There's someone watching me... [Fears to Fathom - Norwood Hitchhike]

[@StagFiesta]

I'm honestly glad the actual person of danger wasn't either Joe or Tommy, or even the guy who drove you along before. It adds that extra sense of horror that you meet all these strange individuals, but they aren't the ones actually going at you, even actually being good [with Joe even actually saving you despite how he treated you before thinking you were using drugs.] It's a small detail but having these kinda uncomfortable characters who actually aren't bad, just strange.

[@QuestionReaper]

The riding with stranger remind me of the kickstarter that i donate to the game called "Rides with Strangers" that never come. Feel cheated

[@VenerhiaStellarvore]

It's obvious Joe (maybe Tommy too)was in it since the start with the drug thing, he prob heard her yell shed call the cops and that scared him so he went to knock the guy off. This was all rigged, the guy in the closet waiting her to leave to the room to check/steal some of her things while shes away etc. maybe even up to the point of the milk guy depending if hes a local or not.

[@Hyp3rSon1X]

@@VenerhiaStellarvore Nah, it sounded like Joe was already suspicious of one of his recent guests. In other playthroughs, like 8 Bit Ryans, you see the Room door beside the Cofee Machine open, while you get to your room the first time. Also his remark about people "always wanting mercy mercy mercy" and the creepy guy later on begging for your "help", might also be an indicator, that Joe already is annoyed at that guy. The strange noises plus you mentioning a non existant coffee machine is probably the nail in the coffin for Joe. So him telling you to get into your room is more like him wanting to use you as a bait to get the creepy guy. Tommy is out to get your car, and you see him return in the end. Joe saves you in the end, so both should be fine. Also when John is about to get to the gas station, you can see a creepy guy on the right walking into the woods. When he gets out of the station, you see someone getting away from your car. So the creepy guy was also responsible for your car to break down, and probably also the one who blocked the road.

[@CHWM11]

Agreed, I also like how all of the strangers you meet are men that are kinda creepy when you first meet them adds to the vulnerability of your character

[@pie1o1morris46]

@@Hyp3rSon1X If you get out of bed and go outside after the guy watches you from the window, you can see the guy walk back to room 4 by the coffee machine. You can also see the guy who was in your closet (most likely room 4 guy) leave the room when you're leading Joe to where the machine was. The red car parked in front of room 4 has the trunk open then, so it's theorized that that's where they were going to put you. It's also speculated that it's the same red car that was driving ahead of you after the gas station (and that they were the one who put the logs there since they were the only car you see in front of you and somehow they got through the logs). I've also heard that if you look around the building you can see the white van from before parked out back.

[@yogurt8150]

"some people are just easily entertained" me, laughing at john doing voices: "hehe yeah"

[@Lurania12]

Like I'm over here laughing about milk jokes,,

[@jameswent48]

No one cares

[@La-PetitMort]

@@jameswent48 I care 🤸‍♀️

[@rdxzero]

Sometimes in games, I would jump into the ocean just to see if my character gets wet, or jump off the cliff to see if I can die.

[@Lurania12]

@@La-PetitMort Lmao thanks.

[@reneemitchell4281]

"A feeling of tiredness was overcoming my anxiety. A cup of coffee seemed like it could help" ahh yes coffee will get that anxiety back up to peak levels. Good plan lol

[@spitgorge2021]

This was the most relatable moment in the whole game honestly. i have bad anxiety and im thinking WOW NEED COFFEE which Certainly Doesn't Help but its common

[@j.yang7]

I wouldn't want any drink that wasn't in a sealed can honestly lol

[@RowBlanka]

@@spitgorge2021 yep

[@alexissolidrock]

I think they werent trying to sleep because they were scared, so they didn’t want to be tired lo

[@xgreenus]

Literally me 👌🏻😊

[@serpenking]

Obligatory reminder to everyone in the audience that if you see such a blatantly weird roadblock in some backwoods country road you do NOT get out of your car, you turn the fuck around or plow through it. That's how you get murdered.

[@RainyRainy123]

I’d just walk down it on purpose, I got my BAF1’s 😈

[@YouKnowHimTheGuy]

*laughs in shotgun in backseat and floodlights on roof rails*

[@JBLAKIE1]

As someone who sets up suspicious road blocks i can confirm.

[@Villadgent]

@@RainyRainy123 what about your red shirt

[@rosea1505]

Maybe also give the non-emergency police line a ring to see if an officer can confirm nothing sketchy is going on. I would feel bad if I avoided getting jumped only to have the next person fall victim when I could have at least tried doing something about it.

