How Gab Smolders became a standout voice in gamings boys club

Twitch and the gaming communities on YouTube aren't known for being particularly female-friendly, but Gab Smolders is a wonderful reprieve from the boys' club.

The Dutch-born streamer is a horror lover, playing through scary series such as Fatal Frame and Resident Evil, both of which feature female protagonists. Watching Smolders play through a game, her deep knowledge of gaming, horror lore, and Japanese culture (she lived for several years in Japan) quickly becomes apparent. Her joy in playing comes through, too; she clearly loves introducing games and characters to her audience.

Smolders' gaming bona fides certainly contributed to her 400,000-plus followers on Twitch and 150,000 on YouTube.

Her interests extend beyond games, though; she’s a voracious reader, sharing reviews of horror titles on YouTube.

“I read eight books in January, seven books in February,” Smolders declared on a recent episode of her Horror Book Talk series. “In my defense, I was very sick for February, and I just could not for the life of me focus with a head full of snot.”

A creator who advocates reading books and who really knows her stuff? Game on.