The Big Day
This page explains everything you need to know about the big day! How do you get involved in community events? What advice do we have for surviving 24 hours? You can find out more below!
Navigation
What to stream?
If you decide to stream rather than game privately, we recommend not playing games that are a higher age rating than your target audience, but other than that you can stream what you want in a way that works for you! A few things people often like to do during gaming marathons include:
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Speed runs: Completing games as quickly as possible
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Big multiplayer games: Inviting viewers or friends to play together with you, either cooperatively or competitively
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Tournaments: Setting up a system where viewers or other streamers can all fight each other, to then see who the ultimate winner is!
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Unique challenges: This could be winning a game of Fortnite using just pistols, or playing with inverted controls! Anything that may be interesting for you try, and for viewers to watch.
But of course, the main aspect of a gaming marathon is just playing! Focus on playing games you enjoy, while also playing a variety of games so you don't get bored!
Joining the community events
Throughout the 24 hours, there will be a variety of big community events for all players or both players AND viewers to take part in (though places may be limited).
Taking part in these events is completely optional. If you would like to take part, let us know closer to the time and we will make sure to send the joining details across! Here is the schedule for the 24 hours:
Saturday 10th June
Events to be announced closer to the event. Watch this space!
Sunday 11th June
Events to be announced closer to the event. Watch this space!
Healthy Gaming Tips
Gaming marathons can be a very fun experience, but that doesn't mean they are easy! Here are our top tips for surviving your marathon whether that’s the full 24 hours or a section of this time.
Making a plan
It can be useful to make a plan of what games you are playing and when. Other essentials to plan for include:
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Toilet breaks
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Food/ snack breaks: Preparing food the day before if you can, or asking a friend/ family member to help!
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General movement breaks: staring at a screen and being still for a long period of time can cause discomfort. We recommend having at least one 5 minute break every hour, with longer at mealtimes. During this break stretching, having a walk around the house or standing outside for a couple of minutes can help.
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Switching games: Playing the same game can be difficult and make you quite drowsy! Setting a reminder to mix the game up every now and then can help! Also consider joining one of the community events.
Remember:
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A plan is flexible, so you don't have to stick with it - but having these reminds can be incredibly useful.
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You can set reminders using a phone app or an online digital clock.
Staying hydrated
Drinking water will be really important for staying awake and alert. A recommend amount is one glass of water every 2-3 hours. . Consider adding 'hydrate' as a channel points redemption if you can so your chat can also check you are doing this! Coffee and energy drinks can help you to stay alert in the short term, but water will help with the long haul.
Having the right nutrition
Junk food can make you drowsy and result in a sugar crash! Try having healthy, nutritious food so you are feeling at your best throughout the 24 hours.
There is a really great gaming nutrition guide here: https://esportshealthcare.com/basics-of-nutrition/
And another great guide on healthy gaming snacks: https://esportshealthcare.com/healthy-gamer-snacks/
Keeping a good posture
Try and play with a straight back, with your monitor at eye level. Add a posture check channel points redemption if you can so your chat can also check you are doing this!
Avoiding eye strain
Too much screen time can cause headaches, dry eyes and double vision. There are a few things you can do to prevent this:
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Brightness: Adjusting the brightness of the display so it isn't too bright
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Text size and contrast: Adjusting the text size and contrast on your monitor for comfort.
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Colour temperature: This is a technical term used to describe the spectrum of visible light emitted by a colour display. Longer wavelength hues such as orange and red are friendly for the eyes than blue light, so it better for long-term playing.
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Having breaks from looking at the screen, the 20/20/20 rule is a really great way of doing this
Stretching
Sitting gaming for long periods of time can cause discomfort. In addition to taking breaks, doing some stretches can help. It can be as simple as doing some stretches during the loading screen of a game.
Wearing comfy clothes
Because you should be comfortable!
Staying connected with others
Playing and chatting with viewers, friends and family, or joining some of our big community events. This will help the time pass, but will also be great fun.
Stocking up on sleep
The night before the gaming marathon, a lot of sleep is important! Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep before the gaming marathon begins, for the best possible chance of feeling lively throughout the 24 hours.
If you are getting 'tilted', change to less intense games. Gamer rage is never fun! If you notice you are feeling the rage, we recommend spending some time on less competitive games or going for a break.
Having fun!
This is everything from us on setting up and running your own gaming fundraiser. While it is intended to be a challenge, gaming marathons are also lots of fun, so we hope you have a wonderful experience.
Anything else?
If there is anything else you need from us or if we can support you in any way, please contact us at info@spectrumgaming.net.