[@limmiedee7405]

John saying he's "setting a good example for everyone" after driving on the wrong side of the road and dying in an accident is too funny

[@catinthekitchen1]

I am fascinated with the "driving alone at night" and "sleazy motel" atmosphere.

[@michaelren9771]

Yeah, the desolate atmosphere in certain horror games really does take you to a world of its own, doesn’t it?

[@dingaia]

emulate silent hill/resident evil til they die, it's the way of things

[@carcosa_swamp]

The first portion of Alan Wakes American Nightmare captures the night time gas station and motel atmosphere nicely. It's a shame none of the areas in the game weren't larger

[@FoulWeatherFriend385]

It’s a very “American” style of horror if you think about it. You get the same sense of isolation & mystery with a lot of Wild West stories.

[@DrivenDoor]

Check out the movie, “I'm Just F*cking with You” for a similar atmosphere

[@alarkhar]

Funnily enough, the "suspicious characters" were all good people. Freaky, but nice.

[@ashtonmcdaniels2934]

@Nahid Ferdous exactly!

[@konstance13]

@Nahid Ferdous Which feels pretty realistic as a young woman stuck in a strange place alone at night.

[@catpunk4194]

@@konstance13 so sad, but very true

[@danmart83]

Having owned an identical car to that one, an 86 Chevy Caprice, everyone I've seen play this game freaks out looking where to put the gas. It's behind the rear license plate, just pull the license plate down, and you'll find the gas cap, now you know.

[@delane4160]

what an odd place

[@Paul20661]

woah cool

[@Luminousplayer]

thats an odd location...

[@mirrormimi]

There's a 0% chance I'll ever drive this car or anything similar, yet for some reason I really appreciate knowing that now lol, thank you for the insight.

[@JWildberry]

That's so cool! This is why I read YT comments, and no, that's not sarcasm. Thank you!

[@willgrox4952]

I appreciate the fact that the Devs started it is a cool driving horror game, but expanded it into something more personal and isolated. Just neat that they took the time to make two distinct sections like that, they could have easily started it with the car already having broken down.

[@chrissixtytwix]

Yeah but its easy to see why they didn't horror games do that trope all the time "Oh no my car broke down in front of this spooky ____, better go check it out for help" its overused at this point by indie horror games and usually doesn't even play into the story well enough in my opinion.

[@kabukibear]

The thought they put into the timing of certain scares is really great. For example, they know a lot of gamers will see the closet and check it first, to see if they can hide in it, just like John did. Once they find the mic mechanic and play around with it, their guard is WAY down when they open the bathroom door. And especially when you come back from showing the missing coffee machine and you suddenly remember there's someone in your closet. The way they pace that part, there's a brief moment where you actually forget that there was someone hiding in your room; you're out to prove some weirdo wrong about a coffee machine, and the shock of remembering hits you like a ton of bricks. And they know you'll check that closet first, and then the bathroom next. I can't be sure, but I honestly think they paused the door opening just slightly; you can see John clicking on it and it doesn't open immediately. It pauses juuust enough that when it flies open it's startling. They know you've checked the closet and your guard is up so what can they do to keep you on edge? Pause the door, and take the player's mind from a guarded "I wonder if they're behind this door," to "Wait, did I misclick the do-" and WOOSH it swings open. It takes what would have been a tense but safe moment of the player gingerly clicking the door, to one where the player manages to scare THEMSELVES by opening a door to an empty bathroom. This design is really really well done. Even little things that should be obvious to us at the outset. At the beginning of the game, when he goes into the closet and discovers the hide/sound mechanic, he's really excited about it and can't wait to try it out. But when the stranger's at the door and he hides in the closet, and the game says "I know you're in there" you can see the realization on his face about how feeble his hiding spot really is if they already know where you are. The game built up this feeling of safety in the closet only to pull it crashing down with reality. And I get what John was saying about the graphics just needing a tiny tweak. They're so close to that retro graphic style we're all familiar with that if they can dial in the look and keep up the clever scares with their understanding of the psychology of the player, this will shape up to be amazing. It's interesting that all the moments that John visibly became anxious or engrossed were moments when he wasn't engaging with the visual aspects of the game at all. Heck, the scariest moment for me was when he was interacting with a door. It was the sound design, the pacing, and the direction and if they can dial in that visual element, I think this could turn out to be quite a ride.

[@KatiePolo]

I watched someone else play this and they commented that the bathroom door didn’t open immediately so I think you’re right. I also 100% agree with your comment about the thought that went into the pacing of walking into the room for the first time. Both KZbinrs I’ve watched play it did the exact same thing. Check the closet first > comment on the mic feature > open the bathroom door whilst talking about the mic feature and were completely caught off guard. Kudos to the devs!

