Surrealist animator Ben Wheele, the creator behind the viral “Henry Eats” video, released his latest project, Buitopia DVD, on Steam on October 9, 2026. While the title functions as a traditional interactive experience on PC, it includes a rare feature: a bonus ISO disc image that players can burn to a physical DVD-R to play on vintage hardware.
The game is designed to be functionally indistinguishable from a mid-2000s interactive DVD. According to development logs, the project was built using DVD Lab Pro 2.0, an authoring tool that has been discontinued for years. This software allowed Wheele to create a menu-based adventure that relies on the standard directional and “enter” buttons found on a typical TV remote or the Buitopia DVD PC interface.
A 20-Year Development Journey
The release of Buitopia DVD marks the end of a production cycle that spans two decades. Wheele originally began working on the project in 2006. However, the development was halted when the original files were lost on an old computer. Years later, Wheele recovered the data, allowing him to finalize the surrealist horror experience for a modern audience while maintaining its “cursed media” aesthetic.
Because physical DVD players lack the internal storage or cloud synchronization of modern gaming consoles, the title employs a retro password system for progression. Players must note down specific codes to return to certain points in the story—a technical necessity that reinforces the era the project emulates. This password system is required for anyone playing the game via a physical disc on standalone hardware.
Steam Enhancements vs. Physical Media
While the ISO version offers an authentic analog experience on CRT televisions and standalone players, the Steam version includes several quality-of-life updates. These modern features include controller support and Steam achievements, which are not present on the burnt disc version. In an interview with Final Weapon, Wheele discussed the intersection of horror animation and the technical constraints of the DVD format, noting that the physical limitations of the medium were central to the game’s atmosphere.
The game is currently available digitally. For Steam users, the ISO file is accessible through the game’s local files, allowing anyone with a DVD burner to create their own “haunted” physical copy of the title.
