On their channel Blackthornprod, brothers Noa and Liam Calice host something akin to a game jam.

The two brothers are passionate about game development. In fact, the majority of their channel’s videos teach viewers how they might go about it—from getting started to solving specific coding problems.

More recently, however, they’ve organized their own game-jam-like contests, bringing in other game developers to participate. And when these developers aren’t competing against each other like they would if it were a standard game jam, they’re working together.

The latter works like this: The brothers will pass along a game concept through a line of developers. Each developer, one-by-one and without communicating with one another, will build upon the previous developer’s work as they (hopefully) build the game into something engaging and fun. And after the game has passed through five or six developers, they’ll come together to play the game and offer their feedback on how the game turned out.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Blackthornprod, as mentioned before, provides some helpful advice for current or aspiring game developers on how they might spruce up their game. From creating a satisfying player character to coding dialogue, the channel has plenty of free videos that’ll help train viewers.

Though the occasional developer might feel a little upset if one of those latter developers later changed one of their earlier contributions, the collaborations hosted on Blackthornprod are generally quite friendly. Developers will often compliment each other on their creations or progress. Likewise, many developers will respect the decisions of previous developers and strive to keep them in the game, even if it means altering the game or tweaking some assets to fit them in.

Blackthornprod may create a spark for game design for viewers, too. And even if it doesn’t, the process of their creations is fun to watch.

CONTENT CONCERNS

A couple of the developers have used crude language, such as “h—.” God’s name is occasionally used in vain.

Some game concepts are based around elements of horror or the supernatural. Demonic or magical creatures appear in some of the games. Likewise, some games end up containing some blood and violence.

In one video, Noa references some artwork he’s been working on, and we see a couple portraits of naked women.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Who knows? Maybe, one day, a game that first appeared on Blackthornprod just may also show up in our section for video game reviews. Or maybe the channel will be the spark to make your child start creating their own.

Apart from some infrequent language concerns and a couple questionable game concepts, Blackthornprod is relatively innocent. Its more recent videos feel like an online game show (no pun intended)—one that both entertains and instructs its viewers in the process that goes into game design. And while not every game ultimately works out by the end, viewers can still walk away with that added knowledge regardless.

The post Blackthornprod appeared first on Plugged In.

Animators need to do more than simply draw compelling characters. They need to tell engaging stories with their drawings, ones that’ll captivate their audience and make them laugh (or cry) throughout. And Jaiden Dittfach, content creator behind JaidenAnimations, is able to do both.

In her work, Dittfach primarily uses things she’s personally experienced throughout her life, from going to the dentist to traveling to Japan. And while not every topic she speaks on may sound initially worth a 10-minute video, her nearly 13 million subscribers will testify to her ability to be funny and engaging on almost any topic.

POSITIVE CONTENT

As mentioned before, Dittfach is a wonderful storyteller, capable of weaving fun stories together that typically last 10 to 20 minutes. Whether she’s describing a trip to Japan or her multiple ventures in Pokémon Nuzlocke (a challenge which makes a Pokémon game much more difficult), Dittfach keeps viewers hooked until the very end.

For the most part, JaidenAnimations strives to be quite friendly to younger audiences. In the instances in which she does touch on topics that are more adult (such as when she describes confusing tetanus for AIDS), she tries to not go into too much detail for the sake of any potential watching children.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Nevertheless, some of Dittfach’s stories contain elements that families may find inappropriate. In one video, Dittfach recounts trying out five psychics, and the video includes references to tarot cards, palm readings and chakras. Likewise, another video gets into Dittfach learning about her sexuality, which she describes as “aromantic and asexual.” (Rarely does Dittfach’s sexuality come into play in her other videos.)

Other videos contain some light swearing, including words like “d–n,” “h—,” “p-ssed” and “crap.” God’s name is occasionally used in vain. And there was one instance in which an s-word is cut off.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

With some exceptions (particularly the aforementioned two video topics and occasional swearing), JaidenAnimations is an enjoyable watch. Younger audiences will certainly be drawn in by Dittfach’s fun art style. However, because some videos contain content that may not be appropriate for said children, we’d caution parents to watch beforehand to determine if JaidenAnimations is right for them.