[@MsOdd86]

John missed it, but you can actually see the guy leaving your room when you’re going to show the office clerk the coffee machine!!! It’s honestly so scary… imagine turning around to talk to someone as you leave the room and seeing somebody leaving behind you 😬

[@jameswent48]

Wall of Text. Use the enter button next time.

[@fcrhana]

omg well said

[@kabukibear]

@@jameswent48 Thanks, you're right. Fixed. (I hope)

[@ailsatg]

I feel like the soft 'Hello?' made my stomach shrivel up in to a frikkin raisin. Looking forward to the next one!

[@PassTheGrenadePlease]

If I was in the scenario where someone was whispering ‘hello’ constantly outside the door during midnight, I think I would literally be shitting bricks

[@midnightbaby2129]

@@PassTheGrenadePlease lol 😂 same

[@toodleloos]

Seriously! Even watching on my TV it sounded like someone was speaking right next to me. Crazy good 💀

[@Jishilomus]

If this made you feel uneasy then you don’t wanna know what things they did with her when she was drugged/sedated sleeping

[@tinyhen6326]

The comment the motel manager made about her making "goofy noises" really got under my skin, I immediately thought that she was trying to call for help but was too sedated to speak clearly. What a huge step up from the first part of this series! I can't wait to see the third one whenever it comes out.

[@Lucia-xt3zm]

You are right!! In that moment the intruder was in her room with her completely drugged and then hides in the closet when the phone rings and the owner comes to check

[@madytinjorj]

@Nahid Ferdous I saw similar comments in a different playthrough video of this so I don't know anymore jesus it's scary

[@dt9827]

"Monsters are everywhere, and they look just like you and me..." John: " *SKINWALKERS?!?!?!?* ...... oh like bad people."

[@sidewaysplatypus15]

That got me too 😂

[@KaylaRequiem]

Actually, stuff in the middle of the road, like cut logs etc, is a thing that actually happens in real life, it's been reported before, and typically winds up with people getting abducted into human trafficking.

[@James-xx7yt]

While it's important to know stuff like this I'd like to add it seems like how the overwhelming majority of human trafficking occurs is ignored because it doesn't invoke fear in the same way. I read so many articles about people applying for jobs overseas only for their documents to be taken, it revealed to them they don't even have a proper visa and to then be threatened with arrest and/or deportation. Often the one "giving" the job is family 'friend'/family member. I also read about how in Eastern Europe men would become the 'boyfriend' of poorer women and then one day ask them to come with them to another country, often the UK, where they'd be forced to work in a brothel.

[@bishoukun]

I've seen two playthroughs of this already, twice each, and holy fuck I never notices THE GUY WALKING INTO THE WOODS before you reach the gas station!! 7:24 He blends right into the trees and I had to rewatch several times to be sure I wasn't just out of my gourd!

[@_dom_97]

Dude wtf well spotted. I would have never seen that on my own

[@eriksmith7888]

Yeah, same here. I've seen a few, and I had to double back this time to make sure I really saw that guy walking there.

[@frostieschocopop]

The first WT I've watched was CJU's and he spotted real quick. I had to check twice after he pointed it haha

[@MsOdd86]

There are so many moments like that in this one it’s soooo so creepy! I actually can’t wait for the other stories to come out. Hope there’s a second game too if it’s good enough!

[@konstance13]

Good eye. Reminds me of the intruder going upstairs in the first chapter. I love scares like that.

[@mimble52]

the impromptu voice acting/backstory for the milk dude was so good

[@myriellachance]

I've watched one or two playthroughs of this game, but this time I was wearing headphones and kinda regretted it at the part where the creep was saying "hello", because that sent shivers down my spine. HOLY SHIT that was creepy. I loved it.

[@aliveslice]

Lol I couldn't understand that it was in game. Clever because there's no other voice acting 😁

[@Noxlla]

A scared woman hiding in the closet while whispering critique of the posture of the man who broke into her room. Hilarious.

[@Dutchiepie2284]

Bro had that rotisserie chicken posture

[@axgelbxnny]

But seriously, NEVER drive on back roads at night. There are many cases of people actually putting up road blocks like those logs purposely to cause drivers to have to get out and move them before jumping them. Don’t do it folks, stick to the main roads/expressways

[@danem2215]

*encounters logs on the road* Me, in a Jeep: hey watch this!

[@2goblinsinatrenchcoat]

@@danem2215 same lol. I don’t need an excuse to take mine off road

[@rosea1505]

Yepp! Always be cautious! I remember when I was a kid, my dad was driving on some random back road in an unfamiliar area. We saw a baby stroller in the middle of the road. I wanted to check it out but we ended up finding a phone to call the police instead. Said his instinct was warning him not to stop and check. Police said it may have been a trap to lure unsuspecting women. Glad we kept driving!

