Making the decision to stream can be very exciting. Most beginner streamers daydream about building a following playing their favorite games. What many don’t realize that unless you can funnel a following from another platform, streaming a popular AAA game is detrimental to early growth on Twitch. This post will explain why and give you a few strategies on what to seek out.
How Game Selection Shapes Your Growth
Game selection is very important if you want to get more Twitch viewers. Most users on the platform search categories with the top viewers listed first. If you are trying to grow on a game such as PUBG, League of Legends, Fortnite, or Fall Guys, you will be listed far, far below many other streamers. Even viewers who look for smaller streamers are unlikely to choose your stream over the thousands of other small streamers available.
To stimulate early Twitch growth, you need to come to the platform with a solid strategy. If that strategy includes trying to organically grow off the platform, you will need to be careful about what games you stream. The key is to find games within your favorite genre that have a strong viewer to streamer ratio then integrate those viewers into your community as they arrive.
Tips For Choosing Which Games to Stream
The first thing you should do when choosing games to stream is to look at less popular games in your favorite genre. In order to work your way up to more popular games, you will need to find viewers who enjoy the same games you enjoy and who love your personality.
When you have a list of games available, visit a Twitch rankings site such as SullyGnome to find out how many viewers are frequently watching the game vs the number of streamers broadcasting. The site also shows charts of when other creators go live. Your goal is to find a game that has a decent amount of viewers, but a low number of streamers around the time you want to broadcast.
Great Xbox Games to Stream
In our research, we have found the the following games will typically have a decent viewer to streamer ratio, allowing you to find an early community:
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Untitled Goose Game
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Sea of Thieves
- Gears 5
Many Indie games are good to stream shortly after their release as there is typically a smaller audience for them, but they are likely to want to see some gameplay before purchasing it themselves. Make sure that there is a decent amount of hype surrounding it before you stream on launch.
Grow Your Channel From The Start
When learning how to stream on Twitch, many people go live without learning to promote themselves first. Find ways to grow your channel either from your socials, subreddits that allow you to post, or even by asking a few friends and family members to watch your stream at the beginning.
Even a small bump in viewer count can help your channel catch the eye of casual viewers looking for a new community. Make sure to warmly greet them as they chat with you. Your friends and family can help by interacting with the new viewers and welcoming them to the channel. As new viewers become active members of your community, they are likely to share your stream with their friends or help you by engaging with newer members on their own.
You should also take the time to find good graphics such as overlays, panels, and alerts that match your game selection. For example a Twitch overlay can be seen on your thumbnail, so try to make it look as though it belongs with the genre. There are graphics designed for all game genres in a variety of different styles so you are likely to find something that suits your taste.
Slowly Transition to More Popular Games
As you learn to convert casual viewers to loyal community members, you will be able to gradually transition to more popular games. Make sure that you stay toward the top of the category so that you can continually attract new viewers for future growth.
When Game Selection Doesn’t Matter
If you are only streaming for your friends or don’t care about growing on the platform, feel free to stream whatever you like. Game selection will only matter if you want to cultivate a following and potentially make money from your stream, turning it into a pay hobby or even a career.
Don’t Forget to Have Fun
When choosing games to stream, make sure you pick ones where you can genuinely enjoy yourself. Viewers will be more attracted to your channel if you are cheerful and clearly having a lot of fun. You will naturally be more chatty and ready to engage with them, making it more likely that they will become future members of your growing community.
