Laugh Track is an unabashedly anticapitalist story, which believes black lives matter and trans rights are human rights. Anyone disagreeing with these ideas is likely not going to enjoy the game -- we encourage you to play something else that you'll enjoy more instead.
This game deliberately takes on uncomfortable social issues, through the lens of analog horror and wacky animated teen sitcoms. However, there is no graphic depiction of objectionable content -- no nudity, no blood, no jumpscares. The horror comes from difficult topics such as bigotry and cruelty, drawing upon real-world patterns of authoritarianism. This may unsettle some viewers due to how close to home it hits, even through the lens of social satire in the style of The Onion, but our goal is not to indulge in shock value.
The game should be perfectly safe to present to an audience, if you are a content creator or streamer. We do strongly recommend providing a link to this content warning for any viewers who may require it, for their comfort as needed.
Because you can follow many different paths through the game, this content warning is broken down by episode title. You can click / tap / select / etc. any topic to expand it and see a spoiler-heavy breakdown of what is depicted.
Main Storyline
The framework of Management having meetings backstage is common to all playthroughs.
Politics
Strong themes of anti-capitalism and anti-fascism throughout, with "Management" clearly embracing authoritarianism and oppression while trying to find the socially tolerable limits of both. The player character is tasked to play along at times with this agenda, while scheming to destroy them.
The Director is implied to have come from the confederate south during the American Civil War.
At the start of episode 4, The Hero justifies World War II as "the proper shape of history," passively condoning atrocities (while declaring he loathes Hitler.)
"Let's Get This Bread" (First Episode)
Politics
The teacher may refer to Juno as a "damn dirty communist hippie."
The classroom version of the Pledge of Alliegance involves an implied Nazi salute (not visually depicted) and rewords the pledge to be more authoritarian.
Juno mentions her family car once backfired and caused an anti-shooter police response.
Religion / Cults
Player character rose to power within a cult, before joining the Management team as part of an eldritch horror hive mind. It is implied the player was murdered as part of that ritual of ascension. Nothing visually depicted aside from people wearing robes.
Juno's parents believe in "Mother Gaia." They eschew modern science, psychiatry, and vaccines.
Bigotry
The Director complains about the use of pronouns, before being rebuked.
The word "Diversity" has been banned from school by Executive Order.
Cat describes bullying she's received for being gay at school.
Daniel comments on the need to blend in and code switch, to avoid abuse.
Drug Use
Juno's parents secretly sell drugs, although which ones are never specified.
Remy makes a joke about rock star musicians using drugs.
Mental Health
Juno has an undiagnosed anxiety disorder with frequent panic attacks, but is forbidden from seeking therapy or medication by her parents.
"Be Kind Rewind"
Bigotry / Politics
Remy and Cat are unable to rent the video they want because the government has classified queer and transgender themes as pornography.
The Teacher can say Cat is "smarter than she looks," implying her skin tone suggests otherwise.
Remy has the option to consider blackmailing a closeted trans character.
Several discussions of how payment processors curtail queer speech.
Threats of Violence
Cat threatens The Dealer with a knife when he steals a jacket from a homeless camp.
"Democracy Inaction"
Politics
Extensive political messaging throughout, particularly about the effectiveness and ideals of American democracy.
Several allusions to modern political messages: "make this school great again," and "Remy Will Fix It" as a politically-charged catch phrase.
Discussion of rising health care costs and health insurance issues.
Students are made to burn their textbooks as "woke DEI propaganda."
The phrase "virtue-signaling holier-than-thou beta cuck" is deployed if Daniel claims to be the "voice of the voiceless."
Some Canada vs. United States rhetoric; "Americans are notoriously well armed," "In America you aren't supposed to apologize for anything," and referring to the War of 1812. (Too soon, I guess?)
Remy can imply Daniel was behind the 9/11 attacks.
Police Interactions
An openly racist "NICE" agent appears repeatedly to question student citizenship and gender identity. No one is arrested but Cat is wanted for arrest. The Officer is no longer a threat after this episode; you can decide how violent his exit from the story is.
