can you look into the disappearance of PandaPlayz I have been spooked by it for months and i dont know whats going on. he left cords and links and messages at the end of his vids he made roblox vids until last year
Do you ever have those everyday moments in life where you randomly begin to daydream, and you think about the smallest, most insignificant moment of your life where you did something wrong, and you think to yourself “Wow…I’m such a prick”, and you wrestle with yourself to try and convince yourself that you may not be perfect, but you’re nowhere near bad enough to warrant such self loathing? To me, that’s what I got out of this game. It’s a game of self realizing the flaws and mistakes of your past, admitting them, and trying to move on, knowing that sometimes, all you can do is shrug your shoulders and say “I’m sorry”.
I always assumed this game was about Davey himself but I never knew about the Robin person, your explanation really makes a lot of sense and finally clarifies me everything I wasn't clear with the game, also your final "you aren't unforgivable" message felt really deep to me.
I think the answer's in the name, honestly. "Coda" - as in, an interpretive key, an index or a short axiom that's key to grasping important interpretive elements of a given work of art. If we assume that Coda the Character is external, then we realize Davey as the narrator was missing out on these games' obvious intent. His friend was trying to *divest* games of their classic elements to approach the medium in a way that might be more fitting of a sculptor or a musician. You can't really "fail" at interpreting a piece of visual art, so Coda was removing the usual building blocks and adding more thematic undertones, discovering just how much he needed to keep of "games" as something someone interacts with meaningfully. In that sense, trying to discern a meaning matters a lot less than understanding that Davey the Character isn't so much interpreting or analyzing as he's *projecting*, which is something that kills virtually any and all artistic endeavors. As someone who's been part of a publisher's review committee and who's read a ton of manuscripts in his day, I can say there's nothing that smothers out a creator more than telling them "I need more of this specific thing you've put out. Your work completes me. I'm nothing without your output." Fans - especially in some fanfic circles - act like their readership is the author's lifeblood, whereas it's the author's prerogative to decide when and where to publish content - within reason. The publisher controls the market access, of course, but unless you're dealing with an undisciplined author, you can't rush their work all that much. Now, if Coda is *internal* to Davey Wreden, then you could interpret his absence as your usual Indie Dev's Block, and his final piece as a bitter - if necessary - realization. Certain pursuits can mask deeper problems and everyone knows it's easier to get out of a funk by finding something to work on - but there's a point where Creation needs to happen as something other than a coping mechanism. Even if your writing or your music fills a hole in you as of this moment, you've got the right to grow in confidence and chart different terrain. You've entirely got the right to leave what feels good behind and poke at the abstract, the distant or the apparently cold. Everyone is much more than their trauma, their mental illness or their limitations. I have some issues with this approach, myself, seeing as Davey's voice in this is so self-assumed that it really fits the concept of *a* Coda being this inscrutable thing he desperately wants to grasp and interpret in a way that's ultimately stultifying and selfish.
"You aren't unforgivable." Then the silence that followed left me with this feeling throughout my body. This video was very well-written and I really hope you grow as a channel.
There is something deeply ironic in the stated text of The Beginner's Guide, and the TH-cam discourse that surrounds it. The central conflict of the game is based on one person deeply reading into another person's body of creative work and finding subtext about the creator's life that may or may not be there. Due to (Narrator) Davey's edits and changes, it's impossible for us as an audience to completely know what the intended meaning of each piece is, or even if there was one, since they are being presented in a vastly different context than originally intended. And here we are with a piece of (fictional) media that draws from the life of it's creator, even featuring that creator as a character, and just BEGS to be read into on a deeper level. And despite this clear message about not trying to judge an artist by their art, we are presented with a situation where any analysis will REQUIRE at least some of that because a (again, at least somewhat fictionalized) version of the author is the unreliable narrator showing us the piece and using quotes directly taken from very personal interviews about his life. I think the central theme of this game is "Analyzing an artist through their work is harmful but inevitable." It impossible to interact with the text on a meaningful level without doing the very thing that destroyed Davey's relationship with Coda. In that way, it is brilliant.
I just have to say the dialogue for The Beginner's Guide is absolutely beautiful, you get so much emotion and character from someone you don't even see yet you can imagine the movements he does with every word, at least I do when I hear it.
Since “The Beginners Guide”, I haven’t come across a piece of media with my name in it. Consider naming your characters Coda more often. It’s funny. - Coda
19:43 so it would seem thats the thesis of this video, and likewise the game. Thats a lot more wholesome than what I had assumed before. I like this outlook on it.