[@Goober_39]

It’s not extremely common but it does happen once in a blue moon. Cartel members and muggers in general will also fill roadkill with nails and stuff to burst tires on highways but it mostly happens in Mexico and sometimes states bordering Mexico. The only time I’ve seen anything while driving was while in Memphis and saw a drive-by shooting happen in front of me. The only time I ever grabbed my gun for the possible need to defend myself but luckily they sped off and no one was hurt

[@TeenPerspektiva]

@@Goober_39 Jesus, glad i live in a small country in Europe where people wouldnt even know where to get guns. The only crimes that are common here are petty theft, tax evasion and maybe some light drug posession.

[@XtinaRose918]

“What happens?!?” *immediately dies in car crash* I’m DEAD LOL consider me easily entertained

[@samlowrider]

10:32 "He stretches, he's getting loose for his journey back to stare at the milk" That had me wheezing 🤣🤣

[@psixi2668]

8:59 OMG the immediate and sheer level of disgust for Ayden: dad energy is straight-up blasting off the charts

[@leeelahglitz47]

Game or not, I'm that one person who would rather crawl into the back seat of the car, lock all doors, and sleep until morning (with any object that could be used as a weapon), rather than wave down a guy for a ride. I understand that if you feel unsafe in the area, and you have no reception, the idea of waiting out until morning can be quite daunting.. but this character really just left the headlights on, and stood in the middle of the road, drawing attention to herself. Who knows who could've been lurking in the darkness..

[@toodleloos]

If he was casing her car trying to trap her to start with though he probably would've kidnapped her there

[@einoaro6221]

I would maybe leave the emergency lights blinking and ask for some passer-by to call a tow truck to my location (from the safety of my own car w a slightly rolled down window). But my God the last thing I'd do is hopping into a stranger's car. D:

[@konstance13]

I really like this chapter; it was nicely realistic in its horror. The uneasy feeling of being alone on backroads or having to stop at a random gas station is so familiar. Or having plenty of strangers who could help you or hurt you. You don't know who's a threat, so you read into everything. I love that the guy just calmly repeats "Hello", it's reminiscent of true crime stories and doorbell cam footage I've seen. Not a monster or a demon, just a stranger who clearly means you harm. Great chapter imo.

[@Vicerion17]

There are a lot a little things John missed throughout the playthru due to not exploring or by chance, like the guy being at the gas station creeping around, if you go to the coffee machine when getting your stuff you see they guy is staying in the room next to it implying he's the one who put it there, you can actually die if you get too close to the closet when Joe is at the door and I dunno but to me if you ask him what's wrong rather than swearing it was right there it makes him sound more spooked by telling you to get to your room right now and lock the door rather than him just dealing with a junkie.

[@MsOdd86]

Stuff like that make the replay value of these so high o honestly love it

[@toodleloos]

Likely by chance considering it was his first time playing it

[@jimlo]

Loved the editing at 6:17 with John talking to himself

[@doolittle_]

My favorite part of John's videos are John's impressions of the commenters. I guess some people are just easily entertained.

[@skiarytn6744]

Yes they really are the best 😁

[@choccocatmylo8191]

The Rides with Strangers joke is even more hilarious when you realize the developer has their own youtube channel; Reflect studios. (pretty sure they developed Welcome to the Game too)

[@InkHyaena]

Pretty sure the dev also said RWS is now a passion project bc he's focusing on WTTG multiplayer, which I was looking more forward to RWS

[@janescarfield8104]

Reminded me of his Sally Face rants lmao

[@kenjutsukata1o1]

@@InkHyaena Didn't he have a kickstarter for it? Seems pretty fucked up to be working on other games when you asked for crowdfunding.

[@InkHyaena]

@@kenjutsukata1o1 Did he? I actually don't remember, it's been so long. I swear I saw him say something about it on Twitter before and people were upset

[@datonekidvids1432]

@@InkHyaena he said some shit like it's his 'magnum opus' and that he will only release it when he feels it is as good as it can be. john played the demo in 2016, 6 years ago...

[@ultimaT]

I absolutely love how john can go from snarky joke maker to getting moderately humbled by well designed horror atmosphere.

[@YouKnowHimTheGuy]

"why is everyone so weird about hitchhikers?" I guess its perfectly fine if you're comfortable picking up total strangers in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of night. I for one actually value my life and possessions and make an effort to avoid them at all costs.

