3 SCARY GAMES #110

Markiplier| 00:31:41|Mar 24, 2026
Chapters8
The host introduces the premise and references the Russian sleep experiment as a rumored but dubious basis for the story.

Markiplier dives into three eerie indie scares, critiquing ambiance, puzzles, and polish while getting genuinely spooked along the way.

Summary

Markiplier opens with a playful misread of Don’t Sleep’s theme, then hops between three indie horror demos that push atmosphere and tension. He critiques the audio design in the first game, noting how better looping and smoother fades could elevate the scares. Subsurf This gets a more symbolic treatment as a haunted subway vignette, with Markiplier unpacking the implied narrative around a grieving family and a looping purgatorial setup. The hunting-themed segment leans into a claustrophobic, forest-set terror where sound design and jump scares collide in a way that shows why these short indie titles resonate with fans seeking high-energy, bite-sized horror. Across all three, he highlights small polish touches—sound transitions, item reveals, and environmental storytelling—that separate decent scares from memorable ones. He closes with a playful nod to the format’s brevity, teasing more installments of Three Scary Games to come. Markiplier’s commentary blends humor with genuine reactions, making the experience feel personal and entertaining rather than purely instructional.

Key Takeaways

  • Audio polish matters: smooth ambient loops and tapered sound endings can significantly heighten tension in indie horror. (Comment on Don’t Sleep at ~00:00–00:20)
  • Narrative clarity can clash with abstract horror: Subsurf This’s subway setting works better when its theme ties more tightly to the on-screen events (John’s story, 14 August artifacts).
  • Environmental storytelling is king in short games: small props (family notices, dolls, windups) push mood without long cutscenes (Subsurf This, John’s sequence).
  • Resourceful puzzle-solving sells the experience: finding tools (screwdriver, power part) under pressure proves why players love escape/solve gameplay in tight horror demos (Don’t Sleep).
  • Jump scares land best when paired with player vulnerability and pacing; Markiplier acknowledges both the hit-or-miss nature and the thrill of the moment (Don’t Sleep, multiple sequences).
  • Atmosphere over exposition: the “forever subway” loop in Subsurf This relies on mood and set pieces more than a heavy plot explanation (Subsurf This).
  • Three-episode format rewards variety: each game bikes through distinct fears—the uncanny, the claustrophobic, and the primal wilderness—keeping the viewer engaged.

Who Is This For?

Essential viewing for indie-horror fans who enjoy quick, impressionistic playthroughs with sharp reactions and editorial notes on polish, pacing, and storytelling. Also useful for creators looking to learn how to heighten atmosphere in short-form horror experiences.

Notable Quotes

"Heat. Heat. Hello everybody. My name is Markabl and welcome to Don't Sleep."
Opening line that sets the playthrough and tone, with Markiplier moniker used for humor.
"I scream so not iPad."
Humorous aside reflecting on the jump scare reaction and accessibility of the moment.
"I think there's a lot could be done with that, but still got me with that jump scare I mean jump scares are you know hit or miss depending on what your feeling is in the moment about the jump scare in question but still it got me I screamed so not iPad."
Critique alongside personal reaction to the scare, illustrating balance between critique and genuine fear.
"Welcome to Subsurf This. This is a game about being on a subway forever or something like that."
First impression of Subsurf This, capturing the game's premise and the video’s casual tone.
"Three scary games. It’s that’s it. There’s more three scary games out there somewhere."
Closing remark, signaling continuation of the series and format.

