Summary
It’s hard to delve deep into the world of gaming without mentioning Twitch. Livestreaming has become a huge part of how people interact with video games online. Whether through watching competitive tournaments with millions of other fans or enjoying a popular streamer play througha co-op game with their pals, there’s always something for everyone.
But there are many examples of games that defied expectations and found a much bigger audience than anticipated, despite the steep competition with some of the big names in the industry. Many smaller games can find massive success on the platform thanks to some helpful word of mouth and a single streamer picking up the game and exploding it into the stratosphere.
Dune: Awakeningtakes the extremely popular movie/book franchise and thrusts players straight into the deserts of Arrakis with nothing but their own will to survive to help them.Survival games have always been extremely popular, but for a brand-new title to break out in this way is more than impressive.
The game has a lot to offer in a seemingly empty world. Players navigate basic survival challenges like thirst and hunger, whilst also managing additional obstacles such as the infamous Sandworms that lurk beneath the surface of the dunes. It’s an absolute blast for any fans of the genre and has made for plenty of interesting encounters on stream as well.
Only Up!belongs to a small category of gamesaptly named “rage games,“whose entire reason for existing is to induce as much anger and frustration in players as possible. Players have a single goal to achieve: climb to the top of the map. But that goal is far easier said than done, given that one wrong move can set players back after hours of progress and countless fails.
The reason the game was so popular on Twitch when it came out was the perfect combination of streamer reactions and simplistic game design. Any viewer could jump in and understand what was happening, and any time the streamer missed a jump, the anger that ensued was more than enough to bring with it plenty of laughs for everyone.
6Chess
The Classic Game For A Modern Audience
Chesswas around long before the days of video games, but has stood the test of time and recently found a resurgence in the form of livestreaming. What started out as small streamers showcasing their skills and tournaments for only the best quickly turned into a global phenomenon that saw some of the biggest faces in the game all getting in on the action.
During the 2020s, things have taken off in a big way, with the category bringing in millions of viewers every month and countless competitions both for high-ranking players and newbies just starting out. It might be one of the most widely recognizable games on the planet, but no one could have predicted how big it would become, even when compared to some of the biggest names in gaming.
Phasmophobiais the perfect co-op game that brings players together in the most horrific setting possible. Players play as ghost hunters, entering haunted houses and abandoned cabins in search of clues regarding the specific specters that are haunting the halls, with nothing but a few cameras and basic tools to help them.
The blend ofhorror and co-opmade for the ideal streaming experience. Even years after it was released, the game continues to pull in tens of thousands of viewers every month, demonstrating once again that simple concepts can oftentimes be the best.
Peakis a charming cooperative adventure that sees players climbing through several different biomes in order to reach the summit above. What makes the game unique is the inclusion of several features, such as proximity chat, that bring additional levels of fun and comedy to an already silly experience.
The ability to group up with four players and work together to reach a universal goal makes playing the game a treat, and watching it just as fun. Every step forward is a small movement of progress towards the end, which means that players are encouraged to work together whenever they can.
GTA5has long been one of the most popular games on the planet, but the reasons for its streaming popularity go far deeper than just the game itself. The ability to play with others opened the door for roleplay servers where players take on a variety of different personas, ranging from taxi drivers to mob bosses, all staying in character throughout the stream.
This led to large groups of streamers all participating in massive servers full of personalities and hilarious interactions at every moment. With the release ofGTA6just around the corner, there is no doubt that the sequel will have just as much success and just as big of a following, both in the game and in terms of viewership.
Fortnitequickly rose to the top of the gaming world, and very few games have ever been able to compete with the viewership numbers the game had at its peak. A cartoonybattle royale shooterwhere players of all ages could jump in straight away and have an amazing time, it was the perfect blend of accessibility and fun, which made it the perfect candidate for streaming success.
Among Usis a remarkable game that started with some modest success, but thanks largely to the pandemic and the desire for group-streamed content, that initial release was quickly overshadowed by a near-endless wave of success that continues to this day.
Taking the basic concept from party games like Mafia and using a basic but recognizable aesthetic, the game blew up overnight and drew more eyes than most other games on the site for many months. Although the wave has passed for the most part, it remains a mainstay on the front page of Twitch today.
