Grab Your Popcorn: Top 17 Games To Watch Someone Else Play

Video games have transformed from being a solitary hobby to a spectator event, bringing people together and creating a lively community. Watching someone else play a game can be just as exhilarating as playing it yourself, offering fulfilling experiences and unforgettable moments. With captivating storytelling, stunning visuals, and nail-biting action sequences, here are our top 17 picks for the best games to watch someone else play, ensuring you're always entertained.

1. The Last of Us Part II

This captivating sequel to the acclaimed The Last of Us immerses players in a seamless, narrative-driven experience. Playing as Ellie, you traverse through a stunning post-apocalyptic world, surviving threats, both human and infected. Watching someone else explore the game's rich landscapes, interactive storytelling, and intense combat sequences can be utterly enthralling, keeping you on the edge of your seat.

2. Red Dead Redemption 2

The open-world cowboy adventure that is Red Dead Redemption 2 offers a cinematic experience awash with breathtaking visuals, an engaging narrative, and thrilling gameplay. Following the story of outlaw Arthur Morgan in the Wild West, it's a treat to watch someone unravel the various storylines and encounter dynamic events set within a vast, living world.

3. Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain, a crime thriller choose-your-own-adventure video game, emphasizes an engaging narrative and player choices that can drastically change the story's outcome. Watching someone else play and make decisions offers an intriguing insight into their thought process, making for a unique shared experience in this intense, emotionally-charged game.

4. The Witness

This beautifully crafted puzzle-based exploration game transports players to a mysterious, abandoned island filled with challenging puzzles and an enigmatic ambiance. The Witness entices those who eagerly watch others play and solve intricate puzzles, providing a thrilling blend of exploration and intellectual challenge.

5. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

This immersive, expansive RPG showcases an enormous, diverse world teeming with interesting characters, engaging quests, and captivating lore. Watching someone else play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt allows you to experience Geralt of Rivia's thrilling adventures and follow the complex narrative without having to invest countless hours in the gameplay yourself.

6. Life is Strange

Experience the power of choice in this episodic, narrative-driven adventure game where decisions impact the storyline and consequences of future events. Watching someone else play Life is Strange allows spectators to experience a powerful, emotional, and thought-provoking story through the eyes of a different decision-maker, making each playthrough unique.

7. Until Dawn

This interactive drama horror game thrusts players into a thrilling, terrifying struggle for survival. With likable characters and a branching story determined by players' choices, watching someone else play Until Dawn lets you experience an alternative path through the gripping narrative, adding replay value to this engaging psychological thriller.

8. God of War (2018)

The latest installment in the God of War series offers a visually stunning, narrative-driven experience that explores the bond between Kratos and his son, Atreus. By watching someone else play, you can enjoy beautifully crafted environments, intricate combat mechanics, and emotionally-laden storytelling without the pressure of mastering controls and gameplay strategies.

9. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End combines cinematic storytelling, breathtaking visuals, and thrilling gameplay to make for a spectacular viewing experience. Watching someone else traverse exotic landscapes, engage in intense shootouts, and explore a captivating narrative offers an enthralling gaming experience and entertainment that rivals blockbuster movies.

10. Detroit: Become Human

This interactive drama delves into a fascinating tale of artificially intelligent androids who yearn for freedom and the consequences of their actions. Watching someone else play Detroit: Become Human offers a unique insight into their decision-making process, as each choice significantly impacts the unfolding narrative and characters' fates.

11. The Stanley Parable

The Stanley Parable is a unique narrative-driven game that’s more like an interactive story than a traditional video game. What makes this title so enjoyable to watch is how it is humorous and engaging storytelling that unfolds through multiple branching paths determined by the player’s choices. Observing different players make different decisions provides an entirely new perspective on this wonderfully quirky game every time.

12. The Dark Souls Series

The Dark Souls series is notorious for its brutal difficulty and unforgiving gameplay mechanics. Watching someone else face off against nightmarish creatures in this treacherous world can be incredibly thrilling. Viewers can glean valuable strategies for tackling tough bosses and navigating complex environments while simultaneously enjoying the raw emotions of frustration, triumph, and sheer determination displayed by the player.

13. The Resident Evil Series

The iconic horror franchise is always a blast to watch, regardless of whether you're a seasoned fan or new to the series. Experiencing tense jump scares, frantic combat, and the unsettling atmosphere while watching another player traverse dark corridors and face terrifying foes can be genuinely entertaining. This is especially true when watching players dive into tough challenges or take on harder difficulty modes, raising the stakes even higher.

14. eSports Competitions

From first-person shooters like Overwatch and Call of Duty to MOBAs such as Dota 2 and League of Legends, some video games are designed with professional-level competition in mind. As eSports events grow increasingly popular, watching highly skilled teams face off in high-stakes matches can provide a level of excitement comparable to traditional spectator sports events. The expert-level strategies employed by professional gamers can be as inspiring as they are entertaining.

15. Telltale Games Series

Telltale Games has built an extensive library of story-driven adventure games just begging for voyeuristic consumption. Titles such as The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and Tales from the Borderlands offer gripping narratives with relatable characters whose fates are determined by a myriad of player decisions throughout each episode. Each playthrough can reveal new twists in the story due to different choices made by the player, making return viewings equally engaging.

16. Firewatch

Firewatch is an unforgettable first-person narrative-driven game that emphasizes exploration and conversation over combat. While its gameplay mechanics may be relatively simple, it's beautiful art direction and engrossing story make it an excellent title to experience vicariously through another player's eyes – particularly if they have their commentary on how they interpret unfolding events about solitude and human connection.

17. Grand Theft Auto V Role-Playing

Grand Theft Auto V can be an excellent game to watch when played conventionally. Still, recently, role-playing servers have gained immense popularity, wherein players create their original characters and fully immerse themselves in Los Santos' chaotic open world. Hilarity often ensues as viewers watch players assume roles such as crime bosses, street racers, or even regular civilians trying to make ends meet – all interacting under a strict in-character policy. The resulting improvised storylines and character interactions are often fascinating to observe.

While there is an abundance of great games out there that are a blast to play yourself, the rise of streaming platforms has shown that watching someone else navigate through these virtual worlds can be just as exciting. The games listed above represent only a small glimpse of what's available to enjoy as an observer – so grab some popcorn, sit back, and let the players do the work for you.