The post JaidenAnimations appeared first on Plugged In.

Maybe it was Spongebob or Courage the Cowardly Dog or Phineas and Ferb.

Or maybe it was Stampy’s Lovely World.

“Stampy” is short for stampylonghead, the YouTube channel of Joseph Garrett. And were you around in the early days of YouTube gaming, you may have seen a video or two of his.

Though he started his channel playing many different games, stampylonghead’s popularity would explode when he began playing Minecraft. And when he logged into the game, created a new world and titled it “Stampy’s Lovely World,” he likely had no idea the impact his game would have on millions of people.

Over the course of 823 episodes and 11 years, Garrett’s game grew to contain hundreds of buildings, lots of friends and even an infamous villain. In fact, it became so big that the YouTube series has its own IMDb page and TV-Y7 rating.

After producing the series for more than a decade, Garrett uploaded his final video in October 2023, explaining that he had grown a bit tired of playing Minecraft (for context, his series contains over 300 hours of footage). However, with that much content, it’s easy to start watching the channel like you could with any other television series.

So, what do parents need to know?

POSITIVE CONTENT

Many have described stampylonghead as one of the most child-friendly YouTubers out there—and it’s easy to see why. Minecraft videos have always drawn kids and teens, and it wasn’t long after Garrett began uploading his series that he became aware of how his channel drew younger eyeballs. Because of this, Garrett intentionally began making sure that his videos would be appropriate for children.

For instance, Garrett sometimes swore in his earliest videos. However, upon seeing his child audience grow, he took steps to make sure he wouldn’t use a swear word in future uploads, and he later edited and re-released early videos that did contain swearing so they’d be kid-friendly, too.

It’s clear Garrett has many fans, and he tries to foster a good relationship with them. In every episode of Stampy’s Lovely World, Garrett walks over to his “Love Garden,” in which viewers will see plenty of signs containing the gamertags or YouTube names of his various fans. They’re often placed in the Love Garden as a result of sending fan mail or writing a funny comment on his videos.

He would likewise occasionally upload videos where he toured various Minecraft players’ personal worlds to show off the impressive things they’ve built—from a scale-model cruise ship to a world containing various depictions of Star Wars vehicles.

CONTENT CONCERNS

All those positives aside, there are a couple things parents should note.

While Minecraft is the most prominent game on the channel, it isn’t the only game. Other games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Shadow of the Colossus and Terraria, appear on the channel, which may have content concerns parents will need to consider.

On a similar note, God’s name is occasionally used in vain.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

If your child loves Minecraft, then it’s likely that they’ll want to seek out Minecraft YouTubers, too. And while stampylonghead isn’t completely content-free, we’d wager that the channel is one of the most kid-friendly Minecraft channels of its kind. So, if you’re looking for a way to help your child avoid adult content without wanting to enforce any outright bans on YouTube, stampylonghead could be the solution.

The post stampylonghead appeared first on Plugged In.

Video games have always had bugs. Though developers do all they can to playtest the game and patch out any unintentional mechanics or errors, some inevitably slip through for gamers to find. And as games get bigger and bigger, the chance that one of these bugs will slip through grows, too.

And if anyone is going to find and exploit that mistake, it’s Tom, the creator of The Spiffing Brit.

Armed with little more than the persona of the most stereotypical British chap you could imagine, Tom is every developer’s worst nightmare. Did you know that you can beat Skyrim with nothing more than a fork? Are you aware that every single boss in Elden Ring can die in one hit? Perhaps you might want to know that farming a single potato in Stardew Valley can earn you unlimited money?

