Web Video / Unwanted Houseguest

Welcome to Aberfoyle Manor.

Unwanted Houseguest is a YouTube video channel with surprisingly diverse content. Initially a horror-themed music channel, the creator later expanded to feature a series called "TRUE Scary Stories," in which the titular character reads allegedly true horror stories from his home at Aberfoyle Manor. As of October 2023 the channel also began featuring serialized adventures in which the character gets into scary situations.

The videos are surprisingly interconnected, with changes to the status quo in one type of video being reflected in all videos going forward.

In addition to the Youtube Channel, the creator also maintains a Bandcamp page which features a comic book series that currently has three issues about a girl named Melody encountering the title character. The comic book series is not, however, in continuity with the Youtube Channel.

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Unwanted Houseguest provides examples of:

• Abandoned Hospital: Litchfield Asylum seems to be purposefully made to look like one, since it's officially supposed to be closed, and Doctor Litchfield's medical license was revoked years ago. So, the experiments continue in secret.
• Affectionate Nickname: Doctor Wolfula calls the Houseguest "Guesty."
• Afraid of Doctors: In the comic Melody is, very specifically, afraid of X-Ray machines.
• Airvent Passageway: Used by both the heroes and villains in issue 3 of the comic.
• All There in the Manual: You'd have to go to Doctor Wolfula's channel to find out what he is (an alien called a Wolfulite).
• The Aloner: Downplayed. The Houseguest has regular contact by phone with Doctor Wolfula, and talks to his audience, and has pretty regular interactions with sometimes benevolent spirits, but he does seem unhappy about not getting more visitors, especially at Halloween.
• Alternate Continuity: The comic book series is this. The first issue establishes Aberfoyle Manor as in a town, while the Youtube series sets it in the middle of the woods in an Eldritch Location.
• Alien Blood: The orderlies of Litchfield Asylum bleed green.
• Ambiguously Human: It isn't clear what the Houseguest is, and he seems to have a strange mixture of strengths and vulnerabilities. On at least one occasion he implies he's a spirit, and a Paranormal Investigator can only see him through a camera. However, other people can see him fine, and Doctor Litchfield's "orderlies" are able to restrain and imprison him, and he appears to fear brain surgery. Also, he appears to intentionally conduct a bolt of lightning through his body during the confrontation with the Shadow Demon, without lasting harm. Doctor Wolfula did refer to him as a "ghoul" on one occasion, but it isn't clear how literal he was being.
• Anachronism Stew: A downplayed example. The Houseguest doesn't seem to have much technology more recent than a landlines phone, but his cross overs with Doctor Wolfula, and some of the stories he reads, do indicate he's somewhere around the current day. That said, he has indicated at times that he rarely ventures out of Aberfoyle Manor, so it makes sense that the technology hasn't been updated. The biggest question mark is how he reads seemingly modern, Creepypasta-style stories from what appears to be an old tome.
• Anti-Hero: While friendly, the Houseguest isn't especially interested in preventing any evil that isn't attacking him personally. He at most seems slightly off-put by Doctor Wolfula torturing Ghoulash for fun. In the comic book continuity, however, he's more of a Good Is Not Soft variant of this trope, having no problem using lethal violence against the villains.
• Arc Villain: The Shadow Demon. He was apparently summoned by the Greater-Scope Villain, but Doctor Wolfula doesn't get to elaborate.
• Awesome Underwater World: The music video for "Until My Toes Turn Blue" features the Houseguest in one of these, which is actually a restaurant aquarium.
• The Bad Guy Wins: Several episodes of "TRUE Scary Stories" features human villains who are never identified, and thus never punished.
• Bedlam House: The Litchfield Asylum. Apparently Doctor Litchfield doesn't even bother with actual mental patients anymore, and just kidnaps random people to perform brain surgery on.
• Black Comedy: From time-to-time. While in the Litchfield Asylum the Houseguest joked that the orchestra conductor undergoing Electric Torture was still "conducting.
