History VideoGame / AdventuresWithAnxiety

* AnAesop: Anxiety can sometimes make you feel miserable, but fear itself is important for survival. You must learn to live with it as an ally, rather than starving it entirely or letting it take over your life.

* FearIsNormal: The main {{Aesop}} of the game. You play as a person's anxiety, personified as a wolf named Beebee, who is [[PeeveGoblins responsible for their anxious thoughts]]. Beebee believes themself to be helping Hong, keeping them safe, but their attempts are less than helpful, even distressing. Despite the intense drawbacks and often irrationality of anxiety, it is shown that ignoring all your feelings can be just as bad for you. In the end, Hong makes peace with their anxiety, not giving in to their irrational fears, but not shutting out all their feelings.

* FearIsNormal: You play as a person's anxiety, personified as a wold named Beebee, who is [[PeeveGoblins responsible for their anxious thoughts]]. Beebee believes themself to be helping Hong, keeping them safe, but their attempts are less than helpful, even distressing. Despite the intense drawbacks and often irrationality of anxiety, it is shown that ignoring all your feelings can be just as bad for you. In the end, Hong makes peace with their anxiety, not giving in to their irrational fears, but not shutting out all their feelings.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Al has a crush on the main human character, but cannot work up the courage to even hang out as friends, and her own stressed-out anxiety animal, Shire the cat [[CatsAreMean refuses to behave anyway]].

* CharacterDevelopment: The anxiety wolf goes through this, first seeing itself as a guard dog and ultimately deciding it's more of a battered shelter dog that sometimes screws up but still genuinely cares about their human. The human, in turn, goes from treating the wolf as an enemy to accepting it and hoping to train it better.

* FearIsNormal: You play as a girl's "anxiety animal", who is [[PeeveGoblins responsible for her anxious thoughts]], but the wolf you play as has benevolent intentions for his host, even if it's not always as helpful as intended, if not frustrating. Despite this, the girl's anxiety wolf is shown to still be a necessity for getting through tough and dangerous situations, especially when they attempt to stop her from jumping off a building for a dare. In the end, AnAesop is given that despite the problems with anxiety, and the issues with letting it control you too much, it has its purpose and trying to neglect or suppress such fears is just as detrimental, and it's best to accept, understand, and coexist with such anxieties.
* FightingAShadow: A human trying to fight back against their anxiety animal is ''futile''; their animal partner will use every trick in the book to [[{{Protectorate}} keep them safe]] and comply with their desires, if need be. Only alcohol consumption can temporarily paralyze the BondCreatures, but at a terrible cost. It's a lose-lose situation either way as the inebriated person will either override their basic survival instincts putting [[AlcoholInducedIdiocy their life at risk]], or turn to drink as [[DescentIntoAddiction a coping mechanism]] to keep their overbearing partner at bay. Only when both accept they are [[TrueCompanions part of each other]] can they hope to live in a semblance of harmony.

* IconicItem: Your human has a red hoodie with animal ears, which the anxiety wolf manifests from. There's also another human with a red hair bow, which turns out to manifest their own anxiety cat in the ending. The red-haired person's dyed hair turns out to be tied to their own repressed anxiety animal, an elephant.
* IgnoredEpiphany: The human can't figure out by the story's ending why the girl with the coat would suddenly panic and run away because of [[InvisibleToNormals her own anxiety cat]], even after they reconciled with their own anxiety wolf.
* InvisibleToNormals: When the human is talking with her wolf, other people see the latter as her red hoodie, though the red-haired person is familiar with "dealing with your inner animal". Similarly, when approached by another human and their anxiety cat in the ending, the human and their wolf don't quite know what their deal was.
* JustIgnoreIt: The human attempts this at the party with a dose of [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre positive reinforcement]] but the anxiety wolf wears them down anyway.

* ObliviouslyEvil: The anxiety wolf isn't a malevolent personification[[note]]such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder[[/note]], they're just afraid of the unknown and loves their human very much. Their desire to protect them from all harm has blinded him to the harm he's causing her through his [[{{Protectorate}} overprotective tendencies]].