Yes, there are many games that have met their match with The Spiffing Brit. But it’s not only games that have failed to be, as Tom slyly puts it, “perfectly balanced games with no exploits.” He’s also found some of these bugs in real life, such as on the popular gaming store Steam or YouTube itself.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Of course, most of these exploits don’t inherently cause harm to anyone. The vast majority of Tom’s videos deal with offline games, wherein the only experience that will be affected is his (or, should you choose to follow suit, your) own. And there’s technically nothing wrong with playing a solo game the way you want to play it.

In fact, for many videos, such as Tom’s own on how to exploit the YouTube algorithm, the point of his post isn’t for exploitation’s sake. Rather, Tom attempts to expose how the problem works so that developers can patch it. To that point, The Spiffing Brit mentioned being intentionally hired by the developers of one game to try to break it so that they could fix those issues ahead of release.

CONTENT CONCERNS

There are a few “bugs” on the channel itself for which viewers will want to watch out. Swearing takes place in some videos, where Tom uses words like “h—,” “d–n” or “d–k.” God’s name is likewise used in vain occasionally.

Every so often, viewers might hear a sexual joke, such as the childishly carnal name of his Elden Ring character. And depending on the game he’s playing, viewers may have to note violence or magical elements in some of those games, too.

Now, some of Tom’s exploits can be done online. However, in those instances, The Spiffing Brit warns that anyone who tries it online will likely get little more than a swift ban from the game by developers (or a quick “unfriend” from any local buddies).

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Part of the fun in The Spiffing Brit, I think, is watching him break a game that you enjoy playing. It may indeed be a comfort to some Elden Ring players, for instance, that the boss they’ve been stuck on for the last two weeks could be defeated in one shot if they truly wanted to do so. However, I suspect that most viewers are more like myself: while it’s fun to watch someone show it’s possible to cheat the game, we’ll still play the game how it was intended to be played.

Unfortunately, despite the fun, the light swearing and occasional sexual joke may turn a viewer away from the channel—and there’s no exploit to get around that. With that in mind, it’s up to you to decide if The Spiffing Brit is your cup of Yorkshire tea.

The post The Spiffing Brit appeared first on Plugged In.

Garcia started her channel in 2010, and she became one of the first prominent Minecraft YouTubers. Her Minecraft-centric videos span hundreds of episodes and have earned her channel millions of views.

But Minecraft isn’t the only game featured on the channel. From adventure to horror to obscure indie games, Garcia and, oftentimes, her husband, Mario, progress through many virtual worlds, all with their audience in tow.

So, let’s find out if this Cupquake is a tasty treat.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Garcia enjoys many games with her husband, Mario, and it’s evident that the two love spending time with one another. They’re often seen playing games together on the channel.

In a couple videos, Garcia noted both the joy and challenges that have come with her becoming a mother. She expresses that, while being a mom can be difficult sometimes, she ultimately loves it.

Because iHasCupquake has been on YouTube for a long time, the channel features a dedicated following of people expressing the positive impact Garcia has had on their lives as they grew up.

Garcia has used her channel to raise money for charity.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Though infrequent, we did hear mostly milder swear words like “a–,” “h—” and “crap.” But in one video, the f-word is used. God’s name was also taken in vain in a number of videos.

Some of the games Garcia plays contain elements that are inappropriate for younger children. For instance, Yandere Simulator contains sexual elements and murder. Mount Your Friends likewise contains sexual elements, and Garcia makes a couple suggestive jokes in an episode about it. Other videos for games like Fran Bow and Little Nightmares contain demonic and/or supernatural elements—and horror games are played on the channel, too. Other games contain blood, death and violence. And in Who’s Your Daddy?!, one gamer plays as a baby attempting to find ways around the house to kill himself while the parent player attempts to stop him.

In a couple videos, iHasCupquake shares some of her political beliefs.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

The thing about gaming YouTubers is that a large portion of their content issues will often be dependent on the games they choose to play. So if parents don’t want to outright ban a channel, they can choose individual videos that unpack more “kid-friendly” games, which wouldn’t have as much problematic content.

