On this page 7 sections
Show real gameplay at its most beautiful or exciting, one moment per frame, with a short line that names the fun (“rebuild the old harbour”). Keep interface clutter down, show variety and progression across the set, stay within the store rules on violence and purchases, and never show footage or art that is not in the game.
How players decide in two seconds
Players decide fast, and they decide on feel: is this my kind of game? The first frame should be the most representative, most beautiful moment of play, not the logo and not a cinematic that is not in the game. The genre should be obvious at a glance.
Across the set, show variety and progression: different levels, characters, worlds, the satisfying moment of a combo or a finished build. Each frame needs one headline that names the fun or the goal, short enough to read over busy art.
Plan the preview and the screenshots together. Apple plays app previews before screenshots, and Google Play has its own size rules for games, so the first seconds of the video and the first frame should tell the same story.
A five-frame plan for a game
A game set should feel like a trailer told in five stills.
Headlines for games
Game headlines should name the fun, not the genre.
“Addictive” reads as a warning to parents, and “best game of the year” needs a real award behind it (2.3.1).
Colour and style for games
Games bring their own palette; the screenshot frame should support it. Take the background from the game’s world and set headlines in a style that matches the game’s own UI.
Store rules for games
Screenshots should show the game in use (2.3.3), and previews may only use video captured from the game (2.3.4).
Even mature games need screenshots suitable for all ages: no gruesome deaths or guns aimed at a character (2.3.8).
Games selling random paid items must disclose the odds before purchase (3.1.1), and frames showing paid items should make clear they cost extra (2.3.2).
To be eligible for Google Play’s promotional placements, games need at least three 16:9 landscape screenshots (1920 × 1080 or larger) or three 9:16 portrait ones (1080 × 1920 or larger).
Do and avoid
- Lead with real, beautiful gameplay
- Show variety and progression
- Name the fun in each headline
- Keep the HUD clutter down
- Match frame style to the game’s world
- Use cinematics that aren’t in the game
- Show gore or weapons aimed at characters
- Write “addictive” or unearned “best game”
- Hide that items cost money
- Use the logo as the first frame
Questions
What should mobile game screenshots show?
Real gameplay at its best moments, one per frame, with a short line naming the fun, plus variety and progression across the set.
Can game screenshots show violence?
Mature games can be on the store, but their screenshots must suit a 4+ audience (Apple guideline 2.3.8): no gruesome deaths or guns pointed at characters.
What sizes do games need on Google Play?
For promotional eligibility, at least three 16:9 landscape (1920 × 1080 minimum) or 9:16 portrait (1080 × 1920 minimum) screenshots.
Portrait or landscape game screenshots?
The way the game is played. Landscape games should use landscape screenshots so the first frame looks like the real experience.
