The Strange Men Anthology is a MASTERPIECE (Full Series)

[@Zorothegallade-gg7zg]

David: "I can talk to ghosts." Sophie: "I can talk to fairies." Keith: "I have a gun." Will: I have Keith's gun."

[@mythicaldrawer7072]

Keith: "Will, give me back my gun."

[@breadboygamingwholegrain]

Come on, Will can also talk to unhelpful animals! (one of which he spends the entire game trying and failing to save)

[@khalidhassan9423]

@@mythicaldrawer7072 will: runs away

[@merrysleeps]

It’s always fun how the good decisions in the crooked man show david change into not just being ‘kind’ on a surface level. I think it adds a lot of nuance to his character and makes his eventual reunion with shirley seem more realistic

[@dragonmster4473]

Ok but can we talk about A: The meanest burn that Keith said to Sophie at the police station, and B: The fact that despite both of them being able to see at least some supernatural things, neither notices the giant floating eyeballs of the sleeping man

[@themaskedfacade9939]

While the Boogie Man is still my favorite of the quadrilogy, I always found The Hanged Man to be really underappreciated. In fact, it's a close second for me. It commentary on mental illness and feeling alone in the world is so incredibly explored through Will and Ed. Ed in particular I think is probably the most nuanced villain in the Strange Men series. His past is so heart breaking and I feel he's an example of the "mentally ill murderer" archetype done right. The game really empathizes with him and doesn't dismiss his actions as being a result of being inherently twisted, but as an act of desperation due to being a broken man who grew up in a world that did nothing but beat him down. He had no positive guidance in his life. Any guidance he did get, namely from the cultish mindset he got dragged into at the homeless shelter, was destructive and was all he had to fall back on after he killed his father. He's such a compelling commentary and cautionary tale about how important it is for people to get the help they need.

[@TindraSan]

"His name is D, which stands for D-[party horn toot]" very informative, thank you

[@random-boi2000]

Purgatory

[@matthewglaaser4286]

Doot

[@minukyk]

well i know what im doing for the next 6 hours

[@littenguy]

Same

[@AeonKnigh432]

Yup

[@hoop4ever756]

Lol

[@luxsolis95]

Hecc yeahhh

[@DeadInside-hf4gh]

Lmao as I'm reading this ur still not done

[@pyritenightmare]

On D stabbing David, "...I cannot fathom the logic behind this decision," yeah. There isn't any. D is having an emotional breakdown, he stabs David in a sort of "defense" or "lashing out" - he feels betrayed and like David trying to keep reaching out is a danger to him on an emotional level (because he sees it as continuing the very falsities that have hurt him). It's not a logical decision, it's an emotional one (one can argue it's not a decision at all, but an automatic response), and one that makes the scene hit heavier when you understand it.

[@_zealos_8213]

What i really appreciate about Uri is how damn good she is at writing compelling and "satisfying" Bad Ends. I feel like a lot of horror games will go and say "And everyone died. The End. Thanks a lot player." but Uri writes Bad Endings that make sense, are meaningful, and provide a reasonable sense of closure for your actions (even if that regrettable action might be forgetting some random item somewhere). All these endings are so distinct and have such impact, and the Bad Ends are "bad" for a variety of reasons, very rarely because everyone is dead.

[@arrowrandoman]

I like that Regan and Sophie are working together. It's a subtle way of showing the progress in their friendship from the Sandman game.

[@Individualll]

THE THREE COURSE MEAL PLUS THE DESSERT??? Can't wait to watch 6 hours of absolute peak

[@SomeDudeWhoIsntDead]

I like seeing david's life get better.

[@TheSageCookieuwu]

Keith is unironically my favorite character and in the 4th game he's kind of Wholesome and I love it :3

[@emmareiman64]

Hell yeah, another Keith fan xD He can be harsh, but he does try at times and those moments are amazing

[@splendidsimp]

Me too hes hot definetly would

[@0Trixa0]

Anyone else notice that Sissi's screams in the first Bad End are clipped from Rocky Horror Picture Show? They're Columbia screaming during Rocky's murder.