That’s not always the case: Some gaming YouTubers are foul no matter what game they play. But on iHasCupquake, the content is indeed throttled back. Yes, some games on this channel are dark and have bloody, disturbing elements. Others, like Minecraft, will likely generate no qualms. The more innocent a game is, the fewer problems Garcia’s video is likely to have.

But “fewer” doesn’t mean “none.” And with that in mind, parents should especially heed our advice to check out these videos beforehand if they’re considering allowing their child to watch.

The post iHasCupquake appeared first on Plugged In.

Unless you watch gameranx. In that case, you may just be on top of it all.

The YouTube channel has a few different narrators, but they’ve all got a common goal: “To celebrate video games, their greatness, and all they have to offer,” according to the company’s website.

To that end, the channel offers first impressions of upcoming releases in its “Before You Buy” series to help you learn about the games. It frequently uploads “Top 10” rankings, exploring all sorts of gaming genres and topics. And gameranx will also bring you gaming-related news, too, including lesser-known upcoming releases and strange gaming stories.

Positive Content

The “Before You Buy” series offers detailed reviews of soon-to-be or recently released video games. These reviews are quite balanced, and the hosts almost always find something good to say, even about games they think are bad.

Some videos provide gamers with tips and tricks that they can implement on their consoles. Others help viewers learn what new games will be releasing soon. On a similar note, a few other videos explain what sorts of gifts might be good for a gamer.

And, for gamers, some of the “Top 10” lists may just be plain fun to watch.

Content Concerns

Some videos contain thumbnails of sexually suggestive material, and some videos discuss titillating subjects, including ranking “sex scenes in video games that almost happened” and “inappropriate Easter eggs” found in games. (The latter of which reference genitalia and other sexual acts. Animated men and women in some videos can appear in little clothing.

Some games that gameranx covers contain violence, blood and gore, of course. For instance, they cover the Doom games and the zombie shooter Back 4 Blood.

We also hear some swearing, and while the f-word is censored occasionally, that’s not always the case. We also heard other swears like the s-word, “d-ck,” “a–” and more. God’s name is sometimes used in vain, including in the form of “g-dd–n.” Some of these swears can be seen in the video titles, too.

Channel Summary

The video gaming industry is a massive business—and one that continues to grow, day by day. The channel gameranx makes that ocean of games feel just a little bit smaller. But prospective viewers will need to be aware that they’ll be exposed to a veritable sea of content issues, too.

The post gameranx appeared first on Plugged In.

That’s the case with Jordan Maron, the man behind YouTube channel CaptainSparklez. He’s been on the platform since 2010—longer than the game that would launch him into YouTube stardom has been released.

The game? Minecraft.

At this point, we probably don’t need to explain the bestselling video game of all time to you. But when the game took off following its release in 2011, it took channels like CaptainSparklez with it.

The channel is most famous for its Minecraft music videos: parodies and original songs alike based in the world of Minecraft. In fact, one such song, “Take Back the Night,” which was a collaboration between Maron and YouTuber TryHardNinja, debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Maron’s channel still primarily features Minecraft content. However, uploads also include songs involving other games, reactions and some vlogs.

POSITIVE CONTENT

CaptainSparklez often collaborates with other YouTube contributors. And unlike many other YouTubers who might try to gain an audience through extreme and explosive reactions, Maron typically stays quite calm and realistic with his audience. His demeanor is almost always cheerful and friendly, and many of his fans are likewise kind.

Maron is a board member for GameChanger Charity, a group dedicated to providing funding and gaming consoles to children in hospitals as a way to comfort them during their stays.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Much of CaptainSparklez’ content is based around Minecraft, though he also has played other games on his channel, such as Terraria, Fortnite and Call of Duty. Those games can contain content issues of their own, which means that for parents who feel the Call of Duty games are not suitable for their kids, this channel won’t be, either.

In addition, CaptainSparklez swears in his videos, frequently taking God’s name in vain (including instances that are followed by “d–n”). He also uses lighter swears like “h—” and “a–.” Other videos use heavier language, including the s-word, “p-ss” and “d–k.” And other players may type foul or crude language in chat, such as the f-word.

Viewers will hear the occasional sexual joke or reference. In one series, for instance, Maron plays a modded Minecraft campaign in which he must seduce and have sex with various characters. (The end goal is simply a black screen with the word “censored” on it.) An animation of such an encounter includes Maron’s character being drugged, and the female character is seen in her underwear. A couple jokes may reference sex, sometimes unintentionally.  

Maron also reacts to a subreddit called “50/50,” in which players click on links that will take them either to something nice or something gross or disturbing, including bodily harm or death. While Maron’s “losses” won’t appear on screen, his descriptions and reactions will.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

The CaptainSparklez channel has been around for 13 years, and Maron’s been playing Minecraft for nearly that long, too. That could very well mean that the channel is as old as or older than the very people watching his content. And given the channel’s often adult content, that’s an issue.

Maron is very friendly with his audience, which will certainly keep people coming back. With that in mind, viewers should weigh some of the channel’s content issues against the channel’s fun to make sure those are issues they’re willing to take on.

The post CaptainSparklez appeared first on Plugged In.

In the gaming realm, Minecraft is a beast—outselling every other video game ever created. And with a large portion of YouTube uploads being dedicated to gaming, Minecraft holds a big sway over YouTube audiences, too.

Alex Kisiel’s channel, ish, found this out firsthand.

Kisiel has played Minecraft for a long time. His first video on the game was uploaded seven years ago. And yet, that’s not what his channel originally focused on.

If you scroll through the channel’s 39 videos, you’ll see a range of video topics: a couple on learning how to do something quickly; a couple essays responding to (at the time) current events; some videos about the times he participated in MrBeast challenges.

But it wasn’t until he began creating elaborate Minecraft narratives that his channel really took off. As of publishing, ish has uploaded four Minecraft videos based around the theme of civilization—that is, dropping people into a Minecraft world with one life to see how they build a society. And compared to the rest of his videos, these four have received millions of views more than the rest of his content.

That spike is enough to put ish’s videos on the front of YouTube, and it’s likely that your child might spot one of them. With that in mind, what can we expect from the growing channel?

POSITIVE CONTENT

Kisiel crafts interesting and fun stories in his Minecraft challenges, keeping the viewer engaged. And through his videos, he’s formed a generally friendly community of players.

Other videos show ish’s commitment to learning or teaching new things, such as practicing violin or explaining what Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Some of Kisiel’s videos contain some swearing. While audible swears are censored out, it should be noted that the occasional use of the f-word can be seen typed out in chat by other players when ish plays Minecraft. More commonly, viewers will hear light words like “frick,” though God’s name is used in vain sometimes, too.

On a similar note, these Minecraft videos occasionally contain inappropriate jokes, such as a joke about bestiality or a cavity search. Also in these Minecraft videos, some players will create fake religions (such as a flower cult) or form societies based on real ones like Islam.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Kisiel knows how to tell a story, that much is apparent. The Minecraft videos for which his channel is known contain many twists, turns and otherwise interesting story arcs that will keep viewers waiting for the next one to come out. And while ish’s content is generally pretty clean, a few things may keep the channel from children.

The post ish appeared first on Plugged In.

So screams Sean “Jack” McLoughlin at the start of nearly every one of the videos on his YouTube channel, jacksepticeye. Yes, the Irish man is aware of how stereotypical it sounds … and that’s kind of the point.

McLoughlin is quite possibly the most recognizable Irish YouTuber on the platform—and one of the most recognizable gaming-focused YouTubers, period. Nearly 30 million subscribers propel him toward the pinnacle of this genre, alongside the likes of Markiplier and PewDiePie.

Whether jacksepticeye is playing a silly game or a horror game, his streaming videos radiate with cheerful banter and quick one-liners—and the same can be said for his reaction videos, too. McLoughlin’s comedic timing paired with his optimistic and friendly demeanor clearly connects with a huge online audience.

