The ROBLOX player stuck in a cult
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- Опубликовано: 20 авг 2023
- ☆ This video contains depictions of child abuse. Viewer discretion is advised.
In this video, I'm going to be taking a deep dive into a disturbing RUclips webseries made in 2021 that documents an old Roblox player's slow indoctrination into a cult through video tours of Roblox games he supposedly created throughout 2009. This is the story of Brandon Works.
Brandon Works: / @brandonworks6443
All videos: • brandon works in order
Thumbnail by me & / notlieu
📝 Notes
The only other (public) video discussing the series comes from Sagan Hawkes. I would recommend watching it (though it was made when the series wasn't completed), as he talks about other similar RUclips channels that tell disturbing and scary stories through the lens of video games most people around my age feel nostalgia for. • The Rise of Digital Ho...
I'm not an expert in the fields I discuss (such as religion), and if I do get anything horribly wrong, please let me know in the comments.
🗣 Socials, etc.
twitter / toastedcherries
music / toastywav
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discord / discord (13+)
other links www.linktr.ee/toastedcherries
🎶 Music list
☆ Aphex Twin - nocares
☆ Tyler, the Creator - FOR THE TIME BEING (reprod)
☆ Yume 2kki - Cog Maze (N3-KtO)
☆ Yume Nikki - Barracks Settlement
☆ cure id 92 - [untitled]
☆ Yume Nikki - Snow World
☆ Akira Yamaoka - Never Forgive Me, Never Forget Me (slowed down)
☆ Akira Yamaoka - The Day of Night
☆ Akira Yamaoka - Alone in the Town
☆ Akira Yamaoka - Noone Love You
☆ Akira Yamaoka - Promise (Reprise)
☆ toastywav - Yourlife
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Игры
*YES, THIS IS A WEB-SERIES.* It was filmed from 2021 to 2023, and didn't actually take place in 2009. I thought I made it clear enough, sorry. (⚠ click read more for corrections and additional theories, potential spoilers ahead ⚠)
☆ 1) Thinking about it now, I shouldn't have glossed over the "SpawnLocation" symbol being plastered around the house. Especially with the sentences talking about a "next life" at the latest points in the series, the symbol's "respawn" meaning comes into play. As well, when Brandon's NPC is pushed off the tower in the "Chair Brick Battle" video and a new NPC (with the same random movement scripts as Goods, by the way) appears in a different area, this is almost gauranteed to be symbolic of Brandon's death and "respawn, of sorts" in the next life.
Also, I received a comment from someone named "chucking reaper" which is very informative, and reads: "I think “King soon,” is relevant to “Raising,” shtick we heard of. Brandon was making a castle that he constantly kept reworking and cleaning. As others have mentioned, raising may have something to do with a ritual that results in a higher form of reincarnation/ascendance. Kinda like how some believe karma in this life goes over into the next. Perhaps Brandon thought that the more he kept “raising,” the better his chances were of becoming a higher power/level. I’m sure with all the religious imagery he might’ve seen, he would’ve considered the next stage to power being a king. King Solomon, King Saul, King David, etc… Brandon might’ve been coerced into thinking he would become a king after the downing once he died."
☆ 2) I forgot to mention, but it's unknown what the website URL that Brandon linked at the end is. It's fully blurred out in the videos. The light bins are also most likely connected to the disappearing limbs in NPCs. This theory was in the script but left out by mistake.
☆ 3) At about 28:33, I call Ozolog "Brandon" by accident, and "please forgive me" is actually in the safe chat. Why did Roblox even put that in the safe-chat options
alright
thank you for this helpful timestamp stuff.
okay thanks
why it say 1d ago when the video posted 40min ago
no I think you were cloned midway through the video
The "FUCK" at the end, you can just tell how mentally destroyed he is after realizing what happened
You know bro will fucking go insane after this
:(
his freind is ded wh do you expect?
@@Wanzoozthe series is fake you know that right
@@plasma.sucks.at.gamingin a real situation I bet everyone would do that
Another sad thing about this ARG is the fact that Roblox was probably the only place for Brandon to make friends and interact with other people outside of his abusive family
as someone being homeschooled by narcissistic psychopaths who never let me out and whose entire social life is the internet this comment hits way too close to home
@@Blaze_1379 im so sorry that's happening to you :( i hope you'll get into a better situation as soon as possible
@@Blaze_1379 hope things get better for you dude, don’t let them bring you down and never lose hope
@@Blaze_1379call CPS
@@Blaze_1379its the same for me kind of, I might not really understand your situation but I hope it gets better
THANK GOD this is just an arg and not an actual teenager getting traumatized
this arg hits straight into the heart
I HATE THIS ARG BECAUSE IT'S SO GOOD THOUGHT IT WAS REAL now I'm pissed off :p
@@xXXangelofdarknessxXX666Why would you want it to be real?
@@cyeccyz2 I don't I just assume it was since the video was so well done and also it never gave any background information that it wasn't real
My interpretation of the story: So Brandon’s father joined a christian suicide cult, and bought ‘light bins’ and the green blocks to ‘purify’ the house, and also made Brandon join the religion, which does explain the VeggieTales. His father was brainwashed into believing something terrifying, (probably through the DVDs he was told to play on the TV at all times), he punished his son severely if he actually did or did things that could have broke the ‘rules’ (the rules listed on the wall), like touching the remote, which could have turned off the TV breaking one of the ‘rules’. As time went on, Brandon’s mother left, unable to bear the father’s beliefs. As the day they were meant to kill themselves neared, Brandon was isolated from the world, Roblox his only outlet for socializing. He then disappeared, and years later reunited with his friends, most likely to say hello one last time, remembering the times they spent together. He then went to construct a giant castle, a fantasy of what Heaven is like, where he will be with the angels or as he calls them the ‘goods’. He then kills himself, along with his father, not knowing the full extent of what he has done, due to his age. It is a story of child abuse, doomsday cults, and the vulnerability of the young, all with a fucking Lego game. Bravo
"To say hello one last time"
Not rven a goodbye..
