HIKEBACK - Don't Pick Up This Hitchhiker If You Value Your Future or your life... ( ALL ENDINGS )

[@ManlyBadassHero]

Deju Vu I know I've been here before

[@ManlyBadassHero]

Deju Vu I know I've been here before

[@danielreeseworcesteriii666]

E

[@Frames36063]

I’ve already liked this video but I feel like I already did it two days ago...

[@jadamson4384]

Addicted to you 🙂🙃

[@shadow_shine3578]

I love your videos and huge variety of games you play. Have an amazing day!!

[@chuckin6823]

"but now we shall both surely die" said the driver "lol" said the hitchhiker, "lmao"

[@Plazmasoldier]

Dam

[@dorkunknown2883]

Chuckins excellent humour fills you with. . .DETERMINATION

[@TheAlmightyJello]

In the words of the great Bimeo James on the video rendition of this: "Fables are just old bruh moments."

[@yggdrasilburnes]

It's funny because it's so antithetical to the actual plot.

[@conq1273]

Goddamnit

[@hansnixon5818]

I love how the driver just eventually turns into Chris Hansen with a glock.

[@madgay7388]

That's assuming Chris Hansen doesn't already have a glock.

[@imptwins]

"If you won't take a seat then perhaps you'll take a knee," he said, while reaching into his coat pocket-

[@RiskItForAChoccyBiscuit]

At the turn of the clock he pulls out a glock

[@jery3385]

Nah that's Chris Hansen with a 1911

[@katiarepublic7057]

Hehe like number 666

[@lilmun8535]

Anyone else note that several of the endings are the stages of grief? Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. But also the concept of Nature vs. Nurture in endings 0 and 1.

[@-CasualCrown-]

I noticed it once it got to bargaining, very clever they added these in

[@oldschoolChazzed]

I noticed it at bargaining as well, obvious but I liked it

[@thefull9746]

all end XVIII seems to the stages of grief

[@gamerdomain6618]

@@thefull9746 VIII, not XVIII VIII is eight while XVIII is eighteen

[@mdswitchy378]

Captain obvious over here.

[@auctoritate8254]

What kinda guy just decides to take the airbags out of his car?

[@CreeketsCreek]

a guy who's fully ready to accept whatever fate throws at him

[@happyscreams1896]

What kinda guy just goes picking up random hitch hikers in the forest and kills people "for the Lord" ?

[@vsptylore3639]

Remember, he crashes the car the moment he believes the hiker was going to hurt somebody. So while his usual method of finding victims is catfishing them and then finding them at their house, he probably took out the airbags in case he decides a random hitchhiker deserves to die

[@slymoth1396]

Who need air bag while you can die like real man

[@oldschoolChazzed]

@@vsptylore3639 i think youre close to being right, rather than it simply being aimed at hitchhikers its possible he might get his victim into the car and in an emergency he could simply crash and kill them both

[@TheRadicalOneNG]

This is really skillfully written, only a lifetime of abuse and paranoia could make someone self-sabotage THAT much, All he has to do is just stay calm for ONCE but even that is a huge struggle in and of itself. Getting a full understanding of what's *really* going on is such a ride.

[@demarcus2221]

You get it? RIDE? CAR RIDE? HITCHHIKER

[@KeiosKod]

Yeah, I could tell that was why he kept fucking himself over like that. Still incredibly dumb, though, since he can literally rewind time whenever. Unless the people at the facility that kept him had some way of countering his looping power aside from just brute forcing things by tracking him down and sending people after him whenever he tries to escape, it’s dumb that he didn’t try even once to just wait things out in all the times he preempted things with a scalpel stab. This is especially dumb since he also knows that the other party is gradually picking up fragments of memories from all the other times.

[@nemomoo]

The same goes for the driver. He's a serial killer who was going to kill Eight no matter what to protect his identity. All he had to do was drop off eight somewhere, but it'd go against his plans/nature.

[@KeiosKod]

@@nemomoo What. That didn’t seem to be the case at all. The driver was a serial killer, but of the vigilante sort. The only times he actively tries to kill 8 were when he remembered bits and pieces of past loops, and he was upset with 8 when the latter implied he wanted to hurt people. The driver was dangerous, but definitely not to 8; not until 8 gave him cause to be wary of him. That was pretty much the entire point of the scorpion and the frog/turtle story; 8 would have been fine all along if he had trusted the driver. Of course there were instances where the driver would inadvertently reveal 8’s location to his pursuers by calling help for him, but that was all done with good intentions.

[@havenprice]

I thought 8 had been killed by the serial killer before, that’s why one of the fears he had was when would the driver pull to the side and kill him. After all, it was shown he could trust (and did trust) an old lady the night before

[@Brokenfirealarm]

I like how this game does the "He was a killer the whole time" for the driver without being heavy-handed or really obvious early on.

[@cyncir]

At first I thought the dude was innocent, and well..

[@Daisythepage]

Same

[@absolutesquash]

it seems like he catfishes pedos by pretending to be a teen girl and then kills said pedos. admirable

[@anubis7457]

@@absolutesquash Well, I wouldn't say admirable, but understandable.

[@asura3229]

@@anubis7457 I have a backstory perfect for this character. Imagine a child gets molested Imagine when his father and the church Found out about it he pressed charges but because he was very influential nothing happened and his father told him all the time “if you need anything all you would need to do is pray”. so he prayed every day that the person who did this to him will get punished. luckily beyond all reason he was there at the perfect time in the perfect hiding spot to see his father and the church brutalize the pastor killing him because it was found he was the reason for the missing children incidents and because of what he saw his sense of justice Became very twisted. He believes anyone who hurts or is capable of hurting someone else should be killed because he saw his father do it he believes anyone taking a part in it is absolved of the sin.

[@judebaker7688]

hey all ! the creator of this game is my SO, and we're really happy you all enjoy HIKEBACK ! he put a lot of effort and love into it and im really happy to see people loving his content like i do :D

[@chromatika67]

AWWW TELL HIM THANK YOU FOR HIS HARD WORK AND COOL GAME!

[@w4rh34d4]

Really cool story and characters! I loved it.

[@theocean._._._.]

YOO ITS SO AMAZING I STARTED SOBBING BC OF THE THEME OF THE "ENDLESS CYCLE" T_T -- Please tell him I said thanks for making such a masterpiece of a game.

[@bubuluwoo5212]

this is one of the most interesting games I've seen in a while, I really fell in love with all the characters and empathize with them, this is awesome!!!!

[@shawnheatherly]

He did an incredible job.

[@pallas9113]

Some of the manipulative dialogue is so well-written it made me super uncomfortable...

