The Forgotten 4th Wall Breaking Horror Game

Irisu Syndrome is a 4th wall breaking horror game that has been long forgotten by the horror community, it even apparently inspired such games as Doki Doki Literature Club. Will it be a horrific hidden gem, or just uhhhh not good? Who knows, stick around to find out!
Game Link/English Patch: cheerfultomboy...
(Alternate game link in comments)
Official Irisu Syndrome OST: musmus.main.jp/...
Twitter: / toadbup64
Twitch: / toadbup_
Music Used:
Doki Doki Literature Club - Dreams Of Love and Literature
Snoopy Concert - First Beagle on the Moon
Double Take (Encore Save Select) - Sonic Mania Plus
OneShot - Niko and the World Machine
Ghost Bayou - Pac Man World 2
Concert Hall - Tomodachi Life
Body Rock - WarioWare D.I.Y. ( • Body Rock - WarioWare ... )
#irisusyndrome #puzzlegame #horrorgaming

[@ToadBup]

If the game link in the description isnt working, heres an alternative: archive.org/details/irisu-syndrome

[@dvdbox360]

have you played.. nanashi no game?

[@777icekitsune]

the whole thing with the scary image popping up is because the creator didn't like when people minimize the games, so when you do so, the game will have a chance of popping up that image to scare people to not do it.

[@lazy_bt]

​@@777icekitsune do you have a source for that? i know this isnt wikipedia but im obsessed with this game (have been for years) and id like to know more!

[@manwhodoesthings]

Man I hate it when a demon beyond my comprehension comes to my house and sprays me with a can of RAID.

[@Squirrel-323]

I know man a triple headed demon burst through my door and sprayed me with raid shadow legends i lost an arm

[@funnybluecandle]

me too

[@nameneeded]

MY EYES

[@funnybluecandle]

i hate when a three headed demon with hyper realistic blood sprays me with raid i downloaded a sonic fangame and that happened i lost both my legs

[@Ericstefanik260]

That's what happened to my uncle Tom. May he rest in peace.

[@nazdoesstuffYT]

Before doki doki there was another visual novel meta horror game called “you and me and her” and cool part is if you pick a certain route you wouldn’t even see any of the scary things.

[@SkyYukiGuy]

I forgot the name but I think that should be the game. It like really old japanese VN. Thought it would be about that instead of this game.

[@expepem189xl3]

Same, honestly there so many Japanes game that could be at least somewhat like that(@@SkyYukiGuy

[@TheNightmareAngelYT]

Get ToadBup to play this next. lmao

[@nazdoesstuffYT]

@@SkyYukiGuy it was like 2013 maybe? It aged well. The plot is about you and your friend (spoiler alert the creepy 4th wall breaker) finding some magical cell phone girl or something

[@wolffreak3336]

It's a great game, I played a lot of it! It was also a game that inspired DDLC and it's actually pretty hard to get the scary ending, I had to look it up lol

[@GameBooAdvancePlus]

So many "meta" horror games owe their roots to this game. It's unreal.

[@yeetneet5334]

YOU ME AND HER also has debts on other games lol

[@RubenDuenas1]

One thing thats interesting is the rabbit in metsu is described to have one severed (?) Ear and irisu's "rabbit" ears have one side stitched

[@SpringySpring04]

@GameBooAdvancePlus Yo is that a Yuyuko pfp??!! based

[@lazy_bt]

​@@RubenDuenas1 iirc, uutarou had a severed ear before he was even found and put in the cage at the school.

[@Horatio786]

Fun Fact: That "Random" Jump Scare happened because you tabbed out of your game. Iris does not like to be ignored.

[@Dragonfly-in9uu]

oh, she was madly creepy to the player for not doing anything after some time right?

[@Horatio786]

@@Dragonfly-in9uu No, it's for if you go into a different tab after the twelfth round. It only happens once, though. It also happens after 40,000 points after seeing all endings or by reaching level 100.

[@blockeontheleafeon]

She needs all the headpats...

[@Solariscatto]

Cheat engine can also trigger this, if it wasnt mentioned in the video

[@ryldmeh251]

Ok so here’s a fun detail that was in one of the notes I found in my playthrough (at least I remember finding it) in the note she says whenever she has dark thoughts she often imagines floating colorful shapes to try and distract herself from her impulses. This basically implies that the game itself is her trying to stay sane long enough to not kill everyone, and when we fail, she doesn’t manage to distract herself long enough and that’s why we get the bad ending.

[@weezetard]

that’s so cool

[@Deflamed_Sphere]

oh! i see!

[@bacca4813]

"But not a single one of you will beat my Metsu Mode high score" ⚠ *You have alerted the horde*

[@laughingfurry]

When I get a proper gaming PC again, I'm aiming to beat that score.

[@brianchen1302]

@@laughingfurry You could probably run this game on a potato

[@laughingfurry]

@@brianchen1302 True. Modern potatoes are stronger than what we had five years ago, and this game is older than that.