[@andreafigueroa6708]

It’s still hilarious how many pronunciations of Helena are discovered in The Boogie Man

[@axew3127]

Keith in the true end of TBM is the epitome of “I’m not trapped here with you, you’re trapped in here with me”

[@lorddrayvon1426]

"I would have thought the landlady would mention this sort of thing." "Yes, your house comes with three bedrooms and a bathroom. Oh, and it also comes with it's own poltergeist that sobs throughout the night and causes demonic imagery on any television Wait, why're you leaving?!" Also, I always assumed the Strange Man Quadrilogy was a quadrilogy in name only where they share the same creator and similar tones but are otherwise completely standalone. The Cornetto Trilogy in game form basically. Neat to see they're actually connected.

[@alliellama233]

My jaw dropped when you said that Dick was voiced by ManlyBadassHero. I love Manly's channel and I loved the original Crooked Man as well, was not expecting that AT ALL lol.

[@greenbeanmachine9002]

I don’t even care if its a reupload of everything So so good to see ben being at the top of his game, can’t wait for what you cover next!!!

[@pj9486]

What I love about these games is that they seem to make relationships between people seem surprisingly real.

[@Strawberry_Cubes]

David: my life….is on fire….everything I worked hard for….turned to ashes…..I want to die Sophie: FARIES ARE REALLLL TEEHEE

[@bundleofhyacinths]

Me, having watched all four previous videos and knowing this is a compilation of them: “a video of these games I have never seen before, perfect must watch”

[@deadgirl1172]

It's amazing that you jumped from 50 subscribers to 94k from these last 9 months. Your content is great and you deserve more views

[@_zealos_8213]

1:11:36 "What has him so riled up?" _* Dark Souls music starts playing *_

[@bensavage6172]

I think it's a bit of a shame the secret endings for The Crooked Man and The Hanged Man didn't get any coverage. The Crooked Man didn't add too much, so I understand moving right past that one to an extent, but The Hanged Man true ending felt completely different and added a good bit of depth to a few characters and left Will in a heartbreaking but still better place. Either way, very glad you brought some exposure to this series, including to me!!

[@bobbyboswell13]

well thats perfect i wanted to buy these so now i got an excuse

[@ungabunga5789]

there are secret endings for The Crooked Man??

[@weiss985]

i remember bingeing the first three games with my friend when we were 12 and voicing the characters ourselves. it was so much fun and i remember that night so vividly and fondly despite the fact that i've fallen out with that friend by now. this video really brings back those happy memories and feelings, and i'm happy to finally see it come to a close :) thank you for making this!!

[@ann-gt4hh]

Yeah, yeah I’ll rewatch all these videos again via this mega video. Sincerely though, your improvement is super cool to see and is a testament to how much effort you put into these videos. Your skills have grown so much and I hope you get to keep improving in your craft. Thank you for these videos!

[@LunarRoses]

The mic quality got really better from the boogieman to the hanged man, I hope that if another game is made we can see even more updates on that!

[@TheAdriRosi]

I SWEAR I've heard Sophie's dad's VA somewhere before. I think in some Higurashi analysis videos

[@Fred_Fredley]

Did you hear he was making a new game called the oiled man? It’s about one of the most horrific experiences that happen in unit 731. This one ended up in tragedy. I think you should definitely review it .🙏 love the vids and keep it up

[@Zarmdthecoolest]

No I heard the oiled man is about a trollface that learns to fly

[@ydr0078]

The way they are standing for the Thumbnail is literally the Stardust Crusaders.

[@4KDolbyDigital]

Alternatively Yakuza 4 lol

[@cheesusabidas77]

​@@4KDolbyDigitalthey think they are yakuza 4...

[@caveirainvocada9438]

I'm only at the beginning of the video but I'd like to point out that i really agree with the line at 34:21. A set dream is something that's really cool to have, but we shouldn't trick ourselves into thinking that reaching it is the only way to find happiness.

[@nikareading8356]

Oh this is going to be FANTASTIC background noise for the next. Months. Possibly on repeat. I just. Love your voice (and I've watched all the seperate videos already anyway. Good stuff!)

