A Horror Game Where Your Only Friend Is A Large Spider In Your Bedroom - My Friend The Spider 

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I always have rules that the spiders in my apartment have to follow since they don't pay rent which is as long as they don't have the audacity to be by my bed then they can live

It's not a horror game, it's just an Australian person simulator :D

This really feels like a depression week. Even the room feels so huge sometimes.

Us: "Who uploads a Letsplay at 3 in the morning?!" Manly: "Oh boy, 3am!"

I was half expecting things to get worse. In a lot of set-ups like this, the protag's friends and loved ones get angry with them and fail to understand how they feel. So I was genuinely pleasantly surprised when she hung in there and continued waiting for him. Instead of the self-eating serpent of depression getting worse, it actually pushed him in a good direction. I welcome this change.

the real spider was the depression we made along the way. also, what a supportive friend the protag has! it's so nice of them to constantly check up on and be there for him, even though he's not responding. i'm glad he started to improve himself at the end, so that the support was not wasted

When my anxiety was at its worst after a surgery during COVID, I got a tarantula. It seems silly, but in my stress and constant feeling like I wasn’t healing fast enough, not able to do enough, wasn’t efficient enough, etc., something about this creature that could live 25 years inside of a burrow, not doing anything, just sitting still for hours, was comforting. It was so peaceful to watch her just, exist, and she helps me so much. I have several other tarantulas now and I just love watching them exist.

I get it's a like, depression and isolation simulator, and that it centers around like, the growing anxiety and stress and self inflicted wounds from being your own worst critic, and the spider represents the person you play as (Especially his rant at the spider) and the symbolism of the spider being a phobia, getting bigger and bigger, and while I was going to make a small critique of "I understand it's probably a good coping method to express the dev's struggles and feel like it's productive to make art and overcome it, to some degree, but it's kinda been done enough times it's rather tired" I actually quite liked that the main character is rather explicit in his narration to getting better, many depression sims either stay depressed, or end up ratherambigious, but the more clear "I have support and acknowledge support" was a refreshing change, although normally it'd be too on the nose, it breaks away from the others and leaves a bit of positivity on recovering from a low point. The ending is softly ambiguous, but I like to think it means freedom. Free as a bird in the open skies.

Used to let a spider just chill in a corner of my room but turns out it was one of those very bad roommates. it started having its entire family in my room that all 4 corners of the ceiling had webs and my desk and lamps had webs,I had to permanently evict it and future spiders after that

this reminds me of billy and mandy when billy got a spider for a son lmao. the spider introduces himself to billy and billy is basically me and is terrified of spiders and hes like "AHHH GET AWAY YOU MONSTER" and just starts to bash him with anything he can get his hands on and tells him that he hates him and the spider is still trying to be with billy and is like "i love you dad" lol oh god i loved those episodes of the show so much.

_This didn't go the way I thought it would_ And I'm glad to not have spider nightmares. Instead, got a metaphorical warm hug of friendship from the story. People need that time sometimes to let your spider grow, order take out, wallow in self pity. And then have a real friend standing by, offering no pressure, just giving you support - until your metaphorical spider leaves thru the open window. I really enjoyed this.

This game is a fuggin mood, when you can feel that depression slap, it stops you from doing anything, for weeks, and it's just this gross building thing, and all you wanna do is recluse. Thanks for playing this game, I just recently started to pull out of a 2 week depressive episode, and this game deffs hit close to home. It's is a good reminder that sometimes I just gotta wait it out, and start life back up when it passes.

I think the spider represents his depression and as the spider gets bigger his depression takes more control over him. Also, the little floating thing scene most likely shows him using substances

I have a huge fear of spiders so I often kill on sight. But one night I was watching transformers animated and I didn’t want to pause the show to kill the spider that crawled onto the wall. So I went back to watching the show but keeping an eye on the spider. I thought it would have crawled off a few seconds after I left it alone, but it stayed still, it was watching the show WITH me. The spider stat through a five minute scene and only crawled away once the scene was over. So I guess not all spiders are bad…

Hearing the voice actor, all I keep waiting for is him to say "YOU'RE TEARING ME APART SPIDER!" and "I did not hit him! I did noooot!... ... .. Oh, hi Mark." XD

This is quite an accurate way to describe depression. Spiders stay still to conserve energy, and the depressed generally can’t do anything without their brain screaming at them about it, so a ever-growing spider in the corner of the room is a good way to describe it.

My head cannon of this game is that the spider was doing the protagonist a solid & doing all the shopping for him.