Honestly, I got sort of the opposite message from the game. I feel like what the game told me is that you're not the hero you wish you were. You are flawed and you can't help the people you want to help. I feel like the ending was Davey accepting that he isn't as good a person that he thought he was and that our good deeds are often masks for selfish desires. Then again, that could be just more of a personal reflection, but my interpretation was that Davey still continuing to do the wrong was the most important part and that his need to leave the player was the realization that he would have to live the rest of his life with the guilt of what he did.
I think it's important how the player can project themselfs into the shoes of Davey and Coda... For me personally it worked to project myself onto both charakters. A really great game and one of the only games that made me pause it to just cry at some points. This game means a lot to me and I'm so happy you've done a video on it, as it is really not getting the coverage it deserves.
It’s neat to speculate over what Coda is truly, but the one absolute fact of The Beginner’s Guide is that it is screaming at the player to not make assumptions on the creators of games based on what they create. The conclusion of this video spits on the message of this game by trying to make assumptions on Davey’s (the person, not the character) mental health and condition
I think the great thing about the game (or any art) is that you don't need to do additional research, if it was done well it says everything it needed to. This video made a lot of assumptions that I found bizarre, like it's natural that people would Google Davey and Coda to check up on them.
Well it’s a very thought-provoking game, so I think it’s natural for people to want to learn more about it and try to figure out the real-world implications it has. Making assumptions about the meaning of the artwork isn’t disrespectful, it’s actually an acknowledgment that you care enough about the art to dig deeper. Connecting the dots and creating a personal interpretation of something’s meaning is very different than just assuming a person’s mental situation.
@@TheBlockDocs I advocate for inferring the meaning of a piece of art, in fact I did so in my comment. However, the video doesn't just talk about the meaning of the game as art, it tries to make wild guesses at real-life Davy's personal life and mental health. This is the one thing the game is telling you very much not to do because it's the exact thing that the character Davy was doing to Coda. It's revolting
@@Pikaton659 I see where you’re coming from, and I think you do bring up a really good point, however Davey has been relatively open about his mental health and the depression he’s faced, so I feel that this video isn’t blindly guessing at Davey’s mental state as much as connecting what he’s already shared about his mentality to the artwork he’s created.
We weren't trying to make assumptions about Daveys mental health, we only said what had already been said publicly by Davey, this video was more about connecting and relating to the issues that Davey was expressing in this game and in the talk he gave at Aalto University in 2016 and whilst we did talk about his personal life in regards to Robin, which Davey also talked about willingly publicly, the video was more about the character 'Davey' rather than the actual person
I have to admit, I stopped being able to play through The Beginner's Guide after I learned that Coda isn't a real person (were Coda real, David Wreden would have massive copyright issues). My hangup is that because David starts with himself, a real person, when talking about the relationship, I can't help but expect Coda to also be real, and because the real person is telling me about a fictional relationship, I don't feel that he's telling me a story, but that he's telling me a lie.
I think that's half the point though, it makes you think deeper about the meaning because we know it's not as straightforward as a man who upset his friend, and I think that's what makes it so interesting.
@@awesomefox555 objectively, yes it's completely a story,. Subjectively, though, getting fed a nugget of fact in the beginning had tinted my ability to accept the rest as honest fiction.
Fun fact for those technically inclined. The "games" within this game are completely editable in the beginners guide files, full un-compiled .vmf files of every level in the game, its a lot of fun poking around them and seeing how it all ticks using the Hammer Editor. Edit, this is the game that got me into making levels and maps for Half Life 2, CS:GO, and gmod. It was a huge inspiration and the game means a lot to me.
I i know this sounds dumb but can I consider this game art? Something about the story, the visual representations of feelings, the way the end ties in with the whisper its all very pretty.
If it was created, and the creator poured work and enthusiasm into it, it is ART. I consider this art, the game has a beauty to it that I can’t explain 🖼
kind of wish this video was not mostly recap -- if you've played the game you know all this already, and it's most of the video. i'm here for the analysis!
just felt like sharing this to my friend because i wanted him to realize that he isnt unforgivable. thanks for the video, its very well done and i enjoyed watching it :]
I played through this game earlier this year while going through deep depression. I didn't even know there were videos with theories about what happened until this got recommended to me. Very very insightful video as always!
