# Garten of Banban > Garten of Banban is a 2023 indie horror game by Euphoric Brothers that became a viral meme for its grotesque mascots and laughably low production values, spawning ironic mockery across YouTube and TikTok. Garten of Banban is an indie horror game developed by Euphoric Brothers that became one of the most mocked entries in the mascot horror genre when it launched in January 2023[1]. Set in an abandoned kindergarten filled with feral mascot characters, the game drew immediate comparisons to Poppy Playtime for its near-identical premise, while its low production values and aggressive merchandising turned it into an ironic meme goldmine across YouTube, TikTok, and Reddit. The franchise pumped out eight chapters in under two years, generating a massive young fanbase and an equally vocal community of critics who embraced the game's perceived awfulness as comedy. ## Origin Canadian brothers Ghepo and Faris, operating as Euphoric Brothers, posted the first trailer for Garten of Banban on November 29, 2022, which pulled in over 268,000 views within four months[1]. The game launched as a free download on Steam on January 6, 2023, and hit Steam's front page the following day. It was also available on Google Play, the Apple App Store, and itch.io. The concept borrowed heavily from the mascot horror template popularized by Five Nights at Freddy's and especially Poppy Playtime. An abandoned children's facility, formerly friendly mascots turned hostile, first-person puzzle exploration. The similarities were obvious enough that critics called it "a blatant rip-off of Poppy Chapter 1". - **Platform:** Steam (game release), YouTube / TikTok (meme spread) - **Creator:** Ghepo and Faris of Euphoric Brothers (developers) - **Date:** 2023 ## Overview Garten of Banban is a first-person survival horror game where players explore "Banban's Kindergarten," an abandoned childcare facility populated by mascot monsters[1]. The player controls a parent searching for their missing child, using a drone to solve puzzles and avoid creatures like the titular Banban, Jumbo Josh, and Opila Bird. What makes the game a meme isn't really its horror. It's the combination of low-quality execution, shameless Poppy Playtime imitation, and day-one merchandise pushes that turned the entire franchise into a punchline. The game's cast of brightly colored, intentionally unsettling mascots gave meme creators plenty of material. Jumbo Josh, a 517cm tall green humanoid with bulging eyes and a permanent grin, became a fan art staple. Opila Bird, a pink flamingo covered in handprints with bloodshot eyes, was mocked relentlessly for its absurd design. And Banban himself spawned a reaction GIF format that spread well beyond the game's own community. ## How It Spread The game's spread happened through two parallel tracks: kids who genuinely loved it and internet users who found it hilariously bad. **January 2023:** Within days of the Steam launch, memes appeared on Reddit. A post hit r/okbuddyretard on January 14, 2023[1]. Two days later, the official @Euphoric_Bros Twitter account posted a version of the "First Time?" meme responding to criticism, which earned 8,100+ likes but was widely seen as tone-deaf given the plagiarism accusations[1]. The tweet itself became a meme. **YouTube coverage:** Markiplier played through the game, pulling 2.6 million views in two months on his first video alone. Other Let's Players followed, many embracing an ironic tone. As Niche Gamer put it, "even the streamers who play it to make money are constantly making fun of it". **Rapid sequels:** Euphoric Brothers maintained an aggressive release schedule. Chapter II dropped March 3, Chapter III on May 5, and Chapter IV on August 11, all in 2023. Chapter V was intentionally skipped as a narrative device. Chapter VI arrived December 20, 2023, and Chapter VII on May 10, 2024. Each release generated a new cycle of meme content. **TikTok explosion:** The #gartenofbanban hashtag accumulated 37.2 million views, with content ranging from genuine fan animations to ironic commentary. The game's Roblox version, launched February 6, 2023, made it directly accessible to Roblox's young audience. **Mobile dominance:** The free Google Play version hit over 12 million downloads, cementing the game's reach among younger players who couldn't access Steam. ## How to Use The most common Garten of Banban meme formats work like this: **BanBan Crying / "X is... Lost Media?":** Take any well-known or easily findable piece of media. Pair it with the GIF of Banban crying and caption it "[thing] is... lost media?" The humor comes from the absurdity of claiming something obviously accessible is lost. The more mainstream the subject, the funnier the joke. **Character design mockery:** Screenshot or redraw one of the game's more ridiculous character designs (Opila Bird is a popular choice) and caption it with exaggerated praise or horror. Works as a reaction image for "what am I looking at" situations. **Mascot horror comparison posts:** Place Garten of Banban side-by-side with Poppy Playtime, Five Nights at Freddy's, or other mascot horror games. The format typically positions GoB as the low-effort knockoff. **"First Time?" callback:** Reference the developers' infamous tweet when someone is being criticized for