Quick answer:
- Plan about a minute: your best gameplay moment first, then the core loop, then variety, then an end card with the name and “Wishlist on Steam”.
- Record real gameplay with a screen recorder, with debug text and the mouse cursor hidden.
- Render cinematic shots from Sequencer with Movie Render Queue for clean, high-quality frames.
- Edit and export at 1920×1080, H.264 MP4. On Steam, put your gameplay trailer first.
What Steam does with your trailer
- Your first two trailers play before any screenshots on your store page.
- Valve warns that people may be watching without sound, so the trailer has to make sense muted.
- Steam cuts 6-second looping microtrailers from your first trailer and uses them around the store. You can’t choose the clip, so the whole trailer needs to look good.
- Valve highly recommends that your first trailer be mostly gameplay from the player’s view, with the HUD visible.
Step 1: Plan the shots
Write a simple shot list before you record anything:
| Time | What to show |
|---|---|
| 0–5 s | Your strongest gameplay moment. No logos yet. |
| 5–20 s | The core loop: what the player does again and again |
| 20–45 s | Variety: new areas, enemies, mechanics |
| 45–60 s | Game name, platforms, “Wishlist now” |
Fast cuts of 2–4 seconds keep it moving.
Step 2: Capture gameplay
- Record with a free screen recorder such as OBS Studio at 1080p and a steady frame rate.
- Hide FPS counters, debug text (the console command
DisableAllScreenMessagesturns off on-screen messages) and the mouse cursor. - Record far more than you need, then keep the best few seconds of each clip.
- Unreal’s Take Recorder can record a play session into a Level Sequence, so you can re-render the same moment from a better camera angle.
Step 3: Render cinematic shots with Movie Render Queue
For flythroughs, close-ups and title shots, animate a Cine Camera Actor in Sequencer, then render it with Movie Render Queue (Window > Cinematics > Movie Render Queue; enable the plugin if it isn’t on).
- Render to a PNG image sequence and load it into your editor. It’s the most reliable way to get clean frames.
- Add anti-aliasing samples in the render settings for smoother motion.
- UI widgets don’t render by default. Add the UI Renderer setting to your preset (how to render UI widgets).
More settings: getting the most out of Movie Render Queue.
Step 4: Add text cards
Keep each card short (three to six words) and on screen long enough to read twice. You can add text in your video editor, or build title cards inside Unreal so they match the game’s look. See how to add text to Level Sequences.
Step 5: Music and sound
Use music you have the rights to, or YouTube may mute or claim your trailer. Mix in real game sound effects: they make the gameplay feel alive. See music and sound on a budget.
Step 6: Export and upload
| Setting | Use |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920×1080 (16:9) |
| Frame rate | 30 or 60 fps |
| Format | MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio |
| Audio sample rate | 44.1 or 48 kHz |
Edit in any free editor, such as DaVinci Resolve or Shotcut. After uploading to Steam, drag your gameplay trailer to the first slot.
We make title cards in Sequencer with our UMG Cinematics plugin.
FAQ
How long should a game trailer be?
Steam doesn’t set a length. About a minute is enough for most indie games. Viewers decide in the first few seconds.
Do I need a cinematic trailer?
Not to start. Valve recommends a gameplay trailer first. A cinematic trailer is a nice extra later.