I know this video is a year old, but just now that I was bored I decided to watch it. This is my first and only time that I ever heard and saw about this game and... Wow. I understand how the people that played it feel, and I would feel the same if it wasn't for your own interpretation. That hopeful idea of forgiving yourself and moving is not only something that I liked, is an idea I feel that I needed to realize, even if, just a little bit. And the ending with the "you aren't unforgivable" followed by calmness just felt beautiful. Also the mention of Robin's opinion about the game was a cute detail that made me smile.
I am sad yet happy to see you so small since your content is great and should get more attention but yet I am glad to be part of this following and when (not if) get big I will remember when we were here before you got huge.
Even though, as other comments have pointed out, reading too much into Beginner's Guide is in itself ironic I really love what looking into the name Coda can mean. As the comment by Forsythe mentions, codas are tools of recontextualization. As it is used in music it usually occurs after a D.C. al Coda, a notation that asks the musician to return to the beginning of the piece (an extra layer to the title of Beginners guide perhaps?) and completely play through it again. Except, this time around you take a new ending, a coda, which leads the piece to it's resolution and conclusion. It feels like this is what Davey, both in and out of game, is doing with Beginner's Guide, especially given the context of his interactions with his irl friend. After their confrontation he is made to look back upon the friendships in a new light, recontextualizing them and his interactions with the knowledge of their effect on others, leading him to his own coda of understanding, making them mean something new and leading to a resolution and new conclusion to ideas he had thought long settled. Or it could just be a neat name. As outsiders attempting to understand ideas we have little context for are we not continuing the cycle of misunderstandings? Or is the game our own D.C. al Coda, encouraging us to follow in this example and look back on our assumptions about artists and their art and ask ourselves: what if they just like making prisons? (but i'm a hypocrite and you can pry overanalyzing media out of my cold dead hands, adhd means i can't turn it off baby and i'm just gonna babble whatever comes across my little smooth brain lol- sure the curtains might just be blue but like the author clearly has some issues)
I get confused everytime Coda is mentioned, I keep thinking that their talking about me, even though I got my name from this game, I don't know why it shocks me so much
i knew coda wasn't technically real... seriously imagine how much shit davey would be in if he sold a compilation of games that weren't even his without the permission of the original game designer
No, the entire thing of this game is that he was _not_ depressed. It was Davey who was depressed, and he projected that onto Coda. Coda simply wanted to make a cool prison game, and Davey projecting his depression onto Coda made Coda feel sick and tired of Davey, so he left and stopped making games just so that Davey would stop.
This actually made me feel about everything. I sometimes try to make games, and I did one game, but watching this makes me feel something. I don't know what the feeling is, but I feel something about Davey and coda. Great video though!
The messages left for Davey 11:17 made me remember issues I had with others and my own art. I’ve always painted and drawn my emotions, and my sister has been very careful about asking permission to share my artwork with friends. When someone I don’t trust sees a personal work of art, my skin crawls and chest tightens. It is an awful feeling, and I feel terrible for Coda. Please remember to handle the work artists share with the utmost caution; it is so easy to lose the trust of someone in a bad place. Even if you’re just wanting to show others how proud you are of your talented friend, asking permission should be the first step. 💕💕
After watching all of red herring's videos so far, and hearing the narrator speak facts, her saying "you aren't unforgivable" hit really really hard for some reason. I think it was a mixture of their tone compared to the words before, and the context, but either way im in tears. im excited to see what else this channel will have to offer :)
Recently after playing The Stanley Parable:Ultra Deluxe I've been really interested in Davey Wreden and now that I understand what the story could actually mean to him I can't stop thinking about it which is ironic because that's what he's talking about
I didnt tear up or cry when i watched actual gameplay, for most of this video i also didnt get any of those feelings. But at the end where its mentioned that robin likes the game and think its beautiful, i just felt heavy for some reason and teared up
You are going to hit 100k before the end of the year. I guarantee it. Your production quality is incredible, especially for a channel as small as this.
This channel is definitely gonna grow. Such dedication for a relatively small channel. I also love how they find creative stuff and just dont copy what other channels like this cover.
So I just discovered your channel and put it as a soundtrack while working, and I think TH-cam is trying to torture me by suggesting random channels with amazing content but so few videos. I’m frustrated. Anyway, love what you’re doing, keep going and I wish you the best for the future !
