KidWatch › Channel Safety › ThatGuyGlen
Genuinely wholesome stuff about game development history that might actually inspire your kid to make something.
Best for ages 10+
ThatGuyGlen covers the behind-the-scenes stories of how video games get made. The tone is calm, curious, and surprisingly thoughtful. There's no yelling, no stunts, no controversy farming. It feels like a well-researched passion project from someone who genuinely loves games and the people who make them.
Score Breakdown
KidWatch Assessment
ThatGuyGlen covers the behind-the-scenes stories of how video games get made. The tone is calm, curious, and surprisingly thoughtful. There's no yelling, no stunts, no controversy farming. It feels like a well-researched passion project from someone who genuinely loves games and the people who make them.
The content leans heavily on creator origin stories, tracing how developers went from curious kids to building something millions of people love. It's the kind of stuff that makes kids ask 'could I do that?' which is honestly a great question to be asking. The pacing is steady and the language stays clean throughout.
One thing worth knowing is that a few of the games discussed deal with heavy themes like depression, social isolation, and existential dread, even if the videos themselves handle those topics maturely. Glen doesn't sensationalize any of it, but younger or more sensitive kids might find some of the subject matter a bit heavy depending on what they already know about those games.
Flagged Moments from Top Videos
The video touches on themes of social withdrawal, isolation, and using art to cope with personal struggles during a difficult period of life. Nothing is graphic, but it's a heavier emotional undercurrent than the rest of the channel.
The video briefly addresses the moral premise of killing characters in RPGs and why consequences for violence are rarely explored in games. It's handled thoughtfully but younger kids may find the framing a bit abstract or unsettling.
What Parents Should Know
Watch an episode alongside your kid the first time to get a feel for the pacing and depth before letting them binge on their own.
Use the game development stories as a jumping-off point to talk about persistence and creative work, several of these creators spent years building something before anyone noticed.
If your child is on the younger or more sensitive side, preview any episode tied to a game you know deals with mental health themes before they watch it.
Consider pairing the videos with free game-making tools like Scratch or GDevelop since the channel has a way of making kids want to build something themselves.
Check that your kid is actually familiar with the games being discussed, some context about darker game themes lands differently if they already know the source material.
Recommended for ages 10+.
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