[@peaches44]

I've hitchhiked a handful of times, the only people that have picked me up were past hitchhikers that wanted to "pay it back" however, I traveled with one weirdo, you can't trust everyone, but that's the risk you take if you hitchhike/pick up one

[@KOTEBANAROT]

i tell this story every time hitchhiking comes up but i literally almost got kidnapped last time i hitchhiked and then i didnt do it ever again

[@JokeHatesItHere]

It's actually illegal in some places, like Cali

[@juliannacannato4787]

9:56 "You have fantastic posture... Steve Jobs" lmao I don't know why I found this so funny

[@Cotton_Mouth]

38:41 Wow! I've never seen you jumpscare yourself. With a door, no less. I guess this is a testament to the atmosphere.

[@BenD47]

The first one was a good introduction but this one genuinely made me really excited for what's to come, I hope they get longer each time (but not too long)

[@Exhausted_Bee]

John looks so happy lately! Definitely deserves it!

[@yaseeniqbal1865]

Married thats why

[@bluepolarbear]

@@yaseeniqbal1865 Not that marriage is the key to happiness or anything. But it's great news and I'm very happy for them!

[@chrisboyce5009]

I like that, without pause, John pronounces whatever misspellings occur in the dialog.

[@danem2215]

I mentioned before that this series is far more unsettling for its plausibility. It's been a long time since a game has unnerved me as much as this one.

[@bananaivers5819]

100% agree, these Fears to Fathom games are incredibly refreshing. Can't wait for the next episode.

[@midnightbaby2129]

For anyone wondering, that "Coffee Machine" is just props. That's why the "Coffee" and "Cappuccino" are FREE and are the only 2 available. It was a set up to drug and probably to kidnap mc. 12:00 you can see the guy in white walking away from your car and your car only broke down from that point forward. 37:50 you lead Joe to the "Coffee Machine" when you turn around, you can actually see the guy in white leaving your room. After waking up from the free "Coffee", if you check your phone again, you can see that all the panicking text messages from dad and Adrian have been deleted! And some more cool little details here and there! So my theory is: They're all in this. A human trafficking ring. Cashier hold you back with a spooky story for the White Van Guy has more time to mess with your car. That one extremely slow Red car driving right in front to make sure that your car has been messed with. Jason takes you straight to the motel. Not so sure about Joe and Tommy though. Joe decided to change his mind and save you in the end (?) Tommy is just being creepy. But yeah, definitely more than 1 person is in this. What a great game Looking forward to the next one! Thank you for playing this John!

[@ySkipery]

also at 7:20 you can see a guy at right. Its probably him.

[@7792pnaurfr]

Isn't that a pretty obvious part of the game?

[@fountgarde]

How was a coffee vending machine “just props”? Was it made out of cardboard? Did a hand come out and hand mc a cup of coffee? The thing is lit up and heavy. Too unwieldy to move quickly and it would stick out to anyone who knew it wasn’t supposed to be there. It’s a beacon of light in the darkness.

[@RunyaEithelNar]

@@fountgarde Machine was next to kidnapper's room, so if he had some lifting tool it wouldn't be too hard to move it inside.

[@SaftonYT]

I'm not seeing the guy leave the room at 37:50.

[@astrochyld402]

The "hello" at the door really got me. Such a simple thing, but so effective.

[@Amakaaa]

I’m so glad you’re playing these! Can’t wait for the next episode to be released

[@Paul20661]

Yes fell in love with those after seeing Gab & Jack play them And now John too

[@sofiipote7]

I was on edge during this whole playthrough. I was ready to jump and scream all the time. I really identified with the protagonist, not only because she is a girl alone at night (which is a horror I've experienced many times) but also because of how the narrative is built. I agree with the atmosphere, and amazing pacing and terrifying details (I honestly still feel like I can hear that freaking "hello" whispered next to my ear)

[@chihuahuainacone]

I've heard some people say these kinds of games are rip offs/clones because they stylistically look so similar to chillas/puppet combo games, but to be honest, nobody "owns" the concept of VHS filters and 90's game graphics, so I see no problem with these games having a similar style. I think it was a natural trend for video games to loop back to the old classic look of retro movies/games. It also appeals to nostalgia for a lot of millennial gamers (reminds me big time of Silent Hill and Fatal Frame), so i'm a huge fan of the style of these games. I say, we should just let this trend run it's course, and enjoy it while it lasts, guys.

[@zhonglilover8794]

This game style is the best among all. Especially when the game is about an intruder.

[@justinv7151]

I like the fact that John parks in the middle of the road on the wrong side and starts reading messages outside in the road, lol

[@peaches44]

Hyping himself up to go stare at the milk 😂😂 and the conversation in the car, too funny!