Questions This Video Answers

  • What makes indie horror games like Don’t Sleep effective in short play sessions?
  • How does Subsurf This use environmental storytelling to convey dread without heavy exposition?
  • Why do jump scares in indie games sometimes feel unpredictable or hit-or-miss?
  • What audio polish tips does Markiplier suggest for horror game sound design?
  • Which small details in indie horror can raise tension without large budgets?
MarkiplierDon’t SleepSubsurf Thisindie horrorhorror game critiquesound designenvironmental storytellingjump scarespuzzle designshort-form game formats
Full Transcript
Heat. Heat. Hello everybody. My name is Markabl and welcome to Don't Sleep. Not sleep. What the hell was that? I didn't read the description, but I have a funny feeling it's now about the sleep experiment. the Russian sleep experiment, which was where they got a bunch of people and they made them not sleep. It's not a real story, but I mean, I'm not sure that there aren't real stories where they've done experiments on lack of sleep, but this one is not real. So, they say, "Are they cutting someone open without anesthesia again? Ruined my sleep. I need to turn on the lights." All right, assuming. What's wrong with the lights? Of course. Of course, they wouldn't be working. Why would they be working? It's dead. This doesn't look good. Well, it doesn't look like anything cuz I can't see. I need to find the flashlight in my desk. A flashlight. Thank god. Bet they put that in because people didn't go back to the desk to find it. Not that I would. That'd be stupid. I wouldn't even know. At least I won't die in total darkness. Hm. I don't know if that's preferable. H V for vendetta. At least they gave me a computer. Subject report ele scratching under skin. Deprivation active. Cries for her doll and darkness. I cry out for darkness. Vocal cords destroyed. Day 21. attempted to tear out nails to release shadows. Eyelids eyelids forced open. Corn is ruptured. Claims she still sees. Cells reek. Oh no. Cell reeks. Begged me to cut out her eyes. Something stands behind her. Huh? What does that mean? Why you write that? What do those words mean? Silent staring for 72 hours. Staff refused entry. 0° C. Shadows quote girthy. Port sealed. 1,900 wings heard inside. Not a scream, a greeting. All right, we need to work on these people's reporting skills because this this doesn't seem like doesn't seem like any kind of correct What is that? Found it. All right, let's Oh, I'm just too good at this game. Ker chunk. Useless. Well, [ __ ] It's just a piece of plastic without power. Okay. Okay. Can I use it to like Can I Well, I need a screwdriver. Okay. Where am I going to get a screwdriver? So, that doesn't work. And that doesn't work. Uh, we're going to Andy defrain it. It's just a piece of plastic without power. What do you mean? Come on. Come on. Come on. I was thinking there was going to be something behind. Unless there's something in the drawers. Come on. Okay. Not in those drawers. Anyway, I opened the scary drawer. Unless there's something here. Sure. Okay. I'm at a little bit of a loss. Do I have a um cuz I still have what the I can make that happen by pressing the J. So, there has to be a way to get this open somehow, right? I see things in the beyond. When did I get a screwdriver? Okay, I guess I have one now. I did not see that in the drawers, but it must have been in the drawers, and that's why the music went off. I just didn't see it. Uh-huh. Okay. Well, you know, I guess I shouldn't complain. [ __ ] Object A couldn't have gotten out. Not this. Why are there needles? Hello. Proceed to break the grid. You mean I could have done that without a Holy [ __ ] She actually butchered them all. How can you tell? What are you seeing that I'm not seeing? What are you What are you What are you seeing? Screw everyone. I need to get to the elevator and get the hell out. Is this the elevator? Are you kidding me? Well, I mean, there's no power. Even the elevator is dead. I need to start the emergency generator or I'm going to rot here. I think you're going to do more than rot, my friend. Blocked. Damn. There's no getting through here. I'll have to find another way. Okay. You got it. Well, of course that wouldn't work. Why would it? No. [ __ ] Not this. It's locked. Okay, I'll just start this piece of junk and get out. Well, it's a good thing that I did that and not any other ones. I'm going to go ahead and preemptively unscrew this because I got a funny feeling I'm going to need to run. Unless I'm about to unscrew something that's going to let something in, but that seems like a rarity. If I'm not playing Five Nights at Freddy's, that's definitely not happening. So, that ain't going to be it. Okay. Nothing