A fan's archive · 2016—2023
Friends Without
Benefits.
I started watching FWOB in 2018 with the Just Shapes and Beats Series. Soon after, they became my favorite show on the internet. When The Last Party released in 2023, I set out on an odyssey to watch every single FWOB video and find the best ones. After four years, I’ve finally finished. Here’s what’s worth your watch.
A history of the channel
Jacob “Alpharad” and Don “Dad as Heck” start Friends Without Benefits.
The channel is rebooted, with new cast members Cade “Weegee The God”, Major Duncan, and Dillon “Deezus” joining.
Travis “Turvis” joins the cast, then departs to help care for family.
Jacob announces his departure from FWOB, citing differences in tone and comedy, but the group remains on good terms, sharing an office until the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regular uploads pause and the channel streams daily through the pandemic era.
FWOB announces retirement after the current series, with occasional streams for games the boys want to play.
New to the channel?
A good place to begin
The best of the best.
Meet the boys
These are great introductory series to get to know two of the boys at a time.
- Pokémon HeartGold Randomizer NuzlockeCade and Major set off on a randomized Nuzlocke in the Johto region. It’s relaxed, funny, and a top-tier series.
- A Plague TaleDon and Major get invested in an action-stealth story game set in medieval Europe. A great game with a wholesome duo.
- SkyrimCade and Dillon become the Dragonborn JKLizard and absolutely destroy Skyrim with hundreds of mods. An unbelievably funny series where you never know what will happen next.
- Cabela’s Dangerous HuntsCade and Don enjoy their leisurely vacation on the African safari. Everything turns on its head when it becomes time to hunt, and hundreds of digital animals get slaughtered. You’ll never stop laughing with this series.
Get the whole crew
After an intro or two, these are strong picks for the four-boy chemistry and the channel’s long-running bits.
- Until DawnThe boys have a party at a spooky mountain lodge and laugh at how absurd the gameplay is.
- The QuarryFrom the developers of Until Dawn, The Quarry takes our four boys back into the bad horror genre.
- Death StrandingThe boys take it upon themselves to reconnect America after the titular Death Stranding. Truly cinema.
- Mario Golf: Toadstool TourIt’s time to do some holes, as the boys go golfing in the chaotic environment of Mario Golf.
- MinecraftIt’s no surprise that the boys play the most popular game of all time. They do it all on the Nintendo Switch, where the four-perspective gameplay truly brings innovation to let’s plays.
The best video on the channel
Don’t be intimidated by the length. Giraffe Town is truly a cinematic experience that you have to watch to understand.
The Best Partiers on the Internet
Some favorite sessions from more than a hundred Mario Party games. Several are excellent snapshots of the group dynamic.
MP1 · Legalize ItMP3 · Sociopathic DillonMP4 · The Start of Something BeautifulMP4 · Wife SwapMP4 · Can Major Name a Hot Person?MP6 · Critical FailMP7 · Hit the Ground RunningMP7 · Handicapped MajorMP8 · Koopa’s Tycoon TownMP8 · LearningMP8 · Pretty Princess DiscountMP10 · Bowser TimeMP10 · Jumpscare!Superstars · Special PrizeSuperstars · One Game, All in One Video
“Wife Swap” is best after you can tell whose voice is whose.
A journey measured in episodes
Watch-through milestones
Episode air dates and the dates reached, as recorded in the notes.
3,335 / 3,835 episodes
IN PROGRESSLatest recorded milestone · 87.0% of the full playlist
Hover or focus a point to see the episode number, original air date, and the date it was reached.
Personal end-of-year picks
FWOB awards
Categories with a recorded pick are shown below.
Things the archive can’t quite give back
Lost media
Some items are uncertain or may survive elsewhere.
Episodes and streams that are missing, private, or possibly lost. “Possibly” is kept where their status is uncertain.
Go explore the source archive
Playlists & channel stats
The long way round, if that’s your kind of thing.
Watch the archive
Full channel playlist, streams-only playlist, and year-by-year playlists from the notes.
A very long playlist
Runtime figures copied from the watch-through notes.
- All videos
- 3,835 · about 3,337 hours
- Average video
- about 52 minutes
- Streams only
- 558 · about 1,754 hours
- Average stream
- 3 hours, 8 minutes
- Started watching
- June 7, 2023
Video count & runtime by year
| Year | Videos | Total runtime | Average length |
|---|
Three unlisted video notes