Follow these rules to keep the playtest exchange fair and high-signal for everyone.
Record your session and submit a link. You can upload anywhere — YouTube, Twitch, Vimeo, Google Drive, etc. The link must be publicly accessible or set to "anyone with the link". Note: YouTube requires phone verification before you can upload videos longer than 15 minutes.
You must speak aloud throughout the session. Narrate your thoughts, reactions, and confusion in real time — that's the whole point. Silent videos will be rejected. Music-only or background noise does not count as commentary.
The listing specifies how long the developer wants you to play. You must reach that duration. If the game crashes mid-session, relaunch it, keep recording, and carry on — crashes are valuable feedback for the developer. Only use "Return as Unplayable" if the game cannot be launched at all or is completely broken from the start.
Before starting, close anything that competes for CPU, GPU, or RAM — browsers with many tabs, Discord video, streaming software you're not using, etc. This keeps your gameplay smooth and your recording quality high.
You can only hold one active playtest claim at a time. Complete or return your current claim before picking up another.
Do not submit videos that are sped up, cut short, or otherwise manipulated to appear longer than they are. Repeat offenders will be suspended.
Test your setup first. Do a 30-second test recording before starting the full session. Check that your microphone is picking up clearly and your screen capture is working. It's much better to find out now than after an hour of footage.
Use OBS. OBS Studio is free, open source, and the standard tool for this kind of recording. It handles screen capture, microphone input, and direct file export well. Download it at obsproject.com.
Speak continuously. It's easy to go quiet when you're focused. Keep narrating even when nothing dramatic is happening — "I'm not sure where to go next" or "this feels slow" is exactly what developers need to hear.