History Main / BetterAsALetsPlay

* ''VideoGame/ArmedAndDelirious'' has [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs nonsensical writing]] and [[UncannyValley bizarre-looking late-90s pre-rendered 3D graphics]] that can be fascinating to see. However, the weird and obtuse puzzles, items that require a PixelHunt to find, and backtracking across worlds spread throughout multiple [=CDs=] mean that it's better to watch a playthrough video from someone who [[GuideDangIt has access to a walkthrough]] and cut out most of the backtracking rather than try and endure the game's flaws yourself. Plus, seeing someone else react to and try to explain what's going on is often worth a laugh.

* ''VideoGame/{{Pathologic}}'' is almost as infamous for its absurd difficulty curve as it is for its narrative complexity, meaning that a lot of players are scared off early on. According to Steam achievements, around fifteen percent of players make it past the first day, in a game that takes place over eleven days. For three characters. As a result, most fans of the game either experienced it through a Let's Play or one of the many video essays that help better explain the game's obtuse survival mechanics and difficult-to-follow story.

* PlatformHell games, such as ''VideoGame/IWannaBeTheGuy'', frequently fall into this category. The average player has close to zero chance of successfully completing the game, and it quickly becomes tedious trying and making next to no progress. Watching an expert's LP thus offers two benefits: you actually get to see past the first few screens, and you get amusing {{Angrish}} over the soundtrack.
* ''VideoGame/{{PT}}'': Considered one of the scariest games ever made, but now also almost impossible to get your hands on, since it was removed from all stores by its developer shortly after release. [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes It's now only available on PS4s that had installed the game previously]], making this a game that people mostly experience through [=LPs=].

** To a lesser extent, the various spin-offs that have surfaced since ''Persona'' became a CashCowFranchise for Creator/{{Atlus}} also count. This can be chalked up to most these titles being canonical continuations of the installment they spun off from (thus retaining a focus on narrative and characterization) while also [[GenreShift switching to completely different genres of gameplay]]--ones that someone who primarily plays [=JRPGs=] might not be willing to invest their time in learning the mechanics of. (For example, ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' and [[VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax its sequel]] are {{Fighting Game}}s, ''VideoGame/Persona4DancingAllNight'' is a RhythmGame, and ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers'' is a {{Hack and Slash}}er with ActionRPG elements. The ''VideoGame/{{Persona Q|ShadowOfTheLabyrinth}}'' [[VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth games]] go halfway, as they're [[DungeonCrawling Dungeon Crawlers]] styled after the ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey'' series.)

** The ''Persona'' games, [[SequelDisplacement especially]] ''[[VideoGame/Persona3 3]]'', ''[[VideoGame/Persona4 4]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/Persona5 5]]'', are very popular Let's Play games in the JRPG genre, due to all of them being very long and very story-driven. It would be very easy to say that many fans of the games never actually played the games themselves and simply watched a LP of it. The main reason people prefer to watch ''Persona'' games rather than play them is because of their "[[SliceOfLife Life]] [[DatingSim Sim]]" segments, where the player has to choose what daily activity the main character will do. People watch other people play it because they either don't have time to do it themselves, or they want to see how the choices/time management of the content creator play out. Although in more recent times, Atlus' strict streaming clause to their games makes this harder to do...

* The ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'' games are extremely popular Let's Plays; in fact, the series gained a western fanbase (and eventual English release) ''because'' of a Let's Play on the Website/SomethingAwful forums. This owes to the series' unique blend of DatingSim and murder mystery, so it's fun to watch players solve the cases... and even more fun to watch players' inevitable [[ArcWords despair]] when a character they get attached to dies or is a case's culprit (resulting in a CruelAndUnusualDeath "execution").

* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'': Having to deal with [[{{Noob}} unskilled players]], {{Griefer}}s, [=AFKs=] and [[PVPBalanced unbalanced champions]] often leads to extreme frustration, so many players agree that simply watching someone else play the game can be a much more pleasant experience.

* ''VideoGame/{{Pathologic}}'' is almost as infamous for it's absurd difficulty curve as it is for its narrative complexity, meaning that a lot of players are scared off early on. According to Steam achievements, around fifteen percent of players make it past the first day, in a game that takes place over eleven days. For three characters. As a result, most fans of the game either experienced it through a Let's Play or one of the many video essays that help better explain the game's obtuse survival mechanics and difficult-to-follow story.

* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'': Having to deal with [[{{Noob}} unskilled players]], {{Griefer}}s, [=AFKs=] and [[TierInducedScrappy unbalanced champions]] often leads to extreme frustration, so many players agree that simply watching someone else play the game can be a much more pleasant experience.