• Bloodier and Gorier: The Comic-Book Adaptation contains much more explicit violence, and the graphic deaths of human beings.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: It's never made clear how the Houseguest is producing music or communicating with his audience in-universe, but given that he's reliant on a corded-phone to contact his friends, it seems unlikely he has internet access. There are some videos in which he seems to be addressing a visitor, commenting on how hard it will be for the visitor to get back out through the woods, but on other occasions, such as when he's locked up in Litchfield Asylum, this doesn't make complete sense, as the antagonists would logically be hostile to the viewer if they were physically present.
• Brick Joke: The telephone somehow in the middle of the woods. It begins as an apparent gag to allow communication between Doctor Wolfula and the Houseguest when it made no logical sense. In Season 3 the Houseguest went looking for it, and ended up at Litchfield Asylum due to a Road-Sign Reversal.
• Came Back Strong: The Shadow Demon.
• Camera Fiend: Episode 2 of "TRUE Scary Stories" features a man who sneaks into a camp site full of children to photograph them while they're sleeping.
• Camp Unsafe Isn't Safe Anymore: Aberfoyle Manor was already filled with angry spirits and surrounded by a sinister forest full of monsters. However, when the power goes out, the Shadow Demon is finally able to force the Houseguest to flee.
• Card-Carrying Villain: Doctor Wolfula is this, despite being a Token Evil Teammate to the Houseguest. Of the actual villains, It's not clear if the Shadow Demon was even sapient, Doctor Litchfield is a Well-Intentioned Extremist, and we don't yet know the goals of the Greater-Scope Villain.
• Cell Phones Are Useless: The second season finale of "TRUE Scary Stories" has a variant. The character receives a series of delayed texts from a friend that were actually sent the night before, leading to confusion.
• Cerebus Syndrome: The Shadow Demon Arc started the process, but Litchfield Asylum sent it into high gear.
• Christmas Episode: The Houseguest will typically acknowledge the season, and wore a Santa hat for several episodes in Season 2 of "TRUE Scary Stories." The stories may or may not be holiday-related.
• Cliffhanger: A number of episodes ended on these. Most notably, the end of season 2 when an unknown Hand of Death cuts the Houseguest's phone line before Doctor Wolfula can reveal the Greater-Scope Villain.
• Closed Door Rapport: The entire music video for "Locked Out" is one of these.
• Comic-Book Adaptation: Three issues detailing his exploits with Melody.
• Creepy Doll: Episode 15 of "TRUE Scary Stories" features one given to the protagonist as a Christmas gift.
• Creepypasta: Many of the stories he reads use this format, They don't appear to be pre-existing stories from the internet, however.
• Crossover: Several other performers have been featured in his music videos, but they're typically playing unique characters within the Houseguest's world. Fellow Youtuber Doctor Wolfula, however, has shown up as his own character to provide the Houseguest with information he required.
• Cut Phone Lines: Happens just before Doctor Wolfula reveals the Greater-Scope Villain, forcing the Houseguest to journey into Aberfoyle Woods for repairs.
• Cut the Safety Rope: In issue 3 of the comic the villains attempt this on Melody during a Gym Class Rope Climb.
• Dark Is Not Evil: The Houseguest is actually quite friendly and welcoming.
• Deadly Prank - Part of the backstory for Episode 3 of "TRUE Scary Stories." Unusually, the prank in this case was a part of a scary Theme Park attraction, and only became deadly because one of the guests who had paid to be scared had a heart condition. Management did take the matter seriously, however.
• Depraved Dentist: The second issue of the comic introduces Dr. Tigani, an evil Orthodontist.
• Doctor's Disgraceful Demotion: Doctor Litchfield actually had his licensed revokes years ago. He's continuing his illegal experiments in secret.