[@CloudsAndDays]

33:43 Actually pilots can be colorblind u3u They're just limited to day time flying u3u

[@QuikVidGuy]

Steve Carrell lied to me

[@HumanBeing-wb4st]

I cannot tell if u3u is some sort of pilot thing I’m not familiar with, or if you somehow misspelled uwu…

[@kwisowofer9872]

@@HumanBeing-wb4stthe 3 is puckered lips… why it’s there in the first place, idk

[@triktunia]

why u3u do u3u you u3u use u3u u3u so u3u much u3u

[@sugarkane1571]

I mean, there’s probably a lot of things attached to color blindness such that David can’t be a pilot anymore. For one, he lied on a pretty important eye exam. There’s probably policies to “if you lie on this exam, you’re expelled”, especially if you consider how dangerous it actually is for someone pretending to be not colorblind to be flying. Anything related to flight are strictly regulated, so one bad lie definitely gets you in hot waters. For two, how was he found out to be colorblind? If he was found out in a flying session, that’d be an experience I wouldn’t want to be in. If you make a mistake as simple and stupid as thinking the green light was red, no one is gonna trust you to fly. For three, there’s a big asterisk to colorblind pilots are limited to daytime flying. There are subsequent colorblindness tests you can take to see if you’re eligible for both night and day flying. They’re one time only, so if you fail you’re screwed. It’s possible that David failed all three exams if his colorblindness is intense enough. If that’s the case, I prefer David not chasing after his dreams.

[@SatoKure]

Y'know, upon watching through the Hanged Man section again, I just really got to wonder... What the heck was Sandman doing in the bad ending where Sophie dies?

[@someonestoleyenny]

I watched all the videos separately but i just wanna say you’re genuinely fun to watch. the way you describe and explore these lesser-known games (at least for me) is so damn captivating

[@aerendyll]

Every time Ben says these games are made in RPG Maker I clench my fist and grumble "they're made in Wolf Editor, they're not even made by the same developer".

[@caveirainvocada9438]

I think rhat it's an RPG maker game in the sense that it's that sort of game. Mad Father is also a Wolf game but also an "RPG Maker game". We have no better name for this kind of game but it also would be awfully weird to separate them out just because of their engine lol.

[@still_salty]

So excited for this. I would watch the crooked man video in the background while I worked over and over, along with the other installments as they released. So it's really great to see them all in one place! I look forward to seeing it all again and seeing you improve as the video goes. Thank you for making this.

[@YARGGG_GG]

your passion for these games comes through in every part of your videos. good editing, good humor and you never depend on being loud, swearing or doing stupid bits. i'm glad you gave these horror rpg classics the time they deserved (and yes, dwarf is a real bro).

[@mtdoge8885]

Such a great video, It's good to know atleast some of these older games are still on the internet floating around. Hope we get to see some kind of continuation in the series

[@gemstone4264]

I just found you and wanted to look back to see what you thought of CM. So nice that I can just listen to this while I work!

[@hella6416]

Its sooo good seeing a creator so worried with his content he do all the series over again, just to give us the best videos, always! Keep doing this Ben! U are great!!

[@WobblesandBean]

33:00 It's....kinda messed up that the "correct" response is to flat out insult the guy's intelligence. Not passing the BAR exam has nothing to do with how smart you are.

[@gothicMCRgirl]

Yeah, that part was a little vague in the message there, but I always interpreted it that D was, deep down, knowing that he was not cut out to be a lawyer and denying it. Dreaming about being something and then actually having to go through the process of obtaining it are two different things. He most likely realized that it was harder than it seemed, but had dreamed about it for so long, he couldn’t bring himself to let it go, even though failing the exam over and over again should’ve given him a clue that maybe he’s just not truly interested in the specifics of the career. But also to be honest, some people just aren’t good in a high pressure college setting (especially law school). People learn differently.

[@inklypse4248]

It would've been great to get a game where all of the prior protagonists worked together consistently, using their unique abilities to solve the puzzles. (I wanted David's ability to see ghosts to come up more, darn it!)

[@yudose4134]

During 1:52:25 I was like "aah! You sneaky little game developer you!"

[@wickedwhisper4568]

Sad to see this series end, but I'm so excited for something new and cool! Your content is always refreshing and awesome!

[@VientoNocturno]

lovely to see how your channel has grown! glad to be able to follow it further on ^^

[@requiesticat]

I had a lot of fun playing this series as it came out. Uri's work is really nostalgic for me in that sense. She's created other titles which are worth checking out, Mermaid Swamp and Paranoiac. There's also Pedestal, which I think is intended to be a prequel to the latter.

[@coolbeans194]

Ben is growing so fast! I love to see it :) Also even though I watched all these separately it was still nice to watch this all together.

[@Crimsonpig909]

Ther are 2 types of people, watches this over multiple days while eating breakfast, or I found this at 12:00 am and about to stay up all night

[@Kousnowflakes]

I honestly thought KZbin did a demonization again and this was the reupload of the last video. Heart attacks aside, this was quite a ride! Can’t wait to rewatch everything for about 6 hours!!

