Firewatch Is A Horror Game 

I don't know what to say. When I uploaded this video I was on 745 subscribers and honest to god, my hopes/estimate for this particular video was that it'd hit maybe 100 views by the end of the month. A lot of you seem to have been brought here by the algorithm, so I imagine the RU-vid gods selected me for some loving this week as a birthday gift. All I can say is thank you so much. I keep looking at the amount of comments and it doesn't quite seem real. As mentioned in the video, this channel has existed for a long time, but it's never had a community or many viewers. I hope I can do you all proud and I plan to continue to deliver this standard of content to you for the foreseeable future. I've already got my next 2-3 big 'project/essay' videos planned and I can't wait to share them with you. I hope you all have the best weekends and that a dog comes out of nowhere and befriends you. Edit: this is getting hard to comprehend! Thank you once again. I've given some more thought to my next few uploads and shifted them around a bit, the next TLOU video will line up with Outbreak Day in September, which means the next big video from me will be focusing on The Beginners Guide. I'm very excited to talk about another remarkable game! I've tried to respond to every comment on here, I'm very sorry if I've missed yours! This is way more attention than the channel has ever received so I'm doing my best to keep on top of it :) For those of you who are new and think that this is a one-off, I promise more videos in this style are coming, in addition to my existing series :)

i gotta sayL the first time i played firewatch, i was FULLY paranoid that there was gonna be an ax murderer somewhere for most of the game

when i saw the thumbnail i was like "oh absolutely dude thats not a secret." stunned to find that thats not the general consensus.

"I hate tomatoes," I said to myself. Peering out the bus window, I realized we were approaching the tomato factory...

Same vibes as Subnautica. "You survived a catastrophic crash, you are all alone but there is a knock on the capsule"

The ending of Firewatch is the culmination of everything the game was trying to tell you, that sometimes even if we don't want it to, a good thing just, ends.

"The monsters didn't break down the door ... They were in the room before you were" is so chilling to hear

After it was revealed someone was listening to them, I got so insanely paranoid in the game, and when I find the facility, I was frantically looking around making sure no one could jump me or no one was looking at me I was SCARED. And in the caves too, terrified. It’s absolutely a horror game

I don't know how to articulate how much I appreciate the gag of the figure in the bushes throughout the video showing up in frame eating potato chips.

"the monsters didn't break down the door, they were in the room before you." is such a chilling line oh mygod

-Little warning here for talking about child death- Something that has always stuck with me about this game, no matter how hard I want to forget it sometimes, is when you find Brian Goodwin’s body. The dread you begin to feel as you find his things, toys, drawings, and equipment. You really do get a flash of hope when you find his camp, maybe he’s still out there and you can save him. But when you do find him, the air is still, the sun lighting a small patch of the cave, and there, rotten and shriveled, is a small body. For younger me it was so haunting, to see him nestled in those rocks, jump rope stuck not far. The way he lies there all twisted always made my skin crawl, and even when I finished the game the image of his body always sent shivers down my spine. The game really knows how to set such a gut punch of a detail.

"Never use garlic" Damn starting out terrifying us with your cooking style

"Is it a short wholesome tale like Papers, Please?" Did.....did we play the same game?

You can pry Firewatch from my cold dead hands! The replayability is extremely high in my opinion. it introduced me to the idea of quiet horror games, and lit my passion for 'walking simulator' horror games. The atmosphere, the soundtrack, the visuals, it is so incrediably beautiful, haunting, and foreboding. Thank you RU-vid for popping this gem of a video essay into my Home feed.

'Go look up your favorite horror movie and tell me it's more than 7/10, I'll wait' John Carpenter's The Thing is 8.2/10 and honestly that feels a bit low

Thank you RU-vid algorithm for showing me this guy. Firewatch was an amazing art piece, I never actually figured out that I was meant to be disappointed. You learn something new everyday. And thank you for making this, I love RU-vid analysis videos and I never saw one about Firewatch. And I definitely thought this game was a cousin of the horror family.

“I have never shit myself in my entire life.” … and then I saw the “shit yourself man”

Firewatch came out right when 14 year old me was first getting into watching let’s plays. I remember watching Jackcepticeyes play through of it and the scene where you find Brian’s body was so scary to me that I couldn’t watch. My brain created a false memory of it being some body horror of mutilation with a horribly misshapen skull. A few years ago I finally got around to playing it myself and I was surprised by how take that scene actually is from a visual standpoint

“The monsters didn’t break down the door, they were in the room before you were” is so raw, I love it. I never considered Firewatch a horror game. Amazing video!

