Voices in the Dark
Who would record a 22-hour playthrough of a game? A late-night journey through the online video culture known simply as “Let’s Play.”
It started when I couldn’t sleep. In the darkness I’d thrash around on my bed, my mind bombarding me with every stray thought it could muster. A friend recommended I try to fall asleep to white noise—a box fan set to a low speed, ocean noises, anything that would fend off the constant stream of thought. Inevitably, I turned to the internet, and there, amid poor quality videos of Red Dead Redemption glitches and anime music videos, I came across a series of tutorial videos named “Let’s Play Nethack,” produced by a man named Lord Seth.
“I don’t know if my voice is as annoying as I think it sounds, but if it’s annoying you can just turn it off.” Through my computer’s speakers came a voice that was bashful, self-deprecating, and riddled with nervous pauses. What came across most was Lord Seth’s absolute sincerity. “This is actually my first Let’s Play, so my apologies if it isn’t really that interesting or that good. I’m doing the best I can.”