[@bluishwolf]

Metsu mode automatically ends after level 100, so it's less that you aren't skilled enough to beat his high score and more like that's the most you can get.

[@8saiharamasukoi]

@@brianchen1302 it's _optimal_ to run this on a potato. it has compatibility issues lmao

[@sceneCatgirl]

Haven't even watched the video yet but immediately clicked as soon as I saw the thumbnail. Irisu Syndrome was just one of the coolest games I ever experienced and something more people need to know about.

[@blockeontheleafeon]

Totally agree. I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembers Irisu Syndrome as well.

[@remmyfatal]

shockingly random people always seem to remember it when I least expect it, but no one seems to love it as much as me lol

[@nagitashinjiro]

​@@remmyfatal i am a fellow irisu enjoyer and extreme fan since circa 2013 coming out of the woods feral, covered in leaves and dirt after not being heard from for 10 years, our battle shall be legendary all my homies love irisu syndrome

[@Magnafiend]

Agreed, was my first introductions to meta-horror waaaay back in the day. It's honestly kind of amazing how many tropes from meta horror games and just horror games in general kind of took inspiration from this game (directly or indirectly), be it through the use of notes in the game files and kind of ARG elements, or the tabbed out jumpscare (which was also used in World of Horror to similar effect, another great horror game for fans of cosmic horror and story driven rogue-likes/choose your own adventure type games). Honestly watching this video really brings me back.

[@ammittens]

it’s wonderful

[@idunno7427]

Meta horror is so good when done subtly.

[@ElWejado]

The problem is it’s all up in your face thanks to a certain visual novel game not naming any names but moving one meta horror at this point is in a worse state than mascot horror

[@brianchen1302]

@@ElWejado ? I doubt it. Meta horror games haven't really made it into the mainstream after DDLC. Most of the ones I've seen haven't been bad (I also quite enjoyed DDLC). Mascot horror, on the other hand, get plenty of attention all the time, and rarely are they of any good quality.

[@ElWejado]

@@brianchen1302 fair point actually I just think it would have been better if done subtly from the beginning and not smack dab in your face at the end which made it fell shoehorned in to ride the coat tails of IMSCARED which is quite an analogy to Garten of Banban which attempted to capitalize of Poppy Playtime

[@JayceCH.]

Unlike fucking DDLC.

[@Mizuryryn]

Remember kids, If you're trash at the game, Irisu will slowly turn into SERIAL KILLER

[@tinypinkittycat]

I think she's the mom of the kid of the "Are you winning, Son?" horror game, _but hey, that's just a GAME THEORY!_

[@AccuracyKa]

I'm typing this out of my memory and could be wrong, but this is the gist of "Lately I've Been Taking Cough Medicine Without Restraint", spoilers below. - Irisu was yandere for Uuji because of his cat drawing and thought him as a fellow cat hater. - The game is essentially Irisu meditating. Irisu fades into the screen when you lose because she broke her trance. If you can't get good enough score before 5th day end, Irisu cried because she actually killed the boys. If you gets into good ending route, Irisu thought it through, realized the murder plan is stupid, and went with the birthday party surprise. - As seen on text file title, Irisu is hooked on powered cough medicine. - As seen on the party CG, the nail bat is just a harmless prop. Her real weapon is her sock stuffed with rocks, which she is holding on the title screen.

[@johnnycadaver2933]

I vaguely remember Irisu killing them because they were the ones responsible for death of the rabbit. But I might be remembering wrong as I feel that plot happened in another manga or something.

[@iZelmon]

⁠@@johnnycadaver2933The murderer of Rabbit was unknown to Irisu. It was not Uuji who did it, the rabbit was found dead “as if it has gotten tired of living” due to illness or whatever. Since the rabbit being the ignored and uncared for by other kids in their elementary school, he assume it passing away quietly would just makes everyone forget about it. So he proceed to “modify” the rabbit’s corpse by sawing it up leaving only its head thinking “this will makes people finally care and remember for the rabbit this girl like, and Irisu will finally have something to talk to her peers about, and she can finally fit in with the others”. He did it with “good” intention to let Irisu finally socialize. However it backfired, Irisu stopped coming to school, everyone forget about rabbit shortly after anyway. Only result was Irisu and Uuji were traumatized and Uuji was in deep guilt regarding the rabbit, his self harms were by his words “carving the rabbit’s sad memories” into himself. It’s similar to Sunny and Basil from OMORI really now that you look at it. -------------- The whole game was Irisu trying to keep her calm with her mind-puzzle-game, to prevent her from killings the 2 friend who she think is a “cat”, not Uuji however. But Uuji and everyone was killed in bad ending because of his action. (She hates cats because she think the cat in the elementary school murdered the rabbit, as it licked the blood and its corpse) In original “bad ending” the reason why you see crying Irisu sprite is because that’s what Uuji see after he show the “dying rabbit pictures” to her. While in the good ending Uuji saw a creepy scariest Irisu sprite, which player would think “why is this in a good ending??” It’s one that resemble the red piercing eyes of the rabbit he dismembered, the pierced guilt prevent him from showing the pictures to Irisu, this Irisu manage to keep her calm till the end.

