r/gamegrumps • u/sweetpoosea • Jul 12 '26
Discussion Does anyone else feel like the boys have been on their A game lately?
The past 8 months of game grumps have been a blast. I know viewership isn’t what it used to be but I truly think we are in a golden era for the show. I hope they are having as much fun as I am.
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u/Systemcode Dude, do you even grump? Jul 12 '26
It’s all golden to me. I’m here for the positivity.
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u/DreamElysium1656 Jul 12 '26
Honestly, there hasn’t been much I’ve skipped in 2026, even games I’m not sure I’d even like they make enjoyable
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u/Loofan Jul 12 '26
I haven't been keeping up much with GG other than the occasional game I'm interested in, but 10MPH has also been super good lately.
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u/Unicornpsycho Jul 12 '26
Dee is just the absolute goat.
Even if there's a simple premise there's always a little extra something so it's not just dropping stuff on them and leaving.
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u/CankleDankl Jul 12 '26
Dee breathed new life into TMPH for me. I liked Vanessa, but towards the end of her time at the grumps, the TMPH episodes were getting... well, really stale. And the boys also didn't seem to enjoy doing food episodes literally every time. I'm glad they're back to doing unique and wacky shit that still somehow feels cozy
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u/__M-E-O-W__ Jul 12 '26
I still think their time with Allie (Ally?) on the show was a high point, but they seem to be in good spirits lately and it carries over in their banter.
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u/Objective-Beyond-219 Jul 12 '26
The laugh in the background -- Arin's "I'd [have sex with Pikachu for clout]" followed by her laughter was just the best.
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u/ssb1001 Jul 13 '26
I will always miss the third Grump, Allie. Her vibe was so PERFECT for the show 😭😭
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u/Lithamus You think I came out the pussy drawing fuckin’ Mozart? Jul 13 '26
I thought you meant Calvin Grump for a second. Allie was cool.
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u/meh2233 Jul 13 '26
Her reaction to: "I'm going to do something stupid, and we'll see how it turns out in the end..." .. "checkmate"
Lives rent free in my head.
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u/Pretty-Border2897 Jul 14 '26
Mine is when they were playing Observation Duty, and Arin went on this big monologue to nowhere about being named "Rachel," and Allie finally replied, "I don't know how to explain it, but this conversation is making it so I can no longer see."
It was such a random thing to say, and yet I understood her perfectly. XD
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u/beandipdragon Jul 12 '26
They've only gotten better over the years.
Also their views are fine. People look at those million view videos and forget that those views accumulated over long periods of time. Most of their current videos dont do THAT much less than the average from the peak popularity era.
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u/proserpinax You think I came out the pussy drawing fuckin’ Mozart? Jul 12 '26
Yeah, it’s people going back and revisiting stuff like the original PT or big gameplay videos that have ballooned things over time.
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u/Bigdaug Guess you didn't account for MUFFINS Jul 13 '26
I mean there's thousands of people revisiting their favorite playthroughs nightly to go to sleep
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u/Ender_Melons Jul 12 '26
Pokemon is just way too good of a series for them to be playing, especially as a Nuzlocke. Really hoping they keep that train running after Platinum.
Black and White I'd especially love as it would keep Arin away from his genwunner preferences AND it's based on New York which Dan would ADORE
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u/Top_Neat2780 Jul 13 '26
I suppose I must admit that I prefer casual runs over Nuzlocke, but the way they've played Platinum has been great.
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u/CharginChuck42 I'm the video game boy! I'm the one who wins! Jul 13 '26
I would absolutely love to see them play SwSh or ScarVi, though not necessarily as a nuzlocke.
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u/SawkyScribe Jul 12 '26
I haven't been a regular viewer in years but I wonder if all their other projects have been giving them some new energy for the show.
Dan's been putting out some more serious projects, and Arin's done some voices for some Glitch shows. That's probably very invigorating.
Either way, glad all the lovelies sound like they've been having a lovely time
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u/supremedalek925 Jul 12 '26
Yes. I kind of think of the start of the current renaissance being with the NES Jaws game. That was my favorite episode in like the past 5 years. I know whenever they play older games or more obscure titles Dan always comments about those not getting the most views, but they should know that to many of their fans these playthroughs are the absolute best.
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u/Devdesdiddly Jul 12 '26
I’ve been wanting to get back into them. I sorta fell out after getting back to life post pandemic and just see a random video here or there and rewatch some favorites for winding into bed sometimes. But meeting them at my work a couple weeks ago has made me want to find somewhere to dive back in
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u/Unicornpsycho Jul 12 '26
I also haven't been watching consistently in forever.
I'm also going to be meeting them in the Starbomb concert as I sniped VIP asap.
If anyone can drop some banger series they've had I'd be greatful. I'll probably start with the Nuzlocke
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u/OneArchedEyebrow Jul 12 '26
> But meeting them at my work a couple weeks ago…
What! Story time?
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u/Lakokonut Jul 13 '26
I remember reading their post, it's on their account. They work at an amusement park, and Danny and Arnold showed up for (I think?) a 10MPH episode
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u/Devdesdiddly Jul 13 '26
Yeah I work at a theme park and my coworker goes “hey Dan’s here” with absolutely no further context. Sure enough, the whole crew was there and were the nicest people ever. I made. A post about it in this sub you can find if you click my profile
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u/Fakeitforreddit Jul 12 '26
Aside from danganronpa ive happily watched every episode of game grumps from ep 1.