there. Nothing there. We got a big old generator. Damn it. This is pointless. What do you mean? What are you so pessimistic? Why am I even doing this? So, it won't start without the part. What do you mean what part? Oh, that part. Well, okay. Why you pointing at me, bro? All right. So, there's got to be a part, and I'm guessing it's somewhere over here. Oh, no. Someone hit my J button. Take that. Well, holy [ __ ] There's a key right on the corpse. I'll have to reach into this filth and grab it or I'm never getting out. What do you mean that wasn't there before? Unless it was. Was it? All right, I'm going down now to reach INTO THIS CORPSE. ELBOW DEEP. Elbow deep. Excuse me, sir. Oh. Uh, I committed. I said elbow deep. So, I guess I'm going to go into your your eye. Elbow deep. Glad I'm getting really close to you. Yoink. Hey. Oh, do I need to Okay. Okay. Well, that was fun. I'm glad I did that. All right. Where do I get a part? Okay, that's fine. Someone needs to stop tickling my J. Hey, look. A part. I see it. Got it. Here's the detail. All right. Now, back to the generator. Good. The [ __ ] What the Oh, so am I supposed to just am I? All right. Hey, Hi, friend. How you doing? Hey, what's up? Hey, how's it going? Okay, body's gone, too. Okay, so I got to get back into that room somehow. I don't know how. Can I grab things? No, there's no way I can actually move anything. Can't even jump. Can I Can I All right. So, it's got to be back this way. Nope, that's closed. It doesn't mean locked. Kirk clunk. Maybe there was another way to go around. No, that also doesn't work. Oh, that makes sense. Oh, that's nice. All right. Was that necessary? I don't know if that was necessary. I don't know if I deserved that. Actually, no. It's absolutely true that I deserve every jump scare I've ever received. I pretty much call I I pretty much asked for it. I pretty much ASKED FOR IT. HA. YAY. POWER. It's alive. It's alive. It's alive. Okay. Straight to the elevator and get the hell out of here. Move it. I'm going to go around. I'm going roundy because I don't trust any door. H. Well, that's a problem. What are you doing over there? Oh, what h? Well, I like that. Okay, goodbye. Hurry up. Move it, you piece of junk. Come on. Uh-oh. Gulp. It's her. She's right there. Where? She's right where is she? Where is she? Huh? Where is she? Where is she? Where? Where? You can't escape. I'M DEAD. THIS is it. Wait. No. Try it again. Whoa. Well, that's not a problem. Or that is a problem. Hi. Oh, new patient has arrived. What? Huh? What do you mean? What do you mean new patient has arrived? Don't tell me I'm me. Well, that wasn't bad. It had some ambiance. I I I liked what it was doing with the random noises. I just wish that there were more random noises. And there's a little bit of polish that can be done with those sounds where you have them fade out cuz they ended abruptly, right? And yeah, that may there's probably a way to do it in the game engine, but there's also probably a way to do it in just the sound file itself where you bring it into Audacity or something and you can taper it down, extend it, taper it. It's those little details that are not very hard to do that can add a lot to your ambiance. you play a lot of indie horror games and you notice that the audio there's like pick and place kind of sounds and ambience things you can do but it's about the polishing it together and making sure it loops properly and making sure that it all works nicely with each other and it has smooth ins and outs or abrupt ins and then smooth outs you know it's that polishment so I think there's a lot could be done with that but still got me with that jump scare I mean jump scares are you know hit or miss depending on what your feeling is in the moment about the jump scare in question but still it got me I screamed so not iPad. Moving on. Welcome to Subsurf This. This is a game about being on a subway forever or something like that. Where am I? This isn't my line. How can you tell? Looks fine to me. How do I get up? Rise. All right. Oh. Oh. Oh. Ah. Here we go. John. I don't even recognize this name. John. Who's John? Okay. Now I get up. Okay, cool. All right. So, now we're in it to win it. Huh. A fair price for internet isn't science fiction. It's techsavvy. Uh-huh. Right. Uhhuh. Okay. I was just looking to see if there was any important information on any of the advertisements. Doesn't seem like there is. Is it going to be one of Wait. Locked. Are you locked? Okay. There must have been something else here that I missed. Something on a seat somewhere. Aha. Local family torn apart in a horrific single vehicle accident on the evening of August 14th that left a community in mourning. The crash claimed the life of Ara Bishop, 27, a beloved