Theres nothing "christian" about that, thats utterly demonic.
sorta reminds me of heavens gate
The weird part is Brandon‘s mother Didn’t get him in the divorce or didn’t get a divorce
@@ghostitious true
It’s surreal to see Ozolog’s change throughout the videos. He goes from a kid who doesn’t notice anything wrong to someone who develops narcissistic traits and tries to dig deep in Brandon’s situation.
And even with that, he really did care about Brandon… 😭
The genius of it all is that it makes you, the viewer, question whether you're just like Ozolog. _You're_ watching the videos, and wondering if it's an ARG/puzzle that needs to be "solved." Then you see the post-absense uploads of Ozolog doing exactly what most people do with ARGs and you feel a bit guilty.
I mean, it's fine in the end cuz none of it's real, but it's disturbing to think that someone _could_ upload findings of someone they know in an abusive/cult setting and people would just treat it like a spectacle.
Slowly going insane basically, it's so dark and im all in for it
@@AzulStryeristg I see you everywhere
@@orlum. I’m not Justin Y though? Or maybe it’s recommendations
In any case hiyo
Some cults have hierarchies based on loyalty and levels of indoctrination so each "raise" would mean rising through those ranks. This would also explain why he says he "got to the high level for next life with the last raise" meaning this is what the cult promises, it's a suicide cult where you are promised a better life afterwards depending on how loyal you are.
its sad
That’s just messed up
Someone said it at last. To be honest even if you could see it coming, it's still tragic to see; Brandon was clearly a kind and innocent child with potential until his father joined that cult, which probably lead to disagreements and his mother being scared, thus leaving. One judging aspect is that the mother didn't take Brandon with her, leaving Brandon with no outside influence other than his corrupted father to corrupt Brandon himself to the point where he honestly does believe the heresy (I say heresy since that cult appears to be based off Christianity) that the cult preaches.
One thing i'd like to add though, in true ARG fashion I don't think it's as simple like other suicide cults, rather that instead of being rebirthed back into the normal world, they would live in some other "realm".
@@thewhate2294She might not have been able to take him with her.
One real example I have is a family taking custody of their kids out of a cult. The kids proceeded to starve themselves until they were returned to the cult’s custody.
The there’s the fact that cults often try to mess with the laws to keep captive their members.
:'(
The fact that this was fake is absolutely mind-boggling to me. I went into this video blind, and i didn't even know it was fake until i looked at the comments after i finished watching the video. Just insane.
It is like Brandon's okay? Holy shit...
@@liammmww there is no brandon, just a webseries.
broo this is the absolute same experience for me, I was heartbroken after the last video by Ozolog, then realized it's a web series
I thought the exact same thing, it is crazy how well the web series is designed that some people don't realize it is fake until they look into the description or comments!
I only found out once I looked up there usernames on roblox and saw they were created recently
it's incredibly depressing how the first thing ozolog tries to do with the brandon NPC is to express how real bradons death upsets him only for it to be revealed that there's only generic replies,he was searching for some conformation that brandon knew that in some miniscule way what was happening to him was wrong as he prepared for his death
this is quite possibly one of the most disturbing depictions of child abuse i've seen. because its pretty close to how it is in real life. its very easy to overlook signs of child abuse and just pass it off while truly terrible things are happening just beneath the surface. I thankfully have amazing parents but i feel so bad for all the children around the world who dont even have their home as a safe space.
Really true
One of my friend is abused and also religious and also left roblox…
why are you on every roblox video.
@@ezraprime8284 i liek roblos
@@Faave my guy I'm fully aware of the fictional state of the story but its still a depiction nonetheless
One thing that really sticks out to me is that Ozolog's final message of realisation and grief is a cuss word. Something that brandon has been showed to never allow people to say. It is also something that wouldn't have been in Ozolog's vocabulary when they used to play with brandon all the time.
A tragic reminder of how far brandon and ozo have grown apart..
I'm sorry but I always chuckle when I see 'cuss'. It makes the situation feel a lot more lighthearted than somebody finding out the truth of what happened to a friend, yelling out in anger and agony.
@@Spino-hx2mr 💀💀
I see it as proof that Ozolog is swearing because he knows Brandon is really gone. "Scream and shout, let it all out"
@@theMoporterstop please, I’m gonna cry, this all was an arg? This genuinely had me feeling bad and scared and tons of sad things, and I mean almost worse than my depression like this had me so sad
What honestly stuck with me in this ARG wasn't even the cult Brandon was a part of but more the descent Ozo goes through. In the videos just before the end, I couldn't help but think to myself "you poor child" with how possessive and obviously paranoid Ozo had become at that point, likely to the overall detriment of his life. And to have this likely years long obsession all be for nothing too was surprisingly emotional.
This is maybe one of the most devastating story of child abuse I have ever seen. It's so scaringly similar to what happens in real life and how young children might not fully understand the consequences of doing such simple things such as touching a TV remote. When Brandons NPC continuously states "sundowning," It means being in a state of confusion in the late afternoon and lasting into Night (stated from Google.) This could mean that he's contemplating his decision to live because of the tremendous trauma his father has been putting him through, Or why his father is punishing him for doing simple things. It is very likely that Brandons father was in some kind of manipulating Christian "Cult" because of the countdowns that happen throuought the "My House" versions, Hence the lightboxes, green buttons, and amounts of crosses in each of the rooms. Brandons mother has possibly had enough of Brandons father and divorced His father, leaving Brandon with his father. On Version 5, Brandons father is still near the tv, but near the tv is a model of a shotgun, this was when Brandons mom was still in the kitchen cooking. Ozo was possibly towards the age of 12-16 when investigating these games, because he didn't take the weapons seriously and just thought Brandon put the weapons in the game for fun. Throuought the years, Ozo still makes videos about Brandons updates in his House game And begins to develop a strange habit of taking everything as a clue. I have a theory that the reason why Brandon hasn't been online for so long is because his father MAY have found out about Roblox not being religious, and punishing him to a point where he stopped being online for a while. On the final game where Brandons NPC and Ozo's character are dressed in black, Ozo sees the website and I imagine the pure horror reading through it because it might have been one of those dark web videos of people unaliving themself, or the official Cult website. As he reads through the website, he slowly realizes how every piece of the games Brandon has been making was eventually being put together, solving the puzzle. When Ozo was reading the dialog, he finds out that Brandon committed. He uses the chat box to express how he feels, in anger (or guilt) he spells out "FUCK." In the chat box. This ARG was beautifully written and tells a powerful story about child abuse. May their life soon be easy for them.
