It can start out as just wanting to know how a game is laid out. And suddenly, within the hour, you find yourself watching video after video of different games and different YouTubers reacting to said games and you wonder...how did I even get here?

It's simple. You've fallen into the world of YouTube Let's Play.

What is Let's Play? Essentially, it's a video play-through of a game laced with commentary by the player. Some popular YouTube Let's Players include PewDiePie, Markiplier, GameGrumps and JackSepticEye, among many others. These YouTubers have racked up millions of subscribers just by playing video games and have even changed the lives of many through charity live streams and fan meets across the globe.

But why are Let's Plays so popular?

Many attribute the popularity of Let's Plays from the fact that these gamers not only provide entertaining walkthroughs for their viewers but also give off a comfortable atmosphere as if they're right there next to you as they play these games. Their genuine reactions are incredibly entertaining, whether it be from a jumpscare during Five Nights At Freddy's or storyline epiphanies from Undertale.

PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, is the most subscribed user on YouTube, as well as the most viewed user, with over 40 million subscribers and over 10 billion video views. Because of his popularity, his coverage of games have created an "Oprah effect," in that most of the games he plays receive a boost in sales following his videos.

Recently, the same can be said for Markiplier, named Mark Fischbach, who currently has over 11 million subscribers on his channel. Both he and PewDiePie are notorious for their hilarious reactions to being jump-scared during horror indie game play-throughs, but also for their successful charity live streams that amass thousands of dollars.

So while some may not always understand why watching someone else play a game on YouTube is so entertaining (see Jimmy Kimmel), the millions that have subscribed to these gamers say otherwise.

Who knows? Maybe watching these guys might make you want to play the game yourself...unless it's too scary. Then you might wanna leave the jump-scares for the professionals.