Scorn: The Story Explained 

As a person who has been through birth, I can confirm that this is definitely what I had to go through to be born.

A world of suffering where someone didn't ask to be born into and forced to travel through so much pain and torment... that would be a living nightmare.

I wanna see these guys do a game adaptation of "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream."

2:11 Those aren't eggs, That's the birthing wall, Every inch of that entire wall is one massive organism.

My theory is he could never die and is constantly reborn on this messed up world , and the light was finally passing on but he’s stopped and trapped in a mutated mess so close to finally achieving his goal of final rest.

Damn mike will go down in history for covering whole game, and making explanatory video in one day , wow.

6:15 It was confirmed that what you call the alien mural, Is in fact humans trying to create a perfect form for themselves to turn into... Again this game has absolutely nothing to do with aliens, It's purely speculation on the horrors that we could do on to ourselves, And some of the implications of that...

It seems to me that the "symbolism" more is a way to make sense to an experiment of how far you can get with expanding the art of Giger. When you look at the original alien or some other painting of Giger, you are struck by the visual power, but in this game, Giger is sort of raised to the power of.. well fifty five, and it it takes away a lot of the impact. I can't understand how anyone can play through this game without getting some mental breakdown. But the developers are undoubtfully talented! What an immense work!

I'd like to also point out that the parasite that infects the protagonist could be a metaphor for vanishing twin syndrome, in which when one twin dies in the womb, the other partially or completely absorbs them

As a guy who gets lost on lore a lot I just want to say thank you for everything you do

I think the story takes place in the womb, or maybe even during a copulation. The second (2) protagonist is an egg cell, while the first (1) protagonist is a sperm cell. That's why 2 was driven to find that temple - he was programmed to leave the ovaries and enter the womb. The corpses on the way are dead sperm cells that failed to find an egg cell. 1 and 2 merged too quickly, which almost caused them to not reach the womb, so they got separated for some time. Then, when 2 finally reaches the right place, 1 and 2 merge again, attach themselves to the womb and begin to grow. They formed a fetus. If 2 would have reached the portal at the end by himself, he would simply die soon after, as an egg cell was not meant to survive outside. The locations falling apart could mean that the woman is either old, has been infected by something (like the enemies we fight and their "Queen"), or might simply have genetic fertility problems. I am inclined to believe that it is a mix of second and third though.

8:23 you forgot to mention the milking part

This comment section is genuinely concerned for this guy working so hard on his videos and it's just wholesome. You guys are sweet.

The whole game is a love letter to HR Giger himself, incredible reproduction of his works. The devs should be applauded for honouring him.

Did you know at the beginning you can also cut the egg open and have the creature follow you to open the door. If you choose the alternate path, the one with the circular saw

When you mentioned the dangerous enemies we have to fight and with everything deteriorating, all of a sudden my brain said "Oh, pregnant during cancer!" because I've got uterine cancer. I get my hysterectomy next week and though I'll never experience childbirth, the deterioration is something I feel wholeheartedly. Thanks for this vid!

The warnings about disturbing content never applies to me...until today. I didn't think the metaphor was about what you said it was about until you explained it. I very recently almost lost my wife and daughter during childbirth. It's a very scary and surreal experience to stand there helplessly watching doctors and nurses trying to save someone you love. It's one of those "I'd do anything" moments but you can't do anything.

As someone who’s terrified of complications during pregnancy, this game horrifies me 😃👌🏽

It's SO disappointing that the protagonist fails just before going through this gate... I wanna know what would have happened behind it!

im very thankful that SOMEONE in this world was able to explain/guide me through this one heck of a hell ride. I think, due alone to my sheer disgust throughout the story, It may have blinded me of from understanding it's deeper meaning; what the dev's are really trying to tell us..... and im glad this brave, bold soul helped me to perceive it in a different perspective, which, after reconsidering all the things i've seen...the confusion, the journey the struggles and unexplained monstrosity...really does feel like... "if" we could ever recall our journey back in our mother's womb.... that journey. How we struggled as little organisms, against other billion more....and perhaps, if it has gone further.....it could probably showed us the moment we're embraced by a doctor as a newborn baby. Respect.

There actually is an explanation for almost everything, but its all in the Digital Artbook. Really wish they had done a little in game stuff to read. Because the story presented in the artbook is amazing. It also depressingly talks about two additional areas that were dropped. But to me this isn't a game, its an experience, a visual nightmare, a walk through a painting. I'm so glad to have experienced. I have high praise for both the artists involved and the 3d modelers, things look so good. I hope they are successful enough to continue, they produced something new, which is a near impossible feat nowadays.

