‘Where do I start with a gaming channel?’ That’s probably the question you’re asking yourself right now… and the answer is: Right here.
In this article, you’ll find some new and novel ideas on how to get your YouTube gaming channel started! Some ideas you’ll have heard of before, while others might surprise you… We suggest you try many, if not all, of these ideas as they’ll give you the best chance of success!
Let’s take a look at 26 YouTube gaming video ideas to get you started!
1: Review Games
Reviewing games is probably the most obvious video idea on this list, but it’s also the easiest video idea to get you off to YouTube stardom!
What do I mean by reviews, I hear you say… Well, to put it simply, you could play through a game like The Last Of Us Part II and make a video talking about what you liked, didn’t like, and your general thoughts on the game.
Pretty simple hey!
Why should you do this?
- More than 60% of YouTube consumers watch ‘review videos’, which means audiences are actively searching out ‘review videos’ before they make a purchase – this literally means that there are audiences out there that need to hear your viewpoint on a game before they dump money on it!
- It could lead to sponsorships by larger companies in the future if you make meaningful and quality-rich review videos.
- You’ve got a persistent audience already. With so many audiences looking for ‘review videos’ your videos, after some time, are bound to make it to the top 10 list!
2: Live Streaming
Yes, perhaps another obvious addition to our ever-growing list, but another idea that has worked out well for many, and can work out for you too!
Yup, you guessed it, this is when you stream live on your YouTube channel.
Now, this isn’t really for the fainthearted, because you’re literally putting yourself out there for an audience to see and to talk to you. It’s an incredibly interactive experience, even though its via a computer. But it’s incredibly powerful for building a relationship with your audience!
So, if you enjoy the idea of reaching hundreds or even thousands of people around the world at the same time, then this is probably a good fit for you. But, for those of you who might not like the sound of this, or are a little worried about trying it, have a look at some Live Streamers on YouTube and draw inspiration from them… Don’t forget, some of them have been doing it for years and are pros!
Why should you give this a try?
- You can actually talk to your fans and get their opinions and feedback on your videos topic and your channel!
- An audience gets to know ‘you’, meaning they’ll feel connected to you and your brand, which in turn will mean a consistent audience for your channel.
- Audiences can get involved which actually makes you very likeable!
- You can build your brand and audience from here. By putting yourself on screen and engaging with an audience you begin to build rapport, your audience then tells others about you and so your brand and audience get bigger – its the classic ‘word of mouth’ sale tactic!
3: Discussions
Discussion videos are increasingly becoming more and more popular on YouTube because you can have a discussion about anything game related!
What better way to start a gaming related channel on YouTube?! You can discuss any aspect of a game with anyone watching or participating in your video.
All you need to do is choose a topic that is trending, or something that’s popped up on the news about a game, and chat about it!
You can hold these discussions live but you can also hold them off camera.
Why do you need to try this?
- It’s pretty simple, all you need to do is a little research into the topic you’ve chosen to present in your video, so that you can discuss both sides of the argument with evidence.
- It’s a great way of getting audiences involved in your channel! audiences love to leave comments and debate topics!
- It raises brand awareness.
- Like with Live Streaming, if you create discussion videos that are actually thought-provoking audiences are going to want to come back and watch more of your channel, because they’ll like the way you go about handling topics and discussions!
4: Discussing Glitches
A personal favourite here! The idea here is that you go through games and discuss any issues that you might have found while playing through! Easy!
Glitches occur in any form, and they typically occur in most games, we just don’t notice them!
But, some audiences love to sit down and run through hours and hours of games just to find the one ‘glitch’ to rule them all. A little like those audiences who always find things wrong in films… and we all know how popular those videos are…
These videos are quite fun to watch, and you often get an ‘OHHH, I didn’t notice that’ moment halfway through the video. But in all seriousness, there’s the funny side to these kinds of videos and the serious side.
The serious side to creating videos discussing glitches is that there are loads of audiences out there who are suffering from these glitches and they need help on how to deal with them. Your glitch discussion video could be the answer to their prayers! Your videos also shine a light on glitches. This helps developers and designers become aware of the glitch and, hopefully, fix it.
