An independent horror film has won the Golden Joystick Awards' Best Game Adaptation. Iron Lung, Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach's self-financed adaptation of David Szymanski's 2022 submarine horror game, took the public-voted award at the 44th ceremony in London yesterday. The Golden Joysticks announced it as "the terrifying Iron Lung," and the post has passed 15,000 likes. Check out the official post down below:
Of the 5 nominees it beat, 2 were also horror adaptations: Resident Evil and Exit 8. The others were Fallout Season 2, Mortal Kombat II and Devil May Cry Season 2.
An Ocean Of Blood
Szymanski's original Iron Lung is a short horror game where the player pilots a sealed submarine through an ocean of blood using only a camera to see outside. Markiplier had played the game on his YouTube channel, and he announced the film adaptation with a teaser trailer on April 21, 2023. He wrote and paid for it himself, and Szymanski was involved from pre-production, helping with the story and visiting the set during filming.
The film follows Simon, a convict played by Markiplier, who is sent to a newly discovered moon after an event called the "Quiet Rapture" causes the stars, inhabited planets and most of humanity to vanish. He is forced to pilot the SM-13, a submarine with a sealed porthole nicknamed the "Iron Lung," through the moon's ocean of blood in exchange for his freedom. With no window to look through, Simon can only see outside by taking still images with a crude camera, and he has only limited radio contact with the crew on the surface. The cast also includes Caroline Rose Kaplan as Ava, Troy Baker as David, Elsie Lovelock and Elle LaMont as the voice of the Monster, Seán "Jacksepticeye" McLoughlin as Jack, and Alanah Pearce. Szymanski has a cameo as himself, and Andrew Hulshult composed the score, his first for a film. Markiplier's final trailer for the film is below:
Filming In Austin With 80,000 Gallons Of Fake Blood
Filming took place in Austin, Texas, with Markiplier producing alongside Will Hyde and Jeff Guerrero, and it wrapped on April 29, 2023. Markiplier said during production that Iron Lung would use more fake blood than any other horror film. In a livestream on December 7, 2025, he put the final total at over 80,000 gallons, and he went to the hospital during the shoot after getting too much of it in his eyes. The release was delayed by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, since Markiplier is a member of the union. He had previously written and directed the YouTube Original films A Heist with Markiplier and In Space with Markiplier, and Iron Lung is his feature-length directing debut.
Iron Lung's Release
Markiplier released Iron Lung in theaters across North America on January 30, through his own Markiplier Studios. It also opened in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and some European territories. Box office tracking puts its worldwide total at $51.2 million, with $41.1 million from the US and Canada. On May 29, the film arrived digitally on YouTube Movies and Google TV in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Troy Baker, who plays David in Iron Lung, was also nominated for Best Supporting Performer for playing Nathaniel Essex in Marvel's Wolverine. That award went to Grace Saif for PRAGMATA.
Horror At The Golden Joysticks
Iron Lung was not the only horror winner of the night. Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem won Ultimate Game of the Year, Console Game of the Year, Best Game Trailer and Best Lead Performer for Angela Sant'Albano as Grace Ashcroft.
Jacksepticeye, who plays Jack in Iron Lung, has his own horror film in the works, as covered in Famed YouTuber Jacksepticeye Is Producing Indie Horror Film GODMOTHER.
Is Iron Lung the best horror game adaptation so far, or does another film still top it for you?
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