When IT Support Goes to Hell (Literally): How r/TalesFromTechSupport Became a Horror-Comedy Game
Have you ever been so deep in tech support hell that you thought, “Surely, this is punishment for some unspeakable sin”? Well, thanks to one ingenious solo developer and the r/TalesFromTechSupport community, that nightmare now has a name—and a demo you can actually play. Enter “IT Never Ends,” a darkly hilarious horror/comedy game where fixing a printer could mean exorcising a demon, and the coffee machine doesn’t just malfunction—it dispenses ants.
Yes, really. And the best part? The stories, characters, and even the bug-fueled office appliances are inspired by real Redditors and their legendary tales of IT woe.
From Subreddit to Steam: A Game Born in the Fires of Tech Support
The mastermind behind “IT Never Ends,” Redditor u/Euphoric-Series-1194, credits the r/TalesFromTechSupport community for sparking the game’s creation. In a post that quickly lit up with over 120 upvotes and 80+ comments, they shared how reading the sub’s horror stories gave birth to the idea: “My horror/comedy game about doing IT support in Hell started with an idea from reading the stories on this sub.”
What began as a solo passion project has become a cult sensation before launch, racking up nearly 15,000 wishlists and over 25,000 demo plays on Steam. The dev’s gratitude is palpable: “It’s completely overwhelming for a solo developer like me, and it’s in large part due to you guys. Thank you, very, very much for that!”
But this isn’t just a one-way street. The community’s fingerprints are all over the game—in the form of stories, characters, and even haunting side quests. The developer’s latest callout? “Drop your tech support story in the comments… I’ll draw a custom character portrait to represent you and make a little story arc fitting in your tickets.”
Hell Is Other Users: The Best (and Worst) IT Nightmares, Now Playable
So, what kind of stories make it into a game set in IT hell? The kind that leave you laughing, crying, and possibly rethinking your caffeine intake.
Take the now-infamous “ant coffee machine” saga from Filco, immortalized as a three-part questline in the game. As OP gleefully explained, “I read a story here by Filco about a coffee machine dispensing ants… The story practically was made to be part of the game.” Welcome to your new side quest: pest control, with a side of existential dread.
But the subreddit’s greatest hits don’t stop at insect-infested appliances. There’s Ashley R from Operations, who’s being haunted by a second monitor that only appears in remote desktop sessions and—because this is hell—the office parking lot. As u/QueenAshley296 described, “Remoting in shows two screens but they only have one.” The fix? Unplug, reboot, and maybe call a priest.
Speaking of exorcisms, u/TararaBoomDA and u/skiing123 shared their running joke about “sprinkling recalcitrant PCs with holy water, or sacrificing a chicken to appease the Tech Gods.” The developer practically leapt at the idea, promising a story arc involving PC exorcisms, holy water, and even “incantations (shell script code)” to banish possessed servers. As u/trro16p suggested, “If the exorcism fails, the device becomes ‘possessed’ and starts attacking IT staff.” Now that’s a boss fight.
And for those who think hardware can’t get any weirder: u/Cygnata recounted the tale of a user who believed her computer had a soul—and tried to “feed it rice” through the A drive. For months. Until the PC died and repair techs found rice “filling over half the case.” The developer’s response? “This one is insane. ‘I fed it rice’ is madness—can I add this as a mini story arc to the game?” You bet.
Community Cameos: From “Big Hammer Tech” to Ghostly Monitors
What makes “IT Never Ends” uniquely charming is how it transforms real Redditors into in-game legends. The dev is not just borrowing stories—each contributor gets a custom portrait, a story arc, and even a place in the credits. “Depending on whether/how many of you guys like the idea, we can do a dedicated reddit/TFTS section in the game’s credits listing everyone. I’d like that a lot!”
The comments reveal a parade of characters straight out of a Dantean sitcom: the “Big Hammer” IT guy (as u/rezwrrd quipped, “Hey, I only did that once…”), the tech tasked with exorcising haunted printers, the intern discovering moldy coffee cups and dead mice in the ceiling, and the hapless SRE tracking down analysts who DDoS their own databases.
Not every story is slapstick—some are a little too real. u/Comfortable-Scale132 recounted a weeklong brush with Homeland Security after their well-intentioned PowerShell wizardry enabled a malware outbreak. “I was told to not talk about it on the phone by my boss as my phone could be tapped… Nice? Yeah I guess but hecka stressful.”
And of course, the perennial “problem exists between chair and keyboard” trope gets its due, as u/Basileus08 and u/TDLMTH share tales of full hard drives, unplugged cables, and very confused relatives.
Why This Game—and This Community—Matter
What’s striking is not just the absurdity (though there’s plenty) but the camaraderie and catharsis these stories foster. By inviting the r/TalesFromTechSupport crowd to become both muse and cast, “IT Never Ends” is part tribute, part therapy, and all cathartic chaos.
The subreddit’s response has been overwhelmingly positive, with dozens offering stories, encouragement, and even design suggestions. As OP cheerfully updated, “You guys rock, watch this space—I’m currently drawing the first batch of 5 of you and your cards!”
So the next time your printer jams, your coffee tastes a little crunchy, or your monitor flickers to life in the parking lot—remember: in the right hands, your IT nightmare might just become someone else’s favorite boss fight.
Ready to Enter Tech Support Hell?
Curious to see these legends in action? Try the demo on Steam and maybe, just maybe, see your own story or likeness in the next update. Got an IT tale worthy of hell? Head over to the thread and share your story—you might just become a playable character.
What’s your most hellish tech support moment? Could it be the next quest in “IT Never Ends”? Share below, and let’s keep the nightmare alive—together.
Original Reddit Post: I.T Never Ends (my game about IT support in Hell) started here. I'd like to add more of you guys as ingame characters with your jobs and stories.