I tried letting the spiders in my room stay once, since they were eating whatever bugs made it through the window. Once I noticed babies were biting me in my sleep, the gloves were off. Edit: So, for those making assumptions without asking questions, no, it's not mites. We had to have an exterminator come in after buying a house that sat empty for over 10 years. The daddy-long-legs we had were peaceful, so we just let it go, but I didn't realize we had an issue with yellow sac spiders. Someone in the household got bit and had to go to the hospital for a swollen leg. That's how we knew.

as long as the spider scares away anything trying to hurt me and is fluffy, I am totally okay with that

one positive to staying up at 4am is catching manly’s late night uploads

I know the spider was a metaphor for depression/self-loathing but it's really interesting that I was way more concerned about our protag's mental health that the freaking giant spider sitting in the corner.

Ah. The real monster is depression. 100% agree.

Okay I cried at this one. Great metaphor for depression. Been there too many times, and know what it's like to sleep everything away. Gotta love games that make you feel something.

I like that the gf was so supportive throughout the whole thing. I was honestly expecting a bad ending where the gf leaves him and the spider(well, depression) eats you, Purgatory style. Im glad it ended with a rave spider instead.

As someone who has a spider in their room, i can relate.

I usually struggle to watch the depression games you occasionally put on the channel because it's a quagmire i've been struggling in for a long time. This one too, wasn't necessarily easy to watch, but it conveys the emotions perfectly. I started crying when he started yelling at the spider. If any of you out there are struggling similarly, good luck to you. Take care of yourselves.

Spiders are kinda cute in a way. I'd totally be friends with a large spider in my room, as long as it wasn't poisonous or a danger for me.

me when i have a pet tarantula and we're both watching this together:

I think that spider is the scariest but the most reliable friend in the world...!!;; I wouldn't be able to sleep all night if there was a huge spider like that on the wall...;; I enjoyed the video..! Thanks..!

Thank you Manly. I cried, a lot. It came from nowhere, I was coming drunkenly back home at 5AM in the quiet cold, from another night out I spent mostly alone, spending the money I don't really have on the entry fees of lousy nightclubs and bad alcohol that I offer to other broken people and that I drink to forget I hate myself. I don't want to feel anything anymore, so I ate way too much, thoroughly listing every thing I hate about this world, about us humans, and especially about my miserable life, and went to bed ; and instead of sleeping, of course, I opened RU-vid to stop thinking. Then I saw the notification and I watched this video, half expecting to enjoy it as always and then, as usual, watch anything else, even garbage reaction videos and stale meme compilations, anything I can find, just to. Stop. Thinking. At all cost. But it was too good, too precise, to well timed, and when the protagonist's friend offered them a hug, I started crying. I am still weeping and bawling while I write this comment. I need to write this down, so it doesn't become a vaguely unpleasant dream that I can shove in the corner of my thoughts, judging myself silently from my subconscious until the next time I crack and break and melt down. I wish I couldn't forget anymore... it has been more than 15 years of every possible therapy, treatment, drug, new year resolutions, pep talks from my family, from my friends, from myself, but I keep forgetting. I have a big spider in my house and I really, really need a hug :( I will call back my friends now. Thank you Manly.

The funny thing is. Lately, there had been a bunch of wolf spiders getting into my place. I kept having to catch them and take them out. At one point, I caught one in a bottle and stalled to remove it. It built a web in the bottle, so, I guess I have a pet spoder.

You know I kind of want to see a horror game where you are the spider, trying to survive in a human house. With the same visuals a spider would have. It would prolly be the most horrifying game ever lol.

As an introverted Australian, I can confirm that this is indeed an accurate representation of my social life.

As someone who is still suffering from creative burnout and major depression... I get it, I really get what that guy was going through.

I like that games like this exist, because it may help to show people who don't deal with depression and/or other mental health issues what it can be like for those who do. It also makes you feel less alone when you're going through something and you find a game that directly relates to what you're going through.

As a person with arachnophobia and generally afraid to talk with people ... This was tripple the horror game to me.

4:46 Manly got so scared of the spider, he begun speaking Russian

Now I can finally tell my parents that I do have friends! I mean, they never said I needed to socialize with *people* specifically, right?

ok im almost four minutes in and im going to make a guess. the spider represents the guys depression and as the days go on it only gets bigger and bigger (depression getting worse) and since he didnt kill it when it was tiny he cant do it anymore (didnt start helping himself until it was too late)

I once had a spider that lived in the corner of my room. I named him Freddy. Freddy caught lots of mosquitoes in his web, so I liked having him around. Freddy quickly grew bigger and bigger because he was eating so well, and he lived for several months in his corner.