[@toolatetothestory]

Ehhh, it sounds pretty cliche to me. Just what you would know, not from experience but just the description of manipulation. Real manipulation is... more subtle.

[@pallas9113]

@@toolatetothestory Depends on how sophisticated both parties are, but one can identify the logic flow. Cliches are usually built on something that's common. If you are speaking from experience... I'm very sorry that kind of thing happened to you.

[@toolatetothestory]

@@pallas9113 Exactly, and this manipulation is... textbook definition common. Not really any subtlety to it. It is painfully obvious and yeah, from experience, it doesn't work that way.

[@pallas9113]

@@toolatetothestory Yeah... I'm sorry to hear that. And I agree, it's extremely obvious and flattened, and it felt real (at least for me) not as in "this is how it happens", but in "this is how he is impacted by it". The kid has internalized the helplessness and the idea of his "nature". It lines up with how he behaves. (Also I probably didn't really mean specifically the manipulation scene... Honestly the first part that got me uncomfortable was when the driver "realizes" that "it was his own fault". The omnipresent internalized victim-blaming logic. It... very likely, wasn't specifically implanted by someone with malicious intent. One just might suddenly notice that, somehow this is the way they think. And the manipulation scene for me felt more like the kid's inner voice than an actual event - he gets stuck in that moment repeatedly because, although he _knows_ it's bullshit, he also _believes_ it.)

[@monochromedream-eatingbaku]

@@toolatetothestory I mean some of the lines can just be said straight up. I was frequently told that I'm evil and dirty, born sinful, etc and that only they could love me, that I'm right when I think that everyone hates me and that everyone always will because they all know that that's what I deserve, that they can all see that I'm inherently evil and worthless. Sometimes abuse can happen without much subtlety

[@portisthetortoise3239]

"Then God gave humans a sense of justice and a glock to see it through" Best line in the game hands down I'm WHEEZING

[@damien678]

its so f*cken RAW

[@Snap_Tonic_Gin]

lmfaoo ikr?!

[@Nicok2004]

America be like

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Make sure to include John Moses Browning, patron saint of firearms, in your prayers. But make sure it's like a prayer to Crom. Because if you need help, you don't deserve it. And if you are worthy, you can do without.

[@GFCOLCQuote]

2:30 "I asked you why you did it." "Lol" said the scorpion, "Lmao."

[@GFCOLCQuote]

1:41:15 Oh god damn it.

[@Thelothuo]

@@GFCOLCQuote yep i had my hopes up and then the game stole the opportunity

[@zulephizus1212]

what is this reference from?

[@Thelothuo]

​@@zulephizus1212 an old story the game references scorpion needs to cross a river, sees a frog nearby who needs to cross too, so asks for a ride scorpion, on the back of the frog, can't resist but sting the frog who showed his back to the scorpion they both drowned "but surely now we will both drown!" shouted the frog "lol," said the scorpion, "lmao"

[@mmelo7832]

@@zulephizus1212 In the actual story the scorpion obviously doesn't say "lol" or "lmao", instead, when the frog asks wy he did it he responds that it is in his nature. The lol and lmao part comes from a video by a chanel that makes meme voiceovers named Gianni Matragrano

[@zilleaxolotl3457]

I didn't expect this to fuck me up emotionally as much as it did, this a beautifully written

[@flowerpot6717]

I second this

[@mrmacaron8853]

Yeah, like holy shit, I was just expecting a little horror game, not one hell of a story. Pleasant surprise though.

[@rotary135]

And the art ..

[@5p4d3]

Fr, honestly I was expecting some regular “oOoOh I’m CrEePY” kind of short horror story, this is so well written though and some of it is relatable for the things that go on in my life, but damn this had me intrigued the whole time, it’s wasn’t like “oh this guy is the evil one” right off the bat stuff.

[@peeppeep9538]

It's worse when you can relate to the emotions but can't remember where they came from.

[@UnicornstarLight]

Ending One is the equivalent of "Oops, sorry, it's because I'm a Capricorn, lol"

[@mink2762]

lmao

[@slasher._.slayer]

As a capricorn 👋🐸

[@Alice_Rikky]

I was expeting the quote to be "The frog and the scorpion", instead I read my sign, plot twist XD

[@themecoptera9258]

The hitchhiker was a caprisun but the driver was an asparagus.

[@Kiemixo]

😅

[@farwolff]

I like how as the story progresses, the roles of the characters change from the driver being “good” and the hiker being “bad” to the sort other way around.

[@DondonII]

I never actually thought of the hiker to be bad when he thought the driver would kill him, and the driver was my favorite character because he seemed so innocent. Now I just hate how this is.

[@outcast170]

The driver was a sort of vigilante, he "catfished" child predators, set up a meeting, then killed them. Well, the way it talked about "a couple days to site see before they found the body" almost seems like he wasn't really planning to get away with it. So yes, during a few of the last endings it plays the driver as just a killer. The 12th ending ads enough information that the driver's "friend" was expecting a teen girl on his door step, which was the reason for the catfishing. So, the driver really wasn't a "bad" person. Sure if your definition of "bad" is black and white, personally, I can't say the driver is a "bad" person. The one he was going to meet was only a target because he invited a young teenage girl to run away from home and come to his front door. Not much room for misunderstanding there, now sure, the driver could have just, plain and simple been a serial killer that decided targeting child molesters were excuseable targets. The driver could have also formerly been a father who lost their own daughter to a child predator. Does that make it "good"? No, but it puts it firmly into a grey area of morality vs legal. Regardless, the point is, both of them were firmly in that grey area of good/bad. The hiker, based on what he knew at the time, reasonably thought he needed to stab/kill to protect himself, but not really having malicious intent behind that killing. That IS the point, there really isn't good or bad. It is, what it is. Nothing more, nothing less. The ending IS. Its not good, its not bad, it is just the ending.

[@thatguyron7776]

@@outcast170 Nice way to throw your religion in there. Murder is bad, regardless of the motivation of it. You disgust me

[@pop.4967]

@@thatguyron7776 What the hell are you on about lmfao, that isn't religion bro what're you on about?

[@tacticianrobin_9021]

@@thatguyron7776 They didn’t mention religion at all? Just their opinion, which coincidentally didn’t line up with yours. And that’s fine. Not everyone will agree with you or them. Some people believe in fighting fire with fire (e.g. Someone kills a friend/family member, so you retaliate and kill them). I personally don’t believe that, and believe it would make you as bad as the murderer. Every person has different opinions on controversial subjects. It’s only natural. There isn’t a set right and wrong when it comes to these subjects, no matter how wrong you believe another person’s beliefs to be.

