Backseat gaming is when a person is watching someone else a game and constantly tells them what to do and comments on everything they do.

It is similar to the term, ‘backseat driver’, in which someone sitting in the backseat of a car tells the driver what do to. When it comes to gaming, this could be someone in the same as room or a viewer on a livestream.

What is it on Twitch?

Twitch and YouTube Gaming are platforms in which people can watch streamers play a game and the audience can talk via the chat function. On YouTube and Twitch, backseat gaming is when people tell the streamer how to play via this chat function.

Why do People Backseat Games?

People do this as they get frustrated when they watch someone play a game as they think that they can do it better and are not able to control themselves.

How do you Handle Backseat Gamers?

The best way is to remain calm and tell them that you are playing the game and need to make mistakes in order to improve. Remember to show empathy for the viewer’s position and let them know that you appreciate that they may find it frustrating watching you make mistakes that they would potentially not make but you are in control of the game currently.

How do you Stop it?

The best way to do this is to calmly let people know that you do not enjoy it when people participate in backseat gaming. On streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube, you can specify in your streams that you do not want people to backseat game.

On streams, there is the possibility of having moderators control this by deleting comments in the chat when people backseat game and, in extreme circumstances, banning people that try to do this.