something they obviously deserve criticism for[1]. ## Cultural Impact Garten of Banban's cultural footprint extends mostly through two channels: the kids' content pipeline and the ironic gaming community. On the kids' side, the franchise broke through to the same audience consuming Skibidi Toilet, Poppy Playtime, and similar "brain rot" content. The free mobile version's 12 million downloads and the Roblox adaptation made the characters recognizable to a generation of players who may never touch Steam. Youtooz plushies put the characters on physical shelves. On the critical side, the game became a flashpoint in the "mascot horror oversaturation" debate. The Guilfordian's September 2023 article asking whether the franchise was "killing indie horror" captured a real anxiety among indie developers and horror fans. The DiGRA academic paper analyzing mascot horror as platform-driven product used Garten of Banban as a key example. The developers' aggressive release cadence also became part of the discourse. Four chapters in a single calendar year set a pace that critics argued prioritized quantity over quality. The intentional skipping of Chapter V was interpreted by some as a clever marketing move and by others as further evidence of chaotic development. ## Fun Facts - The drone remote control prop in Chapters I-III had 180,000 polygons. For context, most full character models in AAA games use fewer than that. It was reduced to 1,400 polygons in Chapter IV. - Chapter V was intentionally never released. The developers skipped it as a narrative device, jumping straight from Chapter IV to Chapter VI. - The game's Steam page has nearly 7,800 reviews but only a 53% positive rating, making it one of the more reviewed "Mixed" indie horror titles on the platform. - Euphoric Brothers are also the voice actors for their own game's characters. - Despite universal critical panning, the first chapter's Google Play listing shows over 12 million downloads. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Garten of Banban? Garten of Banban is an indie horror game developed by Euphoric Brothers where players explore an abandoned kindergarten filled with hostile mascot characters[1]. It launched on Steam in January 2023 and became widely memed for its low production values and similarities to Poppy Playtime. ### Where did Garten of Banban come from? The game was created by Canadian brothers Ghepo and Faris, operating under the studio name Euphoric Brothers. The first trailer appeared on YouTube on November 29, 2022, with the game releasing on Steam on January 6, 2023[1]. ### What does Garten of Banban mean? "Garten" is German for "garden," and Banban is the name of the game's titular red mascot character. The full title refers to "Banban's Kindergarten," the abandoned childcare facility where the game takes place[1]. ### How do you use Garten of Banban memes? The most popular format is the "X is... lost media?" template using a crying Banban GIF, where you ironically claim something well-known is lost media. Character designs like Opila Bird are also used as reaction images expressing bewilderment. ### Is Garten of Banban still popular? Yes. The franchise released Chapter 0 in February 2025 and Chapter VIII in August 2025, with Chapter IX announced. The #gartenofbanban TikTok hashtag has over 37 million views, and the game maintains an active young fanbase through Roblox and mobile platforms. ### Why is Garten of Banban considered a Poppy Playtime clone? Both games feature an abandoned children's facility, formerly friendly mascots turned hostile, and first-person puzzle-horror gameplay. Critics noted the premise, setting, and structure were nearly identical, leading to widespread accusations of copying. ### Who are the main characters in Garten of Banban? The original "Banban's Family" includes Banban, Jumbo Josh, Banbaleena, Opila Bird, Captain Fiddles, and Stinger Flynn. Later chapters added dozens more, including Nabnab, Queen Bouncelia, Bittergiggle, and Kittysaurus. ### Why was Chapter 5 skipped? Euphoric Brothers intentionally skipped Chapter V as a narrative and marketing device, jumping from Chapter IV directly to Chapter VI. As of 2025, Chapter V still has not been released. ### What is the "BanBan Crying" meme? It's a reaction GIF from a Horror Skunx YouTube animation posted April 14, 2023, showing Banban putting his tongue in his mouth and crying. It became the template for the "X is... lost media?" format by August 2023. ### Why do people hate Garten of Banban? Critics pan the game for clunky gameplay, poor optimization (character models with up to 600,000 polygons), short length, and perceived cash-grab merchandising. It holds a 53% positive Steam rating across nearly 7,800 reviews. ### Is Garten of Banban on Roblox? Yes. An official Roblox version developed by Jule Games in partnership with Euphoric Brothers launched on February 6, 2023. ### How many Garten of Banban games are there? The franchise includes eight mainline chapters (with Chapter V unreleased), one prequel (Chapter 0), and four spin-offs created through the Euphoric Partners Program. ## References 1. [Garten of Banban - Urban Dictionary]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/garten-of-banban Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library