This series reminded me of one of my old online friends I knew as a young child. It was around ten years ago, and we met through Animal Crossing New Leaf. We played all the time together and became extremely close. Eventually she told me she was having issues with her current living situation. Apparently her father was in prison and her mother was on her deathbed due to cancer. At some point she was adopted by her aunt, and everything was going well. However, one day she went offline for the last time. I had no idea why. Everything seemed to be going fine in her life, yet she just went missing. I spent hours trying to figure out what could have happened, with no success.
One day, around a year after she had gone offline, suddenly I saw her come online again on my 3DS friends list. However, her Mii and name were quickly changed to be completely different. It turned into what appeared to be a young boy. He only played Mario Kart 7, until eventually even he went offline for the last time.
I've had a lot of time to think about what happened. My best guess was her 3DS was either lost or sold to a used game store, and the young boy who replaced her got her 3DS. I still sometimes wonder what happened to her. It honestly really hurt seeing someone who I was such close friends with completely disappear like that. I believe it was the main cause of my depression, which I'm still battling to this day.
Layla, if somehow you've ended up here and you're reading this for some reason, I hope you're doing well.
i wish you both all the best, man.
Your comment brought tears to my eyes. You sound like a sweet and empathic person. Hope your doing well now and have good friends in your life.
I'm sorry that this has happened to you, while I didn't really have any online friends that have disappeared (yet), I imagine it must be absolutely heartbreaking to have someone you love suddenly disappear, only to then be replaced,
I genuinely hope you two can meet once again and you can defeat your depression and be happy once again
"last online in 2009" syndrome sucks
Damn.
One of the best aspects of Brandon Works is how realistically grounded it all is.
There's no otherworldly beings, no sentient world-ending parasite, or killer animatronics.
Just a story about a guy and how he tries to find out just what has happened to his online friend.
The sad part is the feeling of losing that thing you have been thriving to find, his friend at this point. It fills me with void and makes me want to cry for some reason...
mother 64 pfp
0:25
@@Bakumoto_ h
yup. it's absolutely something that could happen. it isn't anything supernatural, which makes it much more creepy and almost heartbreaking
I think the "castle", is like a community home. Cults tend to all live together under one roof, making it easier to access one another and give them that feeling of all being one. All the money goes to the one person who handles it, and they all basically take care of eachother in a way. I guess the party room is also something that is actually in the house. Having things like a big castle, party rooms and bars, it's in a way love bombing to get people to become more and more comfortable with the cult, while also making them become reliant on it without even realizing.
I always find myself bouncing between rewatching this coverage of the ARG and videos on the channel itself because it's just so...realistic. It puts into perspective how much we really don't know about some of the people we know online, especially when you're younger. You don't know what the situation is at home for others.
The end genuinely broke me. Just knowing about what happened to Brandon makes my stomach feel a certain way.
me to Its sad I may believe in aliens but is clear to me that that ones in this situation are for indotonasgon its sad
The part that got me was the "Ozo, is that you?" bit of dialogue from his npc. After everything, Brandon still remembers his best friend and wishes him the best. What happened to Brandon is awful, yet it's bittersweet that even after being indoctrinated into a cult, he still valued his friend Ozo more than anything.
If this were real, I can't imagine the regret Ozo would've felt realizing he was being narcissistic and ignorant of the truth the whole time. Thinking that maybe he could've helped and saved his friend if he had been less self-absorbed.
@@bugjamsI hope that cult didnt brainwash him to maximum extent
@CaesarAugustus18 They most likely did, possibly 4 or more years alone with no outside influence other than that Cult and his already brainwashed father has left Brandon visibility accustomed to their beliefs and practices, in a way where he appears to even attempt to indoctrinate other people, his own friends, into the Cult
I believe Brandon committed suicide the next day, which he very much hinted in the last and 2nd to last video. Very shocking when I saw the sign: “Meeting the goods! :)”
it's horrifying what cults like these can do to a man, not to mention a child
people need to talk more about the evils of mainstream religion more like encouraging homophobia racism and sexism fear mongering and manipulating their members encouraging child abuse and manipulation etc etc
Cults are bad, they are just religions that have been twisted into something unorthodox, usually for gain of money, the same thing can happen with many things, like anti-vaxxers (Though anti-vax can actually be right in some cases) and alot of weird medical practices.
Public education, while widely hated, gives everyone a similar view on the world, so you can talk to someone on an entirely different continent, and have a coherent conversation without fighting.
Cults isolate people from getting a grounded view on reality, and attempt to chip away at them, and form a pyramid scheme to indoctrinate new members to (USUALLY NOT ALWAYS) sell cheap garbage at high prices, like the light bins we see, or green cleaners.
Some cults are simply to spread death, it’s all a little weird.
Fr..
@@Ackhually did th stuff actually happen for real or is just a fictional series?
@@manjuananthnadhajeesh3581 fictional
man the ending of this broke me, everything about it seems so.... real, like its something that could've totally happened in real life and seeing that last little message brandon left for ozolog just gave me such a strong feeling of "its over, im gone and there's nothing you can do now" that honestly made me cry, even though im well aware that this is just a web-series, props to the creator for making such a grounded and credible story
I find this to be one of the most emotionally hitting ARGs I’ve ever seen. I relate to it so much, as I spent a lot of my time back then chasing the shadows of my lost online friends, and it messed up my mental health, a lot
Something I noticed is that Ozo gets more and more confused and obsessed with finding out what happened to Brandon as time goes on. This started from a "lets remember some old memories I have" to "what happened to brandon, when will I meet him"
That transition was so well done, Whenever me or my friends go on a nostalgia trip we often make intensive efforts to try to reconnect with and find out where are our friends
It kinda went like
I miss brandon > what actually happened to brandon? > people like this story, let's find more clues > but is brandon even alive?