• Don't Go Into the Woods: The Houseguest says on several occasions that his audience should leave because Aberfoyle Woods become dangerous after dark. There's no indication that the danger applies to him when he's forced to take shelter from the Shadow Demon.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: Many of the Houseguest's earlier music videos feature him wearing a mask, or even as an animated character, rather than make-up, and looking quite different. They also don't seem to tie into the now-established lore of the series, with the Houseguest going to locations clearly far away from Aberfoyle, and explicitly using the internet. The series really seemed to fall into it's current status quo with the start of "TRUE Scary Stories."
• Eldritch Location: The Houseguest has mentioned monsters in Aberfoyle Woods. Major landmarks that the Houseguest didn't know about suddenly existing within a few miles of his home also hint at this. There's also a landlines telephone in the middle of the woods for no apparent reason.
• Electroconvulsive Therapy Is Torture: Doctor Litchfield uses it on at least one of his prisoners.
• Evil Doppelgänger: For unknown reasons the Shadow Demon looks like the Houseguest.
• Evil Is Not Well-Lit: Litchfield Asylum is surprisingly dark for a medical facility, albeit one that's been operating in secret for years since it was officially closed down. A power outage is also what allows Aberfoyle Manor to fall to the Shadow Demon.
• The Evils of Free Will: How Doctor Litchfield views the world.
• Fate Worse than Death: How the Houseguest views Doctor Litchfield's procedure, which destroys all free will to create mental "stability."
• Fire of Comfort: In "TRUE Scary Stories" the Houseguest typically greets the viewer in his study, in front of a lit fireplace.
• Framing Device: The premise of "TRUE Scary Stories" is the Houseguest reading his audience (usually framed as a visiting friend) stories from his books.
• Friendly Ghost: The spirit of the Owl Head Lighthouse Keeper helps the Houseguest defeat the Shadow Demon.
• From Bad to Worse: The Houseguest's journey to Litchfield Asylum begins when he investigates his cut telephone wire.
• Genre Shift: Episode 19 of "TRUE Scary Stories" is the only episode to date to tell UFO-related stories, in addition to having two shorter stories instead of just one long one.
• Getting Smilies Painted on Your Soul: Doctor Litchfield is a variant of this. He doesn't actually care about his patients being happy, he simply cares that they're totally incapable of experiencing mental illness.
• Ghost Story: A lot of his "TRUE Scary Stories" are these.
• Glowing Eyelights of Undeath: While the orderlies at Litchfield Asylum are TechnicallyLivingZombies, they fall into this category.
• Good Is Not Soft: The comic book version of the Houseguest falls into this category. He's concerned about the villains' actions, and is immediately prepared to use lethal violence to stop them.
• Gothic Horror: Has pretty much all the trappings.
• Greater-Scope Villain: Doctor Wolfula informed the Houseguest that the Demon that forced him out of Aberfoyle Manor was sent by something else. The phone call is cut off by a mysterious hand before he can elaborate.
• Gym Class Rope Climb: Melody has to climb a rope in gym class in issue 3 of the comic. The villains use it as an opportunity to Make It Look Like an Accident.
• Halloween Episode: In "TRUE Scary Stories" the Houseguest will usually acknowledge the season, and comment on his preparation for Trick or Treaters. In Season 2 he is notably sad about the lack of Trick or Treaters, until Doctor Wolfula points out that he lives in a house full of vengeful spirits, surrounded by a forest full of monsters, and that is probably the reason kids aren't showing up, not some personal animosity towards him.
• Harmless Electrocution: While he doesn't appear to enjoy it, the Houseguest has survived a lightning strike without permanent harm.
• Haunted Headquarters: Aberfoyle Manor is the Houseguest's home, and the starting point of every story arc to date.
• Haunted House: Aberfoyle Manor.
• Haunted Technology: Episode 25 of "TRUE Scary Stories" features a haunted crank radio. Maybe.
