How Sinjin Drowning made me (kind of) care about gaming

Let it be known that I am not a gamer.

For a long time, my video game knowledge didn’t extend past Nintendogs, Minecraft, Animal Crossing and Five Nights at Freddy’s (which I am not good at).

I could never get into popular titles like Grand Theft Auto (GTA) or Call of Duty because they seemed far too complicated for me. I happily kept my distance from the gaming community for years and, despite my younger brothers’ pleas, continued to stick to what I know — silly, simple games.

The summer after my first year at Miami University, my brothers finally convinced me to play Fortnite. I found myself pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the game despite not being remotely good at it. Still, I steered clear of gaming content and only ever indulged in games that were familiar to me.

Then I found Sinjin Drowning — no, not the scene from “Victorious.”

Sinjin Drowning is a YouTube channel hosted by siblings Weston and Kalynn Koury. They primarily create gaming content that ranges from Roblox to MovieStarPlanet to GTA and more. The brother and sister duo occasionally vlog, but it’s clear that video games are their niche.

Once I watched my first Sinjin Drowning video, I was hooked. The Koury siblings achieved the impossible for me: They managed to make gaming content entertaining and amusing to watch. Their contrasting personalities make for a perfect content creator duo as well.

And I know what you may be thinking: Roblox videos and the like aren’t true gaming content. But to that I say you would be wrong. They’re video games, right? Content is being made from those games, right?

Enough said.

Unlike most gaming creators, Sinjin Drowning doesn’t take any game too seriously, which is part of the reason why I love the channel so much. The duo always appears to have a good time while playing together, and even when they fail, they continue to keep things fun.

One of the main issues I had with gaming content before was how serious creators are about whatever they’re playing. I, for one, don’t want to watch a grown man get genuinely upset and scream at a video game when things aren’t going his way.

As someone who primarily plays video games to goof around, it’s refreshing to see others who do the same.

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Plus, most gaming channels nowadays tend to pander to Gen Alpha, making them obnoxious, annoying and flashy. Sinjin Drowning is nothing like this. The duo’s videos aren’t filled to the brim with red arrows and sound effects every 20 seconds.

The dynamic between the Koury siblings alone makes them entertaining to watch. Weston is the loud, outgoing younger brother, and Kalynn is the chill, witty older sister. As an older sister myself, watching the duo reminds me of my relationship with my two younger brothers.

The Kourys’ sense of humor is rooted in internet and pop culture, which I’m a huge fan of. Whether it’s Kalynn reciting Nicki Minaj lyrics or Weston arguing with Roblox “Total Drama Island” players about glazing, I’m going to laugh every time.

The duo also has their own inside jokes that have spread across the fanbase, including but not limited to Weston’s Fourth of July party, tugging on ponytails, the bach (beach) and the duo’s extensively questionable Roblox usernames.

Watching Sinjin Drowning’s content has inspired me to venture out of my comfort zone and indulge in games that I never would’ve played before. I’m now an avid Roblox player, and I would like to eventually try out games such as GTA and spin offs of Five Nights at Freddy’s.

I still wouldn’t call myself a gamer — I’m far from it. But I do like to be silly and just mess around in games. That’s what makes them so fun for me.

Just ask my brothers. They’re the ones who always carry our trio in Fortnite while I mess around with emotes and ride aimlessly on wildlife.

Sinjin Drowning uploads an astonishing five days each week. No matter what the duo plays, I’m engaged with its content, even if it’s a game I wouldn’t personally be interested in.

Maybe Sinjin Drowning’s content isn’t something you’d consider serious gaming, but that’s OK with me. It’s helped me gain an appreciation for gaming, and it’s allowed me to indulge in and genuinely enjoy video games.

@_chloebowie_

southacr@miamioh.edu