[@FeenieVonKarma]

this is extremely well written. The perspective shifts are intriguing but still easy to understand. It's unsettling that "we" are always the Hiker. I also like that the Driver is NOT surprised by the twist, that he figured it out lol. In short, this was just fucking great, man. Excited to see if this author/dev writes more.

[@casekocsk]

Actually having a stranger (esp. the one you can't trust) to sit at the back seat is one of the WORST thing you can do... They may seems to be closer and more intimate when sitting besides you... but this is not seat choice at some dinning table... If that person sit besides you, you can see his/her every action and anticipate it. And since you are side by side, that means you are in better position (since you have the steering wheel and car controls). His/her action also would be more limited. But if that person is BEHIND you... you are at much more disadvantageous position. You can't see him, you can't really anticipate his action, you can't defend yourself against him/her, he/she have much more freedom and choice of action, etc.

[@dantesdiscoinfernolol]

Yeah, that was my thought. I don't know how the driver kept nearly forgetting he had company in the car. All my focus (that wasn't being used for driving, of course) would be on my passenger from then on, even if I wasn't real suspicious.

[@Droffatsstafford]

Counterpoint: You are vulnerable in both positions, and are also, in fact, _driving the vehicle._ Killing you while you're focusing on not crashing is fairly easy; surviving the subsequent crash, less so. The best opportunities are right after you pull over to pick them up (especially if you leave the car to talk to them, as the driver does here), just before the drive begins, and once you reach the agreed-upon destination (presumably a low-traffic area). The decision between the passenger seat and back seat seems less important than the fact that you're letting a stranger into your car at all; if they plan on killing you, it's not going to matter where they sit. Also, they'll probably die with you. For the record, I am _not_ speaking from personal experience. Really.

[@casekocsk]

@@Droffatsstafford vulnerable in both positions, yeah, of course, that's obvious... The BEST course of action is to never bring a stranger into your vehicle in the first place... But having someone BEHIND you is the worse of two option... not just driving but in all situation in general... I drove car for more than 10 years (manual transmission) and it's rather easy to split your attention between driving and check on the person beside you (unless you already have difficulty on multi tasking) though you will drive slower and more carefully.

[@Droffatsstafford]

@@casekocsk Ahh, yeah, I should've emphasized that I feel the difference is negligible. Especially because I'm definitely the sort of person who can't afford to concentrate on anything but the road. I can barely hold a conversation while driving lol

[@casekocsk]

@@Droffatsstafford the difference is actually pretty significant. The most obvious one is that you can't see the person (but he can) if he's behind you, and this already a huge deterrent (people are usually more hesitate if they think you're watching). You also can't really fight back while he can attack you with both hand... he can even grab your neck and slit it with paper cutter very easily and there's nothing you can do (or perhaps even notice). Car seat does nothing to protect you btw...

[@jigsawchan5364]

I really liked how they played with changing the perspective of the narrative, making us learn more about each character with each new loop. A unique game indeed.

[@serokunii]

NOOOO PLEASE IM CRYING I JUST WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY EVEN IF THEY ARE FUCKED UP

[@alexisw.717]

SAME AND LIKE WHEN THEY WERE HOLDING HANDS AND COMFORTING EACH OTHER??? ACTUAL TEARS. JUST LET THE PARANOID TIME TRAVELER AND VIGILANTE KILLER LIVE HAPPILY

[@alexisw.717]

@DuckyTin we can only hope

[@monochromedream-eatingbaku]

@DuckyTin Lads is it gay to lay side by side dying after repeatedly trying to kill each other in futile attempts to escape a literal and metaphorical cycle that erodes your mind, leaving a clear writing on the wall in the form of an ancient tale speaking of the impossibility of change?

[@plipplop2886]

SAME I was painting while listing to this video but then I heard Number 8's backstory and got super invested. I literally sat here for the last 20 minutes holding back tears, I was so hoping they would get a happy ending

[@caramel9154]

@@monochromedream-eatingbaku only if you're not wearing socks lad

[@javierortegacordovilla3043]

I think she also has powers, it makes sense since in theory she tries to contain people with them and what she does is manipulate the driver, that's why the red screen appears every time a driver cycle begins. In the first cycles when the driver is altruistic she (who writes in red) says: you never learn, do you? 20:08 then the driver starts behaving like a psychopath

[@Talishmar]

Well spotted!

[@teal9156]

Yes! I was just thinking, how is it possible for the driver to have the hiker's face? It was never explained. There has to be some literal reality warping for that to even be plausible. And if the game writes that off as simply symbolic, then that would in my eyes be a lapse in writing.

[@HippieInHeart]

yeah i think in the beginning the driver actually was just normally visiting a friend. it was *her* who added all the other stuff later, like, through some sort of time-reality-dimension altering power *she* turned the driver into this psychopathic vigilante murderer priest guy. maybe it was also *her* who gave the driver the memories of the past encounters with #8.

[@freshbread4039]

@@HippieInHeart something something 8 rolls back time and the lady does the inverse, something something she can change the details of the past to match up seamlessly with the present but with the modification of those peoples past causing them to act differently

[@stevianheartbound]

I do feel like this is kind of related to the priest hitchhiker game, but this cycle of death/rebirth turned dead bromance kind of leaves me feeling good. There's no heroes here. Just a scorpion and a mirror.

[@empirecrumbles615]

what, rides with strangers?

[@mayonnaisesinner7537]

I love that he plays all endings. It makes it feel more satisfying.

[@Huskie297]

Don't mind me sobbing as they awkwardly try to comfort each other by putting their hands on each other, I'm not projecting *YOU'RE* projecting-

[@dreamareakoso3791]

yesn’t

[@flowerpot6717]

E

[@jjbop5060]

who gave you the right to call me out like that

[@godhelp3439]

*we're projecting

[@epochii2756]

ME AND THE BOIS YEARNING FOR CPMFORT, TOUCH STARVED GANG RISE *U P*

[@pihkabottomtext4628]

"Even if it's in the scorpions nature to kill, it is the frog's choice to help." The story of the scorpion and the frog has always been really close to my heart, personally, so you can imagine my excitement when I realized what this was about. Definitely one of my favourite interpretations of the tale, Ending 0 (Nurture) really brought tears to my eyes before I even knew it. I loved the games style and the art, and it's ideas are probably going to be stuck in my head for years to come. Thank you for playing this game with such care, Manly.

[@Snap_Tonic_Gin]

Do you mind telling me the timestamp of the ending? Thanks!

[@krislegionau4997]

The final ending of this game made me cry more than it should have. God dammit it's 3AM. I do not need this wholesome ending stabbing my heart.

[@quinngilbert8736]

Right?! I’m bloody sobbing rn- it’s 2 in the morning 😭

[@Konani_the_unicorn_queen]

9am here- my eyes are dry but my heart is bleeding.

