Choose 30 seconds for social feeds, ads and games with one clear loop. Choose 60 seconds for YouTube, bigger games and anything with a world or story to show.
When is a 30-second trailer enough?
When the game has one clear loop and the trailer will mostly be seen in feeds: TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and ads. Thirty seconds fits a hook, two or three moments that explain the game, a build-up and your title, and nothing else.
It also suits update trailers, where you only need to show what's new.
When is a 60-second trailer worth it?
When there's more to show than one loop: an RPG's world, a roster of fighters, a roleplay town or a horror game that needs time to build dread. Sixty seconds also suits YouTube, where people choose to watch rather than scroll past, and a launch, when the trailer is the main thing you'll share.
It still needs the 30-second trailer's discipline: a hook first, and nothing in it that doesn't earn its place.
30 vs 60 seconds: how do they compare?
| 30 seconds | 60 seconds | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | TikTok, Shorts, Reels and ads | YouTube, launches and your website |
| Shows | A hook, the loop and two or three moments | The world, more features and a build-up |
| Games | One clear loop: simulators, obbies, tycoons | More to explore: RPGs, roleplay, horror |
| At BLOXG | Starter, $100 | Viral, $150 |
How do you structure each length?
30 seconds: a hook (0–3s), the loop (3–10s), the best moments (10–22s), the payoff (22–27s) and your title (27–30s).
60 seconds: the same shape with room to breathe. Open on the hook, then establish the world, show three or four features with a callout each, build to a climax and finish on your title with a few seconds to spare for a release date or call to action.
Whichever you choose, the first three seconds matter most. Our trailer production guide covers filming and editing.
Do you need a vertical version too?
If you post on TikTok, YouTube Shorts or Reels, yes. A widescreen trailer plays small on a phone in a vertical feed. A 9:16 version fills the screen, with shots and text framed for it, and it can run 30–60 seconds.
BLOXG's Studio package ($200) is built for this: the 60-second trailer for YouTube and your launch posts, plus a 9:16 short for the feeds.
Should you make both lengths?
If you're launching, yes: the 60-second trailer for YouTube and your launch posts, and a shorter cut for feeds and ads. If you're choosing one, match it to where most people will see it: feeds suit 30 seconds, YouTube and launch posts suit 60. A 15-second cutdown of either makes a good ad. Compare Starter, Viral and Studio.