[@drztopgun]

I almost feel like I'm there with the way John is narrating very immersing😂😂

[@aliupsr]

He used to be like that but now he fancies himself a comedian and the jokes just don't land. Which is fine. I don't blame a content creator for having the ability to start over with a new edge to his niche.

[@mitchlarson8825]

that part where you jumpscared yourself with the bathroom was really funny

[@grantvillamor1941]

John: "Be a good example." also John: "Crashes car into places"

[@ChokeholdChums]

"I put on my robe and wizard hat." Wow that reference takes me back.

[@Emily-xk2du]

I'm adding this one to my comfort JW videos to rewatch. The game is solidly freaky, and between all the creeps (that DUDE behind the door got me so bad, I screamed lmao) John was getting in some really good bits and I was getting a huge kick out of his running commentary, it balanced out the horror really well (and I love that even during the closet scene, John just couldn't help himself and HAD to point out The Posture again, in the quietest voice managable lmaooooo). Also Max's editing was extra good here, I loved the double sassy John edit lol

[@venicerequiron4075]

John, you need to do more VO work. You almost got me crying at how funny the southern milk-lover dialogue was.

[@verdantViridity]

I'm honestly loving this new subgenre, it's a neat way to recognize more current horror mediums. letsnotmeets read aloud by similar channels were some of my favorite spooky background noise for a while, and I still love Lazy Masquerade's current uploads now that he's more more focused on true crime and strange cases.

[@cloudthefourth]

Gotta say, John isn't as chirpy as other KZbinrs which makes him the perfect KZbinr to watch on TV while doing homework. Love the content.

[@Mapufox969]

I think the graphics are creating the atmosphere that make this game so good, it wouldn't be so creepy with nice next gen visuals

[@KeironaLP]

I think what makes these stories so scary is that they're real life things that actually happened. You can feel the danger that the story teller felt at the time of the story. Can't wait for the next episodes!

[@auggie532]

Seeing John get jumpscared means you KNOW it was a good one lol

[@vangoghsseveredear]

John missed a fella leisurely strolling into the bush at 7:23 ish

[@catflorence6903]

I just noticed that.

[@WESCOE1818]

Games like this brings the Harshly Critical John back, loving this so far

[@angelicafigueroa0221]

I wonder if you go into the gas station immediately turn around and stand by your car to catch the creep before he tampers with it Also two creeps confirmed 1. Because two different character model and 2. because the car that speeds off away from you when your lights start blinking is at the motel in front of room 4 and the white van is behind the weird building my guess is the car was in front of you to make sure you had car trouble and once your lights started flickering he speed off to the motel to "see what they caught" When you come back to the coffee machine the trunk of the car is open meaning you were supposed to be put in there but you happened to remain lucid enough to tell the manager about the coffee and him to you about the pills. Now the only one who's after you is white suit guy who enters your closet from the bathroom after he slipped in your room but he's seen running out of your room back to the truck where he and room 4 creep hang about whispering outside your room before dude in white tries again to get into the room. The manager alluded to there being more than one guest so odds are you were flanked by a couple creeps following you home on the road and making sure you ended up at their motel Then again all four men could b in on it, the cashier to tell them the story while the dude in white messes with the car, the car that speeds off is to confirm you're in distress with the guy in the pickup who gives you a lift to the motel is there to do just that, bring you straight to the motel. with the motel manager being the only one to change his mind at the pitiful sight of you drugged and freaked out and told you about the pills to clear your head so you wouldn't be taken off guard. He can't bring in police because of how much he knows and how muchs he's in on it but he spares you at least

[@katelin9644]

Wow this made it even creepier but also makes complete sense

[@midnightbaby2129]

Exactly what I thought! They're all in this. A human trafficking ring. Cashier hold you back with a spooky story for the White Van Guy has more time to mess with your car. That one extremely slow car driving right in front to make sure that your car has been messed with. Jason takes you straight to the motel. Not so sure about Joe and Tommy though. Joe decided to change his mind and save you in the end (?) Tommy is just being creepy. But yeah, definitely more than 1 person is in this. What a great game!

[@Adrionic]

This is the funniest let's play I've seen on this game, bar none. Had me cracking up the entire time. Top tier commentary.