Your chosen candidate has an opportunity to speak out against immigration raids on the school. This does not affect the outcome (aside from the ratings.)
"Where's The Beef?"
Politics
A joke teases that the group will discuss things like abortion, dometic terrorism, and other sensitive topics only to have it turn out to be an innocent discussion.
The Teacher claims veganism is due to "Cultural Marxism" and suggests injecting bleach.
A joke about "DOBE, the Department of Bone Efficiency."
The Officer unleashes a tirade of bigoted slurs, but they are all censored.
Cat suggests that Daniel's activism is passive and ineffective, and suggests blowing up a pipeline or defacing a racist's headquarters instead.
"Just Say No" (Remy Very Special Episode)
Drug Use
Cat, Daniel, and Juno accidentally get dosed with an unknown hallucinogenic drug and experience panic attacks, depressive episodes, and more.
The Dealer sells drug-laced snack food, but it's never made clear exactly what kind of drugs he's selling.
Real-World Event References
Juno's hallucinations are an extended metaphor about COVID-19.
Daniel's hallucinations are an extended metaphor about the racial violence, including references to the Charlotte "unite the right" rally.
Cat's hallucinations are an extended metaphor about immigration enforcement.
Accidents and Injuries
Depending on choices, Remy may crash a car and result in everybody dying, being injured, or arrested. This is quickly undone by Management.
Multiple times Remy breaks traffic safety laws and endangers others while speeding down the highway, including some kids playing in the street. Nobody actually gets hurt from this, though.
"Second to Some" (Daniel Very Special Episode)
Bigotry / Racial Violence
This episode deals extensively with Daniel's attempts to fit in to a racist class structure within the school, by being "one of the good ones." This includes him purposefully failing tasks to make his white classmates look good.
The Champ encourages Daniel to pretend Cat is his "side piece," despite her being gay, to prove his heterosexual masculinity.
The Champ frequently calls Daniel "Charlie," aka "Victor Charlie" or Viet Cong, due to his Vietnamese heritage. It's spoken like a playful nickname but Daniel is hurt each time he hears it.
Daniel tells a story of how his uncle grew more successful than white fishermen, and was burned alive by the Klu Klux Klan.
"Take Out the Trash" (Cat Very Special Episode)
Climate Change
This episode talks extensively about ecological collapse, recycling, and other issues related to climate change policies.
Religion
Cat is Christian of an unknown denomination, but her homosexuality led her mother to disown her. She maintains her faith and is concerned Juno's in a cult.
Cat believes that this sitcom world is a biblical Hell, and she's been condemned for her sins.
Homelessness
Cat is revealed to be homeless and living in an alley. She also describes violently attacking another homeless girl who tried to steal her blanket.
Threat of Violence
Depending on player choice, Cat can either threaten to kill Juno, or threaten to kill herself. Neither actually come to pass.
"Last Dance" (Final Episode)
Terminal Illness
Early in the episode Juno contracts Squirrel Pox, with the implication that due to her anti-vax parents, the disease will kill her by the end of the episode. If the player has high ratings across all episodes, this may happen.
Depending on player choice, Juno may abuse perscription drugs in an attempt to fix her symptoms.
Juno has frequent hallucinations due to her Squirrel Pox.
Several discussions about the politics of vaccination policies.
Gender Conformity
The plot centers on "Promcoming," a dance where traditionally boys and girls attend as couples. Depending on player decisions, the group may pair off in different combinations despite their gender identities and sexualities to make it through the door, while decrying heteronormativity.
Notably, if the polyamorous pairing story path is chosen, they cannot go as a thruple and need to decieve others to get Juno to the dance with both Cat and Daniel.
Politics
The low ratings version of Juno's final speech includes a politically-charged rallying cry for anti-fascism.
Meeting with Management at the end continues the metaphor of Management as a force of conservative hatred and violence, focusing on inducing global suffering through oppression.