I didn't even realize the lizard WAS the first protagonist. That's dope.

I watched a playthrough of this game. I was suspecting this game to be interesting and deeper but this theory just blew my mind and I think it makes a lot of sense and confirms it is indeed a very very interesting concept going on here. I personally think it’s genius. Awesome game. Reminds a bit of the game „Observation“ being a metaphorical game too.

i know alot of people didnt enjoy scorn because it wasnt very action heavy and was mostly a puzzle game but i enjoyed it quite a bit, the atmosphere was top tier and so unsettling even though youre not in heavy danger most of the time. i just finished a couple mins ago and the ending was such a trip.

I really got the impression that the civilization used flesh as a resource, until the flesh fought back. The murals in the temple suggest that they were influenced to do so by some lovecraftian species that they grew to worship, then that species consumed them. I think the symbolism is there as well, I just think there is a more literal story on the surface.

Wow... The history of this race is very similar to that of the Engineers of Prometheus. Their story revealed in an early version of the script. They, too, stopped reproducing, and the remedy for that was to be the discovery of xenomorph and his blood, which, through the disintegration of the body, sowed new life on the planets...

I had heard about scorn but never did i expect a beautiful metaphor about birth and life and death and legacy. The art was enough to draw my attention, but your explanation makes me want to playthough it even more

As i understand it, what the character wants is getting conected to the matrix and to go live on the other side with it's new robot body while his real body stays in the temple. The reason they used those steel crucibles to crucify themselves is to keep their backs covered as well protecting themselves from the parasite. Obviously the character couldn't have crossed the gate while connected as we see in the ending. The ending though is really dumb because all that was needed at the end was some extra weight to open the door wich could have been solved a million different ways than carring your whole on life support body while still conected to the matrix. Hell he could have cut one of the robot's hands to open the door (as we saw in the intro) and use both robots to open the door! Hell he could have used any hand from any other dude that was crucified there or even one hanging in the monster baby room!

I think the two humanoid in the end that are activated through baby blood (which I don't think is baby but more like bio computers) are machines or drones that serves hive mind, and as the second dude connects to the hive mind, he then controls the humanoid to stop the procedure and carry himself though the pathway towards ascension. And as the statues at the end of the path showcased, it involves dissolving ones self, which is the cutting and walking part comes in. In the main hall of the temple, one side of the mural depicted intercourse and reproduction. On the other side, there's depiction of what I think is the scorn dude and the humanoid machine with mind joined together. Having them both on display on the side of temple settings, I believe it means the past or the history of the race, going from their original biological form, then self evolved into clone race (the scorn dude form) with hive mind and drone bodies, which achieve eternal life in physical realm. Then eventually a final path of shedding physical body entirely and ascend into higher plane of existence. I believe what happened in the game, is that the scorn race have utilize hive mind and bio engineered drones to maintain the creation of clones and ascension process for years to a points that everything has faded away and corruptions has creeped in to mutate bio mechanical drones and crumbles the facilities. Where our both protagonist are sadly born by the broken process and failed trying to achieve ascension.

When the doctor merged his consciousness to the universal one the protagonist was able to relocate his spirit to the pregnant beings to assist him to “heaven” or whatever the place is. They weren’t helping him, he was them. Hence why when the lizard attacked him at the end he went back into his body assuming that cord was severed. That’s why the pregnant body stood and did nothing

Doom guy: nothing too much to handle

I am just catching up on your videos!! Just started university and been super busy but can finally sit down and watch some of your new videos. Awesome upload as always super horror bro!!

The act of destroying the other babies to progress might also allude to how only one sperm can succeed, while the others perish. You could say that it's the original "battle royale". I'd wager that the parasite could also symbolise mutation from being born a congenital twin, which the protagonist tried to separate from. Congenital twins are born parasitic, as such with the real life case of a person who discovered they had a twin lodged in their body many years later. In this game's case, the failed twin wants to survive, and it tries to help, but keeping it alive means destroying both the mother and child.

I had the idea that this game was about miscarriage and death…it was probs all the imagery of pregnancy that got me thinking that way…plus the parasite character could represent parasitic twins and how if one dies the other sometimes is free or dies with them

I love this interpretation! It's the best one I have watched so far! Thanks for your hard work!

Yeah, I didn't care for a lot of the puzzles and combat (unfortunately, most of the gameplay), but I love games that let you just wander through a weird world and imagine what's going on!