Why is this one to consider?
- Audiences like to know about potential issues with games, software, and consoles before they invest.
- It’ll raise your YouTube profile.
- If done well they’ll bring in a regular audience.
5: Favorite Characters List
The thinking behind this idea is that you create a video talking about your favorite gaming characters. Think of it like a ‘Top 10’ list.
This is very easy, and won’t require a lot of thinking on your part as you already know your favorite characters! It doesn’t matter who you like, it can be Zelda, Lara Croft, Bowser, Geralt, or Doomguy! Or anybody else. All you need to do is tell your audience why you like them and what game they’re in.
While you might be thinking, ‘Why would I do that?’, there’s actually a really good reason why.
This type of video is a very personal video and by doing a video like this you instantly bring a ‘human’ side to your channel. You’re beginning to show the audience that you’re actually there, and you do genuinely have likes and dislikes.
This may sound silly, but it works!
Being ‘real’ and ‘you’ is actually very favorable with audiences, and this ‘real’ side of you will keep bringing audiences back!
Why you need to give this a go?
- It requires very little effort in terms of research – it’s your opinion.
- You already know what you want to say so you don’t have to stress yourself out writing detailed scripts.
- It’s a fun one for you to do!
6: Educational Videos
Educational videos are a really fun and entertaining way to get your YouTube gaming channel started. Why? Because from the word go your providing value to your audience.
Videos that teach us are becoming increasingly popular and they’re a tool used by many companies, schools, and communities around the world.
Gaming educational videos can be used in 2 ways:
- You can teach audiences how to play a game. For example, you could teach your audience how to use in-game perks or how to level up in-game.
- OR, you could actually create videos that educate audiences on how to actually make games. Basically, you could have a complete series of videos related to game design, how to create stories within games, and character development, to name a few!
So, while you might think this doesn’t sound too appealing, don’t discard the idea before trying it.
Things to remember:
- There’s a massive market for educational videos.
- There’s an already large audience available to you.
- You’re actually going to be helping to solve issues for your audience.
- You can enter into a community and make a name for yourself as the ‘go-to-gaming-expert’.
7: Pre-Event Reactions
As the name suggests this idea is based on you making a video before an event has started.
The type of event may well vary according to your taste, but you could be about to watch the unveiling of a next-gen console, or you might just be watching a Call of Duty competition. It’s entirely up to you!
But generally speaking, these types of videos include things like, what you think will be shown at the event, talking about who might be there, what games could be released, and any new consoles/equipment coming out.
This kind of video is usually speculative as the event hasn’t happened, but this video is usually followed up by a live commentary, and/or a reaction video, or a post-event video.
Why?
- Audiences love watching pre-show videos so you can get a good audience.
- It’s a popular topic.
- Yes, you have to do research, but that could also be fun.
- It can potentially open up new avenues for you in the future – promotional opportunities.
8: Event Reactions
Everyone loves an event but we can’t all be part of it, so we turn to the next best thing: we watch someone else’ reactions to an event!
For this idea all you need is access to an event like E3, and somewhere to write your thoughts down. You then create a video with your reaction after the event.
This is such a popular idea and lots of successful YouTubers do this, so it may take time to build up your channel and to get your videos ranking, but it’s so easy to do!
Why you should try this?
- Everyone loves a good reaction video, so you’ve got your audience.
- Once you’ve built up your YouTube channel a little audiences will want to hear your opinion.
- Companies might want to sponsor you in the future.
9: Live Commentaries
So, while this may sound similar to an event reaction, it’s not strictly the same thing. Unlike the event reaction, Live commentaries happen live, and are generally filmed as the event is going on!
Like with event reaction videos, there can be a lot of live commentaries going on for the same event, so you might find that it takes you time to pull in an audience early on!
It’s worth considering how else you’ll get your audiences’ attention while you’re not actually making live commentaries of events. My advice would be to combine this idea with another idea(s) in this list!
It’s really important to keep your audience entertained and engaged while you go between live commentaries of events! You don’t want them to forget about you and move on to another channel!
Why you need to consider this?
- Audiences love live videos!
- It’s a great way to connect with your audience!
