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These Free Game Playthroughs are a Great Alternative to TV

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Shana Martin
| January 10, 2022
hello world!

Leftover pepperoni pizza, and something good to watch. That’s the perfect way to spend an evening! Tonight’s cinematic classic is Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. I am on the part where Luigi is “ghost busting” his way through the abandoned clock tower. (Here’s a clip from my perspective.) It’s a good thing I wear a seatbelt because this story has kept me on the edge of my seat! (A little wheelchair humor.) 

Yes, my fellow Couch spuddies, I do realize that it is a video game. Still, it’s a great story! The animation is dated, but it still holds up, and I never had a NintendoDS, so it’s all new to me. (For more about my gaming background, read my article I Am Not A Gamer, But I Am A Replayer.)

Pizza and playthroughs!

Of course, I know all about the major streaming services: Hulu, Netflix, DisneyPlus, and so on. However, there’s one thing that stops me from having any of these services and their wondrous content… money. When you’re disabled like I am and living on a fixed income, you have to prioritize. I say to myself, “Do I buy groceries this week or buy another month of service to see Henry Cavill with his shirt off? Do I pay the power bill or watch baby Yoda swallow a frog whole?”

Yes, young spuds, even at level 45, adulting is hard!  

Since joining this community, though, my eyes have been wide with wonder at all these wonderful games and their stories. Most of them are, I’d venture to say, far superior to what Hollywood has offered lately. And my way of seeing all these things is through playthroughs: people who are streaming their gameplay on Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook. There’s great content whether it’s a playthrough with the player’s commentary or just a video of someone playing the game without commentary.

So far, my favorite playthroughs have been in these games:

Uncharted 1 and 2 – There’s a live-action film coming soon for Uncharted, though, personally, I think the games themselves would make great films! Here’s one of many available on YouTube with no commentary:

Kena: Bridge of Spirits – I love everything about this game! The world is so colorful and immersive, even in the dark moments. Kena is a very strong and, at times, a fierce young girl who fights corrupted spirits in order to set them free with the help of some little friends known as Rot. THEY ARE SO STINKING CUTE! Special thanks to Dan Morris of Deadpan Gaming for sharing his commentary-free playthrough playlist here:

Unravel – I love this game because it has the feel of a Pixar film and it has yarn! Check out this playthrough on YouTube:

In addition to playthroughs, I have seen a ton of creator content within our Couch Soup community. Those streams have kept me laughing on those days when I need it! Here are some of my favorite moments over the last year:

“I’m on fire” from the Chaos Crew:

“Worst Pirates: Dan & Brandy Play Dead Space” from Deadpan Gaming:

“First time in Dead Space! (Spoiler: IT’S TERRIFYING!)” from Pagan Plays:

https://youtu.be/AAzbrVbDXWw

Well, my spuddies, I hope my story and these samples show you that watching playthroughs and other creator content can be a great alternative to what’s on TV.  

Have you found yourself watching people play games instead of binge-watching the latest HBO Max series? What game or content channels would you suggest I add to my playlist?

Hey fellow nerds! Before you dive back into that gaming session or start your next binge-watch, here’s the deal with Couch Soup: we’re a completely independent pop culture site run by genuine fans who get just as hyped as you do about the latest games, comics, movies, and TV shows. No corporate overlords, no AI-generated content, just real people who know their Metroid from their Mass Effect.

Unlike the big corporate sites, we don’t chase clicks or stir up drama. Sure, we might have some hot takes (looking at you, controversial season finale), but they come from a place of genuine passion and respect for the creators and fandoms we cover.

Want to support what we do and join what we think is the coolest community of pop culture enthusiasts on the internet? Check out our supporter tiers – each packed with perks that’ll level up your fandom experience. Every contribution helps keep us independent and lets us keep nerding out with you!

Thanks for being part of our quest – now, back to our regularly scheduled geekery!
Drew Lewis,
Editor-in-chief
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About the Author

  • Shana Martin

    Shana is originally from Findlay, Ohio, and currently resides in Largo in Central Florida. She proclaims that in life she “always has the BEST seat in the house!” Being diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy from birth has not stopped her from living life to the fullest. Her poetry has been published in 6 different collections. She loves Renaissance Festivals and any film that has copious amounts of sword fighting. She’s also addicted to yarn and chocolate!

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Drew Lewis
2 years ago

Game playthroughs are going to blow up in the next few years. It’s going to be big money for some creators as game publishers need to find new ways to reach their audience.

Candace Bissonette
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Drew Lewis

Game playthroughs can be a lot of fun to watch and it’s great for gamers and non-gamers. There are phenomenal stories being told through video games. More and more people are catching on to this and don’t want to miss out. Great article, Shana!

Stef Watson
Editor
2 years ago

No lie, I think I have seen that “Camp Chaos” video about 30 times! It’s a great little nugget a joy!

This is inspiring me from the creator side to stream more clean playthroughs. It takes the pressure off for preparing my camera and overlays and talking or being on camera during the stream. And, as a bonus, the stream and the final video are useful for folks that just want to watch the story!

Luis Reza
Member
2 years ago

Never wanted to be on, or watch, or anything Twitch and game playthroughs but since becoming a part of this community and watching my friends play these games I love taking part in anything I can whenever I can. Always happy to see someone having fun!

Matthew Snyder
2 years ago

I shall forever hold dear to my heart the experience of witnessing Pagan hitting the Boy Of Silence jumpscare in her Bioshock Infinite playthrough.

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