Firewatch my beloved desolate hopeless story... When I was about hm, 15? I watched the entire gameplay and the ending and plots and twists, it made me cry despite not experiencing a lot of the "adult" story. But I understood everything. I love this game, and I love how you have put my intangible love for this game into words and visual presentations. Thank you, for helping new people understand the full scale of how gorgeous, heart wrenching and heart breaking game.

"ive always hated seeing things outside my window at night. however, it got worse once I started my job on the ISS"

The ending of firewatch as I sat there just staring at my monitor I felt like I finally understood life.

the last part of this video made me tear up. my grandma, the woman who raised me, passed from breast cancer a few months ago and i really resonated with all of what you said. really glad i found your channel not only for the great analysis but the sort of catharsis this vid brought as well :)

I remember watching a lets play of this when it first came out and being 1. terrified and 2. on the edge of my seat waiting for the next scary, mysterious thing. Horror game devs should study this - it's more scary than all the mannequins and asylums they throw at us.

I listen to video essays while I work for white noise, and I lost count of how many times I paused this since I actually wanted to listen. You have an extremely engaging voice (both in your writing and vocally); truly one of the best I’ve heard on here. Subscribed! Can’t wait to see you grow

Just over 8 years later, and this game still is in my head. Great video, man!

This is an incredible video man. I just recently played firewatch maybe a month ago and this was the general impression it left on me. The occasional moments of subtle horror made it such a memorable experience to me. When delilah sends you to go and get the new radio and you can literally hear Ned's footsteps behind you just chilled me to my core. And the "unsatisfying" ending just felt so real and raw, no happy ending, no dramatic scene where Henry embraces Delilah and they bond over the shared trauma of the summer. It just ends as anticlimactically as it began. This game was an absolute masterpiece and so was this video 🙏

"yes it is," i said immediately upon seeing that title

Really enjoyed this analysis! I love the firewatch world. There’s just something about the dialogue between Henry and Delilah that feels so real to me. I know some people were disappointed with the ending but I think it’s perfect. It expertly captures themes of loneliness and loss and attempted escapism, but then ultimately reminds us that we cannot simply run away from our problems, inevitably the time will come to deal with them. Definitely gonna have to replay this soon!

This is the first video I've watched of yours, but my gosh, you're so funny and have such a presence I don't see very often anymore. Keep up the good work, and if my partner and I ever do RU-vid, I hope we match your skill :)

i love when youtube recommends me some random channel’s 1 hour video essay on a game i love, it’s always such a treat and my dad was diagnosed with cancer my senior year of high school and going to college was how i ran away from having to deal with it. it sucks so bad and im so happy to hear your mom beat it 💪

Commenting strictly for the engagement this video quality deserves sooooo much more attention beautifully written and it perfectly captures everything I felt playing this game

Damn, man's production value has shot through the roof!!!

Holy shit, that part of "Your wife shouldn't be digging that hole." Gave me genuine goosebumps i haven't had in years. Just the utter hopelessnes and panic. Briliant

Thanks for updating us near the end that your mom beat cancer. I didn’t see that oh so familiar darkness within you that accompanies the loss of your mother/father/loved one, but glad you talked about such a personal subject and knowing there actually is a happy ending there, brings joy to those of us in the “Dead Mom’s Club”. It’s horror in its purest form. Subscribed.

I think I really needed to hear these things. I've been running from monsters my whole life and I ignore them with games and RU-vid and weed

I haven't really thought about Firewatch since about 2017. But god, every new sentence you hit me with thoughts I remember thinking but not knowing how to verbalize. Incredible video.

