Game developers struggle to create trailers that showcase gameplay
Multiple indie game developers are struggling with creating effective trailers. They find it difficult to highlight the core mechanics and unique aspects of their games, often feeling the trailer doesn't accurately represent the experience.
SOURCES (60)
“Do you think the trailer manages to capture that feel? Does the music fit? Does it serve the niche? Would you wishlist/buy the game based on this trailer? Context: I'm a dev working for 2 years on a Papers, Please sequel. So not a marketing…”
“It's tough fitting it into the suggested 15-20 seconds isn't it? But I suppose it was quick enough to put together in Kdenlive with transforms. Hopefully seems worth it though - the Short version on Youtube has about 200 views compared to the full one having about 4 😧 Has anyone else experienced the same drastically different Short vs Full video views for game marketing? (YT link in case the TiketyTokky doesn't work https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0W-ohjQ2XRA ) Full trailer on Steam”
“Hey r/IndieDev ! We're less than a week out (Sept 2nd!!) from launching our puzzle game, He Who Watches. It's a first-person puzzle game where you can defy gravity and walk on any surface. Because the gravity-shifting in our game can be a little overwhelming, we thought about making an 'explainer' type trailer for launch day, inspired by the one that House House made for Big Walk (which we love)! We're pretty happy with the result, so we wanted to show it off! Any feedback is”
“I spent 2 months improving my game's visuals just for a 90 second trailer lol. Thoughts? submitted by /u/GG_Official [link] [comments]”
“This is the first trailer I've ever made, and I already know it needs work🫡 I just can't tell where anymore. Been staring at it for days. Two things I'd really like to know from someone seeing it fresh: Does it actually get across what the game is? You should be able to tell it's a shop sim with a dungeon attached, but I'm not sure that reads if you don't already know. And if you had to give it a number out of 10, what would you give it, and what's the one thing you&”
“We revised our trailer again based on the latest feedback, and we're happy with how the final version turned out. Thanks for your support ^^ We improved it a lot thanks to you. I'll be sharing our Steam page soon! submitted by /u/eeyorenf [link] [comments]”
“https://www.reddit.com/r/IndieDev/s/GTm0XxYRK9 We revised our trailer again based on the latest feedback, and we're happy with how the final version turned out. Thanks for your support ^^ We improved it a lot thanks to you. I'll be sharing our Steam page soon! submitted by /u/eeyorenf [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone! I've finally put together a brand new trailer for my first commercial project, WhoIsHe . It's a 2D narrative escape room game. The story follows a boy who was kidnapped for 7 years and suddenly returns, only to wake up in a police station covered in blood with severe amnesia. The amazing hand-drawn art was done by my friend, and I handled the design and programming in Unity. Since I'm new to editing, I’m really anxious about the pacing. Does the story hook grab your att”
“Hey everyone! I'd love to get some feedback on my release date trailer that i just made and uploaded, keep in mind that i know that i forgot to include the sound of the game unfortunently submitted by /u/SvanDark [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone! After leaving my job, I spent the last 1.5 years developing Just One Bite, a solo or online co-op survival horror game, in Unreal Engine. I finally finished the trailer. I shared an earlier version about two months ago and kept improving it based on feedback. I just finished this version, and I’m thinking of using it as the main trailer. Do you think it works well as a main trailer? I’d really appreciate any honest feedback on the pacing, clarity, and overall appeal. Thank you!  ”
“It’s a tension-driven retro-horror game about a staring contest with a primordial sarcophagus. Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/5028150/Sarco/ submitted by /u/artistmef [link] [comments]”
“I just finished a new gameplay trailer for my indie game, Miner Survivor , and I’d really appreciate some honest feedback. I’m mainly looking for feedback on the trailer itself : Does it grab your attention? Is the gameplay clear enough? Does the pacing feel right? Does it make you want to try the game? Is there anything you think I should change or remove? I’m still learning how to make better game trailers, so any criticism is welcome. Thanks for watching! 🙏 demo available https://store.steam”
“I’m preparing to reveal the Steam page for my solo-developed guild-defense autobattler, so I put together this short gameplay trailer. The game is built around recruiting and positioning mercenaries, surviving waves, choosing evolutions, and building stronger team synergies as the run progresses. I tried to communicate that through gameplay rather than explanatory text. Does the connection between preparation, upgrades, and combat come across clearly, or does it feel more like a collection of un”
“Like the title says, is this trailer any good? I want to get my steam page up and running soon. Having a trailer for my game is essential. submitted by /u/SubneonGames [link] [comments]”
“Hey guys, I'm developing an indie game. Recently, I decided to apply for a game event in Korea, but they required a video submission. Since I didn't have a proper trailer on my Steam store page yet, I hurriedly asked a friend to help put together a quick video. He sent over the result, and honestly, it turned out better than I expected for a rushed job. I ended up uploading it to my Steam page for now, but I know it's far from perfect. Since I'm planning to produce a proper, offi”
“So this has been a solo project for a while now, and I just finished putting together the first trailer that's actually a full sequence instead of a random clip. Woodbound is a first-person folk-horror thing — you play a dad who keeps having the same dream, his daughter calling out from a forest, two years after she went missing there. He goes looking for her and the forest just... doesn't let him leave. Honestly still feels a little surreal seeing it cut together as one thing after star”
“We are two indie game dev working on Devoidant and just finished our first Steam trailer. We'd love to hear what you think wise people! Sound ON, if you can 😉 If you like what you see, you can support us and wishlist Devoidant on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/5019860/Devoidant/ submitted by /u/chindoggo [link] [comments]”
“This is the first trailer I make myself. I hired someone for the previous one but they don't do it anymore now (and I would like to learn the craft). I did my best studying trailer making thanks to the awesome channel of Derek Lieu on Youtube. It seems important that players understand immediately what the game fantasy is about: in this case it is a physics based grappling hook game where building and keeping momentum is key. It also seems that I have only a few seconds on the first shot to”
“What do you think about the visual? Maybe we should disable retro stylization? submitted by /u/Mean-Sympathy4928 [link] [comments]”
“I’ve been creating a trailer for my game lately, and some of the feedback I’ve gotten is that it is not clear enough, that they don’t really understand what the game is about from just watching. I’m not really sure how to deliver that through the video and keeping the trailer fun and snappy at the same time. But maybe the trailer in combination with the short description is enough? Or with the long description? I would love to hear your opinions! Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/49”
“We’ve made quite a few changes to the game, from visuals and gameplay to the overall feel and presentation. So naturally, we went back and reworked the trailer too. We also took a lot of the feedback from our previous trailer into account when making this version. We wanted to give a clearer idea of what the game actually feels like to play while keeping some things for you to discover in-game. If you saw the previous version, does this one do a better job of showing off the game? We’d genuinely”
“My original trailer listed all the features within the game but it didn't seem to give people a good enough understanding on the game. I completely changed my trailer to reflect that my game is all about the gameplay and vibe. Did I go too far? submitted by /u/OldSignificance9574 [link] [comments]”
“I’m currently in the process of launching a game on Steam; the demo is already out—it’s been about a week now. However, looking back at the trailer, it feels a bit awkward, and I think it’s missing a clear message about what the game is actually trying to convey. I’d really like to get some feedback on this. I want to pinpoint the exact issues and confirm whether the things I suspect are indeed the problem, so I can create a follow-up video. I need your feedback! Please help! submitted by”
“I got a lot of great advice on our game trailer before, so I tried remaking it based on your feedback! This time, I especially focused on making it clear right from the start what you actually do in the game. Adventure and action are the two main pillars of the game, so I moved both of them closer to the beginning of the trailer to give viewers a better idea of the gameplay early on. I'd really appreciate any honest feedback! If you think there's still anything I could improve, I'd l”
“Is it the initial reveal trailer, gameplay trailer or the release trailer? Would love to hear your opinion on this! submitted by /u/Xmoono [link] [comments]”
“Working on the trailer for the Steam page of the game. I would love to get some feedback! https://youtu.be/UoyUpe3_1Do For the music, I'm thinking of buying on AudioJungle. I like these 4, what do you think fits best (or other suggestions)? (current) https://audiojungle.net/item/steampunk-soundtrack/23544843 https://audiojungle.net/item/steampunk/12166329 https://audiojungle.net/item/steampunk-mystery/13700117 https://audiojungle.net/item/epic-mysterious-steampunk/10771946 submitted by”
“I'm a solo/indie dev and I just finished making the trailer - I'm super excited to share it with all of you! My marketing has been subpar recently and I'm hoping this trailer does a good job at explaining my game. FEATURES: Dynamic team creation and destruction Event system spawning monsters Jump scare locations that affect your "sanity meter" Battle-royale style gameplay with large open map Multiple fun, Halloween-style locations Execution/finisher kills And much more! You”
“First of all, thank you so much for all your help! We’ve updated our trailer based on your suggestions. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this new version as well. Once we polish the final details, we’re planning to launch our Steam page! submitted by /u/eeyorenf [link] [comments]”
“We rebuilt the player craft and several key units in 3D and made a new trailer for **STATIC LINE**. This time, we focused more on the core gameplay and strongest combat moments rather than trying to show everything. Would love to hear your thoughts on the pacing, visuals, and overall presentation. Any feedback is appreciated! **STATIC LINE** on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/4507460/Static_Line submitted by /u/emufrep7 [link] [comments]”
“I'm requesting some honest feedback regarding my new trailer. I need it ready for Steam NextFest. Any feedback helps! The game is ASMBL, you can see more details here if it's helpful: Steam Page submitted by /u/carboncopyzach [link] [comments]”
“I’m not trying to promote JB’s game; I was just amazed to see a trailer for a puzzle game that was truly compelling to watch. https://youtu.be/TJs\_fhdMN94 submitted by /u/PersonOfInterest007 [link] [comments]”
“Rather than just collecting what I think are the best clips in my game and editing them together nicely, this time I really focused on what makes my game standout (the atmosphere, companion mechanics and worms) and took notes on what other metroidvania trailers typically do (take a few shots at the start to introduce the vibe and atmosphere of the setting). I also found a kick ass song that I thought fit really well and got permission to use it from the artist. The game is Vitrified for anyone i”
“I re did the trailer for my solo developed classic Survival Horror Game. I would love to hear feedback ! And if you like it please wishlist my Game on Steam ! Steampage Nico submitted by /u/fbfv0906 [link] [comments]”
“Please watch the new trailer and provide some feedback. Do you understand what’s the game about? Is it annoying? How about sounds? Thank you. submitted by /u/NormalTomatillo2696 [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone! We're working on a new trailer for our game, Stray Night , and would love to get some feedback by comparing it to our original trailer. Just a heads up — the new trailer isn't finished yet, and we're sharing this rough draft because we want to check if we're on the right track before finalizing it. The first half focuses on Stray Night's core gameplay mechanic — the skill enhancement system through puzzles — and the second half will have more actual in-game foot”
“there is a steam page up for this, with more attempts at trailers https://store.steampowered.com/app/4866350/Rogue_Machines/ please wishlist if it looks like you type of thing submitted by /u/will_learn_things [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone! I'm an indie developer working on my game, and I need to make a trailer for it, but I honestly have no idea where to start. I've never made a proper game trailer before. I'm using Unity, but I'm not sure how people actually record the gameplay and create those cinematic shots. A few things I'm confused about: What do you use to record the gameplay? How do you make cinematic camera movements and shots? Do you use Unity Timeline/Cinemachine or another tool? What s”
I literally just finished my trailer. I commissioned a musician to make the music, spent a lot of time learning to use Davinci, and spent an insane amount of hours adding commands…
“Hi! Does anyone have any tips on how I can get help creating a game trailer? It is a 2D pixel art mix between a tower defense and a roguelite. Is it worth making it myself or how can I people to do it for a commision? The main idea is to have it for my steam page. submitted by /u/Angersh1 [link] [comments]”
“every game trailer i see is [gameplay] [black screen with white text] (explore!, survive!,battle!,farm!,romance! [repeat] is this some kind of attention capture like the youtube arrow on thumbnails?? this trailer structuring is tacky and not very artistic, but it seems everyone is doing the same submitted by /u/zakslider [link] [comments]”
“I feel kind of disappointed, any one have advices or tips to make it better? Note: i dont want to add music submitted by /u/100_BOSSES [link] [comments]”
“Any suggestions for improving it? I think I want to change the font and maybe add some transitions at those points but I'm not sure. submitted by /u/MoarVespenegas [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone! My friend and I have been working on this game for about a year now, just the two of us. We're getting close to launching our Steam page and just finished our first trailer. We'd love your honest feedback. Does it feel engaging? Is there anything that stands out as weak or confusing? Any thoughts on what could make it stronger before we put it up? Really appreciate any input, thanks in advance! submitted by /u/eeyorenf [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone! My friend and I have been working on this game for about a year now, just the two of us. We're getting close to launching our Steam page and just finished our first trailer. We'd love your honest feedback. Does it feel engaging? Is there anything that stands out as weak or confusing? Any thoughts on what could make it stronger before we put it up? Really appreciate any input, thanks in advance! submitted by /u/eeyorenf [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone! My friend and I have been working on this game for about a year now, just the two of us. We're getting close to launching our Steam page and just finished our first trailer. We'd love your honest feedback. Does it feel engaging? Is there anything that stands out as weak or confusing? Any thoughts on what could make it stronger before we put it up? Really appreciate any input, thanks in advance! submitted by /u/toiletempirestory [link] [comments]”
Hi just released my game on steam and need help with my trailer, Its a dungeon crawler with similar combat to kingsfield. Do you guys understand the main mechanic? submitted by /u/Mr_Daggerr…
“I spent a while trying to use clipchamp but that sucks so I had to learn a professional editing software (Davinci Resolve for the curious, free and easy once you know what you're doing). So i've spent the last 3 days (and nights) figuring out how to make a trailer so I could have one during the indie debut festival that I found out I was in when it started 3 days ago. and I DID IT. I actually really like what I ended up with which has surprised me a lot, and I got to show gameplay and an”