* RedRidingHoodReplica: The main characters are a young woman in a red hoodie and the embodiment of her anxiety, which takes the form of a wolf.

* ShrinkingViolet: The human (Hong) starts off as one of these in the beginning. Al and her anxiety cat Shire are also much the same, avoiding socializing with others.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: [[spoiler:Al has a crush on the main human character, but cannot work up the courage to even hang out as friends, and her own stressed-out anxiety animal, Shire the cat [[CatsAreMean refuses to behave anyway]].]]

* DarkerAndEdgier: Despite not being bloody, gory and cynical like some of Nicky Case’s other games it manages to be this by portraying the human's descent towards alcoholism realistically and making it clear that it is unhealthy and dangerous.

** Horrified their human isn't mixing well at the party without their 'guidance', anxiety wolf pulls a pose straight out ''"[[Creator/EdvardMunch The Scream]]"''.

* UnexpectedlyRealisticGameplay: A subtly ironic variant where the consequences of jumping off the building aren't quite as horrifying as the visions you can give your human with your special attack, but they are more realistic and detailed.

* AllThereInTheManual: Everyone has a name (including [[spoiler:the anxiety wolf Beebee]]), but they're only listed in the end credits.

* BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible: Most of the first chapter is spent causing stress over trivial things, like the contents of a sandwich or the possibility of getting trampled at a party. So when ''actual'' danger shows up, like [[spoiler:alcohol and jumping off a building]], it's tricky to convince the human that you're being serious.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Your human learns that their friends were only using them, nearly die and potentially get injured from falling off a building, but you and your human survive and develop a better understanding towards each other.]]
* TheBigBadWolf: From the human's perspective, the wolf is their biggest obstacle to happiness. [[spoiler:In the credits, it's given the name "Beebee", as in "B.B. Wolf".]]

* BrickJoke: If the player ends the first chapter by having the human curl up and cry, there will be a small marsh labeled "Lake Tears" when they return to that spot in the ending. Alternately, if the human destroys their phone, there will be a grave labeled "RIP phone".

* CharacterDevelopment: [[spoiler:The anxiety wolf goes through this, first seeing itself as a guard dog and ultimately deciding it's more of a battered shelter dog that sometimes screws up but still genuinely cares about their human. The human, in turn, goes from treating the wolf as an enemy to accepting it and hoping to train it better.]]
* CerebusSyndrome: [[spoiler:Chapter 3 has none of the comedy that the whole remainder of the game has.]]
* CopeByPretending: The red-haired person ([[spoiler:Hunter]]) throws parties every week as a means of taking breaks from the stress of life and silencing that inner anxiety animal. However, it immediately becomes apparent that this isn't healthy coping, as their parties go wild fast and are pure escapism.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Despite not being bloody, gory and cynical like some of Nicky Case’s other games it manages to be this by [[spoiler: portraying the human's descent towards alcoholism realistically and making it clear that it is unhealthy and dangerous]].

* ElephantInTheLivingRoom: Referenced in the form of [[spoiler:Hunter's anxiety animal (Gramm)]].

* GroupHug: [[spoiler:The story ends with the human embracing their anxiety wolf... [[MoodWhiplash right before it panics]] [[HereWeGoAgain about them STILL eating white bread sandwiches by themself]].]]

* HiddenInPlainSight: [[spoiler:The color red is reserved exclusively for anxiety animals and the real objects associated with them, and the red-haired person has, well...]]
* HumblePie: [[spoiler:If you keep your human from jumping off the building, they'll lock the person who dared them to do it on the roof.]]
* IconicItem: Your human has a red hoodie with animal ears, which the anxiety wolf manifests from. There's also another human with a red hair bow, which turns out to manifest their own anxiety cat in the ending. [[spoiler:The red-haired person's dyed hair turns out to be tied to their own repressed anxiety animal, an elephant.]]
* IgnoredEpiphany: [[spoiler:The human can't figure out by the story's ending why the girl with the coat would suddenly panic and run away because of [[InvisibleToNormals her own anxiety cat]], even after they reconciled with their own anxiety wolf.]]