The insignificant feeling at the end scene makes me think, that all of those corpse we see throughout the game were once are the protagonist themselves. This is actually a narrative genius, now the dev could make dlcs or more chronicle different stories based on them in another perspective while trying to explore the lore deeper n wider. Instead succeeding, the protagonist we follow are failing yet their failures branching more possibilities for another protagonist to carry on the journey

You forgot about the fact that there's two Beginnings to the game one where you cut the fresh born arm off to open up the first door and one were you fully hatch him and you help him along but end up leaving him behind anyways

This was a superbly explained theory. So well executed.

I believe the end goal was the meat grinder, where Jerma awaits you, but we as the player fall short just at the cusp.

very happy but equally worried about your well being putting out all these vids within like 12 hrs, i hope you get rested tonight my dude

The giant slug creature seems to be the only "natural" one and it definitely resembles a lot of Lovecraftian beings. This seems to be some sort of automated reproduction facility that powers the hive mind and realm he was trying to escape to, which is probably some sort of higher consciousness heaven. But this monster came, and the flesh was corrupted and became parasitic, and the game is just the experience of two truly miserable short lives that had the misfortune of just being born at the wrong time. Could have made it to literal heaven had they been born sooner. The story told on the way is the unthinkable cruelty involved in creating paradise. Some beings are angelic and reside in heaven, some are molded in an egg and scooped out to be used as blood fuel, and some were just born too late.

Im so happy i found your channel again!!!!

The game is also a massive homage to Hr Giger. His artwork follows all of these themes. It's basically a playable Giger painting. I think the artist would have been blown away by Scorn. The themes of warped creation, death, birth, rebirth into biomechanical nightmares. I love it so much. Plus there's even some nice Lovecraftian Easter eggs thrown in there. Damn masterpiece I say, damn masterpiece.

For the symbolism of the last part, what if the whole merge is a symbolism for the asymmetrical or unequal conjoined twin? Another take would be "Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome is a pregnancy condition that involves imbalanced blood flow between identical twins and the imbalance deprives one twin of the nutrients it needs while providing an excess of nutrients to the other twin." But what I first suggested seems more liekly tbh.

This game gives me such mixed feelings. On one hand, I admire the art and the concepts. It takes a great mind to think of something like this. Yet it makes me feel uncomfortable and sick. I constantly feel disturbed. And that just makes me respect the artist even more. This is genuinely an impressive game.

I didn't expect this to be good but it was actually a really good explanation and theory

Just finished the game, and I can say I enjoyed the creepy and VERY unnerving atmosphere with the amazing visuals and quality sound design. Like others mentioned it really is a playable art piece because instead of a standard over dramatized action FPS this really slows the pace down and makes you fear for your safety as combat is better avoided than confronted. Looking at all the settings throughout the game is also so rewarding as you can fully appreciate the design of the developers and attention to detail they had for this game. Sad it’s over, but more than worth the play through 👌🏽

After you mentioned that the mother would have died while giving birth I did a double take. The final amalgamation the protagonist turns into kind of looks like a headstone made of living flash. Which would fit the cruel irony of something that gives Life (the portal, the giving birth) resulting in death and suffering (the merging just before reaching the portal, the death of mother and Child)

So basically, an alien experiment involving artificial humans went wrong and we’re exploring the aftermath

This game looks terrifying! How incredibly dark! Great commentary though SuperHorrorBro. I had no idea what was going on in this game. Thank you!

I think the beginning puzzle where you need that second arm, the scooper option could represent a natural birth. Where the birth giver and child die, while the saw option represents a C-section. Where the baby still lives. Which is why the other person still survived.

I think that another very important element in the narrative, underestimated and at the same time under the eyes of the player during all the game is the denial of explicit communication. From our side we never find information about the world or the characters through dialogue or descriptions. The distorted creatures we meet, like the player himself, are equipped with eyes (distorted effigies of some lost humanities), but never mouths. All this reaches its peak in the finale in which we find ourselves incorporated in a monolith without any hope, without any explanation. During the game we want to communicate, cry out our despair, but we simply don't have a mouth to do it, neither the world we find ourself into.

Scorn was a really, REALLY, unique experience. As the game leaves the player to interpret what the heck just happened for 5 hours. I have a ton of theories on this game and it makes me happy to see all the interpretations people have. Great video! As there was a lot that I had not picked up on in my playthrough.

You are a great narrator my brother... Well explained...

