[imagesource: Getty]

This article is a guest contribution from game enthusiast and sometimes Dungeon Master, Mo.

Gaming channels are my happy place and they have been keeping me sane during the lockdown.

If nothing else, they evoke the now distant memory of sitting together with friends, playing games together, and generally wreaking in-game havoc.

However, if like me, you have a partner who is not a gamer and he/she doesn’t even have a clue about a website with 50 free spins or where to find the best casino games, it can be difficult to get your fix of gaming content on YouTube.

She tried to play Hitman once in a misguided attempt to show some interest in the things I like. After running around for 10 minutes looking for a duck (instead of killing her target), before abandoning the controller, it became clear that this wasn’t a hobby that we would share going forward.

Since then we’ve found a compromise. There are a couple of partner-approved gaming channels that we both like to watch because of their high entertainment value.

Here’s a list:

CallMeKevin (2,34 million subscribers)

CallMeKevin (Kevin O’Reilly) is an Irish YouTuber who is known for his humorous commentary while gaming. Ironically, my partner (the non-gamer) discovered his channel when she found a video of him playing the Harry Potter series of games, which are notoriously terrible.

We watched one video and then another, and then it was 2AM in the morning.

It had been a while since I laughed so hard that I cried.

Kevin is hilarious, and it is hard to describe his style of gameplay, apart from the fact that he plays the way one is not supposed to. From the cult that he started in the Sims, led by his Sims creation (abomination), Jim Pickens, to the way that he annoys people who take online gaming far too seriously, he’s a legend.

Enjoy Kevin butchering Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:

RTGame (2,36 million subscribers)

Staying in Ireland, RTGame is a YouTube channel, run by Daniel Condren, which also adopts a style of play that involves playing games badly. 

In a style similar to that of CallMeKevin, RTGame is known for his humorous commentary and his general mischief-making while gaming. He also has a rivalry going with Kevin and they often team up to game together.

RTGame and CallMeKevin play Don’t Starve:

OutsideXbox and Outsidextra (2,54 million subscribers and 808 000 subscribers respectively)

If you want to watch a gaming channel with professional gaming and 30-Kill streaks on Call of Duty, this is not the channel for you.

If, however, you want to watch five friends review and play games, welcome to OutsideXbox and OutsideXtra (OxBoxTra). The cast -Jane Douglas, Andy Farrant, Mike Channel, Luke Westaway, and Ellen Rose – are wholesome and delightful. They have been a welcome addition to my daily viewing since 2017 and provide sanity in these uncertain times. 

OxBoxTra uploads content that is divided between ‘Let’s Plays’, list features, and a weekly gaming review segment, which is sometimes educational, but always entertaining and beyond ridiculous. They also occasionally play Dungeons and Dragons. 

During the lockdown, the OxBoxTra crew have been uploading regular live streams. I’m a huge fan of Luke Westaway’s Animal Crossing live streams and Jane’s playthrough of TwoPoint Hospital.

Here they are listing the 11 times we were just the worst at stealth:

Also, if you are a fan of DnD, definitely have a look at the OxBoxTra DnD series.

The song that they wrote for Dungeon Master, Johnny Chiodini of DiceBreaker (a boardgame YouTube Channel) will tell you everything that you need to know:

Girlfriend Reviews (875 000 Subscribers)

Girlfriend Reviews has an interesting premise. It goes into what it is like to experience a game from the perspective of a non-gamer. 

My partner also discovered this gaming channel and completely understood the struggles faced by the narrator, who describes what she had to endure while her boyfriend played Red Dead Redemption 2:

If you are the longsuffering partner of a gamer and you’re looking for a game to purchase as a gift during the lockdown, have a look at Girlfriend Reviews to see which game you, as a non-gamer, would enjoy watching.

There you have it – hours of content to watch and your partner won’t hate you for it.

Everybody wins.

Stay safe, and keep gaming.