[@iZelmon]

Jesus I wrote a whole essay

[@johnnycadaver2933]

@@iZelmon Thanks, yeah I'm remembering wrong. It was definitely a manga then, where a girl starts killing off bullies who among other things did bad things to the rabbit she took care of.

[@dexchampion2128]

@@iZelmonalways nice to see an OMORI fan in the wild

[@gabriel-gf9uv]

i remember playing this game i was so confused because i didnt get the plot but after a few times playing it i saw this exaclty image 7:21 in my computer (i dont remember if the music stops at this part) i was so scared that i instantly closed the game and never played again

[@teamok1025]

YOU JUMPSCARED THE FAP OUT OF ME

[@PikachuEatingNoodles]

123 likes XD

[@Soundwves]

That version of Irisu is the one that fades in when you complete a run with a score of 20k or higher. Of course, the game doesn't explain this, so that's a fun little scare for your first playthrough.

[@ElWejado]

@@SoundwvesI will admit it could be scary on your first play trough but when you look at it closely the developers did the cardinal sin of doing the smiling guy

[@wisp7741]

@@ElWejado how could they do this. not like this. not smiling guy

[@IsaacFoster..]

The bunny girl slowly entering the game through the desktop is really creative.

[@Gkvfflowergirl]

I was always too scared to play this game when I found out about it as a teen, but I've always wanted to figure out how to code 4th wall breaking stuff like it. Stuff like that is just so cool to see.

[@danielbueno8474]

The thing I loved the most about this game is that the better you get at it, the more you discover about the story, and people with various levels of skill can reach a proper "ending" to the story (since there's no way for them to know there's still more to the story until they unlock it), which is cool af. With that said, the truly skilled Irisu Syndrome players are those who unlocked enough of the story to realize Uuji was 10 times more fucked up in the head than Irisu ever was. Awesome video, my guy!

[@GigiBranconi]

I can't remember rn, what was wrong with Uuji again?

[@danielbueno8474]

​@@GigiBranconi He thought Irisu was so adorable that he legit wanted to be killed by her, so when Ageha asked him about his weird ass drawings of suicidal cats and jokingly suggested him to change it to rabbits, Uuji thought it was a great idea, as that could hurt Irisu so bad that she might kill him in a rage fit. It is also heavily implied that he cuts himself, since he mentions he dreads the upcoming summer days, as his new friends Edogawa and Ageha might question why he only wears long sleeves, and that he might be estranged from them if he didn't wear it. Oh, and he also lowkey decapitaded a rabbit's corpse in middle school in order to shock the other kids and make them never forget the rabbit, which doesn't work, and instead only ends up traumatizing poor Irisu, who was the only one who gave a shit about the rabbit.

[@GigiBranconi]

@@danielbueno8474 Ahhh, yes. Okay, now I remember. A weird way or making... what could you call it, a reverse Yandere? Not wanting to kill his LI, but BE killed by her? Actually being somewhat socially competent. Wanting to get negative attention from his LI on purpose. It's an interesting twist to a character for sure

[@danielbueno8474]

@@GigiBranconi ikr? :D This story was such a ride, since for once it destroyed our expectations about the Yandere character, the Yandere's LI was actually the one who got me saying "wtf". We sure could use more stories that not only have such a twist, but is also told in such an unorthodox way.

[@ImTrappedInTheInternetHelp]

when he mentioned it inspired DDLC, for some reason i thought this video would be about YOU and ME and HER. still, im glad you covered this game! ive never heard of it before, and it genuinely looks like fun :]

[@princkleminckle1159]

now that you mentioned you and me and her.. I think he should cover that game next

[@Delcat42]

The cute suicidal kitties thing is a reference to The Book of Bunny Suicides, a collection of comic strips depicting bunnies in deadly situations. The book was a bit of a splash for a bit--it's irreverent cartoon art, nothing technically graphic, and is in fact up there for dark humor fans--and spawned a few sequels. Thanks for this review, holy shit this is cool

[@MicOfWhy]

"(Irisu's crying) about my low score" later *explained that images depends on the score and higher you have she isn't "sad" anymore* This is so good foreshadowing oh my god. It deserves more attention.

[@leatherl5158]

Awesome video! Meta horror is my favorite genre of gaming because it fascinates me every time how developers pull you into the story, I wish more people would talk about it. Please keep doing more meta horror game videos!!

[@BierBart12]

It really is fascinating, especially when they use Windows features and such that absolutely no program apart from old "fun" viruses mess with Talking about those, the virus competitions of old could be considered kind of meta-horror

[@teamok1025]

Yeah espicially a Good Story that isint horror and related to anime is rare nowdays

[@ElWejado]

I personally don’t like meta horror as thanks to DDLC it has become over saturated and the mods for said game feel almost AI generated

[@sonicchica]

Irish Syndrome, now that’s a game I haven’t heard in ages. I’m surprised you didn’t talk about the other game the creator made first that had to do with a girl and her boyfriend but the boy slowly reveals himself to actually be a reaper or something… it’s been a hot minute.

