I think part of the reason we start to dismiss a lot of media is out of a desire for either intimacy or authenticity. The stories either tell nonsense that we’re all accustomed to, it tells a predictable story that someone else has done better or more interestingly elsewhere, or its clear that the story is just a cash grab. Its much harder to make something that can connect with people, or feel real despite the audience knowing its a fiction. With all the time I’ve found myself with lately, I’ve been on the hunt for more media that fits this bill. Media that doesn’t feel like its cheaply done, or done without irony or out of greed.
So after finishing the second season of Altered Carbon and, subsequently, the last of my Netflix queue, I’ve turned towards streamed shows. There’s very few “TOP TEN SHOWS YOU HAVE TO WATCH” for TTRPG streams, as I found, and the ones that I did find talked about ones that were already wildly popular or heavily advertised and retweeted. In a very reflective way, the lists I found were themselves seeming to be without authenticity.
So I started watching shows in the hopes of finding ones that I could find enjoyable. Ones that had a spark of authenticity to it, ones that were enjoyable and intimate, inviting me to be a part of their game world and see the things that happen at their game table or webcam call. Some were ones that I was already aware of, either vaguely or heavily, and others were brand new to me and recommended by others.
Below is a list of some of the streams that I’ve started watching. Some of whom that I’ve already been aware of, or spent more time with, I’m able to write more eloquently on. For others that I may not have had the opportunity to spend more time with, however, shouldn’t be viewed with any less of a positive light. It is my full intention to, in the coming weeks, finish out all of these, and then find more.
And as a disclaimer, this is by no means an exhaustive list. There are plenty more beyond these ones, and should I finish out these, I intend to find more.