[@conner4146]

94K subs in 10 months blows my mind and is 100% deserved. Congrats!

[@ThePrestoGuitar]

I really appreciate youtubers like you who play through games like these and *thoroughly narrate them*- the reviews of themes and evaluation of gameplay is always lovely, but honestly i love the sections just going through gameplay too, since i'm way too much of a bitch to ever play a game like this for myself

[@thepurehealer1279]

I like how Keith lies to him but still decides to seek out David himself to make sure Will is not hated by him or anything What I didn't like is how the good endings aren't possible when reconciling with Sophie. Thematically it absolutely should reward him for bravery and deciding to be honest and earnest. It's weird he's punished for that ESPECIALLY because she shows up in the good ending

[@Shoefae]

Thank you for talking about these games.

[@superseige]

I JUST BINGED ALL OF THESE VIDEOS LAST NIGHT AND NOW I GET TO DO IT AGAIN YIPPEE!!!!!!!!

[@luxsolis95]

I just want to say how much I love this video series. It’s really a blast watching your videos. I hope you keep creating what you love, and I hope to see your channel grow

[@billyboy3898]

Ben, thank you a lot for making videos about this games. Crooked man and Sandman especially have a really big impact on me personally. By watching this big video of full series recap, I like hive characters traveling from game to game. Such a wonderful game universe. Thank you again for your hard work :}

[@matt4679]

the johnny test whip crack startled the absolute shit out of me

[@antoniotrivelloni8191]

I remember being on vacation and watching your video on The Crooked Man to pass the time in the night. I was terrified, but beyond that, I was HOOKED on your channel. Glad to see you having so much success. Will you be doing more games like these?

[@glowrillaz]

After 4 days of coming back home from work and playing this video while eating dinner, I finally finished it haha. It was entertaining and very, very well done. Thank you so much for all the effort! New subscriber here :D

[@neavirenth]

I'm glad that you appreciate it!!

[@khalidhassan9423]

this game series was prime era of gaming, glad i was around

[@samuelmcewen9011]

Thank you for posting the full thing.

[@PatchesDied]

6 hours?! that's new! Thanks for your effort AGAIN, ben! That thumbnail reminds me alot of yakuza 4

[@hatcher365]

i love how the sandman isn't bad intentioned he just makes a lapse in his judgement

[@RetExcellent]

2 things 1 I love how these videos are done top notch and 2 I really love the background music you chose to use because so few people appreciate hotel dusk like I loved that game so much growing up and have such find memories of it and I know it's a dumb thing to point out but even just hearing those soft tones in the background made me feel all nostalgic so thanks for that

[@middleageddoggo]

holy shit i remember watching these games when i was younger, glad to see someone is still giving them the love they deserve

[@THATBLUEBLAZER]

you’re telling me i have to binge watch this again so i can show i’ve watched every benagain video?

[@notaperson7986]

I just came here after watching the Mermaid Swamp video, and I'm throughly invested in the games, it's good you were right.

[@n543576]

I've just finished this almost 6 hour video and I have to say im VERY much impressed, I genuinely hate KZbinrs that think they're doing me favors by not discussing spoilers and then later giving their vague opinion on a game that they barely touched the surface on for that very reason. This was an exceptionally well done video series, I genuinely loved Will's and Keith's voice actors and the stories to all these games were exceptional in their own way. Idk if you do suggestions but I hope you give the LISA series (and possibility the fangames Lisa the Hopeful, Pointless, and The Wise a view if you want additional amazing RPG maker games. Im late to the craze of RPG maker sense I tried making a game in college on the engine but found it too difficult for me but I can't help but respect the simplicity of the engine but the beautiful possibilities of storytelling thats possible with a limited budget. You've earned my sub easily and thank you for making this anthology.

[@leatherl5158]

Crooked Man, Sandman and Hanged Man are nice games, but Boogey Man has to be my second favorite RPG Maker horror game of all time. I still can't believe it's fully voice acted.

[@Forg0-Nan0]

Loved all the videos solo so guess it's time to watch the anthology (Ben) Again

[@TheStilf]

"This is decidedly more light hearted then someone calling out from the grave." Crooked Man: Story about a dead man wanting to be saved/to drag down a one person they can relate to. Sand Man: The WHOLE WORLD is in an eternal sleep...