@@fleuralaForgot the "FUCK MY FRIENDS IT'S ALL THEIR FAULT"
He goes from nostalgia to concerned to obessive and finally, desperate. It makes you remember that he is just a kid, who can't do anything to help or save his best friend.
The urge to hug a fictional character and tell them its okay is real.
Same to real 😢
Yeah has asriel vibes
For real
😢 😭
weak.
I think that this poor kid was killed/sacrificed or committed suicide. His father probably convinced this kid that death was what the “goods” wanted. He is in a better place now. I feel so sorry.
It aint real.
@@waterglass8142you say that as if fictional stories can’t have depth or make an impact on people.
bro i started CRYING at the ended when ozo chose the heli wars game
I feel it's best that the final closing word of the entire story was just the singular exclamation "FUCK", as it stands as the culmination of all the emotions ozolog felt then. It wasn't articulated into some extended essay, paragraph, or even any message of length; all he could form out of his emotions then was just that one word.
It is also important to note that the reason the story ends with that message is because, in comparison, it marks the moment ozolog had fully given up; given the way the story plays out from his perspective, as he gave up, the story ended.
I believe these reasons and more are why the ending message stands out as being so compelling, as it shows itself not only as one of tragedy, not only as one of misplaced efforts, not only as one of an emotional breakdown, but much more as one of utterly crushing and sorrowful defeat, all finally converging into the expletive generally meaning very little but in this case meaning so much: "FUCK".
it also breaks the sort of illusion of 'oh we're just kids playing roblox and having fun' and younger kids' typical aversion to swearing. it gives a feeling that things are much more serious now, i guess. i don't know if that makes sense or not, its just really impactful to me
@@candy9264 it marks the death of ozo's innocence, you say?
It made me cry, Expecially some the parts that he was talking about which was a given written by the father. Especially the "Best for him" Which really hit hard
@@sketchartist8727same I teared up while listening to this
I like how there's no big ending or confrontation with Brandon, no judgement day or dramatic reunion with his friends. Brandon is long gone by the time Ozo saw that game and there was nothing he could do except for stare at his friend's last message and blur the link to stop anyone watching from falling into the same trap Brandon and his father did.
Personally, I kind of hate that ending. I won't call it badly written, I just personally despise it for the exact reasons so many people love it. It makes me feel like I wasted my time ever getting invested.
@@Audioworm i feel like that kinda ending is realistic since we dont really get actual disney happy reunion endings in real life
@@jukinnovo Perhaps that's why I was hoping for an ending like that here. A lot of the real stuff we care about doesn't turn out well.
It's not a *bad* ending, like I said. I'm just not happy with it.
@@Audioworm yeah fair enough
i had a friend who i lost all contact with around 2018 or so, he was a pretty cool dude and was one of the first people i had met who was also a nirvana fan and enjoy shit like rebeltaxi and animation as a whole. he was a foster kid, and wasnt really active on anything. i still think about him a lot and i hope he's okay because he just stopped coming to school. i heard from another friend of mine that a school admin came to his classroom, took him into the hallway, came back in to grab his things, and left.
im still hurt, truthfully. never got to say goodbye or anything. he was special.
This Roblox myth is the only one that has made me cry i couldnt even tell if this was an Arg.
It took me so long to make sure that this is just an ARG - it's just.. too well-made. The way Ozo slowly changes, and the way he reacts after realizing his friend is dead. I can't even express how much it hit my heart, just the way it's so realistic. No ghosts or paranormal stuff, no extreme things, just child abuse and.. a cult. I thought this video wouldn't even make me sad, when in reality the story progressions literally brought me to tears.
relatable
true
so this isn’t real?
yes this is not real this is an arg@@SpunkyFloof
@@SpunkyFloof no, you can check the pinned comment _(" _*_YES, THIS IS A WEB-SERIES._*_ ")_ and description _("The only other (public) video discussing _*_the series_*_ comes from Sagan Hawkes.")_ - it's a web-series, meaning it's like a TV show/series but usually unscripted and, well, shared on the internet
I'm not 100% sure, but I guess you could call it an ARG (alternative reality game), since it was a bit interactive when it came to comments, or at least I'm pretty sure about that (I haven't re-watched the video before commenting, so I'm basing this off of my memory which isn't the best), but I'd recommend watching some videos on ARGs to see if maybe you're interested in them since the topic really intrigued me, especially how many ARGs are out there - many not even known of by most people
i dont exactly think ozo was becoming self centered, just using himself as a reference point for certain "clues" because all he really has to go off of is the relationship between him and brandon.
man its hard to put into words how i feel about this series, what a rough situation to be in. the end where ozo only has an NPC of his dead friend with generic limited dialogue and one personal message to him is just wow man. i feel like setting it in the past really helps the feel of it, whatever ending this story had already happened, whatever time was left to help brandon has already passed by, and i think that just makes this more tragic.
Honestly when spartan tried making ozo come to terms with it and ozo being a bitch about his friend trying to help with a white lie is when he did become self centered.
If my friend was in grief and obsessed with an older friend i would try to help however i could.
Spartan was a true friend and did not deserve what ozo said to him.
But what he said about brandon never coming back was absolutely true.
He was stuck in a cult with a cultist father.
His fate was sealed.
@@erikford7959you're antagonizing ozo, spartan isn't in the right either ik he was trying to help but lying isn't really helping I think after spartan lied ozo had the mindset "they don't care like I do" which is wront but u gotta look from his pov *everything isn't always black and white you know*
I think it was a little self-centring, but that it makes total sense for him to act that way. He was a teenager who desperately wanted a sign his friend was coming back. Grief does stuff to you, and a friend trying to trick him into "getting over" Brandon - also the actions of an immature kid worried about a friend - caused him to retreat from others and try to make sense of the situation any way he could.
such a great work thats made realistically almost made me believe it was real
i thought this video was straight up disturbing but it was so oddly sad how ozo mostly changed maturity for Brandon and realizing how he lost his friend and his expression before brandon works ends
ngl its largely relatable even if its ARG especially for ozolog
This is one of the best args ive ever seen in my life. Its so well made, and the depictions are really accurate. It still makes me really sad though, because somewhere out there there is a child thats actually going through something similar, and its horrible.