[@1stpltpkmnTR]

Holy shit that was amazing... It's so... humanising and kind of ego shattering, speaking volumes about the extents of human cruelty, kindness and what makes us that way. So many well delivered messages with this one like... Accepting despair as a means of freedom and having nothing to lose in trying even if it means nothing. That was incredible.

[@ChageeyaSarang]

ah. that was nice. now if you'll excuse me, I'll be imagining a life where the two did get treatment & started a new life together ala found-family trope, because I CAN- no, I'm not crying- YOU'RE CRYING

[@ffishflakes]

exactly what you said , this game broke me

[@Shiny_Misty]

...let's cry together. ;A;

[@Plebsaint]

They probably survived tho? The priest vigilante guy got his wounds reversed, and he was dragging 8 to his car, where he has a first aid kit and phone.

[@ChageeyaSarang]

@@Plebsaint they did but the ending was also open & unclear. So I'm giving them a clearer closure for my own peace of mind.

[@plipplop2886]

Im going to pretend they did make it out and became friends like Connor and hank from Detroit become human or something because these endings are too sad for me to continue functioning

[@sylvie_loves_frogs4951]

the team: so how fucked up do you want this game to be? the author: *yes* ok so i found out the creator of this game saw both of my comments and good sir i think ur very cool and i bid u a good day to u and ur partner!!!!

[@desireehayles9353]

It's adorable when Manly says Disember instead of dismember and exauhstation instead of exhaustion.

[@sourcherry8928]

and renember too 😩🥺

[@TayumiUzumaki]

and "shod"

[@hyobro8392]

And "paining" instead of painting but there wasn't an exemple in this video

[@pissapocalypse]

@@sourcherry8928 I forgor But I also rember

[@koiifsh]

"eiver" instead of "either"

[@caiterbunch3932]

"...You must be _exhausted"_ OH GOD NO. NOT THE ITALICS. ANYTHING BUT THE ITALICS

[@antonyalexpro6957]

What do you mean?

[@CPSPD]

@@antonyalexpro6957 they hate Italians

[@ZionSairin]

@@antonyalexpro6957 Usually when someone emphasizes stuff like that it leads to a very bad result.

[@bobconer5240]

"Then god gave humans a sense of justice and a glock" 1:20:53

[@alianascarllymaelucero6180]

funniest shit at 4am

[@shroomer3867]

It has "I will beat you with the power of freindship and this glock I found!" kind of energy

[@oldschoolChazzed]

"One quick shot to the thigh. Nothing serious, mind you." the largest veins in your body are in your thighs though like what

[@MsAnimefan95]

A lot of people seem to think that there are non-lethal places to shoot a person that won't kill them. In reality, no such spot exists. Indeed, hitting an artery in your arm or leg can cause you to bleed out.

[@Chrisdish]

@@MsAnimefan95 a finger, a toe, your ear.

[@MsAnimefan95]

@@Chrisdish All of which are very small and hard to hit.

[@kenjutsukata1o1]

@@MsAnimefan95 Whether they're easy to hit or not is irrelevant to what chris watee said; you said that there's no non-lethal spot to shoot someone, and they provided examples disproving that.

[@MsAnimefan95]

@@kenjutsukata1o1 ANY spot is lethal if it goes untreated, whether by bleeding out or getting infected, including the places listed (which, again, are very small and hard to hit. Anyone who aims for those places is very likely to end up hitting a different part of the body). You might survive if you get treatment quickly enough, but there's no such thing as a "safe place" to shoot someone, which is what my point was.

[@marcusmusicals9446]

the fact that this was a game jam piece was super startling, it genuinely felt like it had so much depth put into it that I actually blinked IRL when Manly mentioned that at the end of the video lol! anyways my opinion of the driver went on SUCH a rollercoaster as the video went on... LMAO

[@Condervious]

“Complex”, “Nurture” and “Tethered” were my favourite endings. Complex legit made me gasp and Tethered and Nurture made me pretty darn emotional

[@rotary135]

I so agree

[@AniGaAG]

_"THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER ENDING TO THIS!! I WILL FIND IT! I WILL!!"_ - Yeah, like just not stabbing him. The trappings of a beaten, battered mind... and how such a broken mind can lead its owner to all the worst endings, fully of its own fault, never realizing the good ending was just straight ahead. This is seriously well written, both technically and philosophically. A great change of pace from the more typical B-tier writing in many indie games.

[@lomicane]

I didnt realise that this video takes 2 hours of my life

[@ManlyBadassHero]

yes

[@via1129]

yes

[@heyitzsamurai]

yes

[@RustySpoke]

yes

[@Super-xs5gq]

yes

[@lunarlunatick]

Last time I was Here this early manly was just known as _BoyishkickButtProtagonist_

[@sneakythiefgaming6648]

That's funny

[@heylujie]

That sounds like a 4kids tv show lmao

[@lunarlunatick]

@@heylujie it'd probably make a pretty sweet addition to weekly Shōnen Jump then we could follow BoyishKickButtProtagonist on his many adventures along thr way to one day becoming known as the ManlyBadAsdHero we all know and love. It'd be like how dragonball started in Shōnen Jump and progressed over time to DBZ and DBSuper and _Only_ those two spin offs and *NOTHING ELSE* >.>

[@TemmiePlays]

@@heylujie bc kickbuttowski was a disney cartoon

[@satqur]

StrappingSavageShota

[@manuelmendoza3679]

can't believe manly playing 1 hour visual novel just for us

[@NoNameO7]

we love him

[@TemmiePlays]

Good, bc he played 2 hours, not one

[@wakimaki1336]

What a very neat game that pulls off the concept well! A time loop scenario where the previous loops have both meaning and consequence lead to some very interesting choices from our two main characters.

[@omegazeroknight]

1:18:54 Ah yes, the ultimate cure of everything, bullet. Go with god, my child. Ok, enough of my rude sense of humor, this was really well made, i am actually impressed how it looked like a short game then it turn into a real moderately size horror story.

[@Trickpants]

Can't be a sinner if you're dead (:

[@monochromedream-eatingbaku]

Interesting that the "you" at 2:27 is bleeding. EDIT: Oh I see Also funny how his name is 8 because 8 is a loop. Actually now that I think about the game, that was pretty fucked up. The change of the frog to a turtle also opened my third eye, watered my crops, and healed my mental illness. It's like: Aesop: "The scorpion is inherently evil and bad and will always hurt everyone, and for that it should be killed to prevent harm to others." This game: *hits blunt* "Actually it wouldn't hurt everyone. A turtle's back is too tough."

[@jakebiassa]

The number 8 flipped on it's side becomes the sign for infinity which of course means forever and a loop is continuous forever.

