I mentioned on Monday that I’d been toying with the idea of putting myself out there a bit more—moving beyond just writing and actually doing something a bit more immediate. Well… I’ve gone and done it. Or at least, I’ve taken the first proper step.
“Angry Sloth Gaming” is officially a thing.
The name might sound a bit random if you’ve just stumbled across it, but it actually goes back quite a while for me. When I was working on my animated web series, Todd the Zombie, I needed a production name—something that felt a bit scrappy, a bit DIY, but still had a bit of personality to it. “Angry Sloth” was what I landed on, and it just sort of stuck. It had that slightly chaotic, slightly ridiculous energy that matched what I was making at the time.
So when I started thinking about this channel, it felt right to bring it back. There’s something nice about reusing it, like I’m linking this new venture to something I’ve already poured time and creativity into. It’s not just a random name pulled out of thin air—it’s got a bit of history behind it, even if it’s only meaningful to me.
I’ve even gone back and revisited the original logo. The first version was very much a “thrown together at the time” kind of thing—hand-drawn, rough around the edges, and very obviously made with whatever I had to hand. This time, I’ve kept the spirit of it but given it a bit of an update. It’s still simple, still a bit rough in places, but cleaner, sharper… like a slightly more put-together version of what it used to be. It feels like a small thing, but it makes the whole project feel that bit more real.
At the moment, the channel itself is set up, but I’m very much in the “figuring things out” stage. I’ve been doing a lot of testing—recording bits of gameplay, messing around with audio levels, trying to get a feel for editing without overthinking it too much. That’s been the tricky part, if I’m honest. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of wanting everything to be perfect before you put anything out, but I know if I wait for that, I’ll never actually upload anything.
So I’m trying to keep it simple. Record. Edit. Learn. Repeat.
There’s definitely a learning curve. Even little things like balancing game audio with commentary, or realising halfway through a recording that something hasn’t captured properly—it’s all part of it. Frustrating in the moment, but also kind of satisfying when you know you’ll be able to fix it the next time around.
The plan for the first proper video is something I’m genuinely excited about: the beginning of (and hopefully not the end of) a permadeath run in 7 Days to Die.
It feels like the perfect starting point. It’s got tension built into it naturally, and the permadeath aspect means every decision actually matters. There’s no safety net, no reloading a save because something went wrong—you mess up, that’s it. Start again. From a storytelling point of view, that’s exactly the kind of thing I enjoy anyway. It creates those unpredictable moments you just can’t script.
I’m hoping that comes through in the video. Not in a polished, overly produced way, but in a more “you’re along for the ride with me” kind of way. That’s the vibe I’m aiming for, at least.
I think what’s surprised me most so far is how different this feels compared to writing. When I’m writing, I can take my time. I can sit with a sentence, tweak it, come back to it later. With this, there’s a lot more immediacy to it. You hit record, and whatever happens… happens. There’s something a bit nerve-wracking about that, but also something quite freeing.
I don’t have everything figured out yet—not even close. But the channel exists, the recordings have started, and there’s a first video on the way. That’s already more progress than I’d made a week ago.
If you want to follow along (or just see how badly that permadeath run goes), you can find everything here:
YouTube Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/@angryslothgaming
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/angrysloth/
Now it’s just about sticking with it and seeing where it takes me.
Gareth Ellis - Author 