[@Hum0urless_lol]

Oh I remember that game! The opening screen slowly changes every time you play (Pills start appearing too) till your boyfriend just straight up steals the girl lol. You get her back if you get a high enough score though! Rally good game

[@ghoulbuster1]

BAD TO THE BONE

[@nikkikin]

I've been looking for this game for ages! Do you know the name of it? I watched RiskRim play it years ago and haven't for the life of me been able to remember what it was called.

[@sonicchica]

@@nikkikin I had to look it up but it’s called Ai to Yuuki to Kashiwamochi…. Or Love Mochi for short.

[@neutraltbr2146]

Ah yes, Irish Syndrome.

[@nagitashinjiro]

OH MY GOD THIS THUMBNAIL JUMPSCARED ME, I WAS THE BIGGEST IRISU FAN CIRCA 2013.... Thank you so much for telling people about Irisu Syndrome!! This game shaped my horror experience and general art style as well, it's so charming. Always wanted to make a game like it and ended up adoring meta/internet horror. Nothing has put me more in fear than see me accidentally get 50k points in freeplay trying to get 100k, knowing the demon that's about to greet me at the end of the round. Was so on edge I ran out of the room and hoped Irisu's demonic ass would be gone (she was not) Thanks again for -subjecting us to the trauma- making this video, love to see Irisu appreciation. All my homies love Irisu. I got legitimately duped by their April Fools joke for a sequel (the Irisu Kai thing, with Uuji promo art on the official page) and I am so sad the artist doesn't seemingly have any updated social media at all since around when Irisu came out...hope the devs have comfortable pillows for the rest of their lives for paving such a way with meta-horror

[@Cheironyx]

I just went hunting for the artist, but yeah, the only thing I could find from after 2009 was a nearly empty Twitter account. The writer/programmer and his website are still around, though - a couple of his more recent games are even on Steam, translated by yours truly ;) (By the way, Irisu Kai wasn't an April Fools joke, it was just the working title for Metsu.)

[@nagitashinjiro]

@@Cheironyx didn’t know that about metsu, thanks!! It’s at least a goddamn great pic of uuji 😎

[@nagitashinjiro]

@@Cheironyx also new works?! SOUNDS SPOOKY, IM IN

[@Azusashusband]

That demonic photo looking thing? Yeah thats Irisu's dead rabbit. This is presumbly after the good ending where Irisu finds Uuji's rabbit drawing. (You can only unlock it after getting it). There are 2 explanations for it. Either it was Irisu who scribbled it on after finding Uugi's drawings of dead rabbits or it Uugi himself who drew it because of his nightmares (presumbly the rabbit is haunting him). I'm leaning toward the second option. It wouldn't make sense for Irisu to draw it since she doesn't see rabbits as these horrifying nightmarish creatures she sees cats in that way. Even if she has gone mad the one thing she still loves are rabbits. Why would she be the one to draw a demonic ass looking rabbit? It would make more sense if it was the glowing red eyes that Uugi sees in his nightmares. Also there is one thing about the good ending. The only way to not get the good ending is losing round 4 and not getting the creepy face. If you lose every round except round 4 you will get the good ending. Or you can fail EVERY round with the jumpscare and guess what? Good ending. If you beat every round except round 4? Bad ending. Also it is impossible to trigger her jumpscare face after round 4. So if you try on round 5 yeah its not happening. Bad ending for you. So. Whats so special about round 4? Well thats when Irisu meets Uugi. Should you win he lives. Should you lose he dies and Irisu cries from killing the boy she had a crush on. So why does the jumpscare face also trigger a good ending? Its because Uugi doesn't have the guts to let her see the rabbit notebook after seeing his nightmare as Irisu. In Metsu mode you're not playing as Irisu, you're playing as Uugi. Thats why shes facing away from the screen because Uugi is looking at her from a distance. There's another KZbinr who goes more in depth about it and the things he says makes sense. Go check him out his name is RiskRim. Im basically just repeating what he said

[@machi7074]

Wow, an irisu syndrome video in this year? Such an classic with a very good soundtrack.

[@FrenchServal]

I remember seeing RiskRim playing it several years ago, and even though the "mini-games" aren't really my thing, the story is really cool, and Irisu's chara design is just super slick. The jump scare really got me, and it's got a Jeff the killer vibe. It's a shame the game isn't more well-known, and a sequel would be really cool! Otherwise, superb video, and thank you for reminding me of this game!

[@Alex918YT]

He actually made a more thorough video essay detailing the cutscenes, the gameplay, and the story of both modes.

[@Icyangel10]

Fun fact that man chasing you in imscared is apparently a woman I remember finding this game when I was a kid, weirdly I recall it being called "Iris Syndrome" instead of "Irisu Syndrome" for some reason. I could have sworn someone said Irisu was possessed by her rabbit too.

