I have never been one to enjoy reality TV, or sports for that matter. The prospect of screaming at my television in support of, or disappointment in a group of celebrities or athletes, has always been something that eluded me. That all changed when I came across Gielinor Games, an episodic reality/game show which takes place in the world of Old School RuneScape.
The weekly Survivor-esque series from the mind of YouTuber SoupRS pits the biggest content creators in the game’s community against one another by way of tense challenges, carefully crafted alliances, and all of the politics and drama one would expect from the world’s longest-running and most popular reality shows.
I know what you’re thinking – how could a show about this blocky, 2×2 pixel early 2000’s browser-based game be entertaining in any meaningful way? You’d be surprised.
The production quality of Gielinor Games more than makes up for the blocky sprites you see on the screen. From the phenomenal and cinematic editing, well-placed confessionals, and the licensed music, all of which are used to underscore the ongoing narrative, SoupRS delivers a network-ready hour of content on a weekly basis. Seriously, check out the trailer below – this isn’t your average bedroom YouTube series.
I realize that appealing to fans of live-action reality television shows like The Bachelor and Survivor is a difficult pitch, but darn it, this show deserves it. So without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about Gielinor Games.
What is RuneScape’s Gielinor Games?
The premise of Gielinor Games, named after RuneScape’s world, is best summarized by series creator and host SoupRS at the beginning of each week’s episode. Twenty content creators compete for their share of RuneScape’s biggest-ever prize pool. Week to week, they have to face off against one another in intense challenges, cutthroat eliminations, and more.
Every episode sees Old School RuneScape content creators face off in challenges determining their standings for the week’s banning, which sees one or more of the contestants eliminated from the Gielinor Games. The challenges are fun and varied – hide and seek, item hunts, player versus player combat, trivia, and races across RuneScape’s map all make for great entertainment.
The highest-placing contestants have the power to pick who is sent to the banning – an all-or-nothing challenge to end the episode, the loser of which is eliminated from the Games. The rest of the players are allocated a certain number of votes, depending on their ranking in the challenge, to cast against other contestants in an effort to send them into the banning. The contestants that place dead last don’t get any votes, and automatically have a vote against their name in the week’s tally.
Voting for the week’s banning is where Gielnor Games’ politics truly get spicy – confessionals featuring contestants talking heads outline who is allied with whom, any backstabbing that is set to take place, and the reasoning why certain players are gunning for others. Most of the cast ooze charisma in their own way and there is always someone to root for.
Part of Gielinor Games‘ appeal is that it is accessible to pretty much anyone and everyone who has ever set foot in Gielinor, whether they’re still grinding away in 2023, or haven’t logged into Jagex’s everlasting MMORPG since 2007.
Provided you have the most baseline understanding of the game, i.e, knowing where Lumbridge and Varrock are, killing your share of cows and chickens back in the day, and knowing a rune scimitar from a dragon scimitar, you’re going to have a good time.
Even if you’ve spent little to no time in Old School RuneScape, the comments section in SoupRS’s videos often contain tales of significant others sitting down with the game’s veterans and getting absolutely hooked by the series. There are likable heroes and villains with plenty of personality, the challenges are intense, and the drama is real.
SoupRS took the production value of Gielinor Games season three to a whole new level, but if you’re a new arrival to the show, you may have questions about the various content creators and their pasts. If you choose to jump in at season three, and have burning questions (Why is Solo Mission a snake?), you can always go back through the previous two seasons to catch yourself up. Wherever you start, you’re sure to enjoy it.
If you’re sold, go and check out SoupRS’s channel. Gielinor Games season three is still underway, with new episodes released every Saturday at 2pm EST.