I don't know if you read all the comments, but I thought it was sweet you played this with your dad. I lost my dad this week and I'd give anything to play another game with him again. Cherish the time you have with him. 💘 You explaining the grief you felt over your mom also provided some comfort, you know? That I wasn't the only one that felt lost in the middle of a sea but also detached from it all. I actually teared up near the end.

just finished the game and obviously i had to look it up on youtube immediately, and one thought i had throughout the whole game was "i am scared". this game is scary. terrifying in a way that makes you realize how lonely you are.

you’re awesome man keep it up, i love the scenery and sensory sounds of you walking through the forest while presenting. 10/10

wow, what a gem of a video. A real clanger of a title too, had the exact reaction you telegraphed, glad youtubes algorithm worked for once.

firewatch definitely gave me horror vibes on my first play through but the atmosphere and the gameplay one of the best i’ve played in a long time, the art and the storytelling pulled me in and definitely made me feel like i was in Henry’s shoes. i think the starting sequence definitely helps with that because of the choices the give you and how it shapes the players view of Henry as a person and as a partner to his wife

There have been some very horror-y.. type scenes, especially since they come from real possible situations, unlike ghosts and monsters. The time someone looks at you leaving the cave, or when you come back and it seems someone is in the tower

This channel needs more subscribers your editing style and humour is some of the best I've seen from video essays like this

my thought process was more "i can see why someone could say that" and then i clicked

Really interesting analysis. Game fell totally flat for me inside the first 5 minutes after it refused to let “me” do what I would’ve done in the starting situation (ie. stay with my sick wife), and I struggled to have enough sympathy with either Henry or Delilah throughout the rest of the game to really care what happened to them. I’ve dealt with way too many people in life who hide from reality and thereby just make things worse for everyone around them, and am very much a “face your problems head on” kinda person as a result, so figured it just wasn’t for me, but your analysis has helped me appreciate the game more for what it is and was ultimately trying to get across.

So happy the algorithm chose you dude, loving the way you shot this outside too.

this was an incredible video. i don't often watch videos from smaller channels, but your analysis, insight, and vulnerability easily shot this up to my favorite video in recent memory. i literally quit working on an art piece i was almost finished with to give your words my full attention. keep doing what you do, you're goddamn good at it.

i have zero insight to provide so i'll just leave a comment for the evil algorithm gods. i'm surprised your channel is small, your style of presentation is so natural and engaging and i really enjoy watching you pace the edge of a field like a lost pony. excited for more.

Why nobody mentioned the skit when he pick up the walkie talkie at 2:46 that literally shook me

34:55 shoutout to the guy in the pink for falling in the background for all of us

4:43 this story never fails to give me goosebumps unironically lmao

Going through something extremely rough and this video came out of nowhere and helped in a way that nothing else has. Thank you

An inclusive mind ruins simple and brief stories. “The last man on Earth sits alone in a room. He hears a knock on the door. His daughter asks him if he’s okay in there”.

grateful for the algo showing me your channel, a little less grateful because I was trying to find a video to help me fall back to sleep and this topic is so interesting that now I’m too invested to rest. great work! looking forward to your future videos! go at your own pace and thank you for this.

You are incredibly talented at capturing the viewer as you talk and express your own thoughts and feelings. Please keep making more videos. You deserve to be able to make a career out of this

this was unexpectedly deep and beautifully worded and i didn't know i needed to watch this vid but thank you for making it

My family has been going through a lot these last 2 ish years, with the last couple months being the worst. My Uncle was diagnosed with cancer, my grandmother had a multitude of health problems, my cousins boyfriend was arrested and their 3 kids have been left without a dad, and to top it off, my dog passed away 3 days after Christmas. I felt like everything was piling up and crushing me. My grades declined to an extreme, to the point where I probably lost a scholarship or two. The only thing that I could find any joy in was video games. I'd play them for hours just to escape, to feel anything. I'm in a better place now, and hearing your experience with your mom has helped too. I'm not alone, neither are you. Its okay to feel overwhelmed, and I know that now. Thank you for sharing your experience. And I hope that everything works out.

Dude this is phenomenal. This game has lived rent free in my mind for years and you articulate my feelings on this game so perfectly. Not only that, but your writing is superb, and you connect points to real life that really resonate with this story. Thank you for this video my dude.

You really got to the heart of why this game is so captivating and doesn't let go of you or me - even after years. Your video is such an incredibly successful and simply extremely likeable and humorous analysis of the game... Thank you for your work! One can tell how much you put into it. ❤

Years ago the ending of Firewatch pissed me off so much that I made a video on it, and I kind of went through the exact same realisations while writing for that video. Kinda feels like looking back at myself. But far more handsome and better at making videos.