- It can be pretty fun.
- You get direct feedback as you stream live.
10: Post-Event Discussions
Like the other ideas I’ve covered a post-event video is something that happens after an event has happened.
These videos tend to be in a series, so you’d expect to see a pre-event video at least!
This kind of video is mainly you summing up your thoughts and feelings on what you’ve just watched. It’s not too hard to do because it’s largely based on what you’ve seen and your own opinion really. So, you don’t have to plow hours of research into the topic!
Audiences love these kinds of videos because you get to hear real opinions, and real opinions matter. It’s also a chance for an audience to hear about things that they did not consider themselves while watching the event!
Generally speaking, anything to do with an event will grab an audience’s attention as they like to hear YouTubers’ thoughts, and the audience like to join in.
But as with all event-related videos, it’s highly competitive, so you’d be best mixing your channel up with some of my other ideas!
Why try this?
- An audience likes to hear a summary of the main parts of an event.
- An audience wants to hear your opinions.
- It’s really helpful for audiences who might’ve missed the event – you can help them by discussing it in short with them.
11: Testing Products and Unboxings
Testing products and unboxing goods is a really interesting way of engaging with your audience.
It’s likely that your audience really wants to know about a particular product before they buy it, which is where you come into the equation.
Plus, the upside for your audience is that you’ve already bought the product, so by watching your test video they could save themselves a lot of money!
With time, and as your credibility grows, gaming companies are likely to contact you and to ask you about testing their products for them, but until then you might have to stick to what you have at home! Otherwise you’re going to be handing out money left right and centre to test out goods!
Remember as you start off you don’t need to be testing really expensive products to impress the audience! All you need is some gaming equipment that you have at home, that you’ve used, and done research on!
People want reviews of real world products that everyday people buy. Sometimes reviews of seemingly boring things such as cable’s will be incredibly useful to a lot of gamers.
As your viewership grows you can expand your products! Get audience friction before spending too much cash though!
Why?
- Nobody wants to spend money without knowing what they’re buying – so they’ll be looking for videos like this before they buy their product.
- These videos are popular and are being searched for on YouTube, so there’s a waiting audience.
- You can be on screen as much or as little as you like.
- An audience will learn to trust you in time.
- Companies could approach you in the future and they could ask you to review some of their new items!
12: Game Highlights
A few ideas ago I talked about audiences watching game glitch videos, well audiences also like to watch game highlight videos!
Essentially, this is you telling your audience about what’s good in the game and what they should look out for!
You’ll need a good knowledge and understanding of the game before you do a video like this, so you really must’ve played the game! You don’t want to come across as unbelievable in your first video!
Highlight videos are really popular with audiences because audiences want to know about the good stuff before they spend their hard earned cash!
Why this idea?
- An audience wants to know the best bits before they invest time and money, so this video can make or break a game for them!
- Audiences will trust what you say as your channel develops, so your words will be incredibly powerful for some audiences!
- It’s not going to be a boring video – you’re talking about highlights, so it should be an upbeat video that sends out positive vibes!
13: Question and Answer Videos
Q and A videos are a superb way of engaging with your audience!
In this type of video, you might be asking your audience questions or your audience might be asking you questions. Some videos are game driven, and so the questions you’ll get might revolve around someone wanting help or information. Occasionally, audiences want to do a video about themselves, so they allow audiences to ask them questions so that audiences can get to know them better.
Videos like this are an excellent way to build trust with your audience, and they can be quite fun to do and to watch!
Why?
- Your audience can talk to you!
- Audiences will see the real you and feel connected!
- You get immediate feedback!
- You don’t have to prepare too much beforehand!
14: Do challenges
Okay, so this is a fun one that you can do with the help of your audience!
Basically, you get your audience to send in ‘challenges’ for you to complete, and you can video yourself completing the challenge! Think of something like the Ice Bucket challenge, or the Bean Dunking challenge!
Try something that’s genuinely humorous! There’s no need to overthink this idea!
Why try this?
- It’s going to be funny.
- It’s a way for you to connect with your audience!
- It doesn’t have to be expensive!
15: Compete in Competitions
This is another idea that is driven by fun!