[@blitzboy2934]

Holy shit, a whole series video. I know where my next 6 hours are going.

[@WilloWik]

The boogie man is so hard for me to take seriously 😅 whenever he says “I am… the *boogie* “ with that dramatic tone, I just crack up.

[@Bonniferrous]

I never thought I would cry at fucking RPG maker games dude....

[@Halloweddd]

FINALLY! I CAN SEE THE CROOKED MAN VID! it's binging time!

[@WilltheHedgehog02]

1:26:29 A Johnny Test joke circa 2023 and reposted in 2024? Woooaah, didn't see that one comin'.

[@Macer84]

Your videos are all great, it's been awesome to see you channel explode over the past few months. I really hope to see more fantastic vids as we all bravely journey in 2024!

[@Rekora_Wulf]

Just remember, friends who don't ground and pound you when you are possessed by a crooked demon man are not your friend.

[@sheriontaylor4796]

In the crooked man I walked in on the one of the jumps cars and I swear my soul left my body

[@percher4824]

Having never played any these and having a relatively low opinion on RPG maker horror thanks to all the stuff I've seen of it being overtly gory and full of cheap scares... watching this was a treat. Each game caught me off guard with how down to earth they were. The developer who made them has some serious talent. Hanged Man was especially startling with how realistic its depiction of Rob and Ed is, and Keith's handling of the situation genuinely made him come across as a detective with nerves of pure, cold steel.

[@cosmicbiscuit5856]

Well done with the new Thumbnail. Looks really good

[@bobbyboswell13]

also crooked man became my template for if a horror game is good or not! 1 does it rely on jumpscares, crooked man doesnt rely on them sure it had a few sudden noises and the crooked man coming thru a door suddenly but it was never done to death and they weren’t extremely loud! 2 is it supernatural? crooked man was very supernatural! 3 are you helpless or can you actually defend yourself, the lil boss fights were a nice touch! 4 does it have a good and bad ending? love the fact it has a good ending it makes those bad ones hit harder because you know you screwed up instead of it just being a single forced bad ending

[@xeoblastfail5317]

As someone who listens to your videos i really wish you read out the words for the cutscenes in the first game

[@CHAZZRMAN]

it is 4:39 am, i am 2 minutes into the video, i do not plan on sleeping

[@hippyhopohskippydop5792]

32:50 re- re- reverse psychology🎵

[@nobleheart9802]

Found this channel last night. 10/10 so glad i subebed. i love long lets plays. i cant wait for more long lets plays

[@beginthewar9681]

Holy crap I get a nice 6 hour meal of Benagain! My say just got beeter thank you man

[@n543576]

I can't believe that Crooked man video was when you only had 50 subscribers. I remember Nitro Rad doing videos on several of these games years ago and the reviews were so vague that i didn't understand what the big deal was about these RPG maker games was but holy shit did you make me a believer. I love your videos and im happy I found your channel.

[@ChimeratAlpha]

While I do find it unfortunate that you decided not to read the in-game text (I tend to use KZbin video essays for listening when I'm partly engaged with other tasks...), you do give good enough recaps, at least.

[@mattgroening8872]

Boohoo! The video is not to master’s liking 😭😭😭😭

[@Dark_Peace]

01:43:08 Am i the only one who hears "Courtroom Revolutionnary" (Athena Cykes' theme) here ???

[@melancholicechosingstothemoon]

“I’m waiting for you” Me: to Silent Hill we go then

[@Prizzlesticks]

Every time I scroll by this thumbnail, I keep wondering when Ben covered Kingdom Hearts..... ....I wouldn't complain if you did

[@sopapopp]

i was fully prepared to watch this 6 hours video but... now i really want to play the games. i have no choice but to pause and come back later

[@blakeduckly2875]

Was just looking for a video to watch while grinding. Thank you KZbin.

[@vulpevulpevulpevulpevulpevulpe]

that little group of people are god's number 1 opps. the dude is throwing everything he's got at them!

[@diamondhamster4320]

Stranger Danger Men Anthology.

[@triktunia]

Is it just me or does helena's voice sound ear-grating? It just sounds like someone trying their best to push out a "cute" and "innocent" voice but failing

[@beccawaltz7591]

Dw I hate her voice too 😅 she talks like an adult pandering to a kid with that baby UwU dialogue

[@beccawaltz7591]

Could you cover Mermaid Swamp? I don’t see many people cover it. It has an amazing and disturbing story!