[@monochromedream-eatingbaku]

@@jakebiassa well yes, I believe I said so in my comment. 8 is the infinity loop and also the lady's name.

[@venuslikeyourgod6801]

The way "her" was written to sound like a geniune abuser, and the way the self sabotage and guilt affected eight, was too real. The abuse made me start having flashbacks lol.

[@hashem6356]

so this is what a second person perspective game looks like.

[@i.n.4004]

There's a video about what a second person perspective might be like on youtube! I don't think this game is quite a second person perspective, although the perspective is indeed unique.

[@hashem6356]

@@i.n.4004 I think i watched it before. Driver, Right?

[@caiterbunch3932]

honestly this game was WAY better than i thought it was going to be. like holy crap i didn't expect this at all. my favorite endings are the standstill ending and the complex ending. the standstill ending is the funniest ending, but the complex one is just... absolutely heartbreaking

[@lordtyrant1638]

Very interesting story. Especially with the hitchhikers endings mimicking the stages of grief and death.

[@SamTudor]

Was such a pleasure to do the audio for this game, glad I met Clowndream

[@zanzax6438]

It was good chill stuff to listen to, great job!

[@somethingoutthere5608]

PLEASE I WANT THEM TO HAVE A HAPPY ENDING FUUUCKXKX SOBBING

[@rotary135]

T)Q,MVSIQKSQ THEY💥🫀

[@marielucia9316]

Same 😭😭

[@Chaosrunepownage]

Oh also, the scorpion and the turtle and the scorpion and the frog are both folk stories so both options are correct!

[@SoicAngellis]

Aww.. I love the very last ending, with the Hiker and Driver setting off like that. End 0 is my favorite. Especially with what the Hiker did- it shows potential for what he could do with his power, not just hurting, but healing

[@salhb737tm2]

Hitchhiker:exists* The driver for some goddamn reason: *COWABUNGA IT IS* *gunshots**

[@feral5625]

The fact that ‘You’/Eight thinks he has to kill ‘Me’ because of those movies where he sees someone (hitchhiker or driver) dies, and how he was manipulated into thinking he’s a bad person, is so sad. I feel so bad for Eight. He never deserved this torture.

[@percyap4271]

The story in a nutshell is like the fable story of the frog and the scorpion. It turns out, Scorpions are edgelords.

[@f0x1ro1]

Goddammit, that's such a perfect story... The storytelling, the storyline itself, it all just comes together and creates a beautiful story. From the very start, to the very end, It tells you exactly what it wants to, it shows its ideas, emotions... A terribly long road from a lone stranger asking for help, to him finally receiving it.

[@Nanberrie]

Holy shyt manly has the potential of a fking voice actor- literally listening to him has become a hobby by now.

[@damien678]

i'd wanna see him doing audiobooks tbh

[@Nanberrie]

@@damien678 right??? That’d be so cool!

[@suitov]

Excellent, excellent. Complex and grey, but didn't come off as too edgy-nihilistic. The game was much longer than I expected - I thought it was about to end at one point, and instead an entire new viewpoint opened to us. Reading between the lines, I thought that the driver was a child-abuser hunter, which warmed me to him somewhat. Chris Hansen and Dexter had a child and he grew up to be a chain-smoking Catholic. I cottoned on to the frog and scorpion motif right away. I said "it's in my nature" before the text did, in an appreciative way. Love that they played more with the Aesop than just using it as a shortcut for claiming the characters couldn't change. Major love for the turtle switch-out. But in this case, the scorpion asked for a ride from a viper.

[@johnaceto7126]

his 9th or 10th interaction made me think the driver was a serial killer or a torturer by the way he was talking. also he started making quite a bit of talk about god, and that doesn't make much sense, the character was like a completely different person.

[@tanpasapongk5170]

Not really the reason why he act that way is Because he experienced "Vision" Too many time (game implied to have more then 15+ of loop timeline) and due to having completely no idea it was actual "another timeline" not "Vision" so he thought he is god chosen To pass a judgement to "The Hiker" who he seen in Vision

[@pallas9113]

I'm wondering if by the end of the game "we" will be the paranoid one that just suddenly decides to murder a stranger to "be safe"... end of our loop is the beginning of theirs, that kind of thing.

[@Snap_Tonic_Gin]

but then again..if we were paranoid of them then we wouldn't have picked them up

[@mediocreshelf]

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result"

[@martinabramante5218]

I've just noticed: at the very beginning the circle of the title is empty, but as you reach each ending, a hand clock moves through it! EDIT: nevermind, Manly noticed later in the video

[@Shiny_Misty]

...Ok, I think I speak for everyone in saying that, with Ending Zero, they manage to survive and, at least, live contently. Maybe not a perfect ending, but not one of death and suffering.

[@peachypufff]

Wowww, the plot twist was so real here... I absolutely love how this game plays out and i love Eight’s character. I was legit about to cry when Driver started saying stuff like “you aren’t a bad person, are you?” And hugged Eight, it was so emotional and i thought something good was finally gonna happen. But he had his gun at Eight’s head the entire time and shot him. It honestly hurt, I’m ngl, and i absolutely hated that plot twist but it was so good. And the way everything shifts so subtly is amazing too. That ending warmed my heart as well. Just an all-around really good game.

[@walterwilcox8559]

We truly don't deserve manly risking his voice to give us a two hour visual novel

[@skullsrnneed]

I know its bedtime when Manly uploads a video.

[@emilythedragon4658]

True

[@totallybiblicallyaccuratea2098]

I like how in some of the endings they state for you to realize that Me realizes "The fault is mine" And then when "me" Says to "you" that fault is yours, it's ironically stating that the fault is always by the player no matter if it is "me" or "you" the player is the villain.

[@steveforgot8286]

This is incredible! One of this games creators came from my small community and taught me how to play guitar, a small world we live in indeed

[@honeycoats]

I absolutely love this, every second of this was amazing. Thank you Manly for playing it, and thank you to the developers for creating it. I adored the writing, the characters, the style, everything about it was just wonderful. The use of "me", "you", "her" etc was unique and the countless endings and time loops gave it this flair that drew me in immediately. (mostly rambling, spoilers ahead!) The Driver and The Hiker turned out to not be so different after all, in the scheme of things. Both of them were technically the scorpion, at least after the Driver caught on to the loop (in my opinion, and even then he turned out to ACTUALLY be kinda strange). The constant cycle of death broke my heart because I just wanted the both of them to be free, but the ending Nurture fulfilled my heart enough to make me say, okay, maybe they made it. The fact that the Driver and the Hiker both finally depended on one another and helped one another warmed my heart. This is definitely going on my list of "favorite games of all time". I hope to find more people with a love for this game so that I could bond with them over it, cause this journey was insane and I would love to hear how it affected others.

