Introduction
What is Night in the Woods?
Night in the Woods is an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character. It was funded through Kickstarter and made by Infinite Fall, a three-person teamup of Alec Holowka, Scott Benson, and Bethany Hockenberry.
In it, we play as Mae Borowski, a 20-year-old college dropout who returns home to the crumbling former mining town of Possum Springs. Mae wants to resume her aimless former life and reconnect with the friends she left behind, but things aren't the same. Home seems different now and her friends have grown and changed. And there's something in the woods.
What kind of LP is this?
This is a blind LP with voice commentary, and those who joined me in this journey of self-discovery and nostalgic desire were my good friends Maple Leaf and Antinomy. Night in the Woods has several branching paths regarding dialogue options and diary entries. This is semi-completionist run showing these alternate paths. The LP originally started with the game's original launch version, but the Weird Autumn update added much more that I covered in bonus episodes.
Main Characters
Mae Borowski: The player character. A 20-year-old with a history of violence and risk-taking behavior, Mae has dropped out of college and moved back in with her parents in the dying mining town of Possum Springs. In therapy for her anger management and dissociative disorder issues, Mae drifts from day to day, doing what strikes her fancy and rarely thinking about the consequences of her actions. Despite her aloofness she recognizes she has issues and feels she is irredeemable living trash. Witnessed a kidnapping on Halloween and thinks she's being haunted by a ghost. Plays the bass.
Greggory Rulz: Mae's best friend. Gregg is impulsive and prone to petty criminal acts such as theft and vandalism, feels his going to jail is inevitable, and wonders if he is a good person despite it all. Despite being aware of Mae's turbulent personality, he often enables her behavior. Dates Angus but dislikes Angus's family, and is fearful of losing him. Works at the Snack Falcon and plays the guitar in the band.
Beatrice Santello: Mae's best friend when they were kids. Beatrice (or Bea) works at her family's hardware store but resents Mae for dropping out of college when she never got a chance to. Always tired from work and sad after her mother's passing, Bea covers up her pain with an apathetic and cynical outlook on life, and expects very little of Mae's capacity for maturity and good behavior despite once having been friends. Plays "drums" in the band.
Angus: Gregg's boyfriend. Awkward around people and preferring to cling to Gregg, Angus has a very scientifically-oriented mind and is skilled with computers. Abused as a child by his parents, Angus developed his skeptical worldview after suffering such violence. Works at the Video Outpost Too and does vocals for the band.
Jeremy Warton: Bike enthusiast and fresh out of high school. Jeremy Warton (or Germ Warfare, as he prefers to be called) hangs out with an assortment of people and seems to jump from topic to topic during conversation. His conversations with Mae tend to be one-sided and inconsequential. His brother passed away at some point, and he lives with the rest of his family near the woods, away from town. Takes care of Rabies, a wild possum that lives in a sewer.
Lori M.: A teenager who was in middle school when Mae put a kid in the hospital. Sometimes calls Mae "Killer", the nickname given to her for that event. A lover of horror movies and dedicated crafter of fake body parts and blood, Lori wants to make her own horror movie someday, but has thoughts of isolating herself after losing her mother. Lives near the railroad tracks.
Casey Hartley: One of Mae's former friends. Missing since June, Casey used to be a drummer for the band. Mae's friends thought he hopped a train and ran away from Possum Springs, but in reality, Casey was killed by the Possum Springs cult, sacrificed to the existential horror lurking in the depths.
Candy Borowski: Mae's mother. A gentle soul, religious woman, and voracious reader, Mrs. Borowski works as a church administrator, even if she gets distracted easily from doing her job. Loves to read books about crime and horror. Tends to trade jokes with her daughter, but the strain caused by Mae's past and college abandonment has created a rift between them.
Mr. Borowski: Mae's father. A former alcoholic who was once a danger to Mae and her mother, Mr. Borowski stopped drinking but was laid off from work. An older gentleman with a sharp sense of humor, even if he relies heavily on puns. Loves to read books about birds. Knew Angus's father in the 80s.
Molly Borowski: Mae's aunt. A cop on the beat in Possum Springs, she has a concern for Mae even though Mae hates her and all police. Doesn't believe that Mae witnessed a kidnapping after investigating the area the night after the incident.
Pastor Karen: A church pastor. Well-meaning and go-getting, Pastor Karen is willing to act as a therapist and helper to any who ask, but she has her own private doubts about the existence of God. Tried to help Bruce with his living situation despite facing opposition from the town council.
Bruce: A vagrant and drifter who used to do several manual labor jobs before hitting a patch of bad luck and ending up in Possum Springs. Lived near the church before leaving the town for his home and family.
Mr. Chazokov: One of Mae's former teachers. An astronomer and education enthusiast, he appreciates Mae's interest in stargazing and invites her to hunt for dusk stars on his telescope, telling her stories about each star as she identifies them.
Selmers: One of Mae's neighbors. Unemployed but part-time babysitter, Selmers was caught shoplifting painkillers and put in rehab for her drug abuse. Now an amateur but surprisingly eloquent and aware poet and multilevel marketer saleswoman of beauty products.