These shall be the memoirs of my adventures on the platform known as Twitch. I know it seems like an odd thing to write about, but this experience has been quite an adventure for me. Full of unexpected and wonderful things. So let's delay no further and begin at the beginning, the best place to start!
So, for those who do not know, Twitch is a live-streaming service owned by Amazon. Almost anybody can live stream, and there is a variety of content, from video games to cooking. I say almost anybody, as Twitch does have an age restriction of 13. It does have some limitations on the type of content you can stream. You can look at their Community Guidelines to get the full picture of what is not acceptable.
I started watching Twitch because of my husband. He had a channel playing on his PC and was frequently giggling and typing on the keyboard. Intrigued, I began paying attention. It wasn't long before I dug up my Twitch account. I had created it long ago to get drops for a specific game and never used it since.
It is quite the experience to interact with someone who is broadcasting live. And that is a major selling point on Twitch. But, this is a big one, it was the community surrounding three specific streamers, that made it an unforgettable experience for me.
It wasn't long before I felt like I was simply hanging out with a group of friends watching one friend play a game while we all joked, exchanged news, and supported each other.
These three channels with their intertwined communities and wonderful streamers had me returning to Twitch again and again, basically every day. Even if I only had the stream running in the background while doing something else (termed lurking), I felt part of a cool community.
A young adult American, recently married, who streams after getting home from his regular job. This guy has an awesome vibe. Spankzxy streams are light-hearted, and he has the most infectious laugh.
Spankzxy plays Phasmophobia as his main game but occasionally will play other spooky games to add a bit of variety. And he has something I have never seen anywhere else, 'Head Drawings'. When a view redeems a head drawing with channel points, they send him a picture over discord, and Spankzxy will draw that picture on his bald head. Don't worry, he doesn't use a permanent marker!
Spankzxy also has a 'channel mascot' his pug, affectionately called Frank the Tank. Frank adds a huge dose of cuteness to the channel.
Here is a fun clip from Spankzxy's channel: TURN IT ON x3
Here is the main channel link:
A full-time German streamer, Takerst left his regular job to pursue his dream of being a successful streamer with all his time and energy. He may be German, but he streams in English (with a lovely German accent).
Affectionately called Professor Phasmophobia, Takerst knows that game better than anyone I have ever seen play. He has it down to some kind of statistical or mathematical art at this point. Takerst happily answers any questions about the game or how to figure out some of the more difficult spectres you can encounter in-game.
Unlike Spankzxy, Takerst doesn't jump scare easily, at least not on Phasmophobia. Though Phasmophobia is what he is known for, Takerst also streams other games from time to time. It is possible then to see Takerst jump scared on occasion.
Rare clip of Takerst getting jump scared: Takerst Scared??
Here is the main channel link:
A fellow South African, Synister is the youngest of the three streamers at 21 years. Living in the Cape area it is possible to hear that distinct accent come through when he speaks. He streams in English, but you can request him to speak in Afrikaans for a minute through a channel redemption. Synister started as a Minecraft streamer but is now mainly a Phasmophobia streamer.
Synister has his channel themed around being a pirate. He has a pirate camera filter and a ghost camera filter, both of which, are very cute and funny. He will also occasionally stream dressed as Captain Synister Sparrow. Another lighthearted fun stream to be in.
A clip of Captain Synister Sparrow: Rum Makes it Okay
Here is the main channel link:
Thus began my adventures on Twitch, watching these three channels and making friends not only with the broadcasters but with their lovely communities as well. Little did I realise where this adventure would lead me in the future. But that is for you to read in future posts.
Do you watch Twitch? What are your favourite channels or streamers? Do you think watching people play games live is stupid and prefer the production value of TV series instead? Let me know!
Thanks!
As always, thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read my ramblings.
Credits:
I used Canva to design the cover image.