I'm really glad the algorithm served this video up to me because it's exactly the kind of video I enjoy! Please keep at it. I was really tense after you mentioned your mum and I swear the RELIEF that washed over me was palpable. :')

The way you articulated your point and kept watchers engaged even more deeply than the game itself is the reason why your channel shot up so high. Keep doing what you're doing man. This level of dedication is phenomenal; yes im also taking into account you shot the whole video in woods lol

dude wtf, actually good and quality content. keep the good shit up man! looking forward for more :D

Writing pure brill man the guy standing behind you rite before taking about the feeling of being watched and the last ma on earth thing was amazing

This video has genuinely inspired me. I love your form of presentation and I aspire to develop work that meets the high bar you’ve set. I appreciate you, and I look forward to seeing your next project.

I got Firewatch less than a year ago, and it’s become one of my favorite games. When I started it I was mainly looking for walking simulators and this game came up. That first play through was such a uniquely beautiful experience. The opening sequence is simple and bittersweet. You feel for the main character, but he’s very flawed. He’s so human that we can’t help but to feel for him. He’s totally alone in this new environment and it’s not long before the player feels that too. The paranoia that seeps into the player is so well crafted. You’re afraid of looking over your shoulder because no one is supposed to be there; yet the game leads you to believe someone is watching you constantly. Even the ending is tragic but really reflects the idea that the simplest explanation is most often the correct one, no matter how depressing or painfully mundane.

this is i think the actual most under rated channel high quality videos good mic I'm am genuinely surprised this isn't channel isn't much larger

The garlic comment. Arguably the only incorrect statement.

i love watchin longer form content like this - more video essays than brief dives into specific subjects. personally, I find the way you speak and present the facts and your opinions absolutely enthralling to listen to. i usually put youtube on the in background as something for me to listen to but I found myself actively listening and paying attention to this. i just want to say you did a wonderful job with this and I hope you put out more content like this! ps: happy belated birthday!

God I love when I actually get suggested a good video with an excellent deep dive and genuinely funny moments. It doesn't happen often but love it when it does.

When I played through this game I felt more terrified than many horror games I've played recently. The environmental building is incredible at setting a chilling atmosphere.

46:22 I loved this video! I’ve also always wanted to work on a game as meaningful as Firewatch, moreso in the writing realm, and I loved listening to how much you felt for this story. Beautiful vid, and congrats to your mom for beating cancer!

I saw it as a horror game from my first play. It's so good at building suspense and paranoia! And I didn't think the end was disappointing, but fitting. "Oh, it was THIS the whole time? Not AT ALL what I thought?" It was an incredible reveal.

regarding the safe rooms, my favorite part of amnesia the bunker is when you notice the tunnel in your safe room, and you realize it's not a very safe room anymore.

Wasn’t expecting a video essay on a game I haven’t thought about in years would hit so close to home but my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer a month ago so that segment was both incredibly cathartic and had me tearing up

dude idk why ur not more popular, this looks awesome and so well made!!

this video wasn’t what i expected at all but i’m so glad it wasn’t because this is now my new favourite video on here. i love the way you delve into these topics and how you articulate and keep the topic light while talking about serious things in a way. amazing!!!

Appreciate you filming this video out there in the woods, Dan. I had heard of this game before but always skipped over it until today.

Clicked this video as something more auditorily-focused to put on in the background while I play some minecraft and I'm glad I did. Was a very enjoyable listen (as well as some glances which when your mate was in the background jumpscared me). I can see on your channel that this type of format looks a bit different to your normal kind. I'd say if you enjoyed making it, you should definitely make more like it.

When you mentioned FROM I knew exactly what part it was going to be because that literally gave me chills 🥲

one of my absolute favourite games!! really happy people still make essays (especially as amazing as yours!!) about it ❤

Such a great video-essay! Underrated channel for sure. I feel like firewatch and outer wilds are some of the greatest games as art pieces

Dear, MegaDan, I just reached 21 last July 6th. And you're right. I'm still running. And I don't know how to stop, turn, and face this Monster. Although being 21, I'm still in college. 2nd Semester ended and it's 2 month break at the time of commenting this. Throughout my young adult life leading up to now I've been looking through rose-tinted glasses; wanting to see everything as fantasy and not wanting to accept reality. And to be disappointingly and frustratingly honest, I haven't got a clue on how to. "Smooth seas don't make a skilled sailor". Cringe. But that's exactly it, isn't it? Can't know if I don't try. Writing this now, I'm sounding like I'm gonna make a promise to myself: to stop what I'm doing, to unsheathe my weapon and combat the Beast. But I'm praying I don't. I'm scraping by, day by day. Dragging myself forward. Injured. Because, let me ask, is there such a thing as it hurting too much? Or there's so much hurt you don't know where to start? That is where I am at, I think... And any avenues of escape from the chase, be it talking to someone or finding that glimmer of light through a crack in the wall, feels like a distant dream because it's just that unfathomable. It's just too much. This comment has gone long enough, and I want to keep typing. But I'll leave it here. I'm sorry for the ranting. Thank you for the video (coming from a random nobody, trust me). But a part of me is... enlightened from this video, so you gained a Subscriber... if that means anything... I'll... see how far I'll go before I have to turn around and face it head on. It'll be a while so don't wait.