Neat! I was really curious about this one

8:15 You said, things didn't go as planned, and the doctor instead of repairing you, attaches you to the hive mind instead. That seems to me that things are going exactly as planned, you needed to be attached to the hive mind in order to progress further. Also, the main character I believe has no intention to be repaired, I'm almost positive he was attempting to end it so that he could be reborn.

couldn't it be that they cut the protagonist to keep him stimulated? He is connected to the Hive with which he controlls the 2 puppets, but maybe the cutting is the only thing keeping his mind awake. So when the parasite cuts his hive connection he cannot control the puppet carrying him anymore and thus it is immobilized

God I wish they've made this game longer. I really love its organic mechanic art style...

given this theory of scorn also being related to childbirth and death that makes me think that the last unison between the first and second protagonist also makes me think of how sometimes a twin can absorb his twin brother/sister, maybe it wasn't intentional of the devs but that sound interesting to think about.

Most of the enemies in the game don't have to be fought, you can just wait a bit and they leave the area. So, they arn't "out to stop you" and there's some hints they mostly want to be left alone until a trigger happy player starts shooting.

The very start of the game, the cutscene that plays is the parasite waking up after being covered by the white goo, then it jumps back in time to when he fell down the hole.

I never notice, that the parasite could be our first self, mutated by the sploosh (or whatever), trying to merge with us again. I just wondered how the hell I got into the egg so far out there after the splooshing. Thanks for pointing that out, this makes a hell lot more sense now xD

basically my great grandpa's story on how he went to school everyday

Imagine seeing this civilization at it's peak, and then imagine what position would our character be occupying in it. This feels like a forgotten factory that produces workers, like think about it, a civilization that advance yet we don't find proper armor despite walking around in a living building of flesh and metal and the weapons aren't that powerful.

The ending feels very “I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream” by Harlan Ellison

"WE'RE ALL ONE DUDE!!" vs "My God.... we've lost ourselves..."

Fair closure I think, I was always caught by this game but never felt comfortable enough about its content to play it. Thanks for the vid.

See, I thought the final frame was very clearly implied to be an implanted zygote, attached to the floor - or in the larger metaphor, the wall of the womb (or possibly a fallopian tube, causing an entopic pregnancy). With this interpretation, the parasite itself would be considered the sperm. The entire events of the game could be interpreted as the body both preparing for fertilization but also preparing to eject the egg if that isn't achieved (aka menstruation, which would also explain the decaying surroundings). The female body generally does treat sperm as an invader, so calling it a parasite isn't that far off.

I like how the first protagonist (parasite) evolved to directly attack the babies that is stored in the "mother's" womb, that's why those arms keeps attacking the player's gut

Great Game! Thank you for your explanation and interpretation, it realy gives a lot of depth to the story!

If Scorn is an huge metaphor of birth and creation, then could the big creature we tear apart be the uterus walls (like what happens during periods)? Or pheraps the hymene that is torn apart (that would explain how the protagonist that represent the new life manages to reach the central structure by tearing apart the creature)?

I don't think the protagonist was hoping to be healed by the mechanical doctor. I think the second humanoid was trying to make it to the rift while the transformed humanoid (the parasite) was trying to stop him out of spite. The yanic rift at the end symbolizes escape from suffering by birth into a new existence, be it rebirth or nirvana or transcendence (the exact nature of the next place doesn't really matter). This quest to escape the material plane, which the banal, visceral environment makes the player constantly aware, seems to be the sole focus of this civilization. Of note are the fleshy eye growths that flower from the area of the pineal gland on the two pregnant androids at the end (nice From Beyond reference there). The pineal gland interprets light/dark stimuli and controls circadian rythym. It is also believed to be the seat of the third eye. It seems to me the function of these androids is to escort the gestalt conciousness in the throne room into the next plane of existence. The androids also evoke a somewhat familiar science fiction theme of humanity using technology as an intermediary vessel between the biological and the ethereal (looking at you 2001 A Space Odyssey). Unfortunately the parasite sees that it is going to be left behind, and spitefully attacks and permanently immobilizes its former host, preventing anyone at all from escaping. Perhaps this is the reason for the title Scorn.

The amount of influence alien and H.R Giger had on the design and whole creation of this game is immense and beautiful in its own weird way

the way that the creature finally fully attached was so cool. like only rare games have stuff like that. Scorn's creator, thanks for this game!

This is not just a game THIS IS ART

As someone rather literal minded, I appreciate you're laying out the metaphorical narrative, or at the very least, one interpretation of it for this game. I'd been hoping that there would be more lore and story within the game itself; the art is fantastic, the sound design excellent, and I very much like the *idea* of Scorn, I just...wish there was a little more? Oh well, at least the game itself didn't become vaporware like so many other kickstarter games did. A bit of a shame the ending is so grim, I had personally hoped for multiple endings, but if the lens you gave the meta-narrative is correct, it does explain why they wrapped up the story the way they did. Thanks for the video, man, it's appreciated.