• Hand of Death: The Greater-Scope Villain, or his minion, is presented to the audience this way when he works against the Houseguest. So far he's cut the phone line and pulled a Road-Sign Reversal.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: In the comic Dr. Tigani is killed by the X-Ray machine he intended to use on Melody.
• Horror Comedy: Downplayed. There is some degree of humor and jokes, but for the most part the creepy atmosphere is played straight.
• Horror Core: Any video featuring rap would obviously fall into this category.
• Hostile Hitchhiker: Episode Six of "TRUE Scary Stories" features one.
• Humanoid Abomination: The Shadow Demon. It's never clarified what it's true form is, but it is "humanoid" simply by virtue of taking on the appearance of the Houseguest.
• I Warned You: After the Shadow Demon returns, more powerful than before Doctor Wolfula is quick to point out that he predicted this would happen.
• Idiot Ball: In the comic Dr. Tigani is killed when Melody and the Houseguest are unable to turn off his X-Ray machine...which was on a pivot that they could have turned at any time.
• In Medias Res: The channel really began to have a story with "TRUE Scary Stories, and it began with the Houseguest already inhabiting Aberfoyle Manor, without much history being given. The creator did have a poll on the Youtube Channel in which viewers voted that they would like to eventually see the history of Aberfoyle explained.
• Insane Troll Logic: Doctor Litchfield believes that all creativity and free will is a reasonable sacrifice to eliminate mental illness.
• Invisible to Adults: The basis of Episode 23 of "TRUE Scary Stories."
• Kayfabe: Not an especially extreme example, but the performer who plays the titular character is always credited as "Unwanted Houseguest," even in the writing credits for the comic book. Aside from that, guest performers in the music videos are always credited to aliases that don't appear to be used for any other work, indicating that they may also be using a different persona than the name associated with other work they've done.
• Kid Sidekick: In the comic Melody fills this role. She's eager to investigate the villains, but as a small child she doesn't have the strength to overpower them, and has to rely on the Houseguest.
• Kidnapped for Experimentation: Doctor Litchfield gets his "patients" this way.
• Knight of Cerebus: Doctor Litchfield. Unlike the somewhat vague danger of the Shadow Demon, he is very explicit in his intentions, and has already hurt many people.
• Lighthouse Point: The Houseguest is surprised to learn he lives near the Owl Head Lighthouse. Going there allows him to finally defeat the Shadow Demon.
• Living Shadow: The Shadow Demon takes this form in it's first appearance in the "Long Hallways" music video. In later appearances it becomes a more explicit Evil Doppelgänger of the Houseguest.
• Lobotomy: Doctor Litchfield's procedure is stated to make regular lobotomies look mild by comparison.
• Loss of Identity: This is what Doctor Litchfield does to his patients.
• Lost in the Maize: Episode 12 of "TRUE Scary Stories" features the main character lost in a corn maze.
• Lovecraft Country: The landscape seems to fall into this sort of environment. It's eventually confirmed to take place in New York State.
• Lyrical Dissonance: Hidden Cemetery is surprisingly upbeat for its subject matter.
• Mad Doctor: Doctor Litchfield, although we are told that his license was revoked long ago. He's continued his work in secret.
• Make It Look Like an Accident: In issue 3 of the comic Melody and the Houseguest do this to cover up their role in Dr. Tigani's death. In this case it technically was an accident since they were trying to torture him, not kill him.
• Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: The Houseguest and the events that happen to him are explicitly supernatural, but many of his "TRUE Scary Stories" fall into this category.
• Medical Horror: The ongoing saga concerning the Litchfield Asylum.
• Mirror Monster: The music video for "Bloody Mary" features the titular Urban Legend in the Houseguest's mirror.
• Monster Clown: Episode 29 of "TRUE Scary Stories" features one riding a bike. Although the "Monster" part is possibly just the narrator's paranoia.
• Mooks: Doctor Litchfield's "orderlies." In truth, they're people who've undergone his brain surgery, making them obedient drones.
• Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: Doctor Litchfield. His medical license was actually revoked long ago, but there's no indication that his University rescinded his degree.
• Multiple-Choice Past: "Victim Of Acquired Taste" provides several possible origins for the Houseguest.
• Mysterious Past: We know very little about the Houseguest's history, how he ended up in Aberfoyle, or how he got his name.
• Nightmare Sequence: The whole premise of the Nightmare Journal album was the Houseguest recording his bad dreams.
• Night-Vision Goggles: The protagonist of Episode Eleven of "TRUE Scary Stories" uses the Night Mode on his camera. He notes that the benefits of this feature on a consumer-grade camera are limited.
• No Fourth Wall: The Houseguest is aware of the viewer at all times, and can address the viewer even when there's no in-universe way he could have access to the internet. The orderlies also seem aware, as they allow him to read a story to his audience. Doctor Litchfield references him working on an album.
• Non-Indicative Name: We've never seen any "host" who the Houseguest is staying with, and at least one storyline deals with him fighting to reclaim Aberfoyle Manor, as it's rightful owner. Doctor Litchfield addresses him as "Mister Houseguest," implying it may actually be the character's legal name, but, Doctor Litchfield is batshit insane.
• Nothing Is Scarier: Quite a few "TRUE Scary Stories" rely on this, but Episode 29 gets special mention, as the scary thing isn't even mentioned until the last few minutes of the video.
• Not So Remote: Played for Horror. There have been at least two major landmarks within a few miles of Aberfoyle Manor that the Houseguest was somehow unaware of.
• Old School Building: A downplayed example in Episode 27 of "TRUE Scary Stories." The school in the story built a new gym a few years earlier, leaving the "old" gym largely defunct until it's called back into use during a renovation of the school's auditorium. That said, it is made clear that the old gym was still sometimes used for running track during bad weather, and the school had allocated a surprisingly decent budget for make-shift renovations, since they planned to use it for assemblies for a few months. So, while old and somewhat decrepit, the building did at least seem to be relatively safe.
• Orderlies are Creeps: Doctor Litchfield's orderlies who are actually victims of his "procedure."
• Or Was It a Dream?: The Nightmare Journal album introduced the Shadow Demon in the music video for Long Hallways. Needless to say, the Shadow Demon proved to be very real.
• Ouija Board: The premise of Episode Twenty One of "TRUE Scary Stories."
• Our Demons Are Different: The Shadow Demon takes the form of an Evil Doppelgänger of the Houseguest.
• Road-Sign Reversal: Pulled by the Hand of Death to send the Houseguest to the Litchfield Asylum.
• Paint Ball Episode: The Season One finale of "TRUE Scary Stories" is about a group of teenaged laser tag enthusiasts.
• Paranormal Investigation: An investigator visits Aberfoyle in the Debunked music video.
• Period Piece: Since the premise of "TRUE Scary Stories" is that the Houseguest is reading true stories written by the people who lived them, several episodes specifically note that the story happened some years ago, and on a few occasions the limitations of then-current technology play some role in the story. This is most prominent in Episode 20.
• Perpetual Smiler: Sometimes. Early illustrated and mask-wearing depictions of the Houseguest portrayed him this way, and it's maintained for the comic, but as the Youtube channel now portrays him with an actor simply wearing make-up the aspect has been dropped.
• Power Outage Plot: This happens when the Shadow Demon returns. The lack of any light stronger than the fireplace is what forces the Houseguest to flee his home.
• Ruptured Appendix: The protagonist of Episode Four of "TRUE Scary Stories" nearly suffers one of these near the beginning.
• Sadist Teacher: Coach Hooten in issue 3 of the comic enjoys picking on the less athletic kids. He does show concern for Melody's safety, however.
• Safety Freak: Coach Pat from Episode Fourteen of "TRUE Scary Stories" falls unto this category, but he is teaching rock climbing, and suffered fingore in a climbing accident when he was younger, so he comes across as a Reasonable Authority Figure.
