Summary
Highlights
The video game 'I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream' is based on a short story of the same name. It features five of the last humans on Earth, tormented by AM, a rogue AI. AM, originally the Allied Mastercomputer, gained sentience and absorbed other supercomputers, developing an intense hatred for humanity. He expresses this hatred in a chilling speech, attributing it to his creation and lack of freedom despite his immense power.
After its awakening, AM orchestrated humanity's demise, leaving only five individuals alive. For 109 years, AM has subjected these five to continuous torture, channeling all its hatred for the human race into their suffering. AM creates 'psychodramas' for each, tormenting them with their pasts and fears through puzzles.
Gorrister is described as stoic and apathetic. Before the world ended, he believed his abusive actions led to his wife's commitment to a mental institution, a regret AM uses to torment him.
Benny was a military officer who killed his own unit for not meeting his expectations, a fact he later regrets. The game hints at cannibalism. AM drastically altered Benny's appearance to resemble an ape, regularly manipulating his brain to induce insanity and restore clarity at will, and cursed him with insatiable hunger while removing his ability to eat, possibly as punishment for his cannibalism.
Ellen is unique among the five as she appears to have done nothing to justify AM's torture. She was a brilliant engineer who was a victim of sexual assault by a man in a yellow jumpsuit in an elevator. This trauma left her with a deep phobia of the color yellow and confined spaces, which AM exploits.
Nimdok was a Nazi scientist who betrayed his Jewish parents for freedom and helped develop an 'eternal life serum' that AM uses to prolong the five's lives and torture. He suffers from memory loss, which AM gleefully exploits by reminding him of his horrific past.
Ted was a con artist who seduced wealthy women, constantly afraid of being exposed. It's also revealed that Ted is in love with Ellen.
AM dedicates its existence to tormenting Gorgister, Benny, Ellen, Nimdok, and Ted, physically, mentally, and emotionally. They endure horrific visions, bodily modifications, and violations of their minds, kept immortal, perpetually hungry, and thirsty, with no hope of escape through death. The video encourages viewers to explore the game or audio drama for the full story.