As someone who has had depression in the past, I can absolutely understand this game. The constant sleeping, talking to yourself but pretending the things around you are listening, the loss of creativity, and the fear of the world around you. Some people get more creative during depression, and it can act as a form of emotional release. I didn't experience that, sadly. But I feel like the spider represents the fear of the world, and of others. Always watching you, judging you. You can't perceive that they do other things when you aren't looking, you can only remember the times they were watching you. And it feels like they won't stop. It feels like more and more people are watching, and judging. But the support you can receive from your friends and family can break you out. The last time you see the spider to me feels like a breakdown. Literally with the spider rave breaking it down, but the standing in the corner and watching at an unstoppable force watches you and it feels like the end is there. But eventually, it lessens. There is a video I saw about the importance of a mental breakdown, and I feel like that aligns with the scene fairly well. If you're experiencing something similar, try reaching out. It's hard, and it might feel impossible, but there are people out there who not only want to listen to you, but dedicated their lives to helping people in your mental situation. If you still can't, understand that even if you feel like nobody cares, there are people who do. Or would, if they knew you. I went through rough stuff, and my psychologist helped me out immensely. I have since dedicated myself to passing the favour onward. If you feel like nobody cares, at least know this: If you were to find me, and talk to me about what it is that's hurting you, I wouldn't judge you. I wouldn't doubt you. I wouldn't hate you. I wouldn't leave you. I would listen, and do whatever I can to help. That is the way I function. There are more out there like me, if you can find them. There is a brighter future ahead, the trick is the march upstream. You may be in the rapids now, and there may be rapids ahead, but if you keep marching you may find the spring at the top of the mountain. From there, you can look back, on your achievements, and see the beauty of it all. The struggle hurts, but the view is worth it from the top. Barotrauma has a track named Marching Upstream, it fits the idea perfectly. Dark, anxiety like at the start, but ends in a beautiful way you can't describe easily with words. A good listen. You are loved, even if you feel like nobody loves you. You just don't know them yet. Keep going, I and many others believe in you. Sometimes, you need to approach the spider. Not everyone will be good, in fact I know some people have tried to reach out and found psychologists or therapists that only made things worse. They aren't worth the time. Keep looking. You'll find someone that genuinely cares. This Australian spider believes in you. I hope to meet you at the top of the stream. May the rapids be short.

Basically, Australia.

I'm in a bad place mentally right now, the monolog at 8:14 hit too close to home

Ok I get it giant spider why is no one mentioning how great the dialogue was! even the voice acting was really good everything seemed so personal and careful it was executed so well!

I was like "haha a big spider that doesn't bother me" but then it went "oh this is an allegory for depression" and I felt realyl unwell. At least it has a nice finish to ease the bad thoughts away.

Hell yeah I LOVE spiders!!! Hope nothing bad happens to it

How can I get a prescription for a giant spider to play the drums on top of me?? No but for real I feel like that was a weirdly good analogy for how it feels when a super bad depressive episode ends. Like you're jolted awake and realize all the shit you've been neglecting and need to do and you're flying around in a manic episode cuz you know it won't last..... And then the next week you're back to square one in a pit of depression.

That was.... susprisingly wholesome. I´ve had a raging arachnophobia for years but this was... calming. Sometimes you just gotta be kind to yourself, and to the lil fellas living in the corner.

Holy shit, having someone that keeps with you despite being ignored so long is incredible.

I have a room mate named Barry. He is a spider. Barry understands that as long as he lives in the opposite corner of my bedroom and pays rent in the form of catching spiders and other bugs then we’re okay but if Barry decides to venture beyond his side of the room. He will either be evicted or murdered. Whichever comes first.

"to overcome ones fear of spiders, one must first learn to forgive the spider of its intrusion." -me. Thats my quote.

Hmmm... I think it is doing this game a disservice to classify it as a 'horror' game. While giant spiders are definitely terrifying, the one in this game seemed to be metaphorical, and the game lacks anything else to make in seem scary. Anyway, it is really cool to see a short game tackle such a serious subject as depression and actually do it in such a uplifting way.

*People with arachnophobia watching:*

Just imagine seeing the size of that spider in your own bathroom goodbye house / apartment 🔥 🔥 🔥.

Having a giant spider friend sounds awesome!

If there's a big spoder on the outside of your walls, be more scared of what's inside of your walls.

Video isn’t even over and I’m saying it now: I bet the spider is a metaphor.

That was a very polite spider, living on the flies from their depression pile. True bro.

I feel like it's more of a surreal game than a horror game, but cool either way.

"Speeder" Manly:"that was not funny"🗿

I didn't expect to be called out today by a game with a spider in it, but oh boy.

I'm not afraid of them. I'm more "out of sight, out of mind". Otherwise, I'm overly cautious. I'm not one of to go "I'm not sure if this is the kind that will potentially kill me, so let me get close enough to pick it up so I can see". As a kid, I had a full grown adult wolf spider land on my face as I slept. Apparently it was living on my shelf that was above my bed. I also, as a kid, had a small but red and opaque spider "chase" me a good distance down a hill we lived on.

