The games you decide to play on Twitch, can determine how much success you have on the platform. In my opinion, most streamers go about this the completely wrong way. They want to play the most popular games in a saturated category and end up getting nowhere.
In this article we are going to cover how you can find small niche categories that you can dominate, to build your initial audience. Once you have an initial audience it is easier to get traction in bigger categories.
Let’s jump in and find out the best games to stream on twitch for new streamers.
The Best Games To Stream On Twitch For New Streamers
The best games to stream on Twitch for new streamers are games with a small number of streamers but a relatively high amount of viewers. Most people make the mistake of going after the most popular games and get buried under 1000s of streamers.
Why Streaming Popular Games Doesn’t Work
Most people’s approach to Twitch is to stream the hottest game out there at the minute. When they do this they usually find themselves at the bottom of the pile with no viewers. This is because so many people are streaming the game, including some of Twitch’s biggest content creators.
It is simple supply and demand. There are too many streamers for the number of viewers. There is no reason for someone to watch your stream when there are 2000 other people streaming the same game. Even if you have amazing content and are amazing at the game, you are buried under everyone else.
So how do you get found? You stream in low-competition game categories.
How To Find Low Competition Games To Stream On Twitch
As I stated earlier I’m not going to give you exact games to stream however I will show you where to find good games. What are the criteria for a good game?
- Low competition (Not many streamers in the category)
- Passionate audience (There is still an active community that enjoys the game). A good way to check this is to see if there are people regularly consuming new content for the game on Youtube.
You may have a game that you can think of and enjoy playing that fits this criteria. For me it was Black Ops 3 custom zombies. There is still a small niche community that loves to watch custom zombie maps but there aren’t that many people streaming in the category.
This allowed me to build my initial fan base as I was able to rise to the top of this category rather quickly.
If you can’t think of any games, check out this What Games to Stream Tool from Twitch Tracker. This tool shows games with the current highest ratio of viewers to streamers.
Sometimes these can be inflated by one large streamer in the category so some extra due diligence may be required.
When looking at a game you ideally want to be at a minimum in the Top 9 streamers in the category. Being in the Top 9 will get you the most visibility. For example, if we take a look at Age of Empires IV we can see that you would need a minimum of 3 viewers to appear in the Top 9.
When playing in a category like this you will notice a lot more viewers coming in and out of your stream compared to streaming a large game. If your content is good, these people will stick around and follow.
I went from getting 0 followers per stream playing Warzone to averaging 10 followers per day playing Black Ops 3 Custom Zombies.
How To Convert More Viewers To Followers On Twitch
You will notice when you are streaming in these smaller categories you will start to get more people popping into your stream. Getting these people to follow you and continue watching is step two. This is where your content comes into play.
You won’t have anyone stick around if you are playing the game poorly and not putting on a show. It is your job to be entertaining. This means interacting with your audience, commentating on the game and having some energy on your stream.
Even when you have no one in your chat you should be doing these things. At least when someone joins they can then enjoy the content.
Once you start doing this you will see a big uptick in the number of followers you are bringing in every day.
If you want to retain this audience you should continue playing that same game for an extended period of time. Eventually, when you have a big enough audience, you can jump to a different game. I would still recommend having this game in a similar category as the current game you play. This will allow you to retain as many people as possible.
Using Twitch Strike To Find Games To Play
Twitch strike is an app that allows you to look for games that match your current viewer level.
You tell the app how many viewers you have and it will then suggest games for you to play and also show you what position you would be in for this game.
You can see how this looks below.
I told Twitch Strike that I had 10 viewers. So if I was to play Diablo 3 at this hour I would be the 4th streamer on the list. This gives me a good chance to get more views on my channel, based on the average viewers of my channel.
You may also be interested in Games That Integrate With Twitch Chat
6 Best Games To Play For New Streamers
Okay, okay I know I said I wasn’t going to give you any direct games but I couldn’t resist. Below are 6 games to try out. However, make sure you check the games before streaming as they can be different on different days or times of day depending on who is streaming.
Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon 5 is the latest release in the Forza series. Race in the vibrant and ever-evolving open-world land scape of Mexico. Drive the world’s fastest cars and share the experience with your stream.
With 10 viewers you would currently be 7th on the list of streamers allowing you to pick up some views with a good title and interesting stream.
The Sims 4
The Sims 4 is a popular game with little competition on Twitch. You can stream with 10 viewers and land the 6th spot in the category. This is a great place to gain more viewers.
Sims is also a really easy game to play while talking to your audience making it perfect for a beginner. You can get used to talking to your chat while gaming.
Runescape
Runescape is a classic that lots of us spent our childhood playing. It still has a massive audience who love to watch the game.
With 10 viewers you can pull 8th in the category allowing you to grab some views.
UFC 4
If you’re a fight fan you may enjoy playing the latest UFC game on stream. With 10 viewers you would be able to pull fifth in the category. This is also a good game to play while chatting to your stream. Build up your fighters career and see how far you can take it in the UFC.
The Legend Of Zelda – Breath Of The Wild
The latest legend of Zelda game is beloved by many. If you have the ability to stream on your Switch you can reach the top of this category with little viewers. Having 10 viewers puts you 8th in the category. This is a popular game but not everyone has the ability to stream from their Switch.
If you can manage to get your switch hooked up to stream you could pick up a lot of followers in this category.
Minecraft
Minecraft is an extremely popular game however there are not as many streamers in the category as there used to be. At certain times of the day, you can get relatively close to the top of the category with 100-200 viewers.
If you have some sort of unique content angle, Minecraft is one game worth checking out.
Wrapping Up
If you follow this guide you should start to see much faster growth on your stream. Let us know down below in the comments what games you are planning to play.
Read More From Get On Stream:
