Short-form vs Video: which format to choose

Every Ripple campaign uses one content format: either Video (long-form) or Short-form (vertical / short clips). Your format choice determines which platforms are available, how creators structure their pitch, and how players discover your game.

Because a campaign’s format and brief are locked once the campaign is funded, choose the format that matches your primary conversion goal before launching. If you want both deep long-form coverage and high-velocity short clips, run two separate campaigns with tailored briefs and CPMs.

Quick comparison

Criteria	Video (Long-form)	Short-form (Vertical / Clips)
Available platforms	YouTube	YouTube (Shorts), TikTok, Instagram (approved testers), Facebook (soon)
Best for	Deep gameplay, systems, narrative, strategy, RPGs, sims, co-op sessions, Steam Next Fest demos, launch reviews	Fast visual hooks, funny or chaotic moments, immediate arcade action, cozy aesthetics, mobile/casual titles, broad awareness
Strength	High viewer trust, strong Steam wishlist intent, longer watch time and evergreen search discovery	Fast viral reach, lower barrier to entry for creators, rapid testing of visual hooks
Typical creator effort	Higher (gameplay capture, scripting, long edit or full stream)	Faster turnaround, focused on a single hook or memorable moment

When to choose Video (Long-form)

Choose Video on YouTube when a player needs more than 30 seconds to understand why your game is special:

• Systems-heavy or genre-deep games: RPGs, strategy, deckbuilders, management sims, survival crafting, tactical shooters or narrative adventures.
• High-intent conversion goals: driving qualified Steam wishlists, demo downloads during Steam Next Fest, or launch-week purchases where viewers want to see real gameplay loop before buying.
• Longer shelf life: YouTube long-form videos continue to generate views through search and recommendations weeks after the campaign ends.

How to brief a Video campaign

• Ask creators to show a complete gameplay loop (for example, one run, one boss fight, or the first 20 minutes of progression) rather than reading a feature list.
• Avoid over-scripting the intro: viewers click away when a long-form video opens like a corporate trailer.
• Give creators a clear call to action in the description and pinned comment (such as your Steam store page or demo link).

When to choose Short-form

Choose Short-form on TikTok or YouTube Shorts when your game has an immediate visual or emotional hook:

• Instantly readable gameplay: physics sandboxes, party games, horror jump-scares, satisfying movement, striking art direction, cozy building or funny co-op fails.
• Top-of-funnel awareness: announcing a reveal, a free weekend, an open beta, or building broad name recognition around a launch.
• Multi-shot testing: setting Max videos per creator to 2 or 3 in Step 2 (Setup) lets each creator submit 2 or 3 separate pieces of content (each publishable across the allowed platforms) to test different hooks or funny moments across the campaign window.

How to brief a Short-form campaign

• Keep mandatory rules minimal: a 45-second vertical clip cannot fit five talking points.
• Focus on the first 3 seconds: give creators examples of strong visual hooks or moments in your game that immediately grab attention.
• Let creators use their native pacing, humour and editing style.

Should you run both formats?

Because Long-form and Short-form require different hooks, deliverables, CPMs and creator profiles, Ripple keeps each campaign focused on a single format.

If your launch budget allows it, a proven studio playbook is to run two coordinated campaigns:

1. A Long-form Video campaign with niche creators in your exact Steam genre to anchor community trust and drive high-intent wishlists.
2. A Short-form campaign running alongside it during launch week to amplify visual clips and reach a wider audience.

Next, learn how to set your CPM, budget and per-creator caps.