But is the channel, as a whole, a pot of gold?

POSITIVE CONTENT

McLoughlin has used his fame to raise millions for various charities, even raising over $10 million during his last “Thankmas” charity stream. He furthermore frequently engages with content made by his fans and thanks them for taking the time to make it for him.

Optimism infuses nearly every one of his videos. However, he has also been quite vocal about the difficulties of YouTube, explaining to his audience how his job can be quite stressful and has negatively impacted his mental health. Because of this, he decided to cut back on the frequency of his uploads and even took some time away to recuperate.

CONTENT CONCERNS

McLoughlin frequently uses crude language, including the f-word, s-word and various words for male or female anatomy. He will often take God’s name in vain. Jesus’ name is likewise used as an expletive.

McLoughlin plays many horror games that may scare younger audiences, and he also plays games that contain ample amounts of animated blood and gore. Viewers will also hear explicit sexual references occasionally.

On the channel, jacksepticeye will react to various things posted on the Internet that may not be appropriate for viewers. These might include nudity and sex, real life gore and scatological content (all of which is blurred or censored). Content like this is particularly prominent when McLoughlin, as a sort of game, reacts to certain subreddits on Reddit that promote the risk of seeing such things.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

One thing that’s immediately evident reading up on jacksepticeye is this: He’s been a big inspiration to his fans. One teen after another commented about how McLoughlin’s videos were an oasis in a desert full of mental illnesses and the pains of growing up. And, to his credit, McLoughlin certainly does his part to make sure his fans know that his personality is genuine; he does care for them.

But despite those nice sentiments, the many content issues included in the channel make this a hard sell for younger audiences, especially that frequent harsh profanity and the sexual references.

The post jacksepticeye appeared first on Plugged In.

But if you have five minutes, Casually Explained, a channel managed by a guy named James, somewhat teaches/jokes about such out-of-the-way topics. From rock climbing to travel to red flags in dating, Casually Explained spends a few moments giving a brief synopsis of it filled with dry one-liners.

For a few years, the channel uploaded roughly one video each month before James suddenly stopped uploading more than a year ago. However, the channel has recently returned with a new video, and James alleges that more are on the way. Popular YouTubers who do this tend to pop up on YouTube’s recommendations as their return spreads around the site. So, for those who may think about clicking on the channel, what can you expect?

POSITIVE CONTENT

It’s apparent that James looks to entertain above all else. And many of his jokes are clever and well-constructed. But the channel also wants to teach you about his video’s respective topics, too. For instance, a video on being healthy teaches genuine facts about calorie consumption. Segments typically explain topics with a fair amount of accuracy—even if there’s a joke tacked on at the end.

CONTENT CONCERNS

While some of the channel’s jokes and topics are family friendly, many of them are not. Many of Casually Explained’s jokes are based on references to sexual things. We hear James joke about and make references to sex, male genitalia, masturbation and more. In one video, a naked girl is seen censored behind a black bar. In another, he says that one red flag in dating is when the person in question is a stripper. A video ends with a Viagra commercial. A video on lifting weights shows various men in tight clothing. One video looks generally positively upon one-night stands and hookup culture.

Language is also a concern. Viewers will hear the occasional f-word and s-word. We also heard an instance of the c-word, and in an audio clip played by the channel, someone says the n-word. God’s name is abused, including in the form of “g-dd–n.” And this is hardly an all-inclusive roundup.

Some videos discuss alcohol, and while James does tell viewers to drink responsibly, he also talks about becoming intoxicated in a number of videos. James also jokingly references doing cocaine.

Some videos discuss the theory of evolution, and another video mocks a Bible verse.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Casually Explained probably isn’t a channel you’ll want your kids watching. While James can be funny and teaches a bit on each topic, the many sexual references and swearing (among other concerns) will likely be too far for your family.

The post Casually Explained appeared first on Plugged In.