so often at the benches in Hollow Knight, as well as at a certain lake, beside a certain friend...

[@susannac7362]

:(

[@turtleknight7015]

Mmmm. That was indeed a moment in the game hollow knight. And it did indeed make me feel certain emotions

[@reshpeck]

How did this exposition on loneliness in videogames manage to overlook Shadow of the Colossus, the playing of which generates one of the most melancholic experiences a person could have?

[@damithougths2641]

Haven't finished the video yet. But i have to say i really do love how the content creators from videogames. Have a tendency to make such cool intros

[@txen-eht-nepo]

For me, it's all about possibilities. Gone are the days that something like Atlantis could feasibly exist in the size it was first mentioned, or at all. But exploring a video game you know nothing about is like diving into a completely new continent, with it's own landmarks and rules. That visceral desire of exploring the unknown, and to let your mind wonder about what could be. Sometimes I dream about an infinite world, as if I could just walk forward forever and always be discovering new places even if I walked for my entire life. I sometimes wish the world was indeed like that, but recently I found that... It kind of is. There are so many games, movies, books, animes, shows, just so many worlds I have never explored that trying to explore all of them would literally take longer than my lifetime. More than that, every person that explores each of these worlds has a different view about it that can be shared with you. Living is kind of like being lost in Deepnest. Scary though it may be, it's beautiful in here. And that's the only life we know.

[@kaldo_kaldo]

I've never played a game that made me feel so peacefully alone as Metroid Prime. Not only are there no other human-like beings, there are no words spoken, there are no NPCs, the world is immensely foreign to you as a player, and to the character as well. This is true in the older games, but mostly those were technical limitations. Many of those characters started to around N64 and by Gamecube pretty well all icons and mascots were speaking (except Link) - I think it made it all the more isolating to be in a technically marvelous game where still there was no speech, just the sounds made by you and the environment.

[@ThanImBetter]

Your videos are the perfect mixture between fascinating scientific studies and guacamole punchlines, it's down right IMPOSSIBLE to find something equally brilliant on youtube

[@PureWonder1111]

Good to see you again haha. It’s been a minute, but you just reminded me that you’re the reason I grabbed a switch after not playing video games for 15 years and I’ve now gone through Celeste, Hollow Knight, Gris, the Messenger, and many more. This channel brings me the kind of comfort you were talking about today 👍

[@badacyborg]

This video was paced and edited very well. Great job bro. Short testimonial, being alone can be very therapeutic. My wife and I are both military, and she deployed for 7 months for the 3rd time. When she was gone, it was a stressful time for me. I'd often get pretty drunk and go on long runs. Maybe not the healthiest or best idea, but I never felt more at ease than being alone at 1 AM and running inebriated through a sleeping town. It was both scary and calming at the same time. Just knowing anything can happen at anytime can be exciting, but also seeing a town without the hustle and bustle of human activity can be oh so calming. Not advising anyone to be a dumbass grunt like myself, but there is definitely alot of merit to Daryl's 3rd point.

[@j.a.shawkins7640]

It's funny that you mentioned biophilia, because until you'd said something, I'd never thought about it. I am one of those people that is straight up city: give me buildings, people (Don't let them talk to me, though! XD), electricity humming around me. I'm happy there. But even so, when you threw up the examples, I was like "Yeah, he's right: my eyes definitely tracked towards the nature." It was...interesting, to see and acknowledge that disconnect in my brain. XD Also, welcome back!

[@ElinaNoodles]

Would love to see a video about "reverse psychology"

[@ThePresidentOfNorthDakota]

Damn... This video is one of the best I think I've ever seen on the platform. I definitely relate to a lot of the topics discussed and have fallen in love with the act of just going out in the the mountains/woods (Northern GA, USA for me) and just getting myself lost for a few days. I've done so on 4 separate occasions in the past year just disappearing from society and appearing alone in an unfamiliar valley or on the bank of a creek deep in the wilderness.

[@eeveekid6426]

This is potentially the most relatable video I have ever seen on KZbin. Great job!

