Seeing Shapes: Finding Humanity in Night in the Woods 

1:19 Feeling Like Home 1:56 Everyone Knows, Everyone Judges 2:21 May did a bad thing which garnered her infamy 2:56 Something snapped, she felt lost 3:54 Home 🏠 Tree 🌲 4:18 Atomistic :( 4:55 Detached 5:21 Meaningless Nihilism Spiral 🌀 5:40 Characters are not real people; yes, however, the investment is real 6:33 Acceptance for Magic 7:27 Danger of Dehumanization 7:50 Shapes vs People. Enigmas vs Real 8:07 Human Impact 8:19 Bruce: Bless 9:40 Life Loss at Work 10:25 Death Cult 💀 To end Needy 12:08 Surreal Dream 13:44 Lost and Clinging On 14:09 Family Meaning 14:28 “At The End of Everything, Hold on To Anything.” 15:12 Something, at least 16:10

I remember when I first played, the “Shapes” conversation that Mae has sent chills down my spine because of how much I related to it. I had a pretty bad mental breakdown in high school, though mine wasn’t as violent. One day I realized I felt disconnected to the world around me, like I was going through life without really experiencing it. I felt numb enough that I actually stabbed myself in the leg with a pencil during lunch and ended up being sent home, starting a long period of therapy, hospitalizion, and self-isolation at home. I finished high school in home schooling. It took ten years for me to get back to some sort of normalcy. The way she describes seeing people as shapes feels exactly how I felt right before my own mental snap. I related to Mae on such a personal level that I was in tears multiple times throughout the game, seeing my own mistakes being played out one way or another. That may be why this game struck me so hard, as it’s ending was ambiguous but hopeful.

"Everything I've ever let go of has claw marks on it" i know one day I'll have to let go of my small home town. I need to leave to be myself and be happy, but leaving home behind feels...unnatural i guess

Great stuff.

I also think there's something to be said for the fact that Mae is struggling with dissociative existentialism in the face of hard materialism. That is to say, at the end of the day, are we really so different? It calls into question the very nature of consciousness and ego, and the illusory nature of "being" a person.

Huh, I hadn't previously connected Mae's dissociation and inability to see people as something other than simply things with the actions and attitudes of the city council and cult. It makes a lot of sense, though. I had struggled with the ending a bit, feeling like the twist with the cult sort of came out of nowhere, and interpreting it more in terms of the socio-political subtext of the game, but the fact that it also fits in so well thematically with Mae's dissociation really brings it together. Man, that game really has layers. Easily an all-time favorite of mine. Really excellent and insightful analysis. Easily one of the best analysis videos I've seen on the game. Stumbled across your channel searching for videos about Hyper Light Drifter and then saw you had one on NitW one. Definitely happy to find your channel. I'm surprised such good content doesn't have more views.

This is a very good time for that one quote by Terry Pratchett, via the medium of his book Carpe Jugulum: "...And that's what your holy men discuss, is it?" [asked Granny Weatherwax.] "Not usually. There is a very interesting debate raging at the moment on the nature of sin. for example." [answered Mightily Oats.] "And what do they think? Against it, are they?" "It's not as simple as that. It's not a black and white issue. There are so many shades of gray." "Nope." "Pardon?" "There's no grays, only white that's got grubby. I'm surprised you don't know that. And sin, young man, is when you treat people like things. Including yourself. That's what sin is." "It's a lot more complicated than that--" "No. It ain't. When people say things are a lot more complicated than that, they means they're getting worried that they won't like the truth. People as things, that's where it starts." "Oh, I'm sure there are worse crimes--" "But they starts with thinking about people as things..."

This was absolutely amazing. Totally going back and playing through the game again!

God this game came out while I was struggling with symptoms of an unchecked dissociative disorder. The shapes conversation broke me. This game means the world to me

this is a beautiful analysis ! thank you so so much ! it's rare to have people actually sit and analyse games in such a complex manner so thank you !

This video is underrated

Weirdly enough, this was uploaded on my birthday, and I thought I did have way too much connection to Mae than I really should before... But nowadays it's more about self discovery at this point, likely because I do live on the other side of the earth. And that makes me, well, not Mae? It's less of not seeing others as shapes (TBH it's not super hard to stay in the social comfort zone) but more of seeing myself being, well, something, not to "prove the world being wrong" but to just "do what needs to be done" regardless of whether it "matters". Well, still to find humanity in shapes I guess, but more actively "not care". And think of it, I kinda always have the same mind but it took years for me to realize what matters and what doesn't. It doesn't matter to be popular, and it doesn't matter to be part of a subculture either, but it surely matters to not feel special about what I do that's different, and just do it because that's what I do, rather than "being like Mae" that just snuggle into place because there's where sense goes. Well, anyway, when I first played NITW it could be, basically my all time lowest point, and Mae's story kinda fits way too well, but now that I look back, I just find it less fitting, and it's no longer my lowest point.

Was gonna watch, but I haven't played the game yet, so I'll be sure to do that and come back later.

Excellent analysis. "Do not go gently into that good night. Rage! RAGE against the dying of the light..." Dylan Thomas.

I feel like a lot of this flew over my head when I played the game a few years ago. Thanks for this, I’m gonna go back and play this again I think.