I feel like this may be one of the last good ARG's left that rely heavily on nostalgia. Everything else nowadays has seemed really bland, and this is one of the few that really left an impression on me. A really compelling story and great writing is all you need to really make your series stand out from others. Kudos to the creator.
Another good ARG is the children under the house, but Brandon works is definitely better imo
@@KewlDood-mk4znchildren under the house isn't an alternative reality game lmao. Its just an Analog Horror series
@@FORCED_REASSEMBLY oh
Whats an arg?
@Duixotic An Alternate Reality Game, usually somewhat like an analog horror, I guess? But it has stuff you can interact with outside of the videos(for example, in brandonworks, the accounts really do exist)
Ok im not 100% but I think that is basically it
While it's unclear what raising is, I don't think it's the act of dying, I think it's some sort of worship ceremony meant to raise your "power level" so that when you DO die, you'll begin your "second life" in "paradise" with a lot of "power". Not sure what you'd need power for in a paradise though...
that's actually a good point lol
yeah, it could also by some chance be related to "raising a child"
Oh hey nitro (also I agree)
I agree. This makes a lot of sense. (Also hello nitro)
Dude I love your videos!!
That last video almost made me cry. The credits song from the game Eastern Mind fits the ending pretty well.
As an 11 year old boy on his moms account who plays Roblox, I can confirm how amazing this is. The behavior of ozo as a kid is exactly like me. I didn't think this would make me cry at all, but the end really got me. Seeing the npc's talk to ozo knowing that brandon was either fully indoctrinated and typed that out before he was "raised" or his dad held him at gunpoint before he was "raised" and forced him to type that. Glad it's an ARG.
I know it's all fiction but Ozolog's final typed message feels so genuine and I feel so bad that he thought Brandon was still alive, no matter how bad his attitude became towards his friends
This may not be fictional
@@IcyyRust It is. It's an ARG.
@@PixelPalettesthought so. Glad about that.
whats that@@PixelPalettes
@@ZenitsuKunn Alternate Reality Game
Incredible video
I know this video was great.
OME JEE LAF BLILITY
Laugh
Laugh
Hi
I was on the verge of tears, you tried to put it through the eyes of Brandon and made me feel closely connected to him, and shows an example that this can happen or is happening to anyone. Great Video.
even if this story was fake or not, it really hits hard knowing that other children has been through this before which is very heartbreaking
Maybe the automated, generic responses in the last npc represent how, after being indoctrinated, they simply become an npc (not the political ones) with no remaining shreds of humanity. having one last tribute to ozoloc may represent that above all, even when he's been fully brainwashed, he still cares about his friends. ozo's narcissistic and know-it-all attitude being shattered as he slowly realizes what happened in the last video is also so, so impactful.
thats some really wishful thinking
i feel like the "multiple lives" thing is probably enough evidence he's dead
@genericTC2ber yeah, I'm aware he's almost certainly dead, I mean im general
I think the automated, generic responses in the last npc represent that (I think ToastedCherries was referencing to at 37:38-37:56) Ozolog will really only be able to talk to Brandon in npc form because Brandon is now dead. and if Ozolog ever wanted to talk to Brandon, Ozolog will only be able to talk to npc Brandon becuase irl Brandon is dead.
It's fake. Their other friend leaves before returning as brandon "after 2 years".
my theory about what happened is way darker. the theory is i think the cult he was in commited mass suicide, similar to the jones town massacre. and brandon was forced to be in the cult by his father, and then fed lies to make him feel better about it.
my theory to
same
@@stvspai8482 an alien death cult as its called
I'm fully convinced this is based on Heaven's Gate
so like heavens gate?
This series really makes we wanna make my own Roblox ARG. If I do, it’ll take place in the 2016-2019 era of Roblox (since that’s the era I joined) and will cover a creepypasta type story. Sorta based on Melvin where some Roblox employee died and haunts the game. This will become apparent when the admin account of the employee randomly joins a game long after their death.
yup, this the second roblox video that maked me cry, the first was the last guest that i seen with.. idk, 8 years old?? damn, congrats for the creator of series.
Edit: and also for toastedcherries
My personal theory is kind of gore-ish.
The light bins and the detachment of limbs is kind of symbolism. I think they believed in a cult-like group. It was a suicide cult with them requiring some sort of sacrifice which is to be delivered in those light bins. This can be the reason why brandon was inactive as he was just too injured and couldnt recover. (maybe the reason he took 2 years to come back)
Idk about you but this story has fueled my hatred for the heresy of cultists.
Next time i see a cult im doing everything in my fucking power to destroy it or convert some of them to christ.
That painfully makes sense
I just realized this and holy fucking shit did i almost want to puke just of the sheer thought, amazingly written story
Blood or limbs maybe teeth.?
i also just searched up the green thingies is because green means "new beginning and growth" probably because of something regarding suicide as a form of ascension for the cult
this is honestly infinitely scarier than any other pieces of analog horror (prob not the right genre but close enough), simply because unlike every other horror story, events like these most likely have happened and will probably continue to happen
Reality is scarier, as its possible for it to happen
this is actually considered digital horror
thx @@objectshowsbut
@@objectshowsbutisn’t it ARG? Idk the genres are getting confusing
@@darshansooful9559 its not an arg because args have puzzles and stuff players have to solve to continue, which this RUclips channel doesn't have
its terrifying how there’s millions of children that go through this exact same experience today. may god bless those who aren’t as fortunate
This video really hit hard… its giving me many thoughts but hey, what can we do… good job making this video. I’ll be looking forward to future videos.
I didnt even notice this came out 30 mins ago but whatever.
I was indoctrinated into a cult from a very young age, and it almost hurt to see this depicted so well. I can easily see myself in brandon, especially considering by unsupervised internet access. I also remember myself trying to talk people online into the cult as well. I would write more but there is (obviously) some things I would rather not remember right now. Great stuff!