[@cartersmith6628]

That clearing in hallowknight that he talked about is literally what I’m trying to get to right now while watching this video. I did not get to it before I finished the video

[@Username20248]

In the loneliness section, what you were talking about sounded less like it was a positive benefit to the feeling of loneliness itself (which I am doubtful exists, given the wealth of research on the sharply negative effects of the feeling of loneliness -- especially when that feeling persists over time), and more to me like getting in touch with the feelings of common humanity -- that is, the feeling that you are not the only person who has suffered in a particular way, that we all suffer and struggle. Great video :)

[@konstant_ly]

Seeing a Primal clip at 1:20 made me very happy. Seeing this specific clip saddened me

[@mariaki1910]

I don´t know why but these videos are very therapeutic, thanks Daryl!

[@dudep504]

Ikr, his voice is somewhat soothing

[@wanderingpaladin4927]

This kind of feeling you're describing is probably my favourite feeling

[@CurtisJensenGames]

I like Hollow Knight lots and lots, I’m so looking forward to finally watching this!

[@undeadman7676]

Shadow of the Colossus is one of the single most immersive games I've ever played. Not for the gameplay. Not even for the soundtrack. It's the vast open spaces, the trusty steed, and the distinct feeling that I get to share this empty space with nothing but my thoughts. I've spent more time exploring the world of SotC than I have killing bosses, and I swear to god I've enjoyed it more too.

[@worstluck6113]

Bro your videos are always thought-out and well written, and I enjoy them so much! I can't wait for the next one! (I've already binged the entire Psych of Play series.. twice)

[@spookygarmr]

Three minutes left in this video and you gotta make me cry like that ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ That's why I keep playing Minecraft. It's why I've always played Minecraft. It's like a little personal sanctuary or pocket dimension. I was introduced in 2010 when my whole life was falling apart around me and I didn't feel like I had anyone anyway. I haven't stopped turning to it since when I need that kernel of peace.

[@benlittle4395]

"Getting lost and finding your way again is a pleasure like no other. We're exquisitely lucky, you and I.."

[@EgObArNeT]

This is slowly becoming my new favourite channel

[@jeffkiska]

I don't know if you just looked for generic city stock footage or if you're actually familiar with the place, but the clip of Asheville @3:38 made me smile. Oh, good video, too!

[@deerhyde6911]

One time I took a 3 day scooter drive(yea scooter.. like 40mph lmao) , I got trapped in a icestorm, and before I could make it to the next town had to take a break and build a fire so I wouldn't freeze. The feeling I felt after that moment, in the woods by a fire changed my entire goal of the trip. After I warmed up I did head on to the closest town I could find and got lucky sleeping in a truck this kind woman working in a restaurant had parked outside of the restaurant. Staying awake all night in the frigid cold also forced me to reckon with myself, recognize my mortality, and I found more appreciation for certain things. (Like how the ice on the windshield resembled Ice People, or how even in that ice storm I still saw a red cardinal trying to make it work.) The adrenaline of knowing if you don't make the right decision on your own in a certain moment there could be deadly consequences can be really intoxicating, and freeing. Make you feel like if you can solve this crisis on your own, or experience a place that is unique just because of the function of time. Maybe keeping on living has some reason, even if its only to beat every challenge that comes your way. Though in stark contrast the feeling I felt as a kid being surround by kids but feeling alone, unwanted was a much more depressing, and different experience that just led me to want to escape into true loneliness, or disappear in some way, and even in highschool I lived for those 4 am walks with my headphones in. Skipping down the empty roads, just enjoying the feeling of being alone, with no expectations. Great video by the way. Got me thinking about those memories, and a lot of other fond memories, as well as how they compare to my feelings when I played Metroid Prime, Little Nightmares, Luigis Mansion etc for the first time.

[@andrewtan8094]

Not only is the content well researched and interesting to a psych student like me, his music taste is amazing as well! Got some new beats for my study playlist now.