* MentalWorld: The human has one where they talk to their anxiety wolf, since it doesn't exist in reality. Notably, the zone is black at first, [[spoiler:but becomes white when they decide to sort things out]].
* MultipleEndings: Depending on whether or not you can successfully [[spoiler:stop your human from injuring themselves in a risky dare]], the final scene will either be just like the first, or [[spoiler:the human and wolf will be bandaged up from their injuries]].
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: The key to successfully avoiding [[spoiler:your human jumping off of a building]] is to admit that you've caused harm by making big deals out of perceived dangers, rather than pointing out how dangerous the upcoming thing is.

* ReversePsychology: [[spoiler: This backfires ''horribly'' for the anxiety wolf if they tell their human they never cared about their welfare (which the human wholeheartedly believes in that moment) in an attempt to get them to see reason.]]

** [[spoiler:Hong's name means "red" in Chinese]], has a wolf as their anxiety animal and wears it as a red hoodie, essentially making them ''Literature/LittleRedRidingHood''.

* SympathyForTheDevil: The last we see of the red-headed person is them [[spoiler:sleeping uneasily on their couch as their anxiety animal, the massive elephant (Gramm) they've let it grow to become, sadly watches over them]].

* ToxicFriendInfluence: The red-haired party host becomes this when they [[spoiler:encourage the protagonist to drink and take risks]].
* UnexpectedlyRealisticGameplay: A subtly ironic variant where [[spoiler:the consequences of jumping off the building aren't quite as horrifying as the visions you can give your human with your special attack, but they are more realistic and detailed]].
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: No one at the party bats an eyelid at the human arguing with themself. Everyone's aware they're arguing with their inner-animal. [[spoiler:It's one of the reasons why many turn up to Hunter's parties.]]
* VersusCharacterSplash: Whenever the wolf and the human talk, it's presented this way, followed by you pointing out fears or [[spoiler:the human drinking]] as "attacks" that drain their opponent's health. [[spoiler:They eventually decide this way of seeing things is stupid and smash their own health bars before having a chat.]]
* WhamLine: Two, both said by the red-haired person. The first is when [[spoiler:they offer your human alcohol to silence you]], and the second is when [[spoiler:they dare your human to jump off a building]].
* YouAreNotAlone: [[spoiler:At the end of the good ending we see another person (named Al in the credits) who is carrying around their ''own'' anxiety animal named "Shire". Also, at the end of the credits there is the phrase itself, and a message telling us that there are many others who suffer from anxiety disorder, and within them many are able to find and share help with others. Bonus points for creator Nicky Case crediting [[AuthorPhobia their own anxiety wolf]], and musician Monplaisir their anxiety pigeon]].

* AppealToFear: What ''all'' anxiety animals resort to when their humans fail to comply with their demands.

* BrickJoke: If the player ends the first chapter by having the human curl up and cry, there will be a small marsh labeled "Lake Tears" when they return to that spot in the ending. Alternately, if the human destroys their phone, there will be a grave labeled "RIP phone."

* CharacterDevelopment: The anxiety wolf goes through this, first seeing itself as a guard dog and ultimately deciding it's more of a battered shelter dog that sometimes screws up but still genuinely cares about their human. The human, in turn, goes from treating the wolf as an enemy to accepting it and hoping to train it better.

** Hong's name means "red" in Chinese, has a wolf as their anxiety animal and wears it as a red hoodie, essentially making them ''Literature/LittleRedRidingHood''.

* NotSoDifferent: It turns out that your human is not the only one with an inner animal. How people choose to ''deal'' with their animal, however, makes for a ''huge'' difference.

* ShrinkingViolet: The human (Hong) starts off as one of these in the beginning. Al and her anxiety cat Shire are also [[NotSoDifferent much the same]], avoiding socializing with others.

