Sometimes it's easy to forget that Twitch got its start as a gaming-focused offshoot of Justin.TV. While games are still prominently showcased on the front page, it's the "just chatting" category that tends to dominate.
It could be why there was a limited selection of developers showcasing their games, compared to the many companies showcasing streaming hardware and technology at TwitchCon 2025.
However, Twitch is still a video game streaming site at heart, and going viral on the platform can mean substantial riches for game makers.
Of the handful of developers present at the semi-annual Twitch convention in San Diego earlier in October, many were focused on communal experiences. It makes sense, given that in 2025, titles like Peak and Baby Steps, which intentionally use awkward controls for over-the-top reactions, dominated the platform.
It's impossible to predict which game might go viral on Twitch, but there are some trends among the successes to look out for.
The venerable online shooter Fortnite is seen as a Twitch darling, remaining a top title eight years after release. Before it took over Twitch, Fortnite was a base-building game with crafting mechanics when it launched in 2017. Its developer, Epic Games, quickly released a new mode with a battle royale gimmick, similar to PUBG's popular model. It pits one player against 99 others, all vying to be the last one standing. That quick reaction to trends helped Fortnite succeed.
Among Us, Minecraft and Escape from Tarkov are other examples of games that started off with one concept, only for the community to influence the design.
Of course, the underlying gameplay of all these hits had to be rewarding and enjoyable, but they also allowed for viral moments where players "popped off" with clutch plays, claiming victory from the jaws of defeat.
Speaking to me on the show floor of the massive, but sparsely attended, San Diego Convention Center, Virgil Watkins, design lead at Embark Studios -- makers of the upcoming extraction shooter ARC Raiders -- said that viral Twitch games need to have simple starting concepts.
"I think they incorporate a very simple game loop that you can pick up and play and understand very, very quickly, and then kind of discover the depths together," Watkins said. "The biggest factor is the fact that you generate a lot of really funny stories."
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