Twitch Streamer Shoutout: An Ode to PumpkinWolfPlays

Fun fact: Every streamer I have written about so far this month has one thing in common—I followed them after one stream. This is not always the case, however, as occasionally I will hesitate to assure that commitment to people, for whatever reason. Maybe something about them seemed off, maybe I wish to attend additional streams to get a better understanding of what they can provide. Occasionally, I can be quite picky.

As history has shown me to be prone to, for those right on the cusp of a follow, I tend to keep tabs on them. Every day or every other day, I’ll search their names in the search bar to see if they’re live, or get an indication of when they may be live. A few have since fizzled out, with their streaming habits either random or inconvenient to my schedule. The streamer of today’s post ended up not just a beneficial return-to opportunity, but someone greatly vital to my Twitch experience.

Introducing PumpkinWolfPlays. (← Link to her Twitch channel.)

Another fun fact: My first PumpkinWolfPlays stream actually preceded the first stream of the previous streamer highlighted. But while she ended up supplying my favorite stream ever, PumpkinWolf had a bit more to live up to.

It all started with Sunshine. Super Mario Sunshine, that is—a childhood favorite of mine and among my favorite Mario titles to date. Browsing the category on Twitch, I was taken by a very upfront profile picture that had a very prominent “I am just winging this” aura to it. The name also gave off a rather charming “Late-2000’s YouTube Let’s Player” sensation for me, so that was enough to have me click. What followed was a little fuzzy.

There were some agreeable moments, though the majority of the stream I attended (she was fairly close to being done for the day) was quiet. Not that she wasn’t talking, only that she didn’t say much—occasionally close to mumbling. Lounging in her chair, almost too relaxed, she leisurely accepted all that was occurring onscreen, garbage or not. One could hardly tell if she was simply bored or so immersed in the game that she forgot she was streaming. I left it intrigued, just cautious.

Vaguely remembering the schedule she stated she adhered to at the end, I kept an eye on her channel in-between visiting other dedicated streamers. Said second chance wouldn’t come for another week, when she began playing Breath of the Wild almost constantly. This stream ended up showcasing more of her personality, reasonability, and sociability. More open and comfortable(?), it was here that I found reason to follow.

Ah, I should mention that PumpkinWolf is by far the freshest streamer highlighted thus far, given she only started on January 1st, 2021. Thus, this presumably reserved behavior just a month and a half removed from her first stream is understandable. Establishing an identity and comfort level and all that.

Since following, I began to slowly make myself into something of a fixture in chat. She had regulars here and there, though I seemed to be a consistent presence early on. Her evolution from fledgling streamer to a more confident entertainer was more noticeable with every stream. Seeing it happen firsthand was rather uplifting. Frequenting her streams became more commonplace for me, and eventually it rivaled old streamers that ended up eating up a lot of my personal time.

Then came March 10th: the day of her 25th birthday stream. I had been following for less than a month, and my place in her streams was, to me, still up in the air. For the event, she decided to play Jackbox Party Pack games, which would allow chat members to play with her in a number of kooky minigames for a guaranteed spicy time. I joined a majority of them, but one specific moment stood out to me.

Close to the end of stream, we played Split the Room, a game where players had to come up with answers to create a scenario that would have people split on how they would interact with it. One specific scenario came up, which read like this:

“You’re somebody who feels lost in life. One day you stumble upon a self-help book at a store. You open it and immediately find answers to your life. When you flip to the cover, you notice it was written by [blank]. Do you buy it?”

PumpkinWolf, who was given this prompt, filled in the blank with this answer:

“Kapodaco.”

Think of this from my perspective for a moment. I had been following for less than a month. I had been to, maybe, 15 streams at this point (she streamed five times a week back then). PumpkinWolf didn’t know me. She had never spoken to me outside of stream. We were, outside of the pleasantries exchanged while she streamed, strangers.

The absolute risk she took to hang me out to dry in a game like this is extraordinary. She didn’t know how I would react to this—I could’ve been horribly offended. Fortunately (for her), I like to look at this another way: she trusted me. For me, it was a sign that she valued me. “I can rib this regular of mine because I bet he can take a joke.” By this point, I’ve been a casual lurker, a supporter, a catalyst for a language change, and a guide. In this moment, I felt like a genuine friend.

Since that point, my attendance rate for her streams has been almost perfect. Very rarely do I not attend a stream at all, if not stay for each stream’s entirety (she streams for four hours). Constantly, I viewed the evolution of her channel and the continued growth in her control of the stream. Even when her PC exploded and she was forced to stream Magic: the Gathering Arena for a month and a half, an inhabitant I was. (I do not give a single shit about Magic.)

And what fun it’s been. How flexibly she takes the insane ideas of her chat and uses them as running gags to keep things refreshing and giddy. The motivations and ambitions that are meticulously (albeit passively) implemented are all building blocks necessary for more engaging, memorable streams. PumpkinWolfPlays has become a chronicled collection of stories and moments contained in a mystical anthology referred to only as The Prophecy™.

Such memories and continuous lore include, but are not limited to:

• If lava in a game exists, she will become one with it.
• All hydration shall be quenched by the assistance of THE EGG.
• The lyre will never be tuned.
• Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is the greatest film ever made.
• I power her house via bike pedaling.
• The Compass in A Link to the Past looks like a fleshlight.
• The only sport that matters is Roller Derby.
• CardinalCardinal.
• Ugin slander will result in a ban.

Her go-to game in the past consisted largely of Breath of the Wild. With that nearly completed, though, she’s become more keen on expanding to other games that suit her affinity for fantasy-adventure. GreedFall, Assassin’s Creed, and Lost Ember are recent ventures, with others like it assured to at least be considered for future stream material. Otherwise, she fancies Magic: The Gathering Arena and the occasional Jackbox stream, on top of a newfound fascination for Phasmophobia.

In becoming more in command, PumpkinWolf has fully embraced the chaos she so desperately wishes to implement into her streams. Spitting venom at baddies, adding workout redemptions and sound alerts for chat to abuse; exploiting bizarre glitches in games and no short collection of really random mouth sounds. In a word, every stream is “complex.” The foundation of a standard, well-constructed gameplay hangout session is there, only with a moderate chance of one (or six) bizarre incidents that will derail everything.

Then there’s PumpkinWolf herself. Stream quality aside, she’s the reason to keep coming back. An earnest, sincere person who’s not afraid to state her mind and speak on a large variety of heavy topics. Daring (in portions), quirky, and above all kind, she’s been nothing but supportive and sweet to me, even when I didn’t expect it. That makes being the stream’s primary bully target worth it in the end.

To be able to witness the growth of her stream since near the beginning is a rewarding sight. To be able to contribute in any way I can is proverbial pudding. It’s not “professional” nor is it completely absurd—PumpkinWolfPlays is a funny mixture of anything, enacted by the force of her will. And in time, The Prophecy™ will only grow, until the pages cease to be bound by the binding of a book, spread by the words of those who bear witness to her actions.

If any of this has made you interested, I would highly encourage checking out PumpkinWolfPlays on Twitch. For places outside of Twitch, you can follow her Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok accounts, as well as support her on Patreon.

For all other Twitch streamer odes, check out the Twitch Streamer Highlight Reel.

Be sure to stop by on the 21st for the next edition of the month’s Twitch streamer shoutout post!

Thank you for your time. Have a great day.