I’m so sorry for what happend, i wish you a well mental and physical recovery :(
i wish you the best of life for yourself
good luck ahead of your past
Holy shit really???? My god i feel bad. Wish the best of luck for you!
I'm so incredibly sorry about what happened to you in your past, I hope you'll be able to have a great future. Though I was never a member of a cult, I was once a Christian fundamentalist and can definitely relate to parts of Brandon's story myself (thankfully not the abuse parts), mostly the stuff about being pure, clean and prepared for judgement day (the once described in the book of revelations specifically), and also trying to spread the good news to save people. Of course, there is a lot more, but that's the basic stuff that I relate with Brandon.
This is the first time I’ve cried about a roblox myth. Brandon never deserved this fate, it’s very sad to see that some children can’t even be safe in their own homes.
Edit: I’m sorry, I may have not worded it correctly, but I am aware of the fact that this is a fake story.
i think its fake (in like a obviously fake)
@@themasterofoogabungayeah but the story is good👍
@@themasterofoogabunga it has a good story, if it’s faked. Even if it’s faked, it’s still a sad ARG.
@@MyKevin99 i know its just the way you worded it
@@MyKevin99 you say that like its not fake lol
watching this while sick and it made me cry, 10/10 would recommend (unless you're sick)
This is by far the best roblox-based ARGs / Web Series. Its so good its hard to explain
GOD this series is absolutely heartbreaking. Extremely well made and disturbing. This shit needs more attention, amazing.
3 sentences and it explains enough to make anyone watch the video
It's fake. Their other friend leaves before returning as brandon "after 2 years".
@@Mere-Lachaiselongue Oh man, how did you know?
@@Mere-Lachaiselongueyeah I could guess it was just a made up thing
@@Mere-Lachaiselongue its an arg
This...hit way too close to home. The online meet, the nostalgia visit, the curiosity, the desperation, the isolated thinking, the conflict, the other friends...it hit wayyyy too close. I experienced similar stuff, not in Roblox, but close enough scenario. This depicted it almost way too accurate that i literally almost teared up at the end and rethink more about my life and the people i met online come and go.
holy shit are you ok??
@@TYsdrawkcaBrealest reply
Back in the pandemic i used to play a lot of avakin life. There i made a very good friend, Flavia. We had this friendship for like.. 2 years maybe? She was just so special to me. Then in February last month she stopped replying for god knows why. It's a really bad feeling. Worry, despair..
im so sorry but is this a danganronpa reference@@AdrielTome
It hits close to home in a roblox sense, as it’s like a fun website for games and imagination, turned sinister
another nice video! always appreciate you having the music you put with the name in the description, might use it later for a game im working on
edit: im still watching this video and noticed you're talking about the long health bars, the bar behind the door with the mother might not be around due to the mother not saying anything, which will prevent her bar from being visible
i was so invested, this story is really kinda sick and twisted too.. rip brandon if hes dead or alive
thanks for remaking this video, you really did this series justice. Brandon Works has got to be my personal favorite ARG of all time because of how it resonates with me as a Christian. I also think that it's one of the more realistic ARGs out there; no supernatural entities or anything like that. Just a deeply shocking home-life told through Roblox games from a friend you haven't talked to years.
God is a good god, god is a great god he heals he helps he protect. God would never want you to kill yourself to get to him.
❤ Just remember that, have a good day. 😊
@@DaCartoonSimpCheckerAmen. I can't stand cults that pervert the Gospel / outlook of the Christian faith.
“uhm dude, this isn’t an ARG bro. This is clearly a web-series.” 🤓☝️
@@seva7500 brandon and his family might not exist, but cults like these definitely do
@osirrah yoo I used to be subscribed to you but then you stopped posting, what happened?
I single handedly cried for 28 minutes even though I knew this was fake. This is really sad, I grew a attachment to Brandon like I knew him, I even felt sympathy for him. The fact that this could have happened before or even currently taking place as of today is very, very, VERY depressing, also how realistic this is is just disturbing. This web-series made me so sad I sobbed for a while.
Is it really fake?
Pls tell me it is bro my heart is sinking for brandon rn.
@@erikford7959yes it is fake
And also, why would your heart sink for someone that doesnt know you or is probably deceased Even if its fake or not.
thank god its fake, i wouldnt wish even for the worst person in the world to experience what brandon would have 😭
@@noyes4968 I'm assuming you're not very empathetic and I am too empathetic
i cried too
this arg is so well made
AWH this video was AMAZING. i was super entertained and haven’t seen a great arg like this in forever. thanks for covering it! :)
"The Baby" sighting
@@Mr.Knightman912 what?
@@cheesetlc
The baby is you...
John...
@@Mr.Knightman912 toby fox made a banger with that one
Awe man this is so sad. A friend trying to figure out what was happening and but being able to stop it. That’s a different kind of hurt
For me the worst part is thinking about what Ozo had to do after the "fuck".
Dude needed to check on that website to finally know what happened whit his friend, found about the cult or group and then decided to censor it and upload the video. Maybe as a warning to other people to not "fall for it". The dot and "no words" show how much this affected him.
My jaw dropped when Brandon came into view from the corner of the screen all of a sudden. This documentary is REALLY well made. Great video toasted!
my jaw dropped when the "MEETING GOODS SOON" sign was visible.
wait is that you gamey from blockate
The fuck part was peak
@@SOOWOOGEE yes
@@Slinkernads he screamed that because he was in denial at that moment, he couldn't accept that Brandon possibly killed himself.
