The first 1-4 seconds of your video are precious. Make the most of this window of time by captivating your audience with a powerful, attention-grabbing hook that draws them in to keep watching.
Make sure the hook is related to your game in some way. This will ensure a smooth transition from the initial hook to the game video and key message that follows.
In case you missed it, we cover this topic and more on our extensive How to Promote your Game with Videos Series.
In this example, "How to make a parkour platformer game in 30 seconds" you immediately see the end result that you can create yourself with a clear incentive and expectation to find out how.
With millions of other videos and games to choose from, why should a user stop and spend time with yours?
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Try to hook the audience with a thumb stopper as early as possible in the video. If necessary, use captions or music to build suspense.
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Stress a single thumb stopper as much as possible rather than multiple thumb stoppers at once.
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Experiment with different thumb stoppers in your videos. The TikTok community values emotional thumb stoppers as much as knowledge driven or humorous ones.
These hooks are crucial because they set the tone for the entire video and determine whether a potential player keeps watching or scrolls away. In a market flooded with endless content, a compelling hook can make the difference between a game being discovered or overlooked. Whether it’s a surprising moment, flashy gameplay, or a bold statement, the goal is to quickly showcase what makes the game unique and worth playing.
In no particular order, here a list of 200+ battle-tested TikTok video hooks to ensure your first 1-3 seconds grabs the attention your game and video deserves. Whilst these are TikTok feed specific For You hooks, the same principle applies across most social media and video platforms, especially Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Snapchat and Facebook Stories.
- This may be controversial but ____
- “WHAT IF I TOLD YOU..” ( Finish it off )
- “Let’s Make, Let’s See..” ( Finish it off )
- “Here’s How”.. ( Finish it off )
- “You need to try this”
- “Do not do ____ before you try this” (show how to play the game)
- “This is why I’ll NEVER go back to ____”
- “____ Mistakes you’re making with ____”
- “Have you heard about ____?”
- “____ people stop scrolling!”
- “Everything you knew about ____ is 100% WRONG!”
- “(Gamers / Game Devs) I need your help please”
- “I can’t believe what I just discovered!”
- “If you like ____ you need ____”
- “I died when I found this out!”
- “I have something to confess”
- “This is something I wish I knew when starting out in ____”
- “I really wish I knew this when starting out ____”
- “Day in the Life of a (game dev) and make it a troll video”
- “This game tool is great, but stress won’t help you create or play at your best. Here’s how you can quickly destress at home.”
- “Here’s a sleep tip that will blow your mind (especially if you’re a night-owl gamer!)”
- “5 healthy things you can do right now to level up your gaming sessions”
- “Want to make your in-game environment look expensive? Then listen up right now!”
- “You don’t need ____ to solve ____ in your game”
- “Here are my 2 favorite free tools you need to try for your game (include some funny in-game glitch or event!)”
- “You’re probably using ____ wrong, here’s the correct way”
- “If you’re in the ____ niche, YOU NEED this ____ right now”
- “How much should you be paying for ____?”
- “3 free apps I use to help with ____”
- “Here’s something REALLY important I wish I learned before launching my first game”
- “3 Big Mistakes You’re Making When ____”
- “Calling all ____”
- “This is how I got ____”
- “Here are ____ tips to get rid of ____”
- “You need to stop ____, here's why”
- “You’ve heard people say ____ but have you tried ____?”
- “Sick/Tired of ____? Keep watching, trust me/You need this”
- “This feels illegal to know: ____”
- “(celebrity name) offered to buy my game for ____!”
- “(celebrity name) played my game!”
- “Here is a simple hack to help you do ____”
- “You need this game in your life!”
- “My co-op partner got stuck in a glitch so I had to ____”
- “Look who played my game! (show/name celebrity)”
- “I met (controversial person/celeb gamer) and here’s what they said ____”
- “POV: you realise ____”
- “Why 99% of ____ won’t ____”
- “I wish I knew about these ____ earlier”
- “Stop scrolling if you want to do ____”
- “I just found the perfect game that helps with ____”
- “Come with me to do ____”
- “Here’s a simple hack to help you do ____”
- “Do you have problems with ____? Well I just found the perfect solution!”
- “Here’s how I achieved ____ in only ____ months/years!”
- “This is the only thing you need to know about ____!”
- “Don’t make this mistake when doing ____”
- “What would you do if ____?”
- “Why does no one talk about this?”
- “If you want ____, avoid doing this!”
- “Don’t believe this ____ myth!”
- “Other ____ are lying to you!”
- “This ____ will blow your mind!”
- “Is it just me, or ____”
- “You will look at ____ differently by the end of this video!”
- “Sudden Motion/Movement”
- “____ I can't get enough of”
- “Do not do ____ before you try this” (show how to play the game)
- “This is why I’ll NEVER go back to ____”
- “Don’t buy ____ when you can just use ____”
- “3 Reasons why ____ won’t work”
- “If you just started using this game engine you absolutely have to see this”
- “This is why your ____ isn’t working”
- “If you’re ____ listen up”
- “I discovered the secret to ____”
- “You need to stop doing this!”
- “Did you know that ____?”
- “You don’t want to miss this!”
- “Don’t scroll!”
- “This is a reminder to do ____”
- “This is the story of ____”
- “This hack will save you hours on ____”
- “If you want to do ____, you need to do this!”