local teacher. Her husband Bishop, the driver of the vehicle, was transported to St. Jude's Hospital where he remains in critical condition. While the official investigation is ongoing, sources have suggested driver in attention may have been the key factor. A single child's car seat, thankfully empty, was recovered from the wreckage. Friends of the family described the couple as inseparable. The tragic end to what should have been a celebration. A final tally of 2024. Bright futures dimmed. Well, couldn't have been me. What the [ __ ] Oh, couldn't have been me. 911. How do I get out of here? How do I get out? All right. Can I go? Oh, there we go. Okay. There might have been a clue in here. 14 August 14th. Oh, 0814. It's It's freaking highlighted. Okay. 0814. Okay, got it. Oh, 81. I don't know why, but every time I push one of those buttons, it sounds like a hyperrealistic knocking going on around me. Very weird. Yay. Except Oh. Huh. Okay, I got a key. Oh, is that a mannequin? You man, you right. Well, I got a key. I guess I could open the door. All right, I'll go through. At least I'm polite. H. Seems like some uh children's objects, like little backpacks, and also a windup. Oh, I thought that was like a hamburger box. That's a music box. Okay. Weird. Okay. I can't crouch, so I Hi. Oh, whoa. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh, I hate that. Okay. Hate that. Yeah. Okay. What? What? What? What is it? What? What's up with you? Huh? I'm not going to look behind me. Why would I ever do that? I'm going to examine this creepy doll. Hold on. Oh, I see what happened. All right. Sure. Sure. Sure. Sure. Sure. Sure. Sure. Sure. Uh, tree. Hot air balloon. What am I looking at? Uh, son. Uh, smiles. Everything seems good here except for the big nuclear explosion of blood. What the hell? Well, good thing I'm not there. Imagine that'd be a terrible, terrible, terrible fate. H. Seems to be some big red smudges on the father figure here. What's my name? John. John. Oh. I don't think nothing is a name, but whatever you say. What opened up here? Ah. Oh. Yeah. Ah. All right. You don't spin around on me, will you? Examine you again. All right. Fine. Fine. Okay. I got a key. La. Hi. Oh. Oh, that's not any better. Diagnosis. Patient is the sickness. A corruption of the heart has led to a catastrophic system failure. A memory catalyst serum must be a self-administered synthesis requires a precise combination of emotional catalysts. Administer in the correct sequence to treat the source of the reaction and the consequence. Phase one, the source. Begin the with the catalyst for the tainted passion, the foundation of the bond, now the color of the blood that was spilled. Phase two, introduce the catalyst for selfish fear, the gutless poison that paralyzed the will. Phase three, complete the serum with the catalyst for profound grief, a sorrow as deep and endless as the night sky. Okay. Passion, fear, and grief. I got a glass. What's up? Can I Can I help you? Am I helping you? I thought you would disappear like all the other jump scare monsters, but you're you're more than that, aren't you? I see deep into your soul. I'll fix you right up. Don't worry, buddy. I got you. I got you. Add yellow liquid. Okay. Okay. So, we got a yellow liquid, a red liquid, and a blue liquid. So, let's think here. If the music could just tone down just a just just just just a wee bit. Just a wee. All right, sir. Uh, passion found color of the blood that was spilled. Well, I don't know what color your blood is, but mine's a nice pale yellow, so we'll make sure to do that. God, I'm so silly with my jokes. So, I got the I don't think I give it to him just yet. Fear. Fear is yellow. Grief is blue. Okay. All right. Yeah. Okay. All right. I get it. I get it. Okay. I got you. Left click to drink. Oh, watch this, buddy. Glug. Uh. Did you see that? I found the key. All right. Later, pal. I guess. Have a good day. I'm guessing I go to the circle. Uh-huh. Okay, I got you. I got you. I got you. Okay. I'm not ready for this, I wish this was all just over. I wish it was over. Why, John? John? No, no, no, no, no. I can't be John. I don't remember that name. Also, I would never marry a mannequin. Let's be perfectly honest here with ourselves and each other. Wait, can I not go back to that car? I got a car key. Uh oh. Oh, I can walk right through. Never mind. All right, I guess I'm just going to keep moving. Anyway, uh wife of someone named John, uh have a good day. Uh I'll see you around. Well, this is fine. So, the baby wasn't born yet. They were expecting and then there was a horrible car crash, I'm guessing. Oh, hey, wait a minute. It was supposed to be a celebration. What? Huh? You looked away for just one second. Yeah. Hey, just be Hey, are