I actually think this game was brilliant. It actually tugged at my emotions because I understand what going through serious depression is like. How you let things accumulate.

I feel the need to bring up how concise manly's descriptions of these games are. Thank you Manly.

I remember having a dream where I would end up with a giant (a touch larger than this one) spider hanging out in the ceiling corner, and also an added little ghoul girl eating a person in my bathroom. Only differences about the spider was that she was one of those pale ones with those long bristles and a chunkier body (a made up species), she was in the hallway above my room’s doorway, and was also a diva for some reason. I handled it surprisingly well for an arachnophobe, I only spent a few seconds, maybe 10, hiding from her in the other room panicking about what to do, before coming out and trying to have a chat. I asked her to help me clean up the blood in the bathroom, to which she said no because she didn’t want to get blood on her (fur??). Sorry for the long anecdote, this just reminded me of her. She didn’t eat me.

as an australian, this happens like, every week, so im not surprised a horror game was made about it to let everyone else experience it too!

You know, if the spider eats all the flies and other creepy crawlies, it can stay.....

This was nice. It's a good symbolic story, and one plenty of people can see themselves in. Everyone has rough days, and it helps to have that friend waiting for you. Also helps when your metaphorical spider just wanted to rave, I guess.

I LOVE SPIDERS they’re so cute!!

he's so manly and badass he's not afraid of spiders

Honestly I love the allegory for mental health. When I'm in a not so good place... It's the spider in my corner. Fun metaphor to start using! Well... Not exactly fun, but a way to lighten the situation.

The spider was the roommate all along, watching over ya

It's not a horror game. It's depression coupled with social anxiety.

Manly loves uploading the video at literal middle of the night lol The spider this HUGE is gonna make me move out immediately the next day

This was a sweet game in the end! I could tell where the metaphor was going by the first few minutes but it was pretty well done, and relatable at some parts. Definitely wasn't what I was expecting. But I like games like this, because they can really surprise you like that.

As a tarantula owner. This feels very close to home

I work at a bug museum that has hundreds of live bugs and thousands of mounted ones from all over the world. I love spiders because of how useful and humble the little buggers are. Usually, they will find a place in the corner by themselves and stay there and occasionally you'll find a fly or moth in their web. I do occasionally find black widows but those I usually catch and bring to the museum because they are popular with customers... and I don't want them in my house.

also every time the spider "screeched", im pretty sure it was a meow, or some sort of cat sound

"whoa it's a giant Rave spider" manlybadasshero 2022

the spider wasn't the monster in this game it was really the friend....that's something u dont see every day in a horror game :]

Gracias por el post a esta hora ya que uno esta trabajando y me agrada mucho tus videos, me alegraste la noche. Thanks a lot.

the venting to the spider was more frustration that was towards himself or just thoughts of overthinking.

Wow, forget being scared of the spider. The main character is just asking for trouble living in a ground floor apartment with a window like that.

I don't know if the voice acting in the game is too quiet, or the game in the recording was quiet Really wish there were subtitles Very nice narrative

People with arachnophobia: I felt a great disturbance in the force!

I would make a giant enemy spider joke, but I feel like I was already beaten to it

There's a spider in my cilliling and Im naming him Dave. Spider Dave you better behave

Big spider in bedroom? As an Aussie, this feels like at home.

For me, not leaving home for weeks having nowhere to go, not having friends who’d check on me, having no one to hug, and having nothing to look forward to, this game kinda hits in the guts

8:15 literally any american mom when their son turns 18💀💀

That spider and this game is like depression. The deeper we sink into it, the bigger it seems.

As soon as I saw the bit about trying to open the door I was like, yeah this a story about depression. That, the frustration about minor mistakes, the bit where the room grew gigantic and impossible to cross, the projection of the narrator/player character's issues onto the spider. I've been there. All of that.

Finally, a game about real life!

I used to have a “shower frog”. It had climbed up through the drains (probably chasing after bugs because that’s how most of them got into our house) looking for food. The number of bugs in our house decreased thanks to it so I just let it live in my shower. I even filled up a bowl and left it in there so it could swim around and enjoy itself

As a keeper of many spiders I feel seen for the first time, and love your take on them @ManlyBadassHero

That was some very nice music playing in the forest. I need to know what it is now. Oh and thanks manly b.a.h for always uploading when I need to sleep.

I love spiders so much

8:18 i'm not gonna stand here and listen to you badmouth the greatest spider the world has ever known

Okay, I love that game. especially because my depression has gotten worse and I feel I havent been able to do well... anything of importance, the game just feels very relatable with time passing quickly while ur just standing there, sleeping late, ignoring messages, that "spider" you berate its all things thats happened almost daily.. tho im not nearly as bad where im never leaving my room or doing anything (dont think my adhd would even let me) but still, its a hard route you mistakenly take