Let's Play Bobbin Threadbare

The YouTube algorithm is not kind to quiet, meticulous video game content, it rewards bombastic, prolific and new. So the creators of the former school are often underappreciated and more importantly, under-supported. Their videos must be hobbies, secondary to day jobs and subject to greater priorities when schedules conflict. As a viewer, before platforms like Patreon, I felt helpless to support a creator other than liking and subscribing. But even so, without Mr. Beast-esq thumbnails, profuse content production and chasing the next big game release, these channels don’t get the views needed on YouTube to adequately fund a Patreon.

So, one of the things that happens when you follow a curated and thorough Let’s Player is that, eventually, the LPs just stop.

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I came across Bobbin Threadbare while searching for a LP of 1998’s Thief by Looking Glass Studios and found that his LPs of the entire Thief series are great; quiet, thorough and insightful.

But just look at that thumbnail. The algorithm is not going to push that to anyone’s feed.

Shortly after I followed Bobbin he started the next evolution of his Let’s Play methodology: The Lecture Series.

A very in-depth and informative LP of Ion Storm’s immersive sim masterpiece Deus Ex and short video essays on subjects ranging from the Illuminati to obscure 60’s Sci-Fi books. He would extend the lecture series through LPs of Bioshock: Infinite and L.A. Noir¹ with relevant lecture topics respectively.

His essays became so popular that he eventually separated them into their own videos releasing them simultaneously with LPs of Psychonauts and The Witcher 3.

The Dark Mod LP is a perfect mixture of narration, mood and game.

The Dark Mod is a total-conversion mod for Doom 3, recreating the gameplay and themes of the Thief series and it’s missions are entirely user created. Which, in itself makes it a super cool project and Bobbin goes through various dimly-lit missions with his quiet voice and meticulous completionism. (In a shady side-note, Bobbin released this LP alongside his very harsh LP of 2014’s Thief by Eidos-Montreal. The main take-away being, that fans, working for free, on a mod, created a terrific game while the “official” sequel is absolute water trash.)

I have, with no exaggeration, watched this LP hundreds of times. All of it’s elements create the perfect “wind down” LP.

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In early 2023, Chris Drumm (AKA Bobbin Threadbare) got a job that demanded so much of his time that he decided to put his LP work on hold. I wish only the best for him and his work.

And that’s just how it is. Good channels go away and the LPs dry up. The channels that stick around only last because they love their work. I am in awe at these creators and in a very selfish way, I wish they could just keep making LPs forever.

I often wonder if I’m being silly, too sentimental about -what are essentially- videos of people playing video games; Chris’ oeuvre answers that for me. His channel’s miniscule output compared to any massive reaction channel speaks to Chris’ love and care for his art and that should be praised.

Please support Chris on Patreon if you enjoy any of his work.

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¹ I hope it goes without saying that, unless stated otherwise, I emphatically recommend every LP I mention.