Ideas & Resources
8 min

Subathon Ideas: 50+ Best Goals & Challenges

TriBathon Team
Streaming Experts

The ultimate list of ideas for your subathon: from low-budget challenges to spicy punishments and community goals. Never run out of ideas again.

The Blank Page Problem

You've decided to do a subathon. You have your timer set up on TriBathon, the date is chosen, and your mods are ready. But you face the #1 problem: What goals should I set?

Filling 20, 50, or 100 milestones can be exhausting. That's why we've created this massive list with over 150 proven ideas that work for streamers of all sizes.

💡 How to use this list

Don't copy everything. Choose those that fit your personality and your community. Mix categories to keep the stream dynamic: some "Just Chatting," some "Gaming," and some "Suffering" (the fun kind).

Category 1: "Low Cost" / Quick Fun

Ideas that cost no money and can be done instantly.

  • • Sing a song (Badly done Karaoke)
  • • ASMR for 5 minutes (whispering)
  • • No blinking challenge
  • • Speak with an accent for 10 min
  • • Draw a sub in Paint (in 1 min)
  • • Read a random fanfic from the internet
  • • Do 10 squats
  • • Drink a glass of water without using your hands
  • • Wear your clothes inside out
  • • Play blindfolded (5 min)
  • • Write a sub's name on your forehead
  • • Make a tier list of random things (fruits, colors)
  • • Tell a bad joke (if they don't laugh, +1 min to timer)
  • • Imitate another famous streamer
  • • Room tour
  • • Show baby photos
  • • Read your old tweets (cringe alert)
  • • Improvising a poem for a sub
  • • Play "Rock, Paper, Scissors" with chat
  • • Try to lick your elbow

Category 2: In-Game Challenges

To add difficulty to your favorite games (Valorant, LoL, Minecraft, etc.).

  • • Play with the mouse in your left hand (if right-handed)
  • • Play with the screen upside down
  • • Play with max (or min) sensitivity
  • • "If I die, I gift a sub"
  • • Throw away a valuable item (Minecraft/RPG)
  • • Play without sound
  • • Play with sunglasses on
  • • Unbind an important key (e.g., don't jump)
  • • Narrate the game like a sports commentator
  • • Play with a console controller (if you're a PC gamer)
  • • "Pacifist Run": try not to kill anyone for 10 min
  • • Let chat choose your loadout/character
  • • Play standing up
  • • Play with winter gloves
  • • Play in tiny window mode (300x300)

Category 3: "Spicy" Challenges (Food and Physical)

Classics that people love to watch. (Be careful with allergies!).

  • • Eat a spoonful of cinnamon (Cinnamon Challenge)
  • • Eat a whole lemon without making faces
  • • Bean Boozled (disgusting flavor jelly beans)
  • • Spicy jelly beans
  • • Eat a raw clove of garlic
  • • Vinegar or pickle juice shot
  • • Waxing (one strip on the leg)
  • • Paint your face with clown makeup
  • • Ice on the back
  • • Eat with chopsticks (if you don't know how)
  • • Mix weird drinks (milk + coke)
  • • Draw a mustache with permanent marker
  • • Wear many shirts (100 layers challenge)
  • • Bite an onion like it's an apple
  • • Cold water bath (if you have a portable camera)

Category 4: Cosplay and Costumes

Change your appearance for visual entertainment.

  • • Inflatable dinosaur costume
  • • Low-cost cosplay (made with cardboard/paper)
  • • Maid outfit (subathon classic)
  • • Wear a ridiculous wig all stream
  • • Paint your hair with temporary spray
  • • Dress in a formal suit (Gala Stream)
  • • Wear a onesie (animal pajamas)
  • • Wear a top hat and monocle
  • • Banana costume
  • • Let chat choose your outfit (from pre-selected options)
  • • Gothic/emo style makeup
  • • Use a wrestler mask
  • • Cosplay a character from your main game

Category 5: Community Goals (Wholesome)

To unite your chat and create good memories.

  • • $10/20 Gift Card Giveaway
  • • Unlock a new emote for the channel
  • • Movie night on Discord (Watch Party)
  • • Play Marbles on Stream with viewers
  • • React to subscriber setups
  • • "Media Share": watch videos sent by people
  • • Write sub names on a physical whiteboard
  • • Call a relative and tell them you love them
  • • Charity goal
  • • Create a collaborative Spotify playlist
  • • Unban request (unban a repentant user)
  • • Play Gartic Phone with subscribers
  • • Honest Q&A (questions and answers)
  • • Tutorial on something you know how to do (cooking, coding)
  • • Watch old channel videos (react to cringe)

Category 6: "TriBathon Specials" (Technical)

Take advantage of your timer's features.

  • • 2x Happy Hour for 1 hour
  • • 3x Happy Hour for 30 minutes
  • • "Invert the timer": each sub SUBTRACTS time for 10 min
  • • Pause the timer for 30 min (break)
  • • Hide the timer (blind mode) for 1 hour
  • • Reset the timer to 1 hour (if it's too high)
  • • Double time for bits
  • • Sub war (Team A vs Team B adds/subtracts)

How to Organize Your Goals

Don't drop all 150 ideas at once. Organize them by difficulty or collection "tiers":

LevelGoal ExampleCost (Subs)
EasyKaraoke, 10 squats, ASMREvery 10-20 subs
MediumCosplay, eat lemon, horror gameEvery 50-100 subs
Hard/EpicWaxing, big giveaway, 24h streamEvery 200-500 subs

💡 Pro Tip

Use TriBathon's "Milestones" widget so the next goal automatically appears on screen. This greatly encourages viewers to reach it.

Conclusion

The most important thing about a subathon is not suffering, but entertaining. Choose goals that you also enjoy (or suffer in a funny way).

Remember: Register on TriBathon to set up your timer and milestones in minutes. Good luck with your subathon!

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