[@KrissyBlues]

Oh neat! I've felt since that mewmore remix dropped that it'd make for a beautiful background song for a yt video essay, hearing it at 9:45 was a lovely surprise

[@danielsilva9502]

I was hoping you would touch a bit deeper on those parts in some games where you are lost and have no way to return to where you were previously, and you're suddenly forced to explore a completely new place along with all it's dangers. Anyway, great video, thank you

[@goatgang6461]

This man really put his sponsor smoothly into the plot of his video... Respect.

[@gauthier13]

Happy to discover your channel (thanks to one of your comment on GMTK's psychology of reward video) !

[@Stronghold257]

hey - I've never seen a video of yours before, but I just wanted to let you know that this is literally one of - if not the - best video essays I've ever had the pleasure of watching. You have such a way with words, and I found myself ugly crying by the end of it. Thank you.

[@adamkrzeslak4326]

This video reminds me of times when i was just riding on my bike and was discovering new places that i didn't even knew were close to my house

[@skarpantre]

This video is so amazing and well put together! Damn, the part of lineliness hits

[@chankupersonal]

this made me tear up, the feeling I get from music and open world games like minecraft was finally explored in a way that helped me understand why I felt the way I do for so long. Thank you

[@kyuubicat5]

Shadow of the Colossus has a lot of open world in it where you can just explore whenever with Agro and that’s part of why I love the game lol

[@otame4771]

One example of a game that brought me peace is an indie game called Refunct... It is a very short game but it was the one and only game that somehow made me feel absolutely peaceful

[@HollowPhntm]

Awesome mini video essay, my guy! Definitely brings a lot more insight in how I usually prefer solo based games and how I just generally prefer my own solitude. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@zeromaximus4261]

I felt great joy in exploring the secret Pitioss dungeon in Final Fantasy XV. I liked it so much I was determined to finish it on my own with no KZbin guides or any help. I just wanted to figure it out on my own. It’s weird because the dungeon is extremely dark and almost claustrophobic at times but in a weird sense relaxing. After finally figuring it out and making it to the surface I was relieved and felt a great sense of accomplishment but also a little sadness knowing that it was over. It was a wonderful surprise.

[@novustalks7525]

I utterly love this video. It's so deeply touching and thought provoking. Also helped that you referenced metroid and ori quite a bit lol

[@firebladetenn6633]

1:51 god bless you sweetheart I am the same way. Any package I get is either something precious I personally ordered, (A hardcover copy of some book I really wanted normally) or a present I got out of no where from someone I love. Either way it’s a precious moment when I see a package for me.

[@imdoneplus]

It’s funny that you mention game nature can be calming like real nature. KZbin auto played this as I was feeling bummed out and loaded up Death Stranding just to get some exposure to lush country sides.

[@theelectricpop-tart7660]

I did the same thing at the first bench, it was an sareal filling when i finally started playing.

[@wildbill9863]

This is the first video I’ve heard from your channel I had play next on and it just showed up What a masterpiece of a video Def subscribed

[@sunbleachedfly2]

i've been playing hollow knight a lot recently and was wondering if you've done a video that talks about it. Needless to say I just about freaked out when I saw it on the thumbnail of your recent upload. great video as always

[@TaylorSmail]

You’re such an amazing story teller. Well done, amazing video!

[@niconavall]

I wonder if the first point you made (the one about teacing something in the world so the player will keep it in mind while exploring) has something to do with the flow state charts that always pop out online. Always a pleasure to encounter a new video from you Daryl, glad to see you are back :D

[@BinaryPLUR]

A new Psych of Play video, it's a good day. God bless your extremely insightful, and well-made content. Bravo.

[@chaosordeal294]

Being truly lost in a video game gives me at least low levels of constant anxiety.

[@Max2ds]

I can definitely (personally) speak on the Biophilia subject. There were a few years of my life that I spent living on a few acres of land, mostly untamed. It used to be so relaxing to have that natural light pour in from the glass doors, and going to see the field just outside. It may have been a rougher time of my life, but that is something I deeply miss. Now I live in a more industrial area, and I can even tell the difference in the quality of the air. I remember the air back then being fresh, crisp, and even a little sweet at times. The air here is... stifling and a little bitter. I’m getting off topic. Having that nature so close at hand put me at ease, and made me happy. Whereas living where I am now has an effect similar to the air, stifling and bitter. There hasn’t been a single day recently where I don’t think back on the various natural areas I’ve lived in or visited. I miss it a lot. Even if the internet was awful.