Man this was so good, I wish you uploaded more frequently! Take it at your own pace though because I believe that you do better on your own pace. You take long in uplouding but that doesn't matter if what you release is amazing.😊😊
I don't usually comment on videos but i just wanted to say that your videos make my day much better! You deserve way more attention than you have Can't wait to see the channel grow :)
1:32 it seemed too personal... but at the same time, you know its fiction. He was breaking down in recording, and put that into the game. Its easy to be immersed and forget that someone had to put work into putting this all together, and that means realistically, if it was real, certain decisions wouldnt have been made. But it all works to create a great experience, even when you aknowledge how its fictional. 17:23 I guess it wasnt as fictional as I had assumed. Still clearly fiction, but less cyncial than I thought, more actually based on him being the character he's playing, rather than the character hes playing being a metaphore for someone else.
I remember watching someone play this game a long time ago, but I have lost what the game was called. But due to this video I have rediscovered this game.
I think that Lead Head's theory on the beginner's guide is the best one in my opinion. The theory that the games don't actually mean anything important and were just fun experimental games, but that the narrator kept trying to interpret these games in some other unintended way that damages Koda's character. Notice how he always paints Koda negatively in most scenarios trying to say that he might be unwell, or he might have problems dealing with depression-like "These games are a way to express himself." I think this is why he was so angry at the end. Because instead of showing what Koda is actually like, he instead gives his own interpretation of what Koda is just based on the games he made. Like, go back and actually think about some of his interpretations of Koda's work and think about if they are what his work actually represents or if they are what Davey thought they represent and tries to push that narrative as the truth. Koda was so angry at the end because it's basically like if you paint an abstract painting with no meaning and suddenly have 32 people swarm you saying that you have depression. at the ending Koda says something like, (Not exact quote) 'you say these things about me but that may be saying more about yourself.' It's the idea that once Koda releases his games with no meaning, a person suddenly went on to say that these random pieces of work represent who he is and calls him a depressed and troubled individual.
If you enjoyed please consider subscribing and we also have a Discord - discord.gg/TanKREUjQs
can you look into the disappearance of PandaPlayz I have been spooked by it for months and i dont know whats going on. he left cords and links and messages at the end of his vids he made roblox vids until last year
hey you should do a vid on possibly in Michigan it does have gore in it tho!! I love ur vids btw!!
I liked the wilburs arg can you do something simular to that with portal 2 i would love it!
stanley parable is not a more a recent game , its the older game
Do you ever have those everyday moments in life where you randomly begin to daydream, and you think about the smallest, most insignificant moment of your life where you did something wrong, and you think to yourself “Wow…I’m such a prick”, and you wrestle with yourself to try and convince yourself that you may not be perfect, but you’re nowhere near bad enough to warrant such self loathing?
To me, that’s what I got out of this game. It’s a game of self realizing the flaws and mistakes of your past, admitting them, and trying to move on, knowing that sometimes, all you can do is shrug your shoulders and say “I’m sorry”.
I had that feeling alot
I always assumed this game was about Davey himself but I never knew about the Robin person, your explanation really makes a lot of sense and finally clarifies me everything I wasn't clear with the game,
also your final "you aren't unforgivable" message felt really deep to me.
I think the answer's in the name, honestly. "Coda" - as in, an interpretive key, an index or a short axiom that's key to grasping important interpretive elements of a given work of art.
If we assume that Coda the Character is external, then we realize Davey as the narrator was missing out on these games' obvious intent. His friend was trying to *divest* games of their classic elements to approach the medium in a way that might be more fitting of a sculptor or a musician. You can't really "fail" at interpreting a piece of visual art, so Coda was removing the usual building blocks and adding more thematic undertones, discovering just how much he needed to keep of "games" as something someone interacts with meaningfully. In that sense, trying to discern a meaning matters a lot less than understanding that Davey the Character isn't so much interpreting or analyzing as he's *projecting*, which is something that kills virtually any and all artistic endeavors.
As someone who's been part of a publisher's review committee and who's read a ton of manuscripts in his day, I can say there's nothing that smothers out a creator more than telling them "I need more of this specific thing you've put out. Your work completes me. I'm nothing without your output." Fans - especially in some fanfic circles - act like their readership is the author's lifeblood, whereas it's the author's prerogative to decide when and where to publish content - within reason. The publisher controls the market access, of course, but unless you're dealing with an undisciplined author, you can't rush their work all that much.