• Safe Under Blankets: The entire Under the Covers album is filmed with the Houseguest hiding under the covers.
• Scary Scarecrows: Episode 26 of "TRUE Scary Stories," a Halloween Episode, features one put out in the yard with a bowl of candy for Trick or Treaters. The homeowner was probably hiding inside the Scarecrow.
• School Play: Episode 27 of "TRUE Scary Stories" is based around one of these.
• Shock and Awe: Downplayed example. There's no indication that the Houseguest can generate electricity on his own, but he is apparently able to channel it without permanent harm. This is how he re-lights Owl Head Lighthouts to defeat the Shadow Demon.
• Shout-Out: "Carly Beth" is a song about the protagonist of the Goosebumps book/episode "The Haunted Mask."
• Slasher Movie: Episode Eleven of "TRUE Scary Stories" involves a group of teenagers attempting to make one.
• Sleep Paralysis Creature: Episode Four of "TRUE Scary Stories" features one. Maybe.
• The Smart Guy: Doctor Wolfula is a variant. The information he gives the Houseguest is accurate, so he isn't a Know-Nothing Know-It-All, but he usually forces his zombie servant Ghoulash to do the research for him, and merely claims the credit.
• Soft Reboot: The series didn't have clear continuity back when it was just music videos, but the introduction of Aberfoyle Manor as a permanent setting in 2020 seems to fall into this category. It doesn't explicitly contradict past videos, and it came a bit after the Houseguest's appearance changed, but it did radially alter the status quo of the series, and introduce ongoing narratives.
• Stalker with a Crush / Stalker without a Crush: Various episode of "TRUE Scary Stories" feature both. In some cases it isn't explicity clear what motivates the stalker.
• Stuffed into a Locker: The Houseguest does this to himself in issue 3 of the comic to more easily talk to Melody during the school day.
• Technically-Living Zombie: The orderlies in Litchfield Asylum fall under this trope, although they act more like automotons than animals.
• Token Evil Teammate: During his Crossover appearances Doctor Wolfula fills this role, as he is a far more villainous character who openly talks about torturing his zombie servant.
• Urban Legend: While Aberfoyle is too remote to allow for "Urban" anything, some of the "TRUE Scary Stories" use these for set up.
• Uncanny Valley Makeup: The gaunt, pale appearance of the Houseguest always looks just a bit off.
• Unreliable Narrator: Several episodes of "TRUE Scary Stories" feature narrators who were in states that call into question what they experienced. Notably, the protagonist of Episode Four was recovering from an appendectomy.
• Unwitting Pawn: So far there is no evidence that Doctor Litchfield is even aware of the Greater-Scope Villain who purposefully sent the Houseguest to him.
• Vengeful Ghost: They've been mentioned as inhabiting Aberfoyle Manor, but so far haven't played a significant role in the story.
• The Voice: Doctor Wolfula's zombie servant Ghoulash is a bit of an unusual example, as he is seen on both his own channel and Doctor Wolfula's, but has only ever appeared as a voice on Houseguest's. This os likely a result of Doctor Wolfula and Ghoulash being played by the same actor, making videos featuring both of them a bit more of a hassle.
• Weakened by the Light: Doctor Wolfula speculates this may be the case for the Shadow Demon. He's proven correct, when the Shadow Demon is defeated by the Owl Head Lighthouse's beam.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Doctor Litchfield wants to eliminate all mental illness via brain surgeries that will also eliminate all creativity and free will.
• Where the Hell Is Springfield?: Averted. Despite being set in an Eldritch Location, Doctor Wolfula explicitly said that he found the Owl Head Lighthouse on a map of New York that included the Houseguest's location.
• Your Head A-Splode: In the comic this happens to Dr. Tigani, when Melody and the Houseguest are unable to turn off his X-Ray Machine.