You know, my mom told me I was a miracle child to them. The explanation you gave me in this video reminded me of the story of my birth. It was a few days away from my birth and the doctor gave news to my parents about my current state. My umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck and if I was born, I may not be able to survive. The doctor said to either kill me now or let my death happen. My parents, who couldn't believe this took their chances and luckily I was born. Whether it was god or some natural force, all I know is that I was able to be born without any casualties. The story you gave me is what my parents would be reminded of if ever I didn't make it. The same goes for my sisters, both having some kind of skin problem and uncommon height after birth. They were both left at the hospital but one of them I spent more time with because I had to stay at the hospital for a week. I forgot why I was at the hospital for a week but I know that me and my siblings were in the situation of something that can kill us but were luckily able to roam in this world. Now my parents won't have to go through their life as the way Scorn presented us

I actually think your interpretation of the story is pretty spot-on.

Thank you for explaining this game I was lost the entire time I played it

I like this take on the story, I'm mostly invested on the amazing visuals and direction that the twisted world has

the ending could also symbolize How parasites could ruin your chances of achieving a better life, as a example, the parasite may look like its helping through out the harsh enviroment but as soon as you draw close to becoming better they will always Sabotage your chances to succeed to keep you on their level hense why they fused

4:03 The planet is Earth, The gas in the atmosphere is a form of modified Agent Orange, From when several factions went to war...

I miss H.R. Giger... The man's artwork was terrifying and beautiful all at the same time.

As someone with really advanced endometriosis I'm kinda happy birth is being depicted as something raw and vicoral rather than something beautiful. People like me face the very real reality of dying during childbirth and seeing it be discussed or even symbolized in an artistic way is actually very meaningful to me. Because it's painful, bloody, dangerous and even deadly. There's a longing but also a profound horror that very few empathize with.

Waited to finish the game before I watched this. Thanks a ton!

The feeling of not knowing whats at the light at the end of the game really makes it feel like questions are left unanswered but maybe thats what they wanted… I still want to know what is it that makes the protagonists so inclined to go to it, maybe even a bit more lore about the species itself

Are you ok? You’ve posted 3 videos about Scorn today. Don’t burn yourself out because everyone has their limit.

I like the idea that this ending could connect to the missing half Metaphor here. You can picture developpers of this game trying to re-write Plato's Symphonium and I think HR Giger would probably have loved that take on this greek classic. A doomed lifeform, trying to play god by developing birth outside their bodies (no physical pain), leading their race to an end by pushing science to its limit. Saved by the merging of two lifeforms again, embed together in everlasting extase. four legs, four hands, four arms, two faces, one head, and one soul.

This brings back memories

"If i can't have it, then no one can" That's the vibe on the ending for me. If not that, its possibly how they as living being when trying to reach the beyond/after life, they always got held back by 'legacy' that put on them by something/someone and because of that... they trapped there forever.

I can see why Scorn could be viewed as a metaphor for birth and death, it makes sense. Personally I saw it as a martian civilisation's hunt for immortality gone wrong. Both could be true to be honest. Good video

I think the ending where you become a cocoon is setting up for a sequel or dlc. You could very easily be born again as a new creature created from the two and then venture into whatever world is beyond that portal area.

I saw some footage of this game and thought to myself, "Yeah I'm going to want an explanation about the storyline." Thank you.

Huh... I actually feel better after watching that. Thanks 😊. Honestly, after all I've been through, most of the time when you're actually there, if you can keep from freaking out, it's not so bad.

Scene Selection 0:00 - Intro 0:47 - The Story of Scorn 10:03 - The Symbolism of Scorn 14:20 - Outro

Scorn is like a weird world if the aliens took it over and then died with some humanoids taking it over. Lmao, it's like a alien story

Hold up so you’re telling me scorn is just a pov of a fetus

This is the kind of artstyle I absolutely love in games!

I went throughout the game. What you described here is precisely the game. YOUR interpretation is quite accurate. I think there is a short twist. The creature that lashes into the humanoid is our evolved form. That's us. We lashed into an alien creature. This whole process is an attempt to merge alien technology and one being with two brains. In simple terms, aliens and human. The merging simply didn't took place. Our thirst for knowledge devoured our benefactors, the aliens, in my opinion.