- “For my male/female audience”
- “If you like ____ you’re gonna like/hate this”
- “What’s one piece of advice that sounds illegal ____”
- “What I prototyped vs. what the final game turned out to be.”
- “Red flags to look for in ____”
- “5 mistakes you are probably making when you ____”
- “Try this one hack to get ____”
- “This free tool is a game changer!”
- “Here are 3 signs that you should ____”
- “This one simple mistake could be costing you ____”
- “Here’s my go-to ____ for ____”
- “The BEST ____ I’ve ever used!”
- “I tried every ____ so you don’t have to!”
- “5 things you can do right now to improve ____”
- “You need this free tool for ____”
- “This is why your ____ isn’t working!”
- “This hack changed my life!”
- “____ like a Movie Star”
- “____ is the only one I use for ____ and I'm gonna show you why.”
- “Predictions on the Future of ____ (gaming)”
- “____ Reasons ____ is Better than ____”
- “____ Reasons ____ is the Worst ____”
- “____ Reasons it’s Better to ____”
- “Get Into ____ In ____ Easy Minutes A Day”
- “Get Paid For ____!”
- “Here’s the best way to ____”
- “I cant believe ____”
- “3 ways you can ____”
- “Watch what happens when ____”
- “This feels illegal to know”
- “I was today years old when ____”
- “____ revealed this shocking new data”
- “If you want ____ listen up”
- “I bet you didn’t know ____”
- “Here’s one thing stopping you from ____”
- “I used to feel ____ until I realized ____”
- “Get Rid of Your ____ Once and For All”
- “OMG you won’t believe this”
- “One question no ____ can resist.”
- “Please stop trying to ____”
- “POV you just bought this”
- “If you’re not doing this, you’re missing out”
- “Is this too good to be true?”
- “Buy this before it’s gone”
- “If you ____ listen up”
- “Winter is coming you need this ____”
- “____ Reasons Not to ____”
- “How to make sure you'll never ____”
- “Suppose This Happened…”
- “Instead of doing/using ____ do ____.”
- “Before you scroll ____”
- “I spent ____ years designing this game”
- “Gameplay trailer vs. actual gameplay”
- “Unpopular opinion:”
- “____ easy to remember tips for ____”
- “Did you know ____ just blew up in popularity?”
- “If you do ____ you need to hear this!!”
- “Got ____ Problem?”
- “Top 3 Tips about ____”
- “How to get ____ in 24 Hours”
- “Why is nobody talking about ____”
- “Here’s ____ tiny tips that can help you achieve ____”
- “Random things in my inventory that just make sense”
- “I wish I had ____ earlier”
- “Don’t make this mistake if you’re using ____”
- “Here’s a really powerful way to ____”
- “This is a reminder to ____”
- “A huge realization I had about ____ and here’s why”
- “____ will save you hours”
- “This trick will save you hours”
- “This is how you can get ____ in 30 Days”
- “Here’s the truth about ____ big gaming companies don’t want you to know”
- “Want to know the secret to ____?”
- “Unpopular opinion... ____”
- “Stop scrolling if you suffer with ____”
- “I can’t believe this happened…”
- “Warning to ____”
- “Do your ____ look like this...”
- “Here’s how I saved 30 days of dev time with this simple tool”
- “____ gaming tricks you didn’t know were being used on you”
- “This single important tip will change your life:”
- “I never leave the house without ____”
- “I was a total noob before I found ____”
- “3 reasons why ____ wont work”
- “The #1 thing I tell every gamer”
- “Want to triple your high score on ____? Here’s how in 15 seconds.”
- “Most game devs won’t tell you these 5 secrets”
- “POV: ____”
- “POV: ____”
- “My co-op partner just ____”
- “Maturing is realizing ____”
- “Here is why ____”
- “Most ____ wont tell you this”
- “Here are a few tips that saved me loads of money on in-game purchases”
- “I don't know who needs to hear this, but you’re probably using your game engine wrong. Let me tell you why…”
- “I promise you’ve never ____”
- “Get your gaming partner a ____”
- “If you suffer from ____”
- “Trying the viral ____”
- “Did you know...”
- “Here is a tip from a professional game dev that can really help your gameplay”
- “Here is the number #1 thing ____ should know”
- “So this just happened at ____”
- “Here’s how I did ____ in ____”
- “Why is nobody talking about ____?”
- “I bought ____ so you don’t have to”
- “This is why your ____ isn’t working”
- “Here’s what game design school doesn’t teach you:”
- “____ tricks experts don't dare tell you (but we will)”
- “The ugly truth about ____”
- “I bought the most expensive game dev software so you don’t have to”
- “Here’s a common ____ you need to avoid (check part 2 for the answer)”
- “Here’s a common ____ solution that will blow your ____”
- “Here’s how I solved ____ in ____ with this one simple trick”
- “Save this video for the next time you need to ____”
- “My co-op partner’s cousin’s sister’s friend just ____”
- “Here’s why ____ won’t work”
- “The feminine/masculine urge to ____”
- “The WORST things to do before ____”
- “Here’s a weird gaming industry secret they’ve never told you about”
- “Here’s a hot take in ____”
- “My hot take in ____”
- “Here’s 5 things you’re going to do to have ____ solved this month”
- “Avoid these 3 things if you’re trying to ____”
- “You guys keep asking for ____”
- “POV you just bought this”
- “You won’t believe ____”
- “____ things I wish I knew before I ____”
- “How I got ____ in 24 hours”
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