43:52 I am very much the type both metaphorically and literally to matrix my way through colds/flus/COVID unscathed but when i do get sick it's absolutely destructive

RU-vid served this up to me, and I loved it! well done bud, I'm here for the next one, and I'll likely peep through the back catalogue as well! Much love from Ontario, Canada!

Really glad this popped up on my recommended one of my favorite videos and now a new favorite creator hope to see more content like this. Cheers

I’m so glad I’m not the only person who overanalyzes the crap out of any even remotely spooky media I come across

I love me some good Psychological Horror, it's a real shame that Dev's currently don't know how to make a good game-play to repel "Walking Simulator" term. Although Soma came pretty close, closer with the Monster non-sense disabled

I haven't finished this video yet, but I absolutely love your presentation style and your explanations! Also your humour. I think I'm reslly going to have to take a look at 'From', after this! Thank you so much for this vid

firewatch has literally been one of my top ten favorite games since i watched markiplier play it back in 2016 and i revisit it pretty much every summer as a way to refresh my memory and think about it more. i remember the first time i saw it, my mind was spinning like crazy with all these different theories and hunches. even to this day, i still find something new to appreciate and wonder about (thank the gods im no longer in that phase of picking up every single rock in the game to see if it's different or not). ive always loved how full of life firewatch is, from the art style to the way the forest feels when youre walking around in it. i love to go on wanderings in forests near my home (calling it "hiking" makes it sound like im putting forth an effort when im really just getting distracted by interesting trees and sketching lichens/putting edible plants in my mouth (do not just put random leaves in your mouth, thats a terrible idea)). im one of those lunatics who isnt scared by much in the woods but i have to say, coming across a random person on your travels, even when its not nearly pitch black and theyre blinding you with a flashlight is creepy af. i think any time we see a forest or are in one (real or digital), we're put into the mindset that this is not a place for people, you are not supposed to see random people out in the woods even though its entirely reasonable to come across one or two enjoying nature like you probably are. the minute you see someone though, its like some prehistoric monkey instinct activates in the brain and the adrenaline makes you think you need to fight Gug in case he comes at you. firewatch does a spectacular job of making you feel this instinct even though its a video game also, im sure other people have pointed this out before, but even the random books you find in the caches adds to the idea that youre in some grand conspiracy. almost all of them are thrillers and mysteries. jane eyre is the only one that sort of mimics whats going on in firewatch: you think something weird is going on when the answer is so tragically mundane (and tragic in general). i always thought that detail was really neat :)

Thats a great Video man, cant wait to see where you will be in a couple years!

5:33 Alan Wake moment.

wow...just wow... i just watched a 50 min video from a guy ive never seen before and its one of the most powerfull videos ive ever seen. Verry well done man! Keep up these types of videos, im looking forward to your next upload!

Every time Henry and Delilah hear Ned cough it sends shivers down my whole body. It's such a moment where they both realize they aren't alone in their communication where they once felt free to say whatever.

This video is so cozy, thanks for making it!

3:08 lmaooo, the movie I was thinking about was really the Quiet Place prequel cuz I watched it just today in the cinema

So true, I was down right scared watching this game when the first time someone broke into the watch tower. I locked my real door in my room.

I loved this video, I’m really glad you made this kind of video with this sort of message and it came in a point where i really needed to hear something like this rn

6:32 "Jesus in a strip club". Surely you mean CATHOLIC Jesus because real Jesus went to party in the desert with a bunch of hippies I'm so glad I'm not the only person who played Firewatch more than once. If you play it more than once, you get slightly different but some unique moments in dialogue. One playthrough, I was extra careful to never mention Julia to Delilah and got some interesting bits of humor and sadness from that