You can get your audiences’ input again by setting a competition up between yourself and them. Pick a game and play online and put it up on your channel. It’s as easy as that. And it’s all in the name of fun, so no need for petty arguments…
Obviously, you’ll have to make sure that you get the contestants permission!
Why?
- It’s easy to do!
- Audiences can join in with you which will make them feel part of the video and your channel! This is just going to get them to come back and see what competition you put on each week!
16: News Videos
In a nutshell, this kind of video relies on you keeping up with all the latest gossip from the gaming world and reporting back to your YouTube audience!
News can take any shape or form and all you need to do is report back to your audience in a fun and entertaining way!
Consider starting off by talking about any new games that are coming out, revelations in the gaming world, or what’s happening with new consoles.
Why do you need to try this?
- New videos can be as long or as short as you like.
- You only need to report back any news that you’ve read or heard about, so you don’t need to do loads of research.
- Plus, after you’ve shared your news you’re able to open up an organic conversation between you and your audience, which means you’re starting a budding new relationship!
17: Tutorials
Tutorials are a really good way of effectively solving a problem for your audience. For example, you might create a tutorial for a particularly tricky boss encounter. You then share your insights in the tutorial video, and you end up helping someone out!
That’s just a very basic idea!
But back to serious mode… Tutorials can be as short or as long as you want them to be. Some are incredibly in depth, while others just scrape the surface of a problem. There isn’t really a right or wrong answer, as you must create a video that is comfortable for you!
Although, one piece of advice would be, tutorial videos need extensive planning! Meaning you shouldn’t really just ‘wing-it’, because you’re likely to forget important steps in the tutorial video.
A great way to set out on a tutorial video is to make a plan of how you want it to work out. For example, think about what you want to say, how you want to say something, get a script written, make sure you have the right equipment, and you’ll need some editing tools for your computer!
If you’ve got those basics you’ll be right on your way to creating a tutorial video for your gaming channel!
Why should you give this a go?
- You’re solving problems for your audience.
- You can entertain your audience in your tutorial video to keep them coming back.
- It’s a great topic to cover as audiences always need help with various game related content and equipment!
18: Playthroughs and Walkthroughs
This is when you play a game through from start to finish, while you record for your channel.
Why do audiences like watching these kinds of videos?
- It’s actually fascinating to watch someone else play a game!
- You appreciate the game, as you can actually concentrate more on the graphics and background detail.
- You can get talking and you can actually join a great community of gamers by watching playthroughs! A lot of audiences look to playthroughs for the company so it’s great from a social point of view!
- You can pick up tips from the gamer playing the game.
Why you should try it?
- It’s a popular topic!
- There’s plenty of games to choose from so you don’t have to do the ‘big’ games when you first start off.
- You’ll be entering into a community of gamers!
19: Introducing ‘You’ To The Channel
This is a really simple video for you to add to your channel: it’s a video that’s all about you!
The idea of introducing ‘you’ to your channel is really important because it shows your audience that you’re really there, and that you obviously care enough about what you’re doing to come onto YouTube!
An introduction video doesn’t need to be too in depth and personal, you can keep it light-hearted and fun! Simply create a video where you introduce yourself, maybe say some of your likes and dislikes, what your gaming experience is, why you started the channel, and what your hopes are for the future of the channel!
This idea will not be for everybody but audiences love them!
Why you ought to try this?
- It’s personable.
- Your audience will feel like they’re getting to know you!
- You’ll be relatable.
- You can go into as much or as little detail as you like about yourself!
- You’ll be raising your YouTube channel’s profile!
20: Live Discussions
Live discussions are increasing in popularity, and yes, they’re essentially the same as discussions, only better some would say!
Discussions that are live tend to have a lot of gravitas because audiences like watching TV, and they love seeing the back and forth banter between hosts… and even the odd squabble is funny!
This idea is incredibly attractive to those who wish to go live with their channel but this isn’t going to be the case for everyone!
Why it might be worth considering this idea?
- You get to discuss hot topics!
- You get your audience involved.
- Discussions can get quite heavy and this is appealing to some audiences.
- It’s fun to try!