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has nearly infinite creative potential, but even on Peaceful difficulty or Creative Mode, building anything more complex than a basic house can be a daunting task, not to mention that the game likes to throw survival horror elements that can easily ruin one's day, such as surrounding the player with zombies and spiders in the middle of cave mining operations and [[ActionBomb Creepers]] abruptly not only killing the player but also destroying half of their beautiful house. As a result, many people instead prefer to watch their favorite streamers and [=LPers=] play the game and make and show off their projects. The VirtualYouTuber agency WebAnimation/{{hololive}} in particular is well-known for its ''Minecraft'' streams, having one multiplayer server for the Japanese and Indonesian branches, one for the English-language branch and one for the male Holostars; the JP-ID server in particular is lavish with SceneryPorn as a result of talents having played on the server for over a year. ''Minecraft'' also has an active [=PvP=] community across multiple servers; often, fans find it more fun to watch popular and skilled [=LPers=] duke it out with each other (which can easily reach UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny levels of epic depending on who the participants are) rather than actually participate in these games.

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' had a disastrous launch due to [[ObviousBeta numerous glitches]] and unpolished game mechanics, particularly on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and UsefulNotes/XboxOne. As such, many people who either did not purchase or pre-order the game at launch or found it unplayable on whatever hardware they owned preferred to watch others play it, whether out of genuine interest in the story, setting or gameplay, or [[BileFascination to see what jaw-droppingly awful]] glitches or development oversights would crop up for the streamer/let's player.

* ''VideoGame/{{PT}}'': Considered one of the scariest games ever made, but now also almost impossible to get your hands on, since it was removed from all stores by its developer shortly after release. [[PermanentlyMissableContent It's now only available on [=PS4=]s that had installed the game previously]], making this a game that people mostly experience through [=LPs=].

* ''VideoGame/IRacing'' bills itself as "the most realistic racing simulation game in the world", and the high barriers to entry ([[CrackIsCheaper specially-made wheel and pedal controllers are a necessity to be any good at the game, and each track and vehicle is sold separately]]) drive many away from playing. However, the fact that it is such a detailed replication of real-world car racing makes it just as fun to watch for people who are into that.

* ''VideoGame/{{PT}}'': Considered one of the scariest games ever made, but now also almost impossible to get your hands on, since it was removed from all stores by its developer shortly after release. It's now only available on [=PS4=]s that had installed the game previously, making this a game that people mostly experience through [=LPs=].

* Creator/TelltaleGames works are more story-driven AdventureGame affairs with different outcomes depending on the choices. So naturally they make for great Let's Play videos, especially if they're based on a popular IP such as ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'', ''[[VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries Batman]]'', [[VideoGame/TheWolfAmongUs Fables]] or ''[[VideoGame/TelltalesGameOfThrones Game of Thrones]]'' to name a few, just to see the choices of what certain [=LPers=] would make.

* ''VideoGame/AmongUs'' is usually best enjoyed with a full lobby of 10, all on the same voice chat, to make for entertaining dialogues and arguments. This is why it's fun to see a group of [=YouTubers=], especially ones with established dynamics, play it out, especially if you can spectate a game from different player's perspectives. [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity and drama ensues]] when [[EtTuBrute betrayal becomes inevitable]].

* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' is known for being terrifying, creating a great sense of paranoia and the punishment for failures is a good ol' JumpScare. For people who don't like being scared, this is rather off-putting, but the terrified responses of [=LPers=] make them watch videos of the series anyway. ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'' put it best.

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' nearly infinite creative potential, but even on Peaceful difficulty or Creative Mode, building anything more complex than a basic house can be a daunting task, not to mention that the game likes to throw survival horror elements that can easily ruin one's day, such as surrounding the player with zombies and spiders in the middle of cave mining operations and [[ActionBomb Creepers]] abruptly not only killing the player but also destroying half of their beautiful house. As a result, many people instead prefer to watch their favorite streamers and [=LPers=] play the game and make and show off their projects. The VirtualYouTuber agency WebAnimation/{{hololive}} in particular is well-known for its ''Minecraft'' streams, having one multiplayer server for the Japanese and Indonesian branches, one for the English-language branch and one for the male Holostars; the JP-ID server in particular is lavish with SceneryPorn as a result of talents having played on the server for over a year. ''Minecraft'' also has an active [=PvP=] community across multiple servers; often, fans find it more fun to watch popular and skilled [=LPers=] duke it out with each other (which can easily reach UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny levels of epic depending on who the participants are) rather than actually participate in these games.

* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' is known for being terrifying, creating a great sense of paranoia and the punishment for failures is a good ol' JumpScare. For people who don't like being scared, this is rather off-putting, but the terrified responses of [=LPers=] make them watch videos of the series anyway. as ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'' put it best.

* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' is known for being terrifying, creating a great sense of paranoia and the punishment for failures is a good ol' JumpScare. For people who don't like being scared, this is rather off-putting, but the terrified responses of [=LPers=] make them watch videos of the series anyway. as ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'' put it best, that's it practically the QuoteSource:

* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' is known for being terrifying, creating a great sense of paranoia and the punishment for failures is a good ol' JumpScare. For people who don't like being scared, this is rather off-putting, but the terrified responses of [=LPers=] make them watch videos of the series anyway. ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'' put it best:

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' nearly infinite creative potential, but even on Peaceful difficulty or Creative Mode, building anything more complex than a basic house can be a daunting task, not to mention that the game likes to throw survival horror elements that can easily ruin one's day, such as surrounding the player with zombies and spiders in the middle of cave mining operations and [[ActionBomb Creepers]] abruptly not only killing the player but also destroying half of their beautiful house. As a result, many people instead prefer to watch their favorite streamers and [=LPers=] play the game and make and show off their projects. The VirtualYouTuber agency WebAnimation/{{hololive}} in particular is well-known for its ''Minecraft'' streams, having one multiplayer server for the Japanese and Indonesian branches, as well as a dedicated one for the English-language branch; the JP-ID server in particular is lavish with SceneryPorn as a result of talents having played on the server for over a year. ''Minecraft'' also has an active [=PvP=] community across multiple servers; often, fans find it more fun to watch popular and skilled [=LPers=] duke it out with each other (which can easily reach UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny levels of epic depending on who the participants are) rather than actually participate in these games.

* The {{jump scare}}s, bizarre characters, and surreal and [[StylisticSuck intentionally schlocky]] nature of ''VideoGame/BaldisBasicsInEducationAndLearning'' make videos of gamers reacting to the latest weird character or mechanic added to the game as they try to avoid their ill-tempered school teacher widely popular.

-->"The horror game sensation, that no one enjoys playing, but everyone loves watching other people play."

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has nearly infinite creative potential, but even on Peaceful difficulty or Creative Mode, building anything more complex than a basic house can be a daunting task, not to mention that the game likes to throw survival horror elements that can easily ruin one's day, such as surrounding the player with zombies and spiders in the middle of cave mining operations and [[ActionBomb Creepers]] abruptly not only killing the player but also destroying half of their beautiful house. As a result, many people instead prefer to watch their favorite streamers and [=LPers=] play the game and make and show off their projects. The VirtualYouTuber agency WebAnimation/{{hololive}} in particular is well-known for its ''Minecraft'' streams, having one multiplayer server for the Japanese and Indonesian branches, as well as a dedicated one for the English-language branch; the JP-ID server in particular is lavish with SceneryPorn as a result of talents having played on the server for over a year.
** ''Minecraft'' also has an active [=PvP=] community across multiple servers; often, fans find it more fun to watch popular and skilled [=LPers=] duke it out with each other (which can easily reach UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny levels of epic depending on who the participants are) rather than actually participate in these games.

* ''VideoGame/Pathologic'' is almost as infamous for it's absurd difficulty curve as it is for its narrative complexity, meaning that a lot of players are scared off early on. According to Steam achievements, around fifteen percent of players make it past the first day, in a game that takes place over eleven days. For three characters. As a result, most fans of the game either experienced it through a Let's Play or one of the many video essays that help better explain the game's obtuse survival mechanics and difficult-to-follow story.

** The ''Persona'' games, [[SequelDisplacement especially]] ''[[VideoGame/Persona3 3]]'', ''[[VideoGame/Persona4 4]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/Persona5 5]]'', are very popular Let's Play games in the JRPG genre, due to all of them being very long and very story-driven. It would be very easy to say that many fans of the games never actually played the games themselves and simply watched a LP of it. The main reason people prefer to watch ''Persona'' games rather than play them is because of their "[[SliceOfLife Life]] [[DatingSim Sim]]" segments, where the player has to choose what daily activity the main character will do. People watch other people play it because they either don't have time to do it themselves, or they want to see how the choices/time management of the content creator play out.