[@I_want_waffles]

John: almost immune to jumpscares* also John: 38:40

[@7792pnaurfr]

29:46 too

[@psixi2668]

That split second of hesitation where you could see John start moving instinctively to avoid the oncoming car, then stop to turn and ram it head on nearly made me howl

[@Emily-xk2du]

lmaoooo I had to go back and watch, I didn't even notice the first time that he was about to move out of the way! ty for pointing that out, that makes it even funnier

[@NiteNiteStreams]

I initially thought this was the weirdest concept to make a video game out of people's real life traumatic events, but now I look at it as cautionary tales to learn from, while playing games. Nice job rayll, and awesome gameplay John

[@KatastropheGaming]

what makes these scarier is the fact that each episode is based on a real story that actually happened to someone

[@kenjutsukata1o1]

And even if they weren't based on specific ones, they're plausible enough to have happened (probably many times).

[@pengwin_]

1800 come on now

[@lionofthebluevale7170]

Sure they did

[@leeelahglitz47]

The devs take real stories from people who submit them, but then alter and change some things to make it more "game worthy." For example, I'm pretty sure the dialogue in those texts wasn't half as cringey in real, seeing as this would have been set in 2019, but they made up the text conversation using the pretty typical “cringey teen dialogue” that's in most Indie games. It's rather interesting! Love the series!

[@letsgetsomeshoes1239]

I have some seaside property in South Dakota to sell you

[@lorenachas3738]

UGH as a woman this episode really freaked me out. Loved it.

[@butterneko]

29:47 2022 is just the year that keeps on giving Jumpscare John lmao

[@freyamique8724]

john’s voices for the characters are top tier

[@SuperMathsBeaver]

John doubling down on the milk jokes gives me life.

[@sean3578]

This was scary. Graphically I think it lets your mind fill some blanks with the storytelling. You didn’t know who the monster was this episode.

[@Neckromorph]

I'm very impressed with John's creepy backwoods motel room-service guy voice.

[@LainiWeiz]

This was amazing, can't wait to see what they do next. For a moment I thought it might do a twist on how earlier Holly complained about a driver not stopping for her and how can people abandon other human beings like that and then you abandon the guy at your door asking for help.

[@rairatoakane]

My theory is that part of this town is probably doing some human trafficking with outsiders, with people sabotaging the cars and forcing people to stay at the motel where they can kidnap them easier. The tale with the woman in white gown might be a previous victim who tried to escape and this kind of tale can stop people from helping escaped victims; thus, the gas station owner might be in on it as well.

[@midnightbaby2129]

Same! Exactly what I thought! They're all in this. A human trafficking ring. Cashier hold you back with a spooky story for the White Van Guy has more time to mess with your car. That one extremely slow car driving right in front to make sure that your car has been messed with. Jason takes you straight to the motel. Not so sure about Joe and Tommy though. Joe decided to change his mind and save you in the end (?) Tommy is just being creepy. But yeah, definitely more than 1 person is in this. What a great game

[@BalticRat]

7:23 on the right hand side just a dude taking a stroll straight into the woods lmao

[@because-strudels]

Damn this was really something different. This legitimately felt fresh. Even the music choices. I felt incredibly uncomfortable and it was a stroke of genius to let you see that whisper meter in the closet early on. It made me paranoid about every little thing. This is gonna be a great one to rewatch over and over.

[@CHWM11]

Really liked this one! I watched Gab play it on her channel first and this episode genuinely scared me. The jump scares are good (Gab opened the closet when you wake up after being drugged in her playthrough which is another good scare) and like you said the atmosphere is really good. I think this one got to me so much because as a woman imagining myself back at 19 years old in this situation was so stressful. Can’t use your phone, car broken down, every person you meet is a creepy guy you don’t know if you can trust… just freaked me out. That and the fact that she does get drugged and clearly the guy was in the room with her doing god knows what… some good realistic horror here.

[@megamonolith6522]

I really like how plausible good endings are in these games. Gives them a bit of realism, rewarding player prudence, insteand of having to play mind games with the game dev. Bravo, seriously!

[@Issuna87]

"Hope you enjoyed my facts!" Always a good time with facts John lol

[@InhumaneRose]

I hope that you don’t stop being a personality on any platform John, you’re a realistic figure that 90+% of people just don’t have. Thank you for being a part of the community!

[@TaleDreamer]

27:39 Ah yes, the true horror of them all: "Bookshelves with no bookshelves."

[@Virgweelyy]

I like to start all of Mr. Wolfe's videos with a "..Heyy, John; It's guys!" It feels fun. Like we just have a little acknowledgement that he is, in fact; John. And that I am, in fact; one of the guys he's referring to. How incredibly empowering. I love this guy.

[@poepoe2327]

Honestly didn't know that rides with strangers was still in development I thought it was a dead project but okay.👍I don't actually think it's ever coming out tho... The demo was released 2016 and it was being worked years before then it's not like it's a big game like kingdom hearts or anything so the fact that it's literally taken 7+ years to develop makes me think it's never going to be released.