21: Reaction Videos
Reaction videos are quite simple to do, because it just involves you making a video with your reaction to something!
You can make reaction videos about anything from games, products, consoles, voice work, characters, to previews.
Why?
- Lots of reactions to cover.
- You can react as and when it happens.
- These videos are popular with audiences.
22: Previews
What’s better than catching up on some big previews that you might have missed?! Previews are videos that provide information on an upcoming event, game, or big reveal!
You would need to do your homework to be in line with what’s going on in the world if you create videos like this. But if you’re a really organized person this will come naturally to you!
Why you should give it a go?
- It’s a great way to get in on the hype of an upcoming event, game, or reveal!
- There’ll be an audience ready and waiting for you!
- If you know any juicy and accurate details about previews that are happening, that haven’t been covered by other YouTubers, you’ll be really popular with the audience!
23: Personal Likes and Dislikes List
A really quick way to get your audiences’ attention is to tell them more about you! Like with the ‘introducing you’ idea above, you could create a simple, short video discussing your personal likes and dislikes of anything game related!
For example, you could make a video talking about why you like a particular game series. In that you could discuss what things stand out for you and why it’s up there as a favorite! Similarly, you could discuss why you don’t like a particular console over another!
There is no right or wrong way to do this and it really requires little effort on your part because, again, it’s your personal opinion.
Why do this?
- Your audience gets to know you better!
- You won’t need to do loads of research!
- You can get your audience joining in with comments and feedback!
24: Comparison Videos
Maybe you don’t fancy getting in too deep with videos, perhaps you don’t want to discuss yourself, or go live, so what about trying comparison videos?
Comparison videos are simple. You take one thing and compare it to another! For example, you could make a video comparing 2 different consoles! They don’t even have to be recent if you’re a retro gamer!
These videos can be a little ‘samey’ because there’s a general structure to this type of video, but nonetheless they’re a really fun place to start!
Why?
- Popular with audiences.
- A good way to build your own confidence!
- Easy way to build your channel up!
25: Favorite Gaming Elements
If we run with the theme of talking a little about yourself, you could make a video to get your gaming channel started centred around what your favorite gaming elements are!
For example, you might be a big fan of certain types of platforms in platformer games. You could make a video talking about why you like them, and how game developers could make them better or use them in new creative ways!
Yes, these videos are quite specific but you can do loads of them! The fact that they’re all about you means that you haven’t got to dedicated hours of time researching the topics too!
Why give this a go?
- It adds a personal touch to your channel.
- You might discuss things that audiences hadn’t even thought of before!
- You’re entering a large community of gamers who appreciate videos of this kind!
26: Recommendations List
A great starting video to make is a recommendations list!
A recommendations list is when you recommend certain games, products, and equipment to your audience!
Your audience is always looking for support and guidance on what to purchase and what not to purchase, so videos like this are always a bonus for them!
The only downside would be that generally in order to get people trust your opinion you’ll need to build up trust with them. And this takes time. If you’re quite new and your channel hasn’t got a lot of subscribers and views people may be a little reluctant to listen to you.
But don’t give up!
These kinds of videos are really simple to make, so you can make plenty of them, plus you can use some of the other ideas in this list to complement your channel’s growth!
Why do this?
- Audiences are always on the lookout for help before they buy something.
- Might lead to sponsorship and products being sent out to you to be used for recommendations in the future!
- You can create a system for how to make these videos which can be used time and time again! It means you don’t have to worry about how you present information and what to say, you can just check what did you did before and copy it, just remember to use the right information!
Final Thoughts
When starting a YouTube gaming channel it’s better to try a good mixture of ideas! Don’t settle for one idea and hope it works out. Your channel is going to need to be nurtured and it’ll need plenty of time to get going!
Focus your efforts on building a persistent audience! This audience is the audience that comes back to watch your videos every time you post one! These are your loyal fans, they are not your casual viewers! So, remember it is better to have 1000 avid fans than thousands upon thousands of one-time viewers!
Finally, when making a YouTube video remember that it’s important to get your audience to watch as much of your video as possible! Keep an eye on your YouTube stats, and improve your viewing time based on the results you see!
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