[@usrnewxnew5227]

I mean "irisu" is just "iris" but romanized Japanese right?

[@Icyangel10]

@@usrnewxnew5227 You got a point, just for some reason i don't remember the "u" ever being there unless I some how found a different fan translation

[@usrnewxnew5227]

@@Icyangel10 yea that was most probably the case

[@GamersUniverseOE]

@@usrnewxnew5227 Iris is Japanized(?) as "airisu" probably. That kind of transformation is usually done through the pronunciation, not the spelling/writing, and iris is read like ayris/airis in English, not as iris.

[@smam9571]

white face (the poster boy antagonist) is a dude, he’s repeatedly referred to as male by the creator. HER on the other hand is a woman, as kinda told by the name lol

[@rabbitbeargaming2441]

Irisu syndrome. Such a classic with amazing music

[@christinalittleton3771]

Bad ending: everyone dies... Good ending: Happy birthday!

[@unclesamxlr]

What a blast from the past, Irisu walking across your screen blew my mind as a kid. I still listen to the soundtrack occasionally, didn't know it was copyrighted though.

[@NyanSpeak]

I'd like to see you cover this horror detective game called Kimi ga shine (your turn to die) some day. It's like Ace Attorney but with escape room aspects and it also has a great OST.

[@blockeontheleafeon]

The OST is actually preset loops from FL Studio, which explains why you hear it in other media such as Inanimate Insanity Invitational or a popular ROBLOX game known as Azure Mines.

[@onyxxcrimson]

YOUR TURN TO DIE MENTIONED OH MY GOD

[@bwbwna5861]

HOW CAN A COMMENT SECTION BE THIS BASED

[@mycatisasupermodel4932]

​@@bwbwna5861CLAIRE PFP?

[@rielac7835]

CANT WAIT FOR HIM TO MEET THE BEANIE MAN, SOU HIYORI

[@jennyd2842]

she has two socks silly shes holding the other one (probably for rock bludgeoning potential lets be real) anyway, i played this kid. even drew fanart for it! its cool to see it again after all this time~

[@CabinetGremlin]

It's so cool to see this game get some time in the spotlight! It's such an underrated gem, with a super good OST, and it's responsible for setting the stage for pretty much all meta games these days. Seeing Irisu float onto my screen from outside my desktop is one of the most memorable moments in my experience playing games, ever.

[@noahwomack729]

Man, takes me back to when azurite reactions was active, he was basically known for finding weird games like this and was probably the first KZbin channel to talk about this game. I miss the old obscure weird games edge of KZbin.

[@Conkel]

Very og youtuber. Riskrim in the modern age also takes a look at this game in detail

[@Sharpy64-]

The weirdest way I was introduced to a game was breakcore

[@retardchan445]

I love breakcore

[@lilacKurage]

Oh boy, the fond memories I have from my horror rpgmaker era. This game stood out for all the reasons you listed and I feel ashamed I forgot about it. If it got released nowadays it could maybe have a bigger spot than it did back in the days. I hope some letsplayer grabs it and sparks the shine again from it!

[@strawberrymolk]

SO GLAD SOMEONE MENTIONED THIS GAME! I found it on a whim while on my "Horror RPG maker mascot" games and was interested but was too scared to play it. Mix Ore is another game you should check out, it introduced me to the genre.

[@sleepeespritzee]

i love irisu syndrome so much and more people need to know about it. thank you for making this video 💜

[@sharkyass]

after you said that this game was a meta horror which is also inspired ddlc i immediately thought about you and me and her: a love story, but to my surprise it turned out to be a completely different game haha. i never heard of this game and i really enjoyed your coverage on it. great job man! (p.s. it would be so cool if u do a deep dive or just a simple coverage video on "you and me and her: a love story". it's a good game with an amazing art and a pretty interesting plot. there are also a lot of meta stuff, horror and 4th wall brakes.) once again great video, keep it up! 🌸

[@vr5966]

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO TALK ABOUT THIS GAME FOR SUCH A LONG TIME!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@poots4725]

SPOILERS . . . . . . . . . . . . The demon rabbit picture you mentioned requires reaching level 100+~ in the base mode before ever switching to metsu mode but after getting the good ending. Likewise there's a level 100+~ secret for metsu mode after unlocking all the notes on the bottom. It appears in the game folder and details how Uuji had found the rabbit dead from sickness and then purposely chopped up its body in a twisted way get her classmates to comfort and make friends with her. He then purposefully put the Rabbit's body in the cage to make Irisu think rabid dogs ate the rabbit. The issue in his plan however was that the cat broke free the following morning. Causing her class to freak out and neglect Irisu until she went to the rabbit cage, to find the cat playing with the rabbit's dead body, making Irisu believe the cat killed the rabbit thus feeding her hatred towards cats, and losing potential friends in the process. Next the leading fan theory is that the drawing we see of the demon rabbit is because Irisu was possessed by it, leading to her obessesion over Uuji in a twisted feeling of revenge as well as why Irisu has a split killer personality. Finally, the most important part of the cough medicine text is that is canonizes the game we play as a mental game she does to keep herself sane and in check. So doing poorly in it drastically destroys her mental stability. While doing well in it staves off and keeps her unstable side in check. Hence why on the last day scoring low has her sane side crying, while scoring high has her unstable side glaring at us. It's also why the glare happens when you tab out of the game, since your quite literally neglecting her. As a sendoff good luck to anyone who tries, since the last secrets of each mode require about 1hr+ of straight playing on a perfect run twice, let alone the farming to get said perfect run.