[@deadlydingus1138]

So this guy goes back in time several times to avoid death unsuccessfully a bunch of times in order to try to get out of a toxic relationship? Sounds about right.

[@gachareacter4170]

This really is the "What are the chances of TWO killers being in this car?" joke

[@Keroanne]

I cannot overstate how much I loved this. Beautiful and horrible and tragic. I love looping stories so much.

[@loreleiparrish4618]

I’m only about 30 or so minutes in and I’m like in love with this game. It reminds me of this long post I saw on tumblr once that was about the scorpion and the frog, but it was like dozens of different scenarios and ways that their story could have gone, like a looping timeline. I believe that near the end of the retellings they started to realize they were in a loop, but I can’t remember exactly, I read it such a long time ago

[@sketchysketches381]

This is one the most well written stories in a horror game I've ever seen it had me hooked so quick. The way it used perspective and the slight changes in detail through each loop and the slight nudging mysteries and wow the endings where you don't even get a chance to breathe or a choice before things go wrong. I desperately want a sequel

[@flufffiighttheneko7284]

This is actually one of the best games I ever watched easy 1000/10 had my emotions gif-wrenched. Thank god for the (relatively) good ending! Idk what I’d do if it wasn’t cause I got so attached lol (every “bad ending” story like these always had me feeling like it wasn’t over yet or had something missing which is never a good feeling for someone with ocd haha) love the storyline! And art I know it’s probably irrelevant but I thought the character designs were cute and cool lol. Nice vid :) enjoyed every second great narrations as usual

[@dontpreorder2783]

I doubt the “serial killer driver” nonsense is real, or at least not a genuine reality and is probably some DDLC Monika level “reality code” re-writing by “Her” to make the hitchhiker suffer which is why the driver suddenly has a red portrait instead of a white one (Red is a sign of “Her” presence or influence) Hitchhiker probably knows this, seeing as he didn’t take it that personally when the driver...blew his brains out twice.

[@FluffyDragonDrawing]

Im tempted to agree, I feel like there would have been more signs of it early on? as it is it didn't exist at all in the beginning and slowly crept out of nowhere. If time was supposed to be rewound with no changes as things went on; why did that intro dialogue change? I think it was something developed over the course of the loops as opposed to something just being revealed.

[@stringskumler6357]

@@FluffyDragonDrawing old thread so forgive me. i can see it going either way; loop stories get really boring if there's no changes during the repeated segments, though, so that's probably why there was changes. it's also a good story telling device, having new info presented in each loop to slowly build the story, that was true to the story all along, but what just now being stated. in game, though, the hiker mentions that there are some things he can control about what stays the same, hence why the airbags are gone, and why the drink is empty, or why Hiker gets more disheveled with each loop, so those little changes could, somehow, effect what was revealed.

[@FluffyDragonDrawing]

@@stringskumler6357 there are ways to reveal more information, different information, and a bigger story without vastly changing one of the two characters personality; twice. It just seems odd for the driver to suddenly become a ruthless serial killer, and then revert back to being a sweet guy. I think it was likely "her" influence; its not even the first time it would have been implied. In the hikers flashback with her, the old lady is brought up. And "she" mentions how this lady, was _actually_ planning on killing him. Which just seems bizarre; perhaps there's more context that we are simply missing, but without it I'm inclined to lean towards another influencing force as opposed to sudden flips of the character.

[@twindrill2852]

Here's an attempted timeline: - Kid is gifted with time traveling powers - Kid is experimented on by an abusive facility because of these powers - Due to trauma caused by the various incidents in the facility plus a certain staff member, kid becomes convinced they're a bad person and made to hurt others - Kid eventually escapes facility and is able to use their powers - Man works as a religious vigilante to hunt down people he sees as evil or criminals; while driving finds the runaway - Timeline diverges from here; either the kid kills the man due to being convinced of their status as a bad person; the man consumed by his beliefs kills the kid, still with good intentions; or they both die, still with left over grudges toward each other and themselves - Best timeline is when they concile their differences and are able to find solace in each other I probably got a lot of this stuff wrong or simplified-- The story is confusing but also super interesting

[@awooga8141]

I really like that everytime u get back to the main screen the clock tiks to a different number

[@pok3.m0n_54]

I feel like the 3 endings where the driver kills the hiker was a really good depiction of the cycle of abuse and the later endings show how the driver eventually starts getting out of that harmful cycle of violence

[@BABYLON_GANG]

Your reading, voices and intonations are incredible. You make them come to life when you take on these characters! Thanks

[@narutoroxanne22]

They are the same person... Didn't it say somewhere "you are me" or "I am you"? The fat guy is him from the future either free and submitted to the idea that he's "a killer" or he accepted his role as an assassin and is therefore allowed to roam around for 'jobs'. The sentence mentioned could be one of the memories he can't remember. The zero ending could have reset his younger version and this can't remember much about time loop or/and could no longer use it. When he grows up that could be the reason behind that phrase and memories of being in a loop of another person. Even their mentalities are similar. First it was hiker who felt he was captive by driver and then vice versa and both had sae/similar reasoning for it and even their actions are alike. It also explains the emotional connection between driver and hiker but not really hiker towards driver at first as driver knew something even if it wasn't a memory... fate... in this fiction world. They even look alike... one is just an overweight and older version.

[@p-weirdo7094]

... Why does this make so much sense. The main character is a time traveller, he can travel back in time. The driver says his name isn't important and he never liked it. Which would make sense if his name was number 8. He never shares his name with the hiker because he doesn't have one either! The hiker described how he's always alone and how nobody is coming to save him. Maybe he remembered being alone and wanted to give his past self an escape. The Driver stops for hitchhikers cause he knows what it's like to need the ride and to be sacred. The player doesn't get a "good" end when you ignore or kill the hiker which shouldn't make sense unless if it means the driver wouldn't exist due to a paradox. The driver loves the stars and stargazing - something a prisoner locked in a cell their whole life would find new and incredible. The driver took out his airbags, smokes and lives dangerously - crashing his own car just to kill his passenger - perhaps like someone who's already gotten used to dying over and over and is no longer afraid of it. The hikers hands are bitten and scarred while the driver conveniently keeps his hands hidden under gloves. Maybe the loop doesn't really end - it just stretches out longer, bringing the protagonist back to the same starting point to try and create a better outcome despite his own self destructive nature. Literally and figuratively! He wants to help "himself" but is always fighting "himself" every step of the way because self sabotage is the only thing he knows how to do. They're "both" to blame for this happening. The last ending the player gets is ending 'zero' showing how its the ending the ultimately leads to the hiker becoming the driver and in turn leads to all the other Endings when he goes back/forward.