[@chuckdontjudge]

Lol @Daryl getting a package 🤣🤣🤣🤣 God I love this channel, stumbling upon it was one good thing to happen to me in 2020 at least! So Daryl if you ever read this, you're awesome and so is your channel, please keep up the good work! Hugs 🤗🤗🤗

[@Atticus_Moore]

This is definitely a real thing and it feels amazing. I remember going to a friends house at night and getting lost on the way there and I didn't grab my phone to find my way, I just kept driving for like an hour and he called me asking what was up and I told him that I got lost and it felt good. Completely alone in my car driving around in a place I've never been before in the dark of the night. I love the feeling of being lost it feels incredible!

[@SkulkingSkullKid]

This is so awesome for you to experience, but being lost only ever gives me incredible anxiety.

[@NathanielBTM]

Kind of reminds me of how when I was homeless in London for a while... It was actually very beautiful and kind of refreshing... To wake up at like 5-6am just before or during sun rise.. Walk the barren streets of London at early hours in the morning with barely any cars or other people in sight, quiet roads... looking at the tree's and urban buildings, listening to the birds and occasional car passing by in the distance. I was lonely and had nothing yet oddly found it Relaxing, Comforting and Peaceful. And once it hit between 6:30am -8am you'd see the streets gradually being populted and the feelings of Relaxation, Peace would eventually subside. But that contrast, I also found fascinating... In the space of about 30 minutes to an hour you'd see empty streets become populated

[@m34tbag]

Daryl needs more subs. This content is put together TOO well.

[@Xeab]

As a game developer, I’ve heard a lot of this before, but from a creators perspective. Hearing it like this was a really refreshing take on it.

[@ErrSid]

I remember when I found Faron in BOTW through getting lost trying to find out what was south. It took me so long to get there and my satisfaction when I got there was insane.

[@s1lverp3nguin]

maybe visual representations of natural/pastoral settings can offer the same effects as actually being there, but it’s still a simulation and thus will always be weaker than experiencing it for real, whereas returning to that simulation after having experienced the real thing reinforces that biophilia and in fact probably stirs the imagination more. so you can’t beat the real thing, once you have the real thing, it follows you more easily everywhere you go

[@mrreemann8313]

I think the best way to express this video would be We are all stars adrift in the ocean of night.

[@FerreiraFredes]

Great video, as always, congrats! About game design, it probably doesn't ressonate with everyone, some people say they find Breath of the Wild "boring" or "empty", and some people compare it to the "ubisoft template" of climbing towers to unlock the map. But i think that the point you made makes these BotW feels totally different from something Ubisoft does. When you climb something on Assassins Creed, Far Cry (or games that are not from ubisoft like Spiderman or Horizon) for me the problem is that the game shows you exactly where you should go and what will happen, it shows you that in this place is a base, or a collectible, or upgrade, and there is no sense of discovery or exploration at all. You just go from point A to B knowing exactly what you will get, you probably even think about a way to be efficienty and collect as many stuff on the way to the next main quest knowing exactly with route to take and what to get. Thats totally different in Breath of the Wild, you explore with your own eyes, make your guesses, explore, and stumble upon other stuff you didnt even imagine. You never try to be efficient while playing BotW, you just go. And that makes the difference for me. I'm not saying that BotW is better or anything, for me it is, but maybe this idea of being lost doesn't translate to everyone, so some people dont get it, and would rather have a map full of different colored dots like in Spiderman. Game i've been playing that gives this BotW feeling is Outer Wilds, sure its a smaller scale since its a indie developer but it is real exploration at your own.

[@seabassmarrero3200]

Hi I make the guacamole at my job. If you place a layer of plastic wrap over it before storing it back in the fridge, then it will last longer and won’t brown immediately. The air in the container allows it to go bad.