Now, if Coda is *internal* to Davey Wreden, then you could interpret his absence as your usual Indie Dev's Block, and his final piece as a bitter - if necessary - realization. Certain pursuits can mask deeper problems and everyone knows it's easier to get out of a funk by finding something to work on - but there's a point where Creation needs to happen as something other than a coping mechanism. Even if your writing or your music fills a hole in you as of this moment, you've got the right to grow in confidence and chart different terrain. You've entirely got the right to leave what feels good behind and poke at the abstract, the distant or the apparently cold. Everyone is much more than their trauma, their mental illness or their limitations.
I have some issues with this approach, myself, seeing as Davey's voice in this is so self-assumed that it really fits the concept of *a* Coda being this inscrutable thing he desperately wants to grasp and interpret in a way that's ultimately stultifying and selfish.
"You aren't unforgivable." Then the silence that followed left me with this feeling throughout my body. This video was very well-written and I really hope you grow as a channel.
There is something deeply ironic in the stated text of The Beginner's Guide, and the TH-cam discourse that surrounds it.
The central conflict of the game is based on one person deeply reading into another person's body of creative work and finding subtext about the creator's life that may or may not be there. Due to (Narrator) Davey's edits and changes, it's impossible for us as an audience to completely know what the intended meaning of each piece is, or even if there was one, since they are being presented in a vastly different context than originally intended. And here we are with a piece of (fictional) media that draws from the life of it's creator, even featuring that creator as a character, and just BEGS to be read into on a deeper level. And despite this clear message about not trying to judge an artist by their art, we are presented with a situation where any analysis will REQUIRE at least some of that because a (again, at least somewhat fictionalized) version of the author is the unreliable narrator showing us the piece and using quotes directly taken from very personal interviews about his life.
I think the central theme of this game is "Analyzing an artist through their work is harmful but inevitable." It impossible to interact with the text on a meaningful level without doing the very thing that destroyed Davey's relationship with Coda. In that way, it is brilliant.
I just have to say the dialogue for The Beginner's Guide is absolutely beautiful, you get so much emotion and character from someone you don't even see yet you can imagine the movements he does with every word, at least I do when I hear it.
i burst into tears at the part where you say " you arent unforgivable" with the character just wandering around, great video!
I mever played or even heard of "The Beginners Guide, but now watchin this has made me wanna play it. Thanks for this video on this beautiful game!
Since “The Beginners Guide”, I haven’t come across a piece of media with my name in it. Consider naming your characters Coda more often. It’s funny.
- Coda
If it makes you feel any better, one of my good friends regularly dogsits a dog named Koda, it's pretty close to your name
I'll do that
There is a game called The Magic Circle which has a character of importance named Coda. Great game
Might do, if I ever make one.
for the damaged coda
19:43 so it would seem thats the thesis of this video, and likewise the game. Thats a lot more wholesome than what I had assumed before. I like this outlook on it.
Honestly, I got sort of the opposite message from the game. I feel like what the game told me is that you're not the hero you wish you were. You are flawed and you can't help the people you want to help. I feel like the ending was Davey accepting that he isn't as good a person that he thought he was and that our good deeds are often masks for selfish desires. Then again, that could be just more of a personal reflection, but my interpretation was that Davey still continuing to do the wrong was the most important part and that his need to leave the player was the realization that he would have to live the rest of his life with the guilt of what he did.
I didnt think of it that way, but I really like this interpretation
I think it's important how the player can project themselfs into the shoes of Davey and Coda... For me personally it worked to project myself onto both charakters. A really great game and one of the only games that made me pause it to just cry at some points. This game means a lot to me and I'm so happy you've done a video on it, as it is really not getting the coverage it deserves.
It’s neat to speculate over what Coda is truly, but the one absolute fact of The Beginner’s Guide is that it is screaming at the player to not make assumptions on the creators of games based on what they create. The conclusion of this video spits on the message of this game by trying to make assumptions on Davey’s (the person, not the character) mental health and condition
I think the great thing about the game (or any art) is that you don't need to do additional research, if it was done well it says everything it needed to. This video made a lot of assumptions that I found bizarre, like it's natural that people would Google Davey and Coda to check up on them.
Well it’s a very thought-provoking game, so I think it’s natural for people to want to learn more about it and try to figure out the real-world implications it has. Making assumptions about the meaning of the artwork isn’t disrespectful, it’s actually an acknowledgment that you care enough about the art to dig deeper. Connecting the dots and creating a personal interpretation of something’s meaning is very different than just assuming a person’s mental situation.