It's fake. Their other friend leaves before returning as brandon "after 2 years".@@GameyRoblox
I'm not sure how I got here from searching "happy star", but I will say, oh my god this was such a symbolic, or warning in the form of an ARG. Brandon going from a simple house recreation to building his funeral was such a turn
this arg WAY too well made honestly
The last "words" exchanged between Brandon and Ozo genuinely made me cry and I could not tell you why
same
i teared up a little
bro same, the way Ozo just stood slowly realizing, so sad :(
@@londonhogner6034lmao
That last "FUCK" really gets ya
This video reminds me of my own online friends and their sudden disappearances. Of course, I doubt it was because of something sinister like this web-series; but nonetheless, it hits me right in the heart. One story I would like to share though is about one friend in particular. I met him on the PS3 while we were playing PVZ Garden Warfare. At first, we didn't hit it off, it was one insult (mostly just calling each other "poopy heads" and such) along with another, but it didn't take long for us to bond and become friends. We would play game day after day with each other, I would always come back from school excited to hop on. Some days we didn't play games, we would just join into parties and chat about our days. Sadly, the day came when he stopped coming online, I just thought he was sick. Soon enough though days would turn into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months became years. I would always check his profile hoping one day he would come back on. Until one day he appeared online, I was filled with joy. He invited me to a Minecraft survival server out of the blue, I loaded in and bombarded him with questions like: "Hey, dude! Where have you been?" No answer. He didn't even send a text message through psn or Minecraft. Just silence. It didn't take him long to switch into creative and lock me in a bedrock box with a small window. I of course asked what he was doing and wanted to see if I said something wrong, but still, he remined silent. The last thing he did was look at me through the small window he made for me and left. Never to log on again. To this day it confuses me, but I hope he is doing ok and living his best life.
That possibly could've been a sibling of theirs or a young relative that managed to get ahold of their account, it explains why they were completely silent and trapped you in a bedrock cage, they were probably just as confused as you when you started asking them questions
well thats fucking rude
@@cuckmaster590I had a roblox friend like that back in the day. I still remember her name, and we played online pretty much everyday day. She disappeared for one year, and I genuinely thought that she had died. Apparently, her parents had just decided to get rid of their internet for a year, but after that we slowly grew apart. I stopped playing Roblox years ago, but I miss her, and I hope she's doing better now.
This is the first roblox myth I actually cried to
27:54 bro was really like oh hello!
Never knew about this ARG, yet I love it. The creator of this doesnt use typical horror stereotypes like monsters and jumpscares. Nope, all they use is the tragic occurence of real world doomsday cults and child abuse. Props to the creator for making the story feel so real too, I actually felt sad when I realised the context of Brandons situation and got scared when he appeared randomly in the Explantion video. Overall, this is a great story about how cults can ruin the lives of families and the lives of their friends, Bravo!
(Also, when Ozo paused for a minute then just dropped the F bomb in the chat at the end, I cried of both sadness and laughter lmao)
Brandon works is a breath of fresh air for the digital horror genre
No demons
No ghosts
It’s just realistic it depicts manipulative cults (which are real) and child abuse which is sad and yet so new
This series doesn’t need gore or jumpscares to scare you the story telling is enough I love this series
Using roblox is also kinda genius since (from what I’ve seen) there have been more child neglect cases in 2006-2009 than most years not only that but the feeling of a online friend suddenly disappearing is relatable
@@user-ev9df9nw8s it's fake. it's a digital horror series made in 2021, made to look like it was made earlier
@@user-ev9df9nw8s Yeah, like a creepy pasta. just a scary / sad story some group of people made, and this one was made really well. its like explaining a problem in real life (cults and child abuse) in a lil roblox story.
@@user-ev9df9nw8sDing ding ding ding!
@@user-ev9df9nw8sdamn, yeah man it’s a web series it’s fake and made for entertainment, sorry.
@user-ev9df9nw8s It is fake but lets face it I'm glad this situstion didn't actually happen
This is one of the first Roblox ARGs I actually watched and enjoyed, if this was ever a real thing that happened to someone, I could never imagine what it would feel like.
I was about to just cry until you calmed my nerves, thats good writing for the perosn who made it wow
its so impressive how they were able to recreate the retro yet unpolished feeling of classic roblox and still tell such an interesting story with it. also the way it makes you rethink previous videos after watching later ones is so well done and ive only seen a few series that are able to do that
honestly , halfway through i thought this was genuinely real recordings and things that happened until i saw the comments
very well written i should say :D
@@pawblehaha same happend to me and i was crying bc i thought it was real
@@guessitomini_sl2464same!
@@pawble I also thought it was real recordings. The editing style and the way Roblox was back in the 2000’s.
how did they delete then new roblox icon at the very top of the screen?
I like how it's not too vague it's a mystery but also not a straight in your face kind of ordeal.
his dad just brainwashing him to think something messed up is crazy
That's a very nice video, great explanation.
The fact that the last word in the whole series was just "FUCK" made me feel like ozolog's heart dropped when he read that last message.
he skipped a beat no. 2 beats after he realized what happened
His heart didn’t just drop, his heart fell, and shattered on the ground, like glass
i've had (not the same thing, but also really fucked up other things) happen to some of my friends before, and yeah that was pretty much my reaction
i wish more stuff like this existed, there is so much potential in stuff like this
wym by that
@@user-iu3nf3zl4u i think it's interesting. i would like more video series like this to be created
Sooo you want more child abuse?
u want more ppl to die?
@@user-iu3nf3zl4u i dont know exactly but im pretty sure its something called an ARG i dont know much but its a fake made up story of a 2 friends and played a lot. The person called brandon made a game about his home and slowly it became more and more disturbing as his mother seemed to leave and his dad made him believe in something and he ended up taking his life (it looks like) because he uh... just go to the end part he explains it better than me. Oh and the person who made the channel is the person trying to uncover the mystery behind his weird home and how it has effected him.
one thing i like about this is that theres no attributes of the regular arg, like strange cuts, random loud noises, or scary images. args like that can still be amazing, but this one doesnt have any of that while still managing to be horrifying.
This is honestly a really similar roblox ARG known as 4nn1/anni, not saying its all connected but the similar plots of depictions of child abuse, mental health, ect. It honestly really feels so appreciative that this arg had such a good ending.
This was honestly one of the most disturbing videos on a Roblox topic I've seen in a hot minute. Seeing the situation devolve into the end was terrifying. Knowing Ozo's reaction at the end and how it all led up to him realizing what was happening was scary. Such a good ARG, I love getting into these videos and feeling like they're real. kudos to you toastedcherries, and kudos to the original video's creator.