you going to give me that key or uh No. Uh-oh. Oh, well that's fine. LA. Oh, I can't close this one. Okay, see. Oh, no. Where am I? This isn't my line. Oh god, it's ah it's forever. Oh, we're done. Okay. Okay. So, the story was there was a car crash, right? and it was like an expecting family and he was like I'm not ready for this whatever your name was and then uh there was like we're supposed to you looked away for one second so car crash right I could understand if you were on a train that hit your car but this is a subway right so thematically I think that there's some disconnect on a fundamental level of like how the setting that you're in ties into uh what happened maybe there's something there that connects it that I'm not remembering unless it's just a subsurface you know subway subsurface unless it's tied into the name, but that doesn't seem to tie into the story. So, I I think all the elements are fine. I think that doing this is is fine. You know, the kind of thematic like the story looping, you're you're in purgatory forever. You got to relive your last moments and regrets and stuff like that. But what does it have to do with a subway? That's the only thing. And if just that's the assets that you had and you pulled together and you're like, "This makes sense of of this," then you could go with that. But but like I said, you could do it a train and you could take train assets, which are very similar, and you could put it above ground. And if the trains would hit the car and then everyone's dead, then I could get that. But that's that's the only thing I think. Otherwise, it's fine. And even this might not be right. But that's just my thoughts. Okay. All right. Moving on. We're going hunting. You ever been hunting before? Maybe. I don't know. I actually never have. I don't I don't think I have my sensitivity for the first time in forever is too low. If I'm going to need to be accurate about this, I'm going to I'm going to dial. Oh, time to go hunting. You're supposed to get head shot, right? I think that's how it works. La kind of like squirrel stapler, huh? In the only relation that you go hunting. That is literally the only way that it connects. Bang. Well, well, well. Seems like I might know my way around a bullet or two. Did that just make a noise? No deer around. Press Q to deer call. Deer. Deer. H. Deer. I see you, dear. Where you going? Excuse me. What's the legal limit for how many deer I'm supposed to slaughter? A deer birds. Burge. I think that's maybe that's like why instinctually when there is noise and suddenly it stops, it is so concerning because if you were out in the woods and then suddenly all the birds stop chirping, that would be a clear sign a threat was approaching. You know what I mean? So, I don't like it. How many deer am I going to get? Kind of quiet. Why do you sound like a half-life zombie? I don't want to. This layout's like perfectly designed to allow me to not see. Oh god. Uhoh. Whoa. [ __ ] high. staring contest, huh? Going hunting again? Yeah, you know, probably. Yes. Why? I have a daughter to feed and I've only ever been good at hunting. Can't hold another job for the life of me. Ah, sorry. Dare dear. A deer dare. Dear dear good old night hunting. That's what I like. The weird long stars here. Got him. I think I don't need to reload Can I get a better flashlight? Can I get like a Omega super bright flashlight? Can't see down there. No. Oh. Oh god. Why is that me? I'm literally pressing that button. Yeah. Yeah. Go. Got him. I don't like that. That's my voice. That's weird. I don't like it. Help. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Please. Please. No. No. No. No. All right. Well, this is going well. Help deer. And just so it's clear, I'm pressing that button. That is now my deer call. No more deer. Huh? Well, oh, deer. Bam. going hunting again. He You know it. [ __ ] love hunting. Yep. Ah, I have a god to feed. Well, well, well. Ah. Well, that was um great. I like it a lot. There's something captivating about these games that is just like, "Hey, you're going to go hunting." Also, the woods are haunted and the deer are [ __ ] up and everything's bad and there's people that want to steal your skin and wear rip. Have fun with your gun. You know, I love games like that where it's just like go in the woods. You don't need to do much more than just like go in the woods and die. Thank you everybody so much for watching three scary games. It's that's it. There's more three scary games out there somewhere. Here it comes. The jump scare. Here it is. Oh, look out. Any of these could be the one. I'm going to get The video's getting shorter. Oh, it's almost at the end. Oh, now there. Just kidding.

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