I think it’s safe to assume that if you’re here, then you’re probably a gamer. Gaming offers a respite from reality, an escape from responsibility, and a challenge if you’re feeling like nothing is pushing you hard enough.
However, life is hectic. It’s not always possible to sit down and commit hours to grinding through an RPG or playing through other people’s lives in life sims. Sure, you might want to curl up and spend your evenings trudging through warzones or building civilizations, but real life must take precedence and children, work, pets, and frankly, sleep are all more important even if they’re not as much fun.
If that’s the case, how can you stay up to date with recent releases in a deeper and more meaningful way than just watching the trailer? Well, YouTube has an answer to that. More specifically, Let’s Play YouTubersarethe answer to this predicament.
There are hundreds of people in the Let’s Play corner of YouTube, playing games that others don’t have the time to commit themselves to. If you want to live vicariously and understand a game, or you want to figure out if a game is worth buying, there’s no better bunch of people to turn to.
As a busy parent, I’ve spent a lot of time watching Let’s Play YouTubers while I clean the house, cook dinner, or otherwise just can’t sit down to play. Here are 10 of the best that I’ve found over the years.
Jack plays everything from niche indie titles to AAA releases, often in long-form, single-sitting videos. Among his most popular series are his single-sitting, full-game Soulsborne videos,Happy Wheels,Detroit: Become Human, andUndertale. There are hours of content to binge watch, and he truly has played something that will appeal to everyone.
Dan and Phil are, again, two people who I feel like I’ve grown up watching. Both of them have been making YouTube videos for over a decade and have come together to createDan and Phil Games.
The channel is mostly known for its long-runningSims 4series (they recently featured as part ofThe Sims25 hour live streamto celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the franchise), so if you’re a fan of the life sim, you’ll find hours of content featuring their main Sim Dil and his now very large extended family. They also play a range of other PC and board/card games that are hilarious to watch.
Call Me Kevinis a Let’s Play YouTuber who ventures into the weird and wacky side of gaming. He’s pitted AI against multiple games (Detroit: Become HumanandSkyrimare definitely worth watching) and forces Sims to live in cursed situations just to see what happens.
FromBitLifetoGrand Theft Auto, Kevin has played a huge variety of games, so if you want a series to dive into, you’ll find something on his channel. He also uploads a range of skits, music covers, and vlogs if you want to get to know the creator a little better.
Dazis, without a doubt, one of the funniest YouTubers to grace this list. He’s a fan of horror games, even though he’s absolutely terrified by every single one of them, so I’ll warn you that watching him play is best done without headphones, or at least with them set to a low volume lest you end up going deaf via his screaming.
With that said, Daz doesn’t just do Let’s Plays. He also has an entire series of Ghost Hunt videos, regularly uploads reaction content, and also has asecond channelthat actually sees him go outside with his friend Will and touch grass. If you want something to brighten your day, or you’re just a fan of niche horror games, I can’t recommend Daz enough.
From someone who is likely to wake you up screaming to someone who actively tries to put you to sleep with his ASMR (mostly) cozy content.MadMorphis a huge name in the cozy gaming sphere, with his “Fall asleep while I play…” videos and previews of upcoming releases for the genre.
He doesn’t exclusively stick to cozy games, mind you. He has done long-form playthrough videos of Until Dawn and Alan Wake 2 alongside his more niche cozy titles. If you want a relaxing voice to listen to while you try to relax but still want some gaming content, I recommend giving MadMorph a try.
When it comes to gaming videos, it’s always fun to see someone absolutely trash a game through overexertion of core mechanics, and that’s something that you’re able to rely onLet’s Game it Outto do for you. He mostly plays life sims, although “play” might be a strong word. It’s more like destroying the game through the mechanics that are meant to make it playable in the first place.
His most memorable attempts at this are throughZoo TycoonandPlanet Coaster, where he creates bizarre and nonsensical situations that inevitably descend into pure chaos. His videos regularly feature cuts where, when he returns, he discusses how he just spent hours of his life doing something completely insane.
Admittedly, this is a less serious entry, but as a lazy egg fan, I just can’t not include him in this Let’s Play YouTuber list.This cartoon egghas playedMinecraftandFall Guys, and while they’re not exactly the most thrilling of playthroughs, it would entirely go against Gude’s brand if they were actually exciting.
There’s something weirdly soothing about watching a grumpy cartoon egg build a life inMinecraftor complain his way through a level inFall Guys(all in Japanese with English subtitles). Plus, he’s just adorable, and I’m fairly confident my spirit animal is an egg, so he’s going on this list because I have the power to put him here.
RTGamehas had a lot of long-running and successful series over the years, including aMinecraftseries that he’s gone back to after a decade away from the game and a bunch ofBalatrocontent as well. Perhaps what he’s best known for, though, is his “A man with no rhythm plays rhythm games” videos.
The overarching premise of his channel is trying things that he has no idea how to do, and that’s appealing because it’s how I go into most games these days. I love that RTGame doesn’t focus on AAA titles, and also features niche games likeSquirrel with a GunandA Little to the Leftin his roster.
This one is purely for theSimsfans, andJames Turner’s channel is filled with Let’s Plays, and speed builds focused entirely onThe Sims 4. Anyone who playsThe Sims 4will know about James Turner, as he’s the creator of multiple hugely popular challenges such as Rags to Riches and the Every Occult Challenge.
Since there-releaseof bothThe Sims 1andThe Sims 2, he’s also been attempting his own challenges within the older titles, which are going… Well, about as well as you’d expect them to. There are endless hours worth of the Sims content on his channel, so if you’re a fan of the franchise, you should definitely check it out.
Dan is another huge name in the Let’s Play YouTube sphere, and he’s also been around for over a decade at this point. Over that time, he’s made thousands of gaming videos on everything from niche indie titles toFive Nights at Freddy’s, and the main core of his content isMinecraft-based.
He also posts sporadic vlog-style videos and reactionary content, so you’ve got some different styles of content if you want to mix it up. Dan also has a second channel where he regularly goes live, streaming content and interacting with viewers as he plays. As a parent, DanTDM is also a great example of a YouTuber maintaining a good work/life balance, which is always nice to see.
