Summary
Twitch goes through stages and metas faster than aMarvelexecutive has an idea to greenlight another movie starring Robert Downey Jr. Whether it’s slot machines, hot tubs, or just a game gaining popularity, streamers jump on bandwagons in order to chase viewers and make a name for themselves.
The game that most benefited from becoming ‘Twitch famous’ is probablyAmong Us. A major hit during the pandemic despite launching two years earlier to little fanfare, the simple Mafia-style social deduction caper became the de facto method of hanging out for many of the biggest streamers, and millions of viewers tuned in to be a part of the action. Among Us’ popularity spiked with major politicians likeAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez joining the streamsin the runup to the 2020 US election.
Since then, countless other games have seen surges in popularity based on Twitch streamers’ bandwagoning excitement, withFall GuysandPhasmophobiaquickly following on Among Us’ pandemic momentum. Recently, 3D platformer Only Up! was a big hit. The game was simple: climb a bunch of Unreal Engine assets piled on top of each other. There’s no fall damage, but also no checkpoints. Hours of progress could be lost by a single misstep. Viewers would tune in for hours as streamers made excruciatingly slow progress towards the sky.
Chained Together has the same premise, except it adds multiplayer and chains. The fact that you’re chained to one another makes platforming a lot more difficult. Imagine trying to get through that annoying chef-based Mario Odyssey world with Luigi strapped to your waist. The physics of other players being chained to you makes your escape from hell (that’s the game’s flimsy narrative) all the more frustrating, and all the more fun for viewers to watch. Sartre may have been onto something; hell truly is other people.
Stretcher Men could be the next big thing. Twitch’s recent meta of Only Up! and Chained Together have focused on physics platformers, and Stretcher Men fits the bill. There’s no climbing, but there’s a lot of physics. In a sentence, Stretcher Men is an arcadey Death Stranding but you’re carrying an injured friend.
There’s no narrative, no story. Load up the game and take control of two medieval men carrying a stretcher. Use your left joystick to control the right person, use your right joystick to control the left person, and press your right trigger to go. You’ve got to travel across hillsides in tandem, keeping your footing and keeping your fella on his stretcher. It’s a simple premise, but an effective one.
Stretcher Menis difficult at the start. Your joysticks seem to control the wrong characters. The terrain is unforgiving. The run speed sends your poorly bloke flying. But soon, you get the hang of things. Your feather the trigger a little. You learn how to navigate steep inclines. You still fall, or drop your patient, but you get further each time.
There’s a roguelike aspect, where you learn the specific obstacles you’re about to encounter. You also just learn how to manage the controls as you play more and more. It’s the perfect game for Twitch. From the ragdolling patient who rolls down mountainsides when you inevitably fail to the shiny bald head of the lead stretcher man, this is a funny game.
Stretcher Men is the perfect game to spend a few hours of fun with, to chill out and switch your brain off. You’re not making decisions that will change the world like an RPG, you’re not overcoming challenging bosses likeShadow of the Erdtree. You’re just trying to get two blokes to walk in a straight line.
It’s a great game to play, and it’ll be perfect to watch, too. We’re approaching an era when some games are inherently designed for Twitch streaming. Chained Together, an iteration of a hit Twitch game, was one such game. I’m not sure Stretcher Men was designed for Twitch, but it’s perfect for it.