[@Conkel]

It's also implied her crying is because she found the rabbit drawing uuji made after in which results in his "perfect ending"

[@SophieSquid]

Omg finallyyyy someone talking about irisu syndrome!! I've loved this game for a few years now and rarely hear anyone talking about it, but it's so nice to see coverage on it

[@Axew325Ryan]

Half way through the video I had a winter soldier moment and remembered everything about this game from years ago, great video!

[@realwhelan]

i love this subgenre and you are the only youtuber I've seen that really dives into it edit: nice brian bling btw

[@zero0wl628]

YOOO Irisu Syndrome, I was obsessed with horror games as a teen I wrote a whole list of them to watch gameplay of. This was one of the ones that surprised me bc I had never seen 4th wall breaks before in games. But it there was never much vids on this game at the time. Thanks for making this video! ❤

[@neptune2072]

im so glad irisu syndrome is getting more recognition, it really is a masterpiece

[@janmortue]

aaaa i'm so happy someone finally made a video about irisu syndrome!! i was obsessed with it in 2021 but barely anyone knew about it :/ i hope it finally gets the popularity it deserves now!! amazing video :D

[@softgender]

Commenting for the algorithm... I really hope Irisu Syndrome has a resurgence soon. The fact that Doki Doki Literature became so popular without people looking into the direct inspiration for the creator is criminal. To add insult to injury,, this video has DDLC as the game in the description lol

[@MintyArisato]

Irisu Sundrome: a great story with THE MOST perfect OST. Seriously, I listen to those songs to this day. Usagi Note is such an enchanting melody, especially when the synthesizer compliments the violin. Irisu has been my favourite horror game for years. It was a bit before the golden era of rpghorror (different genre but similar themes) but it was the best precursor for the amazing games that came. Remember the excitement when vgperson posted a new horror game?

[@kittyoftheskies6146]

I was literally just thinking about this game again yesterday, after having imscared pop back up again recently. It's great seeing more about this game again, it's a masterpiece in meta storytelling and breaking expectations. It's been living rent free in my brain for well over a decade now.

[@LegionEagles22]

It was definitely a surprise when my favorite parappa song started playing at 20:49. Toadbup is very cultured.

[@Knosek]

It's so fricking sad that there's so little, not even horror, 4th wall breaking based games, the ones that exist are SO good.

[@crescentryoshi3717]

I played this game so long ago but I thought it was popular knowledge. It baffles me that it's not that well known.

[@circledoesyt]

yeah lmao

[@julieradcliffe9486]

The oneshot ost being used for first segment is 🔥 also, ONESHOT MENTIONED 🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥

[@zombifiedoll1388]

Irisu isn't present in this cutscenes >proceeds to show one with her in the background

[@GlitchedVision]

I remember this game but had no idea about the extended metsu mode stuff.

[@jaredjosephsongheng372]

This is a cool example of a Horror Game that has Scary parts but also has a very wholesome and happy ending. Its a nice touch

[@iancortescontreras6084]

RAAAAAH I LOVE HAPPY ENDINGS IN HORROR!!! especially if the characters deserve that happy ending

[@takke9830]

God I love this game so much! I played through all the stages you can unlock and I still play it for the shape bouncing game cause it's just so relaxing. saved me in my finals week! This is just too underrated

[@fluffcake]

I remember seeing the ost of this game in a relaxing music ost playlist and it felt so genuinely pleasant and nice. Then I saw this game after a friend recommended it to me next to Power Drill Massacre and Your Boyfriend. I had no idea it was that old, the art looks lovely and the music is just as nice.

[@nyawrcut]

MANNN HER SLIDING FROM UR SCREEN INTO TEH SCENE IS SOO SICK

[@jackson_skeletal_system]

not putting undertale as one of the popular 4th wall breaking games is a crime

[@somerandomcube]

i just noticed that around 6:56 the song in the background is "Niko and the World Machine" from OneShot sorry i've just been obsessed with the game lately and discovered this game through a link in a OneShot fanfic that lead to the Irisu Syndrome song "About 10 hours of staring at the ceiling" or something like that

[@barendSho]

ONEEEEESHOOOOOOOOOTTTT

[@TheNightmareAngelYT]

Bunny girl: 'carries a bloody bat from off of the screen into the game' Also Bunny girl: "Sike! Happy birthday!" Bruh what in the fu-

[@JosiahTheRoach]

FINALLY OMGG IVE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO TALK ABOUT THIS GAME! I've been referencing it to my friends but they told me they've never heard of it before and i couldnt remember the name so ive thought for YEARS that i just had some wildly vivid dream😭😭

[@hehehehssbb6252]

Everyone should check out RiskRim’s playthrough and review of this game. Risk is the true OG.