[@narutoroxanne22]

@@p-weirdo7094 Makes you wonder where all those past selves are even coming from. It's fiction afterall. I'm surprised no one noticed. They even look alike.

[@Nana-en2zp]

Oh wow, this game surely was a journey. At first I thought it just was a typical visual novel but it went much deeper and really touched something within me. I guess I can say it’s the best written game that I have seen in a while. I hope the creator of this ,masterpiece will bless us with more :3 thanks for playing manly!

[@sirvilhelm2360]

I think the driver became a psychopath BECAUSE of the visions of things that were going to happen. That's insane.

[@sirvilhelm2360]

I also think the driver WAS a genuinely good person, before it all.

[@sirvilhelm2360]

And in the last ending too.

[@arielle5752]

HARD SAME

[@unknowspectator8388]

psychopaths are born, not made. I'm pretty sure it was a butterfly effect that got the driver be a little too fanatic with his beliefs.

[@kagurashimay8471]

Not even ashamed to admit I was squealing like mad at this game because!!!! It's some of the different versions of the scorpion and the frog tale!!!! and adapted so well!!! And the mention of the turtle (which is the persian version of the fable) is really nice touch. also really like the loop-like aspect of it, reminded me a bit of "Kagerou Days", but like, the dark version of it

[@fallingstar15ify]

i think its interesting how they are both killers. this good person bad person dynamic that goes on. its like the driver is a "good person" that does bad things with "good" intentions. while the hiker is a "bad" person but wants to break the cycle and be a good person.

[@deliriousmusicality8840]

I would have never expected something so amazing from a video out of nowhere. I really really adored this. This is grossly underrated in general, and you were the perfect narrator for it! So much intrigue...

[@gamiket628]

I don't value my future so ill give em a ride on my Fisher Price™ toy car

[@userious9534]

Nah fuck it boutta pull up in the lightning McQueen slippers

[@deadlydingus1138]

Damn.

[@ambercrest8966]

Had to pause ALOT During the rollback where 8 was being told that they were a bad person and not to forget it. It made all the self sabotage so clear, and reminded me of my own abuse. A well crafted story indeed.

[@arundownshack1019]

"God gave humans a sense of justice and a glock to see it through." Sounds like something Joshua Graham would say. "We can't expect God to do all the work."

[@pallas9113]

"I wasn't too keen on the idea of bringing someone who knew my face with me during my visit." That actually sounds a bit ominous... so far (70 min in) the first POV character always come across as a kind person, but uhm... Edit: this escalated rather quickly huh... (spoilers...? I'm currently at 1:19:46 mark) So looks like the first POV character is a rather... dedicated... vigilante / messenger of God (who takes upon the responsibility to send _bad_ people to God)? Okay... My guess at the "catfishing"... Uhm there's the practice where adults (affiliated with the police iirc) pretend to be teenagers online and expose pedos. I mean in reality they don't _kill_ them but... I'm guessing that's basically what he's doing here Edit 2: I think I got it right. Yeah I'm bragging. Or not. It's kinda depressing how my brain immediately picked up that possibility really.

[@stormbreak7003]

Its not really depressing at all, the game blatantly tells you that. The real question though is, was the driver like this from the beginning or was it due to Eight's time rewinds that caused it?

[@pallas9113]

@@stormbreak7003 tbh I found it depressing not because that was the case, but because that was where my mind immediately went to. I do think that's how it was from the start - my understanding of the kid's ability is that he basically rewinds the state of things for objects that he affects. Time is still passing outside of this little bubble in the middle of nowhere, and he never really changes the past - only reversing the effects.

[@stormbreak7003]

@@pallas9113 i knew what you meant when you said you found it depressing. Also i think the creator used the flash time travel theory. Where you can go back in time and prevent an incident or accident from occurring but in doing so can make things worse then they already are. Like a piece that breaks off from a glass cup. You can put it back together but it won't ever be the same. The reason i think this theory is because at the beginning of the time loops the driver genuinely wanted to help Eight and was visiting a friend that lived near by. During the middle of the time loops the driver starts praying and says he is going to vist an online friend and hang out and by the end he has a gun ready and loaded and was going to use it to kill a pedophile in the name of god and was cold hearted compared to the beginning were he was genuinely kind and concerned for Eight and didn't talk about god. Not only that but Eight was extremely surprised when the driver showed and aimed the gun at him which shows that was the first time and interaction Eight saw the driver have the gun and then killed him willing instead of crashing the car to save himself and after that interaction the driver had a gun. The reason the driver remembers some things is probably due to a side effect of Eight rewinding time so many times and in a short period of time. Not only that but Eight rewinded time 15 to 30 min to the past depending on the interaction with the driver, so Eight wouldn't notice anything major change. That or the driver was cold hearted from the beginning and the creator intentionally withdrew the intentions of the driver to build suspense overtime but i believe the flash time travel theory more though.

[@pallas9113]

@@stormbreak7003 I wouldn't say the driver is "cold hearted" even at the end of the story. He is a somewhat fanatical vigilante, but from his perspective, he _is_ doing everything (including murder) out of a sense of justice and kindness. From very early on, he has a line that (paraphrased) he "wouldn't be able to live with himself if he neglects someone in need", which I was rather taken aback of first hearing it... that's a rather extreme approach to morals, no? I think the change in dialogues is only making things clearer in new context. As for the gun, the driver had it stored in the trunk, and only takes it out after a _ton_ of loops have given him an ominous feeling. No change occurred to the gun during the time period, it's basically "a part of the car".. That's an interesting theory though.

[@stormbreak7003]

@@pallas9113 well there was another changes that happened was that the driver kissing the cross. In the beginning he didn't do that even when he had a chance to do it. The same thing with the radio, in the beginning he was trying to get it to work but in the time loop where he first used the gun, he didn't try to get it to work. Same thing with the drink where he drank from one time loop but didn't in the next one since its empty. Also the reason i used cold hearted is because i am an atheist and the way i saw it, is that he used god as an excuse to murder Eight and the pedo he was going to meet up. Also the paraphrased line that you mentioned, i don't find it extreme at all and i think its normal. Its like looking back on life and wishing that you did that instead or regret doing/saying to someone or something.

[@NabrinaBlue]

This was good! I especially liked the little differences in each loop; it seemed like such a little detail at first, but got more important as the story went on.

[@kawaiicartoons4454]

Longer videos mean i get myself some Manlybadasshero asmr

[@ameydalnas7359]

Why is his voice so calming tho!!!

[@kawaiicartoons4454]

@@ameydalnas7359 now that's a mystery that may never be solved

[@kimsey0000]

28:00 holy sh*t thats a great theory Manly. The hitchiker may not have even been a killer initially but hes stuck in a groundhog day scenerio, andtrying all kinds of desperate things to end it.