[@vangoghsseveredear]

Yeah the dev acts like a total loser about it too. Freaks out on Twitter whenever anyone asks him, lmao. Hes also not a great person. He installed a backdoor in one of his games where he can manually decide to kill you, and he sat for like 2 hours killing a streamer over and over because the streamer said something he didn't like. Not a great guy. I'll see if I can find the vid Edit: it's called " Welcome to the "Troll" " here on youtube, by hypno ziz

[@yorak13]

@@vangoghsseveredear wow that’s…. yikes. 😬

[@poepoe2327]

@@vangoghsseveredear wow that's so fucked hope he stays in development hell then...

[@sethturnbull554]

The project was cancelled on it's go-fund-me or Kickstarter or whatever. I'm pretty sure it's not only just not in development anymore, I'm pretty sure funders had to jump through a bunch of hoops just get a refund.

[@Bane_Amesta]

Damn I didn't knew about the developer, sounds like the kind of guy you would run from lol To be honest Rides wirh Strangers seems a great idea in concept, but the demo didn't catch my attention, the mechanics were way too complex in my opinion, specially when John was probably the only person who understood the gameplay lol

[@zilestar2350]

I usually don’t comment, but I have to say, everything about this video was super on point. In-game horror? On point John’s snarky commentary? On point Max’s editing? ON. POINT. Every single aspect of this video is amazing, and it’s definitely my top John Wolfe video of all time

[@Paul20661]

29:45 JUMPSCARE in case u don't know yet and want to know 38:08 huh,no jumpscare but in other playthroughs I've seen it said telly here it is TV 40:25 *hello*

[@therealspacecoyote]

I’m getting really good Stories Untold vibes from this series. Can’t wait to see more!

[@laurenperrywheeler4309]

My favorite part about this game is that the interactions are unexpected for a horror game. You dont expect in the first one to actually be rescued by the neighbor, the gas station guy, the milk dude, and the owner of the motel are all actually good. Its rare to see that in horror games, and its a bit breath of fresh air

[@Waterbottles711]

The white windowless van John flashback really got me lmao

[@samwisegamgee1243]

Any media involving people getting drugged makes me soooo uncomfortable, especially with the knowledge that this is based on someone's actual experience. Sometimes real-life stories are scarier than the ones in our heads. 😷

[@JillLulamoon]

I've watched this many times while trying to sleep, and the prowler whisper of "Hello?" never fails to make my stomach drop. That's like one of the best horror game sequences I've seen in a long time.

[@necwo698]

John's memory of the games he played is just awesome. I wish I have that kind of memory.

[@reddeadmercenaries2106]

John not knowing alright is also alr was hilarious to me

[@Cecrophia]

Looking forward to more episodes from this developer, really neat game.

[@Deadener]

The quality difference between these is pretty crazy. The last one felt like a school project, whereas this one felt like a real indie horror game.

[@cassandramae85]

Love the new editor John! Their work makes your videos even more entertaining which I didn't think was possible!

[@kenjutsukata1o1]

I'm assuming the implication is that the windowless van guy did something to her engine/battery. Probably planning on picking her up later, scary shit. Though I like the implication that truck-guy spent that long trying to pick out what milk he wanted. Man's a connoisseur though, guess I can't expect him to grab whatever milk off the shelf willy-nilly. Great game overall, and great commentary from John as usual. Really excited to see the rest of the stories as they come out!

[@hannag4768]

7:20 lmao, spotting that person to the right had me second guessing myself if I saw it or not, love the attention to small things in this game that majority will miss but those who catch it gets freaked out lol

[@shadowtheneko14]

23:41 i cant take john seriously rn with jason the milk guy

[@momstruction]

The milk jokes 😂

[@obnoxiousnesli]

i just really like how misleading the game is. like for example they warn you of hitchhikers and we all prolly thought "oh alright, so ghosty ghosts trying to lure us out of our car!" but then WE become the hitchhiker and we have to depend on someone ignoring that warning we wouldnt have ignored otherwise, the second time we were mislead was with the creepy characters actually being helpful, the third time that we trusted the environment too much by drinking that coffee, and lastly that the closet is gonna be a safespace for us but it was used by the enemy first!

[@yorak13]

3:39 “alr” is a shortened from of “alright”

[@828Bbot]

Man this game has good atmosphere, as I think the graphics give you a false sense of security. It’s not as dark and creepy but then it scares by catching you off guard. The guy in the bathroom really got me 😂

[@LuizSilva-ul1ee]

It's the second time I am seeing this game and I am just as surprised as the first time by its design. The guy whispering by the door or the bathroom jumpscare are amazing. Great job by the devs