It can be extremely difficult to get even a single follower or viewer when you are streaming in dead or highly competitive Twitch categories. As fun as a game can be, some categories just do not have a single soul hanging out in them. Variety Streamer’s Wisenheimer tells us which Twitch categories you should stream in and why.
Retro Twitch Category
The retro category is good for broadcasting games that hold a lot of nostalgia. Unless you’re playing a very high profile game like Super Mario World, chances are the actual game category is dead. There are usually well over 1000 viewers or more in the Retro category. The viewer to streamer ratio is often very good for newcomers and can assist you on your journey to become a Twitch affiliate.
Games + Demos Twitch Category
Even newer games can have dead categories! For games that don’t quite fit in Retro, but you think people may still like, give this Twitch category a try. While this category doesn’t always have as many viewers as some of the others we’ve mentioned, it does have a good amount of viewers who are simply looking for something different. These viewers are often open to discovering that quirky game you decided to stream.
Be careful about streaming in Twitch categories for brand new games
You might think it’s a good idea to hop on stream as quickly as possible when the next AAA title hits store shelves. However, these day-one hype streams are often oversaturated with broadcasters. These categories, while having a lot of viewers, will not help you become a Twitch affiliate. As an experiment, go to a category and try scrolling to the bottom of active streamers. It is a very long way down! So let the hype drop down a bit, wait for these games to dip down below the 10,000 viewer threshold and you will have more success.
Food and Drink Twitch Category
Who doesn’t like food? Show off your good (or bad) cooking skills in the Food and Drink Twitch category. This is a good chance to diversify your broadcasts, and it’ll help you add to your viewer interaction toolbox. Often times when you try something different, you actually learn something new about your new-found friends. This category also tends to have plenty of people looking for something a little different than gaming.
Just Chatting Twitch Category
The just chatting category is actually one of the larger Twitch categories that we would recommend to our readers. While Just Chatting tends to be oversaturated with broadcasters, it also gives you a chance to shine. The bottom line is, a viewer can log on and watch Modern Warfare with several hundred streamers, but there is only one you. Here you can interact with your viewers in a similar way to hanging out in real life. People are in the category to find personalities that they jive with. So don’t be afraid of putting down that controller and having a chat.
There are more categories that could help you grow your Twitch channel. However, this is a really great start. And don’t worry about picking just one, you can hang out in multiple, even during a single broadcast. Have any Twitch category suggestions? Let us know in the comments!