History Main / BetterAsALetsPlay

* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'':
** 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 Let's Play 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 over time, Atlus' strict streaming clause to their games makes this harder to do...

* ''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/WarioWare'' installment ''Game & Wario'' has the minigame "Gamer", which is infamous for its SurprisinglyCreepyMoment within the franchise as a whole; players are tasked with dividing their attention being playing microgames on the UsefulNotes/WiiU Gamepad and keeping tabs on the television so they're not caught playing by 9-Volt's mother, which is presented as something straight out of a horror movie. Let's Players will usually be paired, with one set of eyes watching each screen, with half the fun seeing their reactions to just how crazy 5-Volt gets in her attempts to catch her son gaming.

* 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/TheWalkingDeadTelltale'', ''[[VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries Batman]]'', [[VideoGame/TheWolfAmongUs Fables]] or ''[[VideoGame/GameOfThronesTelltale Game of Thrones]]'' to name a few, just to see the choices of what certain [=LPers=] would make.

'''Note''': Please don't list every example of a game where people avoid playing it in favor of watching a video of it online, or [[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs we'd be here all day]]. There needs to be discussion about people enjoying watching the game over playing it for the reactions and/or struggles of the players more than just not wanting to play it themselves. Entries that are just "watch all of the story paths online so you don't have to play the game yourself" with no regard to watching the person playing the game belong under EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame. Also, while it is necessary to discuss why people might prefer not want to play the game themselves, please refrain from [[Administrivia/ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontLike using this trope as a way to bash said game]].

* ''VideoGame/AmongUs'' is usually best enjoyed with a full lobby of 10-15, 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]].

* The ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'' games are extremely popular for 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/DwarfFortress'' is one of the most (if not THE most) complex video games in existence and thus has an extremely steep learning curve. But at the same time, its simulation depth and unmatched VideoGameCrueltyPotential often generate the most badass and/or ridiculous video game stories you've ever heard. Because of this, watching let's plays and reading forum posts about this game is way more entertaining than actually going through the trouble of learning how to play it yourself.

* ''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 and there's plenty who never gathered the courage to play it, but the terrified responses of [=LPers=] make them watch videos of the series anyway. ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'' put it best.
-->"The horror game sensation that no one enjoys playing, but everyone loves watching other people play."

* While both ''VideoGame/LaMulana'' and ''VideoGame/LaMulana2'' are relatively fair games, with signposted deathtraps and challenging-but-not-impossible bosses, many of their puzzles are [[MoonLogicPuzzle deeply obtuse]] and founded in [[ViewersAreGeniuses unfamiliar mythology]]. Since these puzzles are not optional and make up the majority of the game's story, a playthrough with someone talking you through the mental gymnastics can end up a better experience.
* ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPartII'': After the controversy regarding [[ContentLeak story leaks]], many a potential player decided to wait it out and see the game from Let's Players videos instead of spending their money on the game. Both those who didn't follow the leaks and those that do watched others play it, mainly wanting to see how others would react to it, [[spoiler:especially the infamous scene where Joel gets murdered]].

* At the height of their popularity, ''VideoGame/{{Outlast}}'' and ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'' were all the rage among Let's Play. The two were considered some of the scariest games ever made, which prompted multiple people to be too scared to play them, but love to watch people getting scared by them.
* ''VideoGame/{{Pathologic}}'' is almost as infamous for its absurd difficulty curve and punishing mechanics 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. A notable case is WebVideo/{{Hbomberguy}}'s video on the game, where he highlights the artistically interesting aspects of how punishing it is, while discouraging you from playing it yourself because you'd have to sit through a ''lot'' of tedium and frustration.

** 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 over time, Atlus' strict streaming clause to their games makes this harder to do...
** 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)

* ''VideoGame/RuleOfRose'' is generally considered to have a great story but terrible gameplay. [[BannedInChina Also, it was banned in the UK.]] For this reason many people tend to seek out playthroughs on youtube, where they can enjoy the immersive plot but avoid the frustrating controls.

* Common in [[SoulsLikeRPG Souls-like RPGs]], especially those from Creator/FromSoftware, being the TropeCodifier and {{Trope Namer|s}}. Since these games are notoriously NintendoHard and also tend not to have a self-evident story, some people might not be particularly interested in playing them either for gameplay or for story. However, they might be interested in ''watching'' three different groups of streamers play them:

A last reason may be another, more simpler one: money. Some people have no way to legally play the game, thus, they enjoy seeing someone else sharing their experiences with an open public. This is especially true for story-driven games.

* ''VideoGame/ArmedAndDelirious'' has [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs nonsensical writing]] and 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.

* ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'' is most popular for its SurpriseCreepy plot twist, but [[ItWasHisSled most people who know anything about the game know about the twist]], taking some of the impact away (though the psychological horror element still remains and there are many horrifying scenes that have not been as spoiled). Most fun comes from asking Let's Players or friends unfamiliar with the game to play it under the assumption it's just a silly dating sim, and then waiting for them to reach the infamous WhamShot and freak out.