[@kd0524]

holy shit. i loved this, i didn't even realize that this was two hours long - I was way too encaptured by it. by manly's voice, the storyline, the dialog - wow. incredible.

[@frankmarano1118]

Oh so this guy thinks hes like dexter. Hes a serial killer but since he feels like hes only taking out the trash he feels like hes making the world a better place. This is only revealed towards the very end. Interesting. But he said he does try to help good people so in the beginning he may have been acting completely genuinely

[@zioqqr4262]

Now this is a story all about how my hike got hitched all upside down

[@witchway1074]

The friend he was supposed to visit:🧍

[@nopeyep2960]

Image playing this game not knowing there's more then the first ending

[@the13throse]

The whole "nature" thing seems to be a reference to the fable of the frog and the scorpion, a story which I honestly really don't like. The most basic summary is that a frog decides to ferry a scorpion over to the other side of the river. The scorpion stings the frog, which will kill the frog, and drown the scorpion. The frog asks why the scorpion doomed itself, and it replies that it couldn't help it, that it's in its nature. Maybe it's supposed to mean something else, but I always interpreted it as saying that people can't change the way they are, can't choose to be different from what their nature tells them to be. Which I personally think is a thoroughly messed up thing to tell kids. But whatever. That's just my opinion. Maybe the scorpion was a time-looper the whole time, eh? Is...that what this story's trying to say? Cause I'm halfway through and I don't get the point. Feels like an overextended Twilight Zone episode to me.

[@itsmeyaboi6721]

Yeah, I definitely felt the same. After giving it some thought, though, I think this story might give us the opposite conclusion: change is possible. It`s a pain in the ass and, like the driver said, a never-ending commitment, but if you keep pushing yourself and share the burden then you might just pull it off. You`ll mess up, of course, but when it happens you get a choice: chalk it up to nature and just give in, or try again until one day your cycle gets its better ending.

[@katt-nokjoke3688]

I've heard a version of the scorpion and the frog that repeats like this does, in one version the scorpion holds its stinger to the frogs neck mentioning how the frog could drown it at any given point in time so it was just a precautions. in one version the frog is a turtle, the scorpion strikes on instinct and and turtles shell protects it, but it dives in response, in another version the scorpion and the frog were suspicious of each other, but instead made it to their end goal, both safe, and in one when they reach the end goal the scorpion kills the frog

[@aliceiscalling]

This is an old comment chain, but I'd like to expand on the Scorpion and the Frog's morals. The scorpion isn't representative of every human behavior. It's a creature that is known to be dangerous and lash out as a defense mechanism, and is entirely aware of that fact but can't seem to help it. The frog is a well meaning creature that wants to help the scorpion despite the danger. The best way to describe the interaction is not to be naive. You can't help everyone, you should be aware of the dangers, and not everyone is fully rational. The scorpion's action being "in my nature" is accurate to how some people behave. Both good and bad people have habits or urges that are self destructive that are difficult to near impossible to break, especially without serious medical intervention. Those same problems usually make those people resist help, which makes the problem persist indefinitely. We aren't supposed to be the scorpion here. As a child, you're typically good natured and want to help. But if you try to help everyone, you're also putting yourself in danger of the scorpion. The scorpion might be a genuine person in need, but the self destructive behavior will hurt you, too. Yes, many scorpions can get help and recover, but that's a professional's job. Most of us, children especially, will only make things worse or get hurt in the process.

[@FluffyDragonDrawing]

@@aliceiscalling It's a really bad way to do it though. Because it basically reads "I promise, I'll be better, I'm really trying to change, just help me a little." "Lol you shouldn't have trusted me." Maybe if the response was a little less blunt "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it." Then at least it would have felt more reasonable? But as it is... It's just freaking ridiculous and it doesn't say "don't be naive" it says "Don't help people, people can never change." It also makes you seem bad for asking for help. We've all made mistakes, we've all hurt people, but according to this, you can never be better it's just your nature. Even as children you've made mistakes; and even if they are supposed to be the frog, telling them "You are going to die if you help someone asking for help."... isn't a good lesson???? A child extending their hand out to someone isn't going to make things worse; no they can't fix everything and the scorpion would need proper help; but a child taking their hand, and pointing them at a place that can help them isn't going to make it any worse. It's just saying "Never be compassionate, and never help anyone else." Not "be careful about who you trust." or something. A much better story would be something more along the lines of giving too much? Idk first thought it my mind is like 'You have an apple tree, and you share the fruits with everyone... but one person is really hungry and keeps coming back for more, and more... eventually your tree withers, and you starve" Not a great telling but it has less onus on the person asking, and more on the person for not putting up boundaries to keep themself save. It also doesn't portray anyone as some unreasonable monster who does something that makes literally no sense. Even people who self sabotage themselves don't do it so directly; they aren't going to cut a car's break lines before they get into it. They would simply let it deteriorate. They would discourage themselves from trying to get help. They wouldn't ask for help, and then shoot the person helping them. Bad people, you can argue, might do that. But in the story no one was ever portrayed to be a bad person. Maybe if the scopion was stated to have just come from killing another frog? Then it would be "don't be overly naive and trusting." but it didn't. It just said that if someone seems weird, and asks for your help and you try to help them, you'll die.

[@kenjutsukata1o1]

@@FluffyDragonDrawing Yes, but in the story the scorpion is a scorpion. The warning signs are all there. Help a scorpion, get stung. It's not meant to represent all people, it's meant to represent clearly dangerous people. Don't trust someone who is a known liar and cheat, don't help a sketched out drug addict with an empty syringe on the street, don't pick up a hitchhiker who's brandishing a knife, etc. The story means to be careful about who you choose to help, not to not help anybody. There are some very clear instances when your instincts are screaming "do not interact with this person". Those people are often scorpions. Best not to risk it.

[@fallentheseus590]

i should be sleeping, but a manly video is more important, no regret this was amazing, your voice acting is really good

[@nicoeve]

The characters design kept me reminding me of the Troll brothers from that onward movie nobody really cared much about.

[@taylorl.9875]

I love that movie 🥺

[@Guro-Blue-kun]

My third time watching this playthrough since it came out, never gets old, it simply cannot. Beautifully written, cleverly put together...how it unfolds before your eyes and the way it creates emotions is simply brillant. Thanks for sharing this masterpiece, Manly! 💙

[@JunoJovius]

I'm gonna be honest I really love this game and I can't stop re watching this video, it seems simple though wordy, you can infer so much about the characters even though we're only given small bits of them.

[@VVen0m]

Holy FUCK. One would say that was a "ride"