Watch It Played: P.E.I. man’s board game tutorials a win on YouTube

Work is all fun and games for Rodney Smith.

The P.E.I. resident is marking 13 years of his YouTube channel, Watch It Played, which features video tutorials on how to play board games. From classics like Monopoly to new games about wine-making, and woodland animals collecting sea glass, to aliens warring over a planet, the options are endless.

“If you have an interest, there is a board game out there that will suit it,” says Smith.

Since 2011, his channel has grown to a whopping 362,000 subscribers, and more than 1,900 videos.

“I feel incredibly, incredibly fortunate. And this is one of those things, too, that really only worked because there were so many people who were willing to support it.”

It’s a full-time job now, but it didn’t start that way.

Fifteen years ago, he and his family were living in Halifax, where Smith had a job as a finance manager for the Government of Canada.

Looking for a better work-life-balance with their two young kids, Luke and Andrea, he and his wife Christy made the choice to move to Montague, P.E.I. His wife would work while Smith would be a stay-at-home-dad. While busy, Smith says it also was a chance to explore other endeavors.

“I'd always had an interest in board games,” explains Smith over the phone. “I started getting back into it a little bit, and realized that the landscape had changed a lot. Modern board gaming had advanced, there was a lot of choices in them, and it got me excited to start playing again.”

Rodney Smith is pictured in his basement with his son in 2011, the year he began his YouTube channel Watch It Played.

Navigating YouTube

He got inspired and intrigued, knowing he wanted to contribute to the growing channels appearing on YouTube.

“I didn't feel comfortable reviewing games, which was the most common thing that was being done back then, because I have a hard time assessing for somebody else where they'll find fun,” says Smith. “But I realized no one is teaching people how to play board games. And that's probably the biggest barrier to this hobby. You know, you buy a board game and then you've gotta do some studying, you gotta read a rule book.”

To Smith’s surprise, he also discovered not everyone enjoyed learning the rules as much as he did. On the website BoardGameGeek, an online forum for board gaming hobbyists, a thread asked people how they liked to learn games.

“I thought the answer was going to be everyone loves reading rule books just like I do, and it turned out that was not the answer!” laughs Smith. “The majority hated reading rule books, but loved it when somebody else taught them how to play, and that’s when a massive lightbulb went on over my head because I love reading rule books. I love decoding them. I love figuring how the stuff in the box works, and I love trying to help other people understand that. I thought, if people want a friend who can teach them how to play board games, maybe I can be that virtual friend?”

Smith’s passion and desire to help people enjoy a game together really got the dice rolling.

“If you can get onto the other side of those rules, I think there are really special experiences that sit in the board game space that are kind of unique,” adds Smith. “You are collaboratively working with the other people at the table, and the activities. When you're playing a game, you are creating a story. You are creating something together. It often leads to laughter, attention, strategic thinking, and fun.”

Smith says when he started the channel in August 2011, it was a “humble” operation, and also served as a way to have fun with his young kids.

“It was in my unfinished basement. I did not have any kind of proper studio. I had a video camera, my in-laws had given us for like a wedding gift. And I just felt though that I had something to offer that wasn't being done at the time.”

Rodney Smith is pictured holding board game rules.

Expansion Pack

Turns out there was interest, and there continues to be.

Watch It Played is focused on tutorials, but also includes play-throughs and top 10 lists, with other online creators contributing. Tutorials can be longer than 30 minutes, including setup, game play overview, turns, actions, how to play cards, and how to win.

“So if you bought the game, and you don't wanna read the rule book, or maybe you've read the rule book and you're scratching your head a little bit, you know, you're not quite sure if you understand it, then I'm gonna create a video that’s -- hopefully in a welcoming, friendly way -- going to walk you through all of the rules with nice, clear visuals. So you, by the end of it, hopefully we'll have a better sense of what, what the game is and how to play it with your friends.”

A one-person operation, it takes Smith about a week to create one tutorial video. First, he learns the rules. Then he writes a script, shoots the video over two or three days, and finishes it with edits.

In the early years of the channel, and before publishers would hire him, once a year Smith would ask viewers to support the channel.

“And it allowed me to turn it into something that is now self-sufficient in that way and doesn't require our viewers to support it. Now the industry can support it and the viewers can just enjoy it.”

Rodney Smith is pictured at AireCon in 2023.

Fun and games

Now, it’s a full-time job that pays the bills.

Board game publishers approach Smith and send him games. If he has any questions with their rule book, he can call the game designer directly for clarity.

“This is my full-time job, 100 per cent,” says Smith. “It became sustainable, full-time work about six or seven years ago.”

The channel has also connected with him from people around the world. He has attended board game conventions, like Gen Con in Indianapolis, the largest table top game convention in North America, and SPIEL Essen in Germany, described as the ‘world’s largest public fair’ for board games.

“It's a place to demo games and to meet other gamers. Like some of my strongest relationships now are a few people I've met on some of these trips. And now we stay in touch daily.”

Rodney Smith is pictured giving a board game tutorial at Gen Con in 2017.

Player connections

Smith also gets recognized for his work.

“If I got to a board game convention, I’m not terrible surprised to be recognized by people. But the other day I was walking into the local coffee shop here, The Lucky Bean Café in Montague, and someone said ‘Hey, are you Rodney from Watch It Played?’ and it just floored me, because I don’t expect to be recognized in my hometown. But I suppose, if anything, it’s just another indication of growth of this hobby. It’s reaching into all corners of the world.”

It’s that feedback from viewers that also fuels his videos.

“I remember one sticks out my mind particularly,” recalls Smith. “It was a mother. She'd bought the game Seven Wonders for her child as a gift and they sat down to play it and they could not figure it out from the rules. And she said, ‘I was basically in tears. I bought this gift for my kid. We couldn't play it. We thankfully came to YouTube, found your video, now we’re playing it and having a great time.’ To me, that was creation fuel for a decade. Getting that feedback made me think, I will never stop doing this. Because I understand that frustration. You bought something, it’s promising fun, you believe there is fun in that box, but now you’re stuck with this rule book that you’re struggling with, and being able to help in some small way, so they can get past that, and have that fun, that experience with their kids, as a parent myself… that’s a meaningful peace of feedback.”

Rodney Smith takes part in a panel at AireCon in 2022. (Source: H2 Portrait and Dance Photography)

Game’s not over

While similar channels have now appeared, Smith says he’s grateful his job brings him, and his viewers, joy.

“Hopefully I'm doing something that's supporting this industry that I love and this industry that I love is supporting me back.”

So does Smith still play and enjoy board games in his spare time? Yes.

“I enjoy it as much now as ever, if not more”

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