@@TheBlockDocs I advocate for inferring the meaning of a piece of art, in fact I did so in my comment. However, the video doesn't just talk about the meaning of the game as art, it tries to make wild guesses at real-life Davy's personal life and mental health. This is the one thing the game is telling you very much not to do because it's the exact thing that the character Davy was doing to Coda. It's revolting
@@Pikaton659 I see where you’re coming from, and I think you do bring up a really good point, however Davey has been relatively open about his mental health and the depression he’s faced, so I feel that this video isn’t blindly guessing at Davey’s mental state as much as connecting what he’s already shared about his mentality to the artwork he’s created.
We weren't trying to make assumptions about Daveys mental health, we only said what had already been said publicly by Davey, this video was more about connecting and relating to the issues that Davey was expressing in this game and in the talk he gave at Aalto University in 2016 and whilst we did talk about his personal life in regards to Robin, which Davey also talked about willingly publicly, the video was more about the character 'Davey' rather than the actual person
I played The Beginner's Guide twice. Once 3 years ago and once 2 years ago. This video makes me want to revisit the game
I have to admit, I stopped being able to play through The Beginner's Guide after I learned that Coda isn't a real person (were Coda real, David Wreden would have massive copyright issues). My hangup is that because David starts with himself, a real person, when talking about the relationship, I can't help but expect Coda to also be real, and because the real person is telling me about a fictional relationship, I don't feel that he's telling me a story, but that he's telling me a lie.
I think that's half the point though, it makes you think deeper about the meaning because we know it's not as straightforward as a man who upset his friend, and I think that's what makes it so interesting.
It’s not a lie.
It’s art.
@@awesomefox555 objectively, yes it's completely a story,. Subjectively, though, getting fed a nugget of fact in the beginning had tinted my ability to accept the rest as honest fiction.
The new intro looks amazing holy crap
The whole analysis is so interesting and fascinating to watch, I love the way you narrate things its very cool
Thank you so much!
Yess I’m so glad you uploaded cuz im on my wits end of my sanity with tests and work
i don’t know how, but this video is exactly what i needed to see right now. the ending note was especially beautiful.
0:05 “We have been trying to contact you about your car’s extended warranty-“
A Red-Herring video about one of my favorite games/stories? Yes please
Fun fact for those technically inclined. The "games" within this game are completely editable in the beginners guide files, full un-compiled .vmf files of every level in the game, its a lot of fun poking around them and seeing how it all ticks using the Hammer Editor.
Edit, this is the game that got me into making levels and maps for Half Life 2, CS:GO, and gmod. It was a huge inspiration and the game means a lot to me.
This channel deserves more attention, this is a very well made theory and I hope to see your channel grow
I i know this sounds dumb but can I consider this game art? Something about the story, the visual representations of feelings, the way the end ties in with the whisper its all very pretty.
If it was created, and the creator poured work and enthusiasm into it, it is ART.
I consider this art, the game has a beauty to it that I can’t explain 🖼
All good games are art.
Yes. Definitely
kind of wish this video was not mostly recap -- if you've played the game you know all this already, and it's most of the video. i'm here for the analysis!
I hope you make another video soon. I love how you look into topics/channels that very few other channels do. Hope you make another video soon.
just felt like sharing this to my friend because i wanted him to realize that he isnt unforgivable. thanks for the video, its very well done and i enjoyed watching it :]
I played through this game earlier this year while going through deep depression. I didn't even know there were videos with theories about what happened until this got recommended to me. Very very insightful video as always!
Ive been here since the start of the channel and am happy to see yall growing so fast
plot twist: R is raphael from the stanley parable because he wanted an emotional game
The "You aren't unforgivable" made me cry for a little
That last line that you gave: "You aren't unforgivable" made me break down. Thank you, I think I've needed to hear that for some time now.
I know this video is a year old, but just now that I was bored I decided to watch it. This is my first and only time that I ever heard and saw about this game and... Wow. I understand how the people that played it feel, and I would feel the same if it wasn't for your own interpretation. That hopeful idea of forgiving yourself and moving is not only something that I liked, is an idea I feel that I needed to realize, even if, just a little bit. And the ending with the "you aren't unforgivable" followed by calmness just felt beautiful.
Also the mention of Robin's opinion about the game was a cute detail that made me smile.
When the guy in the background walked past the sign about lamp posts was colder than the tower
I am sad yet happy to see you so small since your content is great and should get more attention but yet I am glad to be part of this following and when (not if) get big I will remember when we were here before you got huge.