[@Conkel]

I'd go back and say azuritereactions is the true og. But risk does have a good video.

[@aaa2470]

It was so amusing seeing this video in my recommended since funnily enough, I was reminiscing about this game a few days ago and how it deserved more attention because it was probably one of the og wall breaking games, before that was even established as a genre. It's so nice to see people bring attention to niche things like this. I absolutely loved the soundtrack as well, glad you brought attention to it. Really nice video overall you're a funny funny man

[@02lucy666]

"Lately I've Been Taking Cough Medicine Without Restraint" sounds like a song name

[@LilBigJosiah]

youtube thinking this was ddlc is devious as hell.

[@Kain128]

I was already down to watch this video based on the premise and the beginning, then I saw you had a copy of No Control in the background and my respect immediately went up. Great album, Bad Religion rules! And great vid too!

[@Yakumoke]

Forgotten? That makes me one of the few people that never forgot this game then. I love it's soundtrack!

[@BonBonToro]

oh god I remember that cute looking puzzle game with the bunny girl, I remember downloading it out of curiosity but decided not to play it because I get too scared 😂 since then I tried remembering it to look it up but completely forgot what its name was and suddenly now many many years later it comes back to haunt me here Edit: Had no idea watson was the one who did the music in the game, I really love the music he makes and a lot of the stuff he does as well is free royalty stuff, but a lot of it is nice to just lounge about in too I even remember when I went to Japan once, I was in a supermarket and there were promos on tv/radio for certain stuff and I clearly remembered hearing his "Viento del sol" as well ahahahhaha

[@TheWanderer1000000]

The hat has the bunny's spirit in it and possessed Irisu, making her kill everyone for revenge. In the final picture, taking off the hat frees Irisu and makes her normal again. Why do you think the hat has *Bunny Ears*

[@ryebreadthebread]

Hell yeaaaaa! Watching this while sewing is such a vibe

[@ToadBup]

Shoutout to all the sewing toadbup fans out there 👍

[@ryebreadthebread]

@@ToadBup honestly I watch a lot of your vids while sewing, they’re always so entertaining even when I’m not looking at my screen

[@CARRAMELLASAN]

I don’t know this but that part with the rabbit was walking was sooo fucking cool I love that

[@JulesM_]

3:15 Never thought I'd see such an obscure ad for a promo from a fast-food unknown outside of France & Belgium

[@DerpDoesArt]

NEW TOADBUP WOOO

[@chxrripop]

new toadbup

[@yolk644]

I love the use of Niko and the world machine. Happy to see Oneshot also getting some appreciation :)

[@barendSho]

ONESHOOOR

[@woodman_is_nice_mid]

welp, you got me absolutely hooked on this game, wish i knew about it earlier, but that’s okay, and you were not kidding, that ost is SO GOOD

[@i1tsome604]

I love Irisu syndrome! So glad to see new content on such an old game. I've been practicing about 10 hours staring at the ceiling on piano for a little while now. I played the game blind for the first time back in may and I don't regret it. Seeing her go across my screen was one of the coolest things I've experienced

[@MurderousMexicanMan]

I never thought a good ending of a meta horror game is Ageha getting brutally 'murdered' by Irisu just for it to be revealed to be a surprise party

[@srmeatyboi9009]

What a perfect video to watch at 10:30 at night

[@shadowmaksim]

Well this is a pleasant surprise. I remember playing "Irisu Syndrome" like a decade ago back when I was in a doujin game phase. There's a ton of these smaller bite-sized experiences that are just really fun and well made. Heck, many have even been returning with proper console and PC/Steam releases funnily. But yeah, I didn't really know what I was doing. I just found the simple puzzle mechanics pretty fun and just kept playing until I bumbled my way into the ending. Which did honestly surprise me since I was so hyper-focused on the game window, I didn't notice Irisu until she was halfway across my screen. Probably also helps that, as is the point of this video, this was such a rarity to see back then that I didn't even know that sort of thing was possible. That said, I am surprised to hear that "DDLC" was apparently influenced by "Irisu Syndrome". In hindsight, I suppose I can see that. It's just that given its obscurity, you wouldn't really expect it.

[@8saiharamasukoi]

A LONG time ago, I wanted to show my friend Irisu Syndrome, but... his PC was pretty awful. It seemed to work fine, up until that part where Irisu fullscreen smashes you with a hammer. This caused his PC to blue screen. I freak out, which makes him freak out _even more_ than he would have been already. He looks at me with this "is this real or fake or...?" expression. I'm losing it, "THAT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN" I said, "THE GAME ISN'T _SUPPOSED_ TO _CRASH YOUR PC_ THERE" This is one of my favorite video game memories. I found Irisu Syndrome in 2011-ish through /v/'s recommended games wiki, along with the original (superior) non-steam ver of Eversion. Everyone really has seemed to have forgotten about this game. What a good game lmao

[@l33tsaber]

I genuinely loved Irisu Syndrome, even if I never scored high enough to unlock the last file. And yeah, it's a pity the music gets copyclaimed (by people who aren't even Watson!)