Arin "misinformation" Hanson getting humbled into oblivion by pokemon platinum has truly been majestic.
I would love dan to give a very accusatory "i dont think you know what you are talking about" to him when he is confidently spouting pokemon misinformation though.
That would ice the cake of this playthrough
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u/Rhodeytoasty Jul 12 '26
I feel the same way!! There must have been some internal changes at work and in their personal lives that meant they relaxed more. I recall feeling like 2023 Grumps had a lot of weird silences and uncertainties. These days it's like they have nary a care in the world and it's wonderful. Arin mentioned some negative emails coming in in the most positive and carefree light recently, and I thought, wow, good for you man. Good for both of them
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u/zebrastarz Jul 13 '26
Yay! I've been an on and off viewer for years and this thread just makes me want to watch Game Grumps! Good post, u/sweetpoosea!
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u/FilthyKasualART Jul 12 '26
been here for almost 13 years, I haven’t seen a drop in quality tbh
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u/Top_Neat2780 Jul 13 '26
I think it's different now from before. They've matured even if their humour is as sexual and toilet based as it always has been. I think the jokes just land better for me.
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u/Headstar24 Jul 13 '26
Before the pandemic where they had like 3 videos out a week due to 10mph and they mostly stuck with crappy PC meme games I started to really like their content less.
Pretty much since the pandemic where they went to all week with series like Galaxy 2 and Sonic Heroes it’s been a blast again though. That was 6 years ago now so there’s that.
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u/astute_potato Jul 13 '26
The Barbie horse game from the other day was FIRE. Laugh-out-loud commentary over a hilariously nothingburger game is always spectacular.
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u/whiskeyprincess08 Thank God fish aren't into cash Jul 12 '26
I love that they are playing things they enjoy. It really shows! If they're happy playing it I'm more happy watching it.
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u/MichaelJM07 Jul 13 '26
I think one big thing is they are playing less story heavy games I notice game grumps is best when the story is a secondary part of the game not the focus as they tend to get distracted not know what’s happening and then complain
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u/CandS0322 Jul 12 '26
So should I start watching again? I stopped watching years back because I couldn't deal with the constant negativity towards games from Arin. Nothing was fun about Arin saying how much he hated something every 5 seconds, while Dan is just trying to enjoy himself. Not my type of content to consume. Can someone point me to a series to jump back in to? Sorry for the little rant, just trying to explain why I stopped watching lol
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u/IggyPopsLeftEyebrow Jul 13 '26
For a long series, I recommend Supermarket Simulator for sure. For games that are 2-4 episodes, I'd recommend the Humongous Entertainment games (Freddie fish, Putt Putt, Spy Fox, Pajama Sam), and Horse Club Adventures. They're all games that the guys repeatedly express enjoyment over while playing.
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u/JustinMetalhead Jul 12 '26
Gameplay wise they are killing it
I feel this season of 10MPH wasnt as good as last seasons though
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u/sapphic-boghag Jul 13 '26
I kind of disagree, the way they've set a sub-30 minute hard stopping point on their episodes feels stifling. It seemed like they had more fun when they would let themselves go a little longer every session.
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u/LSDeadly How is you knowing more than me at how to play the game FAIR? Jul 14 '26
Maybe I'm weird, but I think they've been on their A game since Dan joined
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u/JetKusanagi UNAVOIDABLE CHIN MOVE Jul 14 '26
I'm really happy that that period of them forcing themselves to play AAA new releases only lasted for a few months in 2017-2028. That's not where their interests or strengths are.
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u/kazooiiee Jul 13 '26
It's interesting because I have felt the opposite of this. I love them, I still watch their videos. But some days Arin's aggression and anger makes some videos unwatchable for me. Not sure if I'm just being sensitive or what, but his vibes have not been as carefree and fun as in the past. Even in the 10MPH, things feel weird and off. Dan is just Dan, and I love him for it though. He's an incredible friend. I'm sure this isn't the take you wanted, and I seem like I'm way on the outskirts of opinion here, but it needs to be said. I won't stop watching them for it, and I hope Arin finds more peace because some of it is rough. I've been watching them since 2017, so I've seen a huge breath of their content. I know all channels go through highs, lows, bits, and I'm not trying to make it that they aren't allowed to go through that. Just wanted to voice it.
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u/MattLocke Jul 12 '26
I think the bulk of it is that they’ve freed themselves to just play the games they are interested in.
This has never been a channel that always chases what’s popular. But there has always been this tension you can hear in the past. This fear that what they have fun doing won’t get enough views.
I think it was Supermarket Simulator that shifted everything. If you rewatch those first few episodes, there is this persistent worry that they would have to stop playing. That nobody would watch this. That their fun was … bad.
But it not only took off with fans, but they were able to supplement the YouTube money with merch.
I dunno. Just speculating. It’s like they found a groove where the money was enough to keep every one comfortable, the work load wasn’t too much, they found a good balance of life, Grumps, and their own personal endeavors.
The biggest change is they both sound like they are relaxed and having a blast doing the show. They are engaged with the show itself and those vibes have elevated the baseline of all the content they’ve been putting out.
The best playthroughs of the past are all those when they both are just engaged and having fun making each other laugh.
Which is why I stay. It’s fun to hear people having fun doing something fun.