Even though, as other comments have pointed out, reading too much into Beginner's Guide is in itself ironic I really love what looking into the name Coda can mean. As the comment by Forsythe mentions, codas are tools of recontextualization. As it is used in music it usually occurs after a D.C. al Coda, a notation that asks the musician to return to the beginning of the piece (an extra layer to the title of Beginners guide perhaps?) and completely play through it again. Except, this time around you take a new ending, a coda, which leads the piece to it's resolution and conclusion.
It feels like this is what Davey, both in and out of game, is doing with Beginner's Guide, especially given the context of his interactions with his irl friend. After their confrontation he is made to look back upon the friendships in a new light, recontextualizing them and his interactions with the knowledge of their effect on others, leading him to his own coda of understanding, making them mean something new and leading to a resolution and new conclusion to ideas he had thought long settled.
Or it could just be a neat name. As outsiders attempting to understand ideas we have little context for are we not continuing the cycle of misunderstandings? Or is the game our own D.C. al Coda, encouraging us to follow in this example and look back on our assumptions about artists and their art and ask ourselves: what if they just like making prisons?
(but i'm a hypocrite and you can pry overanalyzing media out of my cold dead hands, adhd means i can't turn it off baby and i'm just gonna babble whatever comes across my little smooth brain lol- sure the curtains might just be blue but like the author clearly has some issues)
*CO-creator of TSP
(William Pugh)
I get confused everytime Coda is mentioned, I keep thinking that their talking about me, even though I got my name from this game, I don't know why it shocks me so much
i knew coda wasn't technically real... seriously imagine how much shit davey would be in if he sold a compilation of games that weren't even his without the permission of the original game designer
The intro is so good and sets the scene of the episode so well this is a banging channel
I've watched only some of your videos but it amazes me how much you put this much effort in your videos, im really excited to see your channel grow
I’m actually crying. This was beautiful and I’ve subscribed instantly, thank you for this.
Im just so amazed when I see an upload by you in my feed
this whole thing left me with a feeling i really can't describe
“Davey began to suspect Coda was depressed.”
He was.
No, the entire thing of this game is that he was _not_ depressed. It was Davey who was depressed, and he projected that onto Coda. Coda simply wanted to make a cool prison game, and Davey projecting his depression onto Coda made Coda feel sick and tired of Davey, so he left and stopped making games just so that Davey would stop.
I am so happy I found this channel not only its the intro amazing but its nice having another high quality horror/mystery channel
Never heard of this game before, this was great, thanks
This actually made me feel about everything. I sometimes try to make games, and I did one game, but watching this makes me feel something. I don't know what the feeling is, but I feel something about Davey and coda. Great video though!
Your videos are some of the most well structured analysis's of internet mysteries I have ever seen!!
19:43 I literally just burst into tears. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that.
Best/underrated channel ever I love this channel and always leave with a shocked feeling like a hidden goldmine was discovered keep going!!
"You aren't unforgivable"
What good advice! Love this.
The messages left for Davey 11:17 made me remember issues I had with others and my own art.
I’ve always painted and drawn my emotions, and my sister has been very careful about asking permission to share my artwork with friends.
When someone I don’t trust sees a personal work of art, my skin crawls and chest tightens.
It is an awful feeling, and I feel terrible for Coda.
Please remember to handle the work artists share with the utmost caution; it is so easy to lose the trust of someone in a bad place. Even if you’re just wanting to show others how proud you are of your talented friend, asking permission should be the first step. 💕💕
I haven't watched this video yet, but I'm already grateful to know that there are other people who still care about this game
After watching all of red herring's videos so far, and hearing the narrator speak facts, her saying "you aren't unforgivable" hit really really hard for some reason. I think it was a mixture of their tone compared to the words before, and the context, but either way im in tears. im excited to see what else this channel will have to offer :)
I'm really glad to hear it!!
Again! Your videos are extremly well put together. I loved watching this whole video from top to bottom.
