The Best Gameplay Recording Software

You've seen plenty of videos by gamers showing their tricks and tips online, and you're ready to make your own. You need your work to stand out, but you don't want to shell out for an expensive editing program. Luckily, there is great free software that will let you record your screen and add narration and music. We'll go over the best options for recording gameplay and creating entertaining content that will keep people watching. If you've got an elite gamer in your life, check out the list of the best gifts for gamers to get some ideas. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

Should I Use Ezvid For Windows or Ezvid Wikimaker For Recording Gameplay?

Depending on your audience, you can actually use both. If you want to record for long stretches and talk over your video, Ezvid For Windows will let you record your own narration. However, its editing capability is limited. If you're walking someone through a long process, Ezvid Wikimaker will publish your text and screenshots along with your video so they can read back over your instructions if they get confused. Wikimaker has a lot more tools for editing and provides free fair use images and videos, which makes for much more impressive content if you're trying to promote yourself. Ezvid For Windows is great for some situations, but Ezvid Wikimaker has more to offer.

Wikimaker Vs. Ezvid For Windows

Feature Ezvid Wikimaker Ezvid For Windows
Edit in browser
Screen captures and recordings
Videos over 8 minutes or 1,000 words
Text-based editing
Record narration
Fair use images and video clips
Free music
Online hosting on Ezvid Wiki
Essay text published with video

In Depth

Modern gamers often want the ability to post video of their gameplay on the Internet, whether it's to share tips about finding secret areas or undiscovered points on the map, to build an audience for streaming shows, or simply to prove that you can do something really, really difficult. With so many gaming videos on YouTube, you want yours to stand out, and to do that, it has to look good.

But which software should you use to record your screen? You'd rather not spend money, and you don't want something that's difficult to learn, since time spent editing videos is time spent not playing games. But at the same time, you want your videos to be entertaining and high-quality. Thankfully, there is free software with a multitude of features so you can show off your skills without a huge investment.

Ezvid For Windows is a free download that lets you record your screen during gameplay and make edits once you're done. You can narrate your actions to explain difficult maneuvers to viewers, as well as choose from a library of royalty-free music to act as a soundtrack. The interface is simple to learn, letting you order your clips however you like so it isn't just one long recording. You can make a tutorial right from the beginning of a game, then jump ahead to show what is possible.

You can narrate your actions to explain difficult maneuvers to viewers, as well as choose from a library of royalty-free music to act as a soundtrack.

One thing you need to be mindful of is the picture quality. Grainy footage that is difficult to see won't attract viewers. That's why Ezvid For Windows lets you upload to YouTube in HD so the picture will be crystal clear. And while other programs simply record the game's audio, Ezvid For Windows lets you add music as well as text and other effects to point out things on the screen to viewers.

Another aspect to take note of is the narration. It can be difficult to concentrate on the game and talk at the same time, resulting in your doing a worse job of both or not getting the footage you wanted because you made a mistake. With Ezvid For Windows, you can record your narration separately to make sure your words are correct and match what's happening on screen.

Footage of your gameplay is great, but you can set yourself apart with a well-edited video complete with music and smooth transitions. Ezvid Wikimaker is a free online video editor that lets you arrange and edit your recordings entirely in your browser. All you have to do is sign up for an account, and you can create your first wiki.

Footage of your gameplay is great, but you can set yourself apart with a well-edited video complete with music and smooth transitions.

Wikimaker is based in text. Type out your first paragraph of narration and hit "Enter," which will start voice synthesis. Your words will be read aloud as narration for your video. If you scroll down, you'll see that Wikimaker has automatically paired free fair use images and videos to your writing. You can watch the video right away, and make any edits you wish to make.

You can delete images that you don't want to use, or search among a vast library. You can also upload files from your computer, so footage recorded with Ezvid For Windows can be included. But the greatest asset is Wikimaker Capture, which is available as a Chrome browser extension or as a free download for Windows and Mac.

With the desktop version of Wikimaker Capture, you can take screenshots in games or use images you find online, as well as resize them or draw on them for emphasis. You can record your entire computer screen easily, and whatever you record will appear in Wikimaker, where you can link it to words in your text. When those words are spoken, your footage will appear. You can even select the exact starting frame to control the precise moments you display.

You can even select the exact starting frame to control the precise moments you display.

Using this process, you can make an entire video with narration, free music, and professional-looking transitions. When you submit your wiki for publishing, it will be hosted for free on Ezvid Wiki, where viewers can watch the video as well as read your directions and see screenshots from the video. It'll be easy to follow and look a lot better than just a bland recording. This is the next step in promoting yourself in a crowded marketplace.

Ezvid Wikimaker is easy to learn and provides hosting, so it's great for pro gamers and hobbyists alike. You can share the URL with just a few friends or with the whole world through your Twitter and Facebook presence. Best of all, it's free to use, so you can produce dynamic content and show your gameplay to the world.