I have come across this game as a friend of mine told me this is her favourite game and it honestly is such an amazing game and probably the most unique experience I had with a game. Some things like Mae's dissociation I couldn't really relate to, which kinda annoyed me that the big twist was this because at first I was like: "Really? So a dating with ghosts causes you to see people as shapes and beat this guy with a baseball bat to a pulp? How tf does that work?" but this video the guy explained it in such a way that I really got the whole struggle she had with this and made me understand it more. However I could relate to things like her religious or existential crisis and her starting situation with her being very childish in a way, moving back in her parents at 20 which kinda gives me dread for my future, and not that living with my parents would be bad but me not being able to be a full fledged adult and have my money and fend for myself which could make me feel like a failure cause I have no clue where it is going. I am planning on doing a second playthrough to go down the Gregg route, so I can see how that looks out as well and complete stuff I miss on. The beauty of this game is really exploring every single bit of it and speaking with everyone in Possum Springs on every day, as it really just enriches your experience because that is basically what you are expected to do gameplay wise. As a narrative and gameplay this game feels very close and intimate, which is so much different to a lot of games I played. Also it's choice on focusing on Gregg or Bea is very nice as well, which kinda forces you into a second playthrough fortunately or unfortunately, depending on you as a person. I chose to focus on Bea on my first playthrough just cause she seemed like she had something going with her, as she seemed like this bitter and apathetic person stuck in a loop and feeling alone, and I really felt that Mae and her are very good for each other in the sense that Mae is very outgoing and fun but can be reckless and immature, and Bea is much more mature and grounded but can also be very cold and rejecting at points. I really wanna see how it turns out with Gregg, as with him I did like 2 hangouts and the ghost hunt and they were very fun, as they both can be some idiots in a good way and just do some dumb and fun stuff, like them shanking each other's hands and sometimes ain't really good for their wellbeing. But Gregg seems like a very good dude, like he is very reckless and kind of stupid lots of times but very loyal and has a heart of gold. Literally most of the characters in this game are so fleshed out and 3 dimensional, like there are so many great characters in this game besides the main ones. I don't really know what the message of this game was at the end, maybe like make the most out of life and today that you can, but idk. This game has so many layers and it is one of my favourite due to how unique it is to literally every other game I played. (Also DemonTower was hard asf but smoked that shit by the end and did both endings) Edit: This video is spot on its focus on how this hole, this nihilism can destroy a person, and how it can be overcomed by holding onto any meaning there is for you in the world. As it says: "At the end of everything, hold on to anything"

I also love the Meta approach to this in games that acknowledge being games, stories like Undertale, Marathon, and many more lose control of themselves, how would a character feel about it happening if they know it happens at all

This video deserves way more views, great job. Also it's cool that you got Jacob Geller to read your script, didn't expect to hear that at the end.

*"Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."* - Alfred Lord Tennyson (and Capt. Jean Luc Picard)

Wow, this really helped me get the themes! I wasn’t exactly satisfied at the end because I didn’t understand a lot of things but this helped

I feel like a lot of this flew over my head when I played the game a few years ago. Thanks for this, I’m gonna go back and play this now I think.

I love the theme you carried through this video

At the end of everything. Hold onto this video.

This is great!!!.... I'm gonna have to come back and watch it after I play the game though

Just finished this game a few days ago. This is by far my favorite analysis of the themes of the story. You do a great job and I'm excited to see more!

Just finished it last night and literally cried until I was too tired to continue

This is a fantastic video. Thank you for making it 😌

i think its save to say that you got a lot of inspiration from shammy's review of night in the woods. which is definitely a good thing! nice video. i love night in the woods!

‘Tis pretty good work! Too many people didn’t seem to give the story the credit it deserved, largely due to the fact that it went over their heads since it’s such a specific message. It didn’t go over your head, however, and it made for an enjoyable video. The only piece of criticism I have for the future is to try not to summarize the story so much. It took around 3 minutes of introducing the scenario to get to the analysis. This video seems to be targeted towards people who have played the game to the ending, so summarizing/repeating a lot of information that is told in the story and doesn’t add to your over thesis/arguments is kinda annoying (I cannot think of the word I’m trying to say, but I think you get what I mean). Other than that, though, solid work. Looking forward to what is to come.

This is good! I think we all have that moment where things aren't the same and we have to figure out are we staying or are we leaving because things are changing?

A lovely essay for a lovely game.

i'm surprised this only have 20k views, it just is such a good video

Finished this game recently, I really like the spin you put on the game.

This was a solid analysis, I enjoyed it a lot.

Halloween night and I’m really liking this video. I can really relate to a lot of NITW

fantastic analysis and great video!

Good stuff my guy

What a great video!

i just played the game for the first time. thanks for putting my chaotic thoughts into words

Incredible vid

Fucking excellent video mate

good vid, subbed :)

OH MY GOD THE MY FAVORITE HUMANITY IN IMPORTANT NOVEL VIDEOGAME!!

The problem with the "shapes" is one of the biggest aspects of capitalism.

У меня тоже было ощущение что всё это родное и что я это знаю уже очень очень давно😭🧡🧡🧡

Was this game inspired by davey wreden? Because it came up when I typed up his name.

"Hopes, dreams" *Undertale Fans Liked That* Sorry, I couldn't resist. The video was quite amazing, honestly.

I just dont get it like why does she have to experience this the whole game sounds like a riddle to me

4:02 technically they can, but I'm not getting into that