[@SolidusScott87]

I was just sitting around bored a little while ago and randomly my memory of this game came flooding back to me. Glad you strongly recommended the soundtrack as that is what I remembered the most besides the part where Irisu “kills” Ageha of course!

[@user-ly2nx7ss2x]

Does anyone else think her character design would fit perfectly into Touhou , lol

[@KIIROCORE]

she does look like reisen in a cutesy mage outfit tbh red eyes and all …

[@smada9711]

I so glad someone finally is talking about Irisu. I remember when it first came out back when i was in middle school, and saw Azurite's playthrough of it. Absolutely terrified preteen me Lol. I downloaded the entire soundtrack and still have it on my ipod somewhere

[@michaelbell5702]

She's only got one sock on because she's carrying the other in her hands. I don't know what it means, but that's where her other sock it.

[@amandasmith4089]

I remember finding gameplay if irisu when I was a kid ages ago. I was so genuinely scared watching it!! It's crazy to see it again pop up again and I'm glad that it's getting recognition!

[@mr.glitch6781]

Now I paused at 0:05 just to ask a question… will this give me a lot of nightmares?

[@coreflakes]

if i ain't too late nah the spooky aspect is fine, worst you'll see is the thumbnail image for like 3 seconds

[@mr.glitch6781]

@@coreflakes ah okay

[@tvRiverRemix]

it's pretty nice seeing an old gem recognized again, i grew up on a bunch of indie jp horror games, irisu being one of my earliest ones love this bludgeoning sock rabbit witch girl

[@spazmcat3853]

10:48 bro let the spirit of moist critical come inside of him

[@ToadBup]

what

[@sidrinehart1299]

Hey! I just wanted to say I've been looking for "a weird puzzle game with cats dying" that I remembered playing for YEARS at this point and really didnt get many leads. I'm sooooo glad i clicked this video because this was it!!!

[@talonsandtails501]

Man I don’t know what it is about it but irisu walking across the screen really gets me, it’s so terrifying to me

[@thedog4266]

IRISU WALKING ACROSS THE SCREEN IS SO COOL

[@I_Am_Foodel]

Got about a minute in before I decided I needed to play this for myself. Thanks for bringing this to more people's attention! Will come back and finish watching it once I play it!

[@VulpesSpiritus]

BRO, I'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THIS GAME QUITE A WHILE, THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@laughingfurry]

A clever game with beautiful music and a sad and interesting story. Simply gorgeous. Glad to see more people talk about this. Adding in after watching the video. The random ass jumpscare is probably the most interesting fourth wall break. As one person said many years ago, the game hates it when you click on something else while leaving it paused. Some have had a similar experience when they would turn the game on, go get their screen recording setup, then go back into the game to be greeted by that face. Another interesting fact is that if you get a high enough score on day 3 or 4, I forget, that face also shows up. A popular theory at the time is that the dead rabbit mentioned in Metsu possessed her. Some have noted how the red under Irisu's chin during the jumpscare matched with the red eyes to resemble a smile. The rabbit possession is more theory than fact, but it's another curious thing to mention of those who played it at the time. One more thing, unless I'm mistaken, the creator of Irisu Syndrome did another puzzle game. It's more conventional. Starts with sweets being broken, but the sweets eventually get swapped for pills and other medicine. Doesn't get the goosebumps going like Irisu Syndrome, but it's another one to look for, if you haven't already. Now I'm nostalgic of the youtube horror gaming scene before Pewdiepie came in. Those were the wildest indie horror games I've seen. There is one other game from that time, but I can,t recall the title. Basically, a hand comes out from the background of your wallpaper if you turn off the game wrong or something. It's been years.

[@viatomic]

I honestly think Who's Lila is the best 4th wall breaking horror game. It's not really on the nose(?) with its meta mechanic and 4th wall breaking, so when those moments happen you might not notice it and as the game progress it slowly dawns to player how much involved us the players are actually in the overall story

[@Conkel]

Let's spread the knowledge of Lila my dear follower.

[@TheRealHorizonGD]

I suggest you play OneShot. It's not a horror game or something but it has some 4th wall breaking aspects that are really unique. But trust me, you really need to play the whole game because at the end there are the best 4th wall breaks.

[@barendSho]

true... Btw, I suggest playing it in like 2-4 days and without streaming it

[@fropo66]

Thanks. I had been wondering what that falling block game was. You're right, the soundtrack was nice. The bat scene gave me chills too

[@biskyt]

irisu syndrome is one of my favorite games ever! i don’t know if you’re aware but the creator also made another game called “love, courage, and leaf-wrapped rice cake” which is also a puzzle game!