The top 10 most subscribed gaming channels on YouTube are all run by men, so it wouldn’t shock me if you felt like streaming Let’s Play videos or reviewing videogames on video was a bit of a boys’ club. When the most watched YouTube gaming channels are all male, you’re not exactly on your way to creating an inclusive environment for female gamers, because the community loses the sense that women are there too.
The thing is, there are plenty of female-run channels out there doing an incredible job, channels that actively include both genders, or at the very least keep their female audience in mind. If you’re looking for a female friendly space in gaming streams, we’ve got a list of some great Let’s Play and review channels for you to check out.
7) Allaunira
Uploading videos regularly since 2009, Allaunira is a Let’s Play veteran. Her Let’s Plays cover games such as The Witcher, Fallout, Civ V, Gone Home, Bioshock, Outlast, Baldur’s Gate, and many more besides. She’s professional, funny, personable, and genuinely enjoyable to listen to as she plays, partly because she doesn’t scream over the videos or laugh uproariously at her own jokes.
6) GamerMD83
GamerMD83 has been active since 2011. She does Playthroughs of games such as Dragon Age, Alan Wake, The Witcher, and Walking dead, as well as E3 coverage, and excellently relaxed and enjoyable interviews with people in the video games industry. Most recently she interviewed Freddie Prinze Jr (!!!) voice of Iron Bull in Dragon Age. For energetic, fun, and informative videos you definitely want to check her out.
5) Geek Remix
Geek Remix has been running since 2013 under the command of Mari and Stacy. They do easter egg videos, theory and analysis videos, individual Let’s Plays, and joint Let’s Plays. The games they cover include Dragon Age, Tomb Raider, Until Dawn, Mass Effect, and The Last of Us. They also have a playlist of scary Let’s Plays to get you in the mood for Halloween, and a list of LGBTQI+ games they’ve played through which is a great addition to their channel. You get the feeling that you’re just watching two good friends enjoy playing games together from their join Let’s Play videos which makes for really fun viewing.
4) EmSArcade
EmSArcade, run by Emily, is a fairly new account started in 2014, but she’s already managed to amass over 21,000 subscribers. This is probably because her videos are very professionally edited and her commentary is frequently hilarious and full of energy. She plays games such as The Sims, Fran Bow, and The Stanley Parable. A highlight you might want to check out is her new Drunk on Nostalgia series, where Emily essentially gets drunk and plays games from her childhood, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone being the only game thus far.
3) MsCarsonelle
MsCarsonelle, or Annalise, has been on YouTube since 2012, doing Let’s Play videos such as Bioshock, Game of Thrones, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments, and Alice: Madness Returns. She also does first impressions videos, and reviews which she promises are in no way influenced, and always honest. MsCarsonelle’s channel is great because as well as being a pleasure to watch, her videos always cover interesting games.
2) Kay Plays
Kay Plays is a YouTuber who does Let’s Plays for games such as Shadow of the Colossus, Gone Home, Fez, and Dark Souls. Kay’s videos are always an enjoyable watch, and what’s interesting is that she often plays games blind, never having tried them out prior to recording. This makes for exciting gameplay, and a feeling that you’re learning with her as the video goes on.
1) Pushing Up Roses
If you’re a fan of retro games, you should definitely have a look at Pushing Up Roses’ channel who does informative commentaries and reviews on retro video games, providing history, nostalgia, and laughs. Pushing Up Roses has done Let’s Plays of games such as Grim Fandango, Hatoful Boyfriend, and Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon. I love her historical knowledge of gaming; it’s always interesting to listen to. A definite highlight is her video on how she learned to love The Sims, it’s hilarious.
These are examples of only some of the amazing female-run gaming channels out there, and it’s definitely worth looking for even more talent out there. Enjoy watching!
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