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' had a disastrous launch due to [[ObviousBeta numerous glitches]] and unpolished game mechanics, particularly on the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 4}} and UsefulNotes/XboxOne. As such, many people who either did not purchase or pre-order the game at launch or found it unplayable on whatever hardware they owned preferred to watch others play it, whether out of genuine interest in the story, setting or gameplay, or [[BileFascination to see what jaw-droppingly awful]] glitches or development oversights would crop up for the streamer/let's player.

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has nearly infinite creative potential, but even on Peaceful difficulty or Creative Mode, building anything more complex than a basic house can be a daunting task, not to mention that the game likes to throw survival horror elements that can easily ruin one's day, such as surrounding the player with zombies and spiders in the middle of cave mining operations and [[ActionBomb Creepers]] abruptly not only killing the player but also destroying half of their beautiful house. As a result, many people instead prefer to watch their favorite streamers and [=LPers=] play the game and make and show off their projects. The WebVideo/VirtualYouTuber agency WebAnimation/{{hololive}} in particular is well-known for its ''Minecraft'' streams, having one multiplayer server for the Japanese and Indonesian branches, as well as a dedicated one for the English-language branch; the JP-ID server in particular is lavish with SceneryPorn as a result of talents having played on the server for over a year.

* ''Videogame/Cyberpunk2077'' had a disastrous launch due to [[ObviousBeta numerous glitches]] and unpolished game mechanics, particularly on the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. As such, many people who either did not purchase or preorder the game at launch or found it unplayable on whatever hardware they owned preferred to watch others play it, whether out of genuine interest in the story, setting or gameplay, or [[BileFascination to see what jaw-droppingly awful]] glitches or development oversights would crop up for the streamer/let's player.

* The FightingGame genre has a deep history of this. The genre is considered very hard to get into due to the steep learning curve each game has, understanding whatever meta exists, and having to learn each game's own unique mechanics, with very little being able to be transferred over to a new game or even the next title in a series. Watching, though, is one of the most popular parts of the genre ''period'', since you don't need to know how the game works to enjoy watching the fight, and tournaments are often among the most watched events in the gaming sphere due to being able to watch players who did go through the trouble of learning the aforementioned stuff compete head to head.

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has nearly infinite creative potential, but even on Peaceful difficulty or Creative Mode, building anything more complex than a basic house can be a daunting task, not to mention that the game likes to throw survival horror elements that can easily ruin one's day, such as surrounding the player with zombies and spiders in the middle of cave mining operations and [[ActionBomb Creepers]] abruptly not only killing the player but also destroying half of their beautiful house. As a result, many people instead prefer to watch their favorite streamers and [=LPers=] play the game and make and show off their projects. The {{WebVideo/VirtualYoutuber}} agency ''WebAnimation/{{hololive}}'' in particular is well-known for its ''Minecraft'' streams, having one multiplayer server for the Japanese and Indonesian branches, as well as a dedicated one for the English-language branch; the JP-ID server in particular is lavish with SceneryPorn as a result of talents having played on the server for over a year.

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has nearly infinite creative potential, but even on Peaceful difficulty or Creative Mode, building anything more complex than a basic house can be a daunting task, not to mention that the game likes to throw survival horror elements that can easily ruin one's day, such as surrounding the player with zombies and spiders in the middle of cave mining operations and [[ActionBomb Creepers]] abruptly not only killing the player but also destroying half of their beautiful house. As a result, many people instead prefer to watch their favorite streamers and [=LPers=] play the game and make and show off their projects. The WebOriginal/VirtualYoutuber agency ''WebAnimation/{{hololive}}'' in particular is well-known for its ''Minecraft'' streams, having one multiplayer server for the Japanese and Indonesian branches, as well as a dedicated one for the English-language branch; the JP-ID server in particular is lavish with SceneryPorn as a result of talents having played on the server for over a year.

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has nearly infinite creative potential, but even on Peaceful difficulty or Creative Mode, building anything more complex than a basic house can be a daunting task, not to mention that the game likes to throw survival horror elements that can easily ruin one's day, such as surrounding the player with zombies and spiders in the middle of cave mining operations and [[ActionBomb Creepers]] abruptly not only killing the player but also destroying half of their beautiful house. As a result, many people instead prefer to watch their favorite streamers and [=LPers=] play the game and make and show off their projects. The [[VirtualCelebrity Virtual YouTuber]] agency ''WebAnimation/{{hololive}}'' in particular is well-known for its ''Minecraft'' streams, having one multiplayer server for the Japanese and Indonesian branches, as well as a dedicated one for the English-language branch; the JP-ID server in particular is lavish with SceneryPorn as a result of talents having played on the server for over a year.