Recently after playing The Stanley Parable:Ultra Deluxe I've been really interested in Davey Wreden and now that I understand what the story could actually mean to him I can't stop thinking about it which is ironic because that's what he's talking about
I didnt tear up or cry when i watched actual gameplay, for most of this video i also didnt get any of those feelings. But at the end where its mentioned that robin likes the game and think its beautiful, i just felt heavy for some reason and teared up
HOW DOSE THIS ONLY HAVE 3000 VIEWS!?!??! fr great video!
this story and video was incredibly beautifull and well crafted. I really think your channel can go far
You are going to hit 100k before the end of the year. I guarantee it. Your production quality is incredible, especially for a channel as small as this.
i wish people still talked about this game its so amazing
thank you for making this video
your video structure and clean editing is really good! Keep up the good work👍
I really like this channel! Extremely happy that I found you guys. Keep up the great work!
Another top quality video from this amazing small channel, love to see it.
This channel is definitely gonna grow. Such dedication for a relatively small channel. I also love how they find creative stuff and just dont copy what other channels like this cover.
Damn, I remember the Beginners Guide, it really hit me hard the first time
Wonderful work! Can't wait to see the next one!
God I love this game so much I’m so glad you did an episode on it
i just found this channel few hours ago binged all ur vids i love your voice
I love these videos they are so calming
So I just discovered your channel and put it as a soundtrack while working, and I think TH-cam is trying to torture me by suggesting random channels with amazing content but so few videos. I’m frustrated. Anyway, love what you’re doing, keep going and I wish you the best for the future !
im so excited to see what you create next!!
this is like the best beginners guide analysis ive ever seen wow genuinely swag moment
These videos are really well edited and easy to understand
You guys rock! Keep doing these videos, I always look forward to the next!
My favorite game of all time. Ready to watch this one.
Crazy how quickly the channel grew but I love it and im excited for more and to see how many subs itll have when it really picks up :)
Man this was so good, I wish you uploaded more frequently! Take it at your own pace though because I believe that you do better on your own pace. You take long in uplouding but that doesn't matter if what you release is amazing.😊😊
maybe the real coda was the friends made along the way
I love this channel so much! It is amazing
This is an incredible video and game. Thank you.
Thank you for bringing some conclusion to this game, really well done.
i already love this channel! keep up the great work!
I don't usually comment on videos but i just wanted to say that your videos make my day much better!
You deserve way more attention than you have
Can't wait to see the channel grow :)
1:32 it seemed too personal... but at the same time, you know its fiction. He was breaking down in recording, and put that into the game. Its easy to be immersed and forget that someone had to put work into putting this all together, and that means realistically, if it was real, certain decisions wouldnt have been made. But it all works to create a great experience, even when you aknowledge how its fictional.
17:23 I guess it wasnt as fictional as I had assumed. Still clearly fiction, but less cyncial than I thought, more actually based on him being the character he's playing, rather than the character hes playing being a metaphore for someone else.
I've been waiting for you to post, your videos always have a high production quality, so I hope your channel blow up soon.
I remember watching someone play this game a long time ago, but I have lost what the game was called. But due to this video I have rediscovered this game.
I literally have nothing bad to say or dislike about this channel. The content is so good, that I don’t mind the wait time between videos. Keep it up!
I think that Lead Head's theory on the beginner's guide is the best one in my opinion. The theory that the games don't actually mean anything important and were just fun experimental games, but that the narrator kept trying to interpret these games in some other unintended way that damages Koda's character. Notice how he always paints Koda negatively in most scenarios trying to say that he might be unwell, or he might have problems dealing with depression-like "These games are a way to express himself." I think this is why he was so angry at the end. Because instead of showing what Koda is actually like, he instead gives his own interpretation of what Koda is just based on the games he made. Like, go back and actually think about some of his interpretations of Koda's work and think about if they are what his work actually represents or if they are what Davey thought they represent and tries to push that narrative as the truth. Koda was so angry at the end because it's basically like if you paint an abstract painting with no meaning and suddenly have 32 people swarm you saying that you have depression. at the ending Koda says something like, (Not exact quote) 'you say these things about me but that may be saying more about yourself.' It's the idea that once Koda releases his games with no meaning, a person suddenly went on to say that these random pieces of work represent who he is and calls him a depressed and troubled individual.
19:43 thank you I think I needed that . A lot actually . :)
This is what I need to binge at night, I hope this blows up
Haven't finished watching it but I already know this is gonna be amazing
i was right
The Beginners Guide is truly a masterpiece.
Whenever I hear that intro music I just know it's going to be a good day!
I love these kind of games and videos and hopefully u actually get more subscribers
"you aren't unforgivable"
Congrats at almost 40K subs!
I love channels like these.
I haven't heard of this game in so long, it caused such a strong emotional reaction