* AllThereInTheManual: Everyone has a name (including the anxiety wolf [[spoiler:Beebee]]), but they're only listed in the end credits.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Al has a crush on the main human character (Hong) but cannot work up the courage to even hang out as friends, and her own stressed-out anxiety animal, Shire the cat [[CatsAreMean refuses to behave anyway]].

* FightingAShadow: A human trying to fight back against their anxiety animal is ''futile'', their animal partner will use every trick in the book to [[{{Protectorate}} keep them safe]] and comply with their desires, if need be. Only alcohol consumption can temporarily paralyse the BondCreatures, but at a terrible cost. It's a lose-lose situation either way as the inebriated person will either override their basic survival instincts putting [[AlcoholInducedIdiocy their life at risk]], or turn to drink as [[DescentIntoAddiction a coping mechanism]] to keep their overbearing partner at bay. Only when both accept they are [[TrueCompanions part of each other]] can they hope to live in a semblance of harmony.
* FreezeFrameBonus: During the credits, right before the list of real people Nicky Case thanks, there's a single frame of [[spoiler:Hunter's repressed anxiety animal. It is a massive elephant, and it seems sad]].
* GroupHug: The story ends with the human embracing their anxiety wolf... [[MoodWhiplash right before it panics about them STILL eating white bread sandwiches by themself]].

* IgnoredEpiphany: The human can't figure out by the story's ending why the girl with the coat (Al) would suddenly panic and run away because of [[InvisibleToNormals her own anxiety cat]], despite the fact she's currently debating with their own anxiety wolf.

* JustIgnoreIt: The human attempts this at the party with a dose of [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre positive reinforcement]] but anxiety wolf wears them down anyway.

* MentalWorld: The human has one where they talk to their anxiety wolf, since it doesn't exist in reality. Notably, the zone is black at first, but becomes white when they decide to sort things out.

* ObliviouslyEvil: Anxiety wolf (Bee Bee) isn't a malevolent personification[[note]]such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder[[/note]], he's just afraid of the unknown and loves their human (Hong) very much. His desire to protect her from all harm has blinded him to the harm he's causing her through his [[PapaWolf overprotective tendencies]].

* PrimalFear: Anxiety makes appeals to emotion that invoke the human's three main fears: the fear of being harmed, the fear of being unloved, and the fear of being a bad person.
* ReversePsychology: [[spoiler: This backfires ''horribly'' for anxiety wolf (Bee Bee) if he tells their human (Hong) they never cared about their welfare in an attempt to get them to see reason.]]
* RuleOfThree: Most choices in the game have three options, which are connected to three base fears -- fear of being hurt, fear of loneliness, and fear of being a bad person. {{Lampshaded}} during the Epilogue, with the human and wolf both commenting on this.
* RuleOfSymbolism: In the beginning we see the human (Hong) doesn't wear a red hooded jacket at all, its [[BondCreatures her anxiety animal]] and as the wolf has complete control of her, its wrapped [[PapaWolf tightly around her]]. During the course of the story as she rebels against her partner's wishes, his grip on her slips. At the party she's tying the jacket around her waist.

** Hong's name means "red" in Chinese, has a wolf as her anxiety animal and wears it as a red hoodie, essentially making her ''Literature/LittleRedRidingHood''.

* ThisIsMyHuman: How anxiety wolf (Bee Bee) feels about their human (Hong), even having the option to pet them if they so choose. The sentiment is shared among all the clingy anxiety animals.
* ToxicFriendInfluence: The red-haired party host (Hunter) becomes this when they [[spoiler:encourage the protagonist to drink and take risks]].

* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: No one at the party bats an eyelid at the human arguing with themselves. Everyone's aware they're arguing with their inner-animal (it's one of the reasons why many turn up to Hunter's parties).
* VersusCharacterSplash: Whenever the wolf and the human talk, it's presented this way, followed by you pointing out fears or [[spoiler:the human taking alcohol]] as "attacks" that drain their opponent's health. They eventually decide this way of seeing things is stupid and smash their own health bars before having a chat.