This is a Web series but yea still cool
Shoulda read the rest lol mb
Tbh people should make more roblox ARGS, these kind of stuff on roblox are underrated
The whole concept of a “sundown” cult is just so disturbing. Showcasing it through old roblox is presented really well.
I can’t seem to find any more content like this that feels so real, it’s a shame that not many can replicate this style of an arg
10:32
You know how on this part, where ozolog gets took and trapped in the shed for an hour. This probably correlates to what’s going on in brandons actual life, and as you could see on clip 17:06 Brandon is extremely strict about cuss words. Even minor ones, like crap which was mentioned. I think this was picked up from the trauma his dad had gave him, possibly what i think had happened is if any time he said “cuss words” like that he’d get forced to go in the shed by his dad for an hour aswell just like in the game and eventually got brainwashed into thinking it was wrong to say any words with bad reasoning. So basically, it was kind of like a trauma response.
A series that is far better then most series professionally made. Very grounded in terms of our reality and shows how much emotion that was put into the making. A very traggic and depressing series by far. Also all of the positivity facade that Brandon put up to hide all of the negativity shows how blind we can all be without full context, theorising and full on attention to detail. In the deeper end of the meaning behind it all can be very educational.
This has changed my perspective a lot.
(⚠️THERE MAY BE SPOILERS⚠️)
It’s actually fucking crazy how well this is made, like i actually thought it was from that time period at first. It uses old editing, looks exactly like old roblox, and talks like everyone from that time period, as you mentioned. Props to the people who made this. I also love how to keeps you on edge the farther you get into the series. I don’t know how they did this but holy shit is it crazy. I hope one day the people behind this can do a behind the scenes, maybe a few years time? Oh and also one more thing, the style and effort you put into this is crazy. I’m sure this video will hit some crazy view goals.
....
This is by far the best ARG I have ever seen, this guy is incredibly creative
This one hit close to home. Teared up when hearing the ending. This is an amazing web series and I think shows what happens when we forget to look after each other. These start to become stories and mystery's rather than people in need of help. So much to unpack.
Watching this over for the 2nd time is far, FAR more sinister. The amount of hints to the indoctrination are way more clear, especially early on (the terms like sundowning, light bins, green, etc.), and it paints this sad picture that, even if Brandon's friend would have noticed earlier on when the hints started, there was likely nothing he could do to stop the process. By the end when he thinks he's giving him hints for help, Brandon had already been lost for years.
Amazing webseries.
I feel like the cult is Heaven’s Gate. Because the similarities are alarming
I think “King soon,” is relevant to “Raising,” shtick we heard of. Brandon was making a castle that he constantly kept reworking and cleaning. As others have mentioned, raising may have something to do with a ritual that results in a higher form of reincarnation/ascendance. Kinda like how some believe karma in this life goes over into the next. Perhaps Brandon thought that the more he kept “raising,” the better his chances were of becoming a higher power/level. I’m sure with all the religious imagery he might’ve seen, he would’ve considered the next stage to power being a king. King Solomon, King Saul, King David, etc… Brandon might’ve been coerced into thinking he would become a king after the downing once he died.
Also, I feel you passed up on the significance of the respawn symbol being plastered all over the house, especially the light bins.
wow i didn't even think about the "respawn" meaning of the spawnlocation symbol, that changes a lot of things
It could be a variation of heavens gates where they talk about ufos and kindoms of gods
Seven months late but this video filled me with so much sorrow, I cannot imagine what it must be like for Brandon. Even though Brandon isn’t real I can still feel his pain…and not knowing what is happening to your best friend is horrible as well
The fact that I watched a documentary about Jonestown 4 days ago makes this story even more sad
I love how Brandonworks manages to create heavy and dreadful atmosphere with just the Roblox models. The crap slowly escalates until the final stretch when Brandon, possibly, commits suicide. Huge props to the authors for such a masterful play on the childhood nostalgia themes that managed to actually keep me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath for a while.
i love this series so much both in horror and story.
it reminded me of times little 10 year old me would feel both desperate and helpless as i watched messages of suicidal ideations pop onto the roblox website chat system (yes, really..) and i could only watch and type out panicked messages of comfort. for me, the brandon works ARG represents the vulnerability of kids in situations like that.
The fact that at the end that absolutely no words were spoken and the only audio was a faint static, i could feel the fear in ozo that he wont be seeing his friend ever again.
the ending hit me hard in the heart man. got me in real tears
i dont know if you'll see this, but this entire arg reminds me SO so much of the brilliant game "The Beginner's Guide". without spoiling the whole game, it delves into similar styles of 1 person showing another person' games, before they sadly disappeared.
i would highly recommend checking it out if you haven't. it seems to me that Brandon Works was inspired (at least) slightly by it.
amazing video man, you keep outshining yourself with every video
WAIT. YOU'RE RIGHT. I can't unsee this now, you are entirely correct. Ozo and Davey have a lot in common don't they? Though Brandon and Coda had... very different issues, lol.
heavy agree! watching this video/the original brandon works reminded me alot of the beginners guide, the parallels between the two are super interesting
Can I have the link?
Link? Can't find the game
@@not.iconic google it.
I like that its not only brandons development that we see, but ozologs too. A happy child going to narcissistic at times, furious and distrusting at others, confused at times and often seeming obsessed. I think this represents well the bouncing effect of childhood abuse and the countless people it impacts long term. The obsessive/compulsive/selfish behaviour at times really shows a shift in the develolment of his prefrontal lobe. I also think it very well displays the fracture in personal relationships in many ways when someone is in a cult (lying, recruitment attempts, excessive religious jargon in casual conversation). Lasty, id like to say how clever it was with all of the NPCs, its a smart way of showing a complete disconnect between the I and the Me, a distinction cults tend to weigh into heavily.
the detail in their series is impeccable
What I think is sad about this is the fact his mother left without Brandon, essentially leaving him for dead or perhaps him having been completely hooked in effect of his father and what he’s been doing in the cult, either assuming what he was doing was for his own good or being completely oblivious as to what was going to happen
Maybe she left him... or maybe she was taken from him. It's pretty unusual for a mother to leave a cult without trying to get her kid, and Brandon's father was a violent man.