Last updated: 2026-01-14

For most players in the U.S., the fastest way to record a clear, presenter-led gameplay walkthrough is to use StreamYard’s browser studio to capture your screen, mic, and camera with local multi-track recordings. When you need hardware-level game capture modes or deep encoder control, a desktop app like OBS is a strong alternative alongside your StreamYard workflow.

Summary

• Use StreamYard’s browser studio to record your gameplay screen, mic, and on‑camera commentary without installing heavy software. (streamyard.com)
• Turn on local multi-track recording so your gameplay, voice, and any guests or screen shares are saved as separate files for editing. (StreamYard Help Center)
• For advanced PC gameplay capture and encoder tuning, layer in OBS as a dedicated game recorder and bring the finished file into StreamYard for branded intros, outros, and distribution. (OBS)
• Loom can work for short, async clips, but its free plan limits recording length and storage, which quickly gets in the way for full walkthroughs. (Loom Support)

What makes a good gameplay walkthrough recording?

A strong walkthrough is more than raw gameplay. You need three things working together: a readable game screen, clear commentary, and an organized story.

From a tools perspective, that means:

• Presenter‑visible screen sharing, so you always see what viewers see.
• Independent control of game audio and microphone levels.
• High‑quality output that doesn’t require hours of setup or a custom PC.

At StreamYard, we built our browser studio to do exactly that: you can share your screen, keep your camera on, arrange layouts, and apply branded overlays in real time—without installing desktop software. (streamyard.com)

How do you record a gameplay walkthrough with StreamYard?

Here’s a simple, repeatable workflow using StreamYard’s studio as your recording hub:

1. Create a recording studio
   Open StreamYard in your browser, enter a studio, and choose to record without going live. You’ll see your camera, mic, and the option to share your screen.

2. Share your gameplay screen
   Start your game, then in StreamYard click Share Screen and pick either the game window or your full display. StreamYard lets you place that screen front‑and‑center, with or without your camera on top.

3. Control audio sources
   Use the audio controls to balance your microphone against system/game audio so your commentary is always understandable. Because mic and screen audio are independently controllable, you can turn the game down during explanations and back up during key moments.

4. Turn on local multi‑track recording
   Enable local recording so your mic, camera, and each participant are recorded directly on their own devices as separate, studio‑quality tracks. (StreamYard Help Center)

5. Record in landscape and repurpose in portrait
   Record in a traditional 16:9 layout for YouTube, then reuse the same session to create portrait clips for Shorts or Reels—StreamYard supports both landscape and portrait outputs from a single recording workflow.

6. Use overlays and presenter notes
   Add logos, lower‑thirds, or chapter markers as overlays while you record. Keep private presenter notes visible only to you inside the studio so you remember key talking points without cluttering the gameplay screen.

7. Stop, download, and edit
   When you’re done, download your cloud recording plus the local multi‑tracks. Because each track is separate, it’s easy to cut mistakes, replace commentary, or punch in on important gameplay moments in your editor.

On the free plan, you can use local recording up to a monthly limit; paid plans remove that local cap so you can record walkthroughs as often as you like. (StreamYard Help Center)

How does StreamYard compare to OBS and Loom for gameplay walkthroughs?

If you search for “screen recording software,” you’ll see three names a lot: StreamYard, OBS, and Loom. They all record your screen, but they’re built for very different jobs.

• StreamYard – Browser‑based studio for screen + camera recordings, live or pre‑recorded, with local multi‑track files, layouts, and branding. (streamyard.com)
• OBS – Free, open‑source desktop app with detailed control over scenes, sources, and encoders for local recording and live streaming on Windows, macOS, and Linux. (OBS)
• Loom – Async communication tool designed for quick screen + cam bubbles and shareable links, with a 5‑minute limit and 25‑video cap on the free Starter plan. (Loom Support)

For full gameplay walkthroughs, the practical differences are:

• Ease of setup: StreamYard runs in your browser and handles layouts and audio routing for you; OBS gives you deep control but expects you to manage scenes, encoders, and hardware. (obsproject.com)
• Recording limits: StreamYard’s free plan has clear caps on local recording hours and storage, but paid plans remove local limits while still giving you cloud backups. (StreamYard Help Center) Loom’s free limits make long or frequent walkthroughs hard without upgrading.
• Collaboration: StreamYard gives you a multi‑participant studio with per‑guest local tracks, which works well for co‑op runs or commentary with friends. OBS expects you to bring guests in via other apps; Loom focuses on one primary recorder.

In practice, many creators default to StreamYard for fast, presenter‑led walkthroughs and pull in OBS only when they truly need its advanced game‑capture modes.

When should you add OBS to your toolkit?

OBS is powerful when you want hardware‑level control over how your gameplay is captured.

OBS includes a dedicated Game Capture source with modes for full‑screen games, a specific game window, or hotkey‑based switching, which is helpful when you play a lot of different titles or alt‑tab often. (OBS Game Capture Guide)

A practical hybrid workflow looks like this:

• Use OBS to record the raw gameplay feed locally with the encoding settings you prefer.
• Import that gameplay file into StreamYard as a media source to add your on‑camera breakdown, overlays, and chaptered commentary.
• Record again in StreamYard with local multi‑tracks so you have clean voice, face‑cam, and “director’s cut” layers to edit later.

This “OBS first, StreamYard second” approach keeps OBS focused on what it does well—game capture and encoding—while StreamYard handles the presenter‑led storytelling and distribution.

How should you capture game audio plus microphone?

Whether you use StreamYard alone or pair it with OBS, the principle is the same: keep commentary clear and game audio supportive.

In StreamYard’s studio:

• Set your microphone as the primary input.
• Enable system or browser audio when sharing the game window so gameplay sounds are included.
• Use the audio controls to keep your mic slightly louder than the game; you can always mix further in your editor using the separate local tracks.

If you use OBS for raw capture, configure one audio track for game/system sound and one for your mic, then later record commentary layers or reactions in StreamYard with local multi‑track files for fine‑tuning. (obsproject.com)

What about mobile gameplay walkthroughs?

Mobile walkthroughs add an extra step: getting your phone screen into a place your recorder can see.

A simple approach is:

• Mirror your iPhone or Android screen to your computer using the OS’s built‑in casting or a capture solution.
• In StreamYard, share the desktop window that shows your mirrored phone.
• Record as usual with your mic, camera, and screen, using overlays to call out taps or gestures.

For short, quick mobile tips that don’t need heavy editing, a tool like Loom can work—but remember that its free Starter tier limits each recording to about five minutes and caps the number of stored videos, which can feel tight if you’re building a full series of walkthroughs. (Loom Support)

How does pricing affect your choice for team walkthroughs?

If you’re recording walkthroughs for a team—say, a game studio, esports org, or education program—pricing structure matters as much as features.

Loom’s pricing is per user, with paid plans starting from a per‑seat rate and the free Starter plan capped at 25 videos per person and 5‑minute recordings. (loom.com) StreamYard, by contrast, prices plans per workspace rather than per user, which tends to be more cost‑effective when multiple teammates need to record and collaborate in the same studio environment. (streamyard.com)

Combine that with a 7‑day free trial and frequent new‑user offers, and many U.S. teams find it straightforward to test a shared StreamYard workspace for their gameplay content before committing. (streamyard.com)

What we recommend

• Start with StreamYard’s browser studio for most gameplay walkthroughs so you can capture screen, mic, camera, and guests without wrestling with desktop encoders.
• Turn