How to Make a Game Review Video (2026): Structure, Pre-Recording Shot List and Spoiler Markers

Build a game review video in five sections, in this order: one-line verdict, core systems, strengths, weaknesses and who it is for. Before you record anything, write a shot list with six kinds of footage: the first screen, core gameplay, UI, settings, strength scenes and weakness scenes. That way every claim in your script has a clip behind it when you sit down to edit. For a 10-minute review, this guide recommends at least three sessions on different days, about three hours of footage in total. If you plan to use trailers or other creators' footage, or to earn money from the review, check the publisher's video policy before you upload; publisher policies and music copyright in general are covered in our game footage and BGM copyright guide.

Structure and timing for a 10-minute review

Give the one-line verdict and your score or recommendation in the first 30 seconds, then spend about 3 minutes on core systems, about 2 minutes 30 seconds on strengths, about 2 minutes 30 seconds on weaknesses, and about 1 minute 30 seconds on who it is for and the wrap-up. Do not hold the verdict back until the end: people searching for a review want to know whether the game is worth their money and their evenings. Every sentence you say needs a clip that proves it, so write the script first and note the shot you need next to each line. You can talk while you play or record the script as a separate voiceover; to capture game sound and your mic together, see how to record game sound and mic together.

From pre-recording prep to the final pre-upload check

1. 1Write the verdict and the script skeleton firstThe verdict sentence comes before the record button. A line like 'Gunplay feels great, but solo queue takes a long time, so it suits people who have friends to play with' covers a strength, a weakness and the audience at once. Then write the five section headings and two or three supporting points under each. Any section with no evidence yet becomes the list of footage you still need to capture.
2. 2Turn the script into a six-part shot listNumber each supporting line in your script and assign the footage that proves it to one of six types: first screen, core gameplay, UI, settings, strengths and weaknesses. Writing down the clip and its length, such as 'Strength 2: consistent recoil, 10 seconds of spraying with the same rifle', keeps you from guessing what to film in the middle of a session.
3. 3Spread recording across several daysFor a 10-minute review, aim for at least three sessions on different days, about three hours in total. Having 15 to 20 minutes of raw footage for every finished minute leaves room to pick the right clip. Recording everything in one sitting mixes that day's luck and mood into your verdict, so change modes and times of day. If the game is supported, DOR records each full match automatically, so forgetting to hit record becomes less of a risk.
4. 4Cut by shot number and label every clipOnce recording is done, do not rewatch everything from the start; go down the shot list and cut only the segments you need. Clips of 5 to 15 seconds are easy to work with, and labeling files or notes with the shot number, like '04_settings_graphics', puts them in order before you even open the editor. Anything on the list you cannot find moves to a reshoot list at this step.
5. 5Assemble in section order and add section titlesJoin the clips in the order verdict, core systems, strengths, weaknesses, who it is for, and add a short on-screen title such as 'Strengths' or 'Weaknesses' at each section change so viewers always know where they are. Keep background music under the game audio and your voice so the narration stays clear, and avoid swinging the music mood sharply between the strengths and weaknesses sections.
6. 6Mark spoilers and add chaptersMove scenes that cover the story or the ending into their own section, and put both a 'Spoiler warning' title card and a spoken warning in front of it. Timestamps in the YouTube description create chapters; as checked on October 13, 2026, the first timestamp must be 00:00, you need at least three in ascending order, and each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long. Name the spoiler chapter clearly so viewers can skip it, and keep spoiler scenes out of the title and thumbnail.
7. 7Check trailer use, others' footage and required noticesBuild the review on gameplay you recorded yourself, and if you plan to use trailers or other people's footage, or to monetize, check how far the publisher's policy goes. As checked on October 13, 2026, Riot Games' 'Legal Jibber Jabber' policy (the page is marked last updated August 2018) lets individual players earn passive revenue through appropriate ads such as pre-roll ads and ad breaks. It also says not to just rip off existing content, such as esports matches or other players' VODs, or add only light commentary to it, and it asks you to include a notice that Riot Games does not endorse or sponsor the project. Blizzard's Video Policy limits use to non-commercial purposes by default, makes an exception for partner programs such as YouTube's, and does not count trailers or ads that are not built into a game as Blizzard Content, so the policy's permission does not extend to trailers. Policies change, so reread the original right before you upload.

The six-part shot list: what to film and where it goes

Review checklist before you upload

• The one-line verdict appears within the first 30 seconds.
• Every strength and weakness line in the script has at least one clip behind it.
• All six shot types are recorded, and missing shots have been reshot.
• The spoiler section has an on-screen and a spoken warning in front of it, and its chapter name says so.
• No spoiler scene appears in the title or thumbnail.
• The game version (patch), platform and total play time are stated early in the video or in the description.
• If I use trailers or others' footage, or plan to monetize, I reread the publisher's video policy right before uploading and put the required notice and any review-key disclosure in the description.

Gathering and editing review footage with DOR

DOR is a free Windows app: launch a supported game and it detects the game, records the full match as an mp4, and captures game sound and your microphone together. That means in-match shots like core gameplay pile up without pressing record each time. In VALORANT, kill and death clips plus round clips tagged with round results such as ace or clutch are created automatically, and in Overwatch, kill and death clips are, which makes it easier to shortlist strength scenes. Automatic clips exist for only seven games, these two included; other supported games get a full-match recording only, so you cut segments yourself. Do not assume shots from outside a match, such as the title screen, settings menus or the queue, are in the full-match recording: check the library first and capture anything missing with a separate screen recorder. In the app library, use the trim tool to set a start and end for each shot and export at 16:9, then in DOR Studio in the browser merge several videos in the five-section order and add section titles, a 'Spoiler warning' card, background music and volume adjustments before downloading an mp4. Videos added to Studio must be at least 3 seconds long and no larger than 500MB, and each project has a limit on how many videos it can hold, so trim long full-match recordings down to the shots you need first. Merging is covered in detail in how to merge multiple game clips. Automatic recording only works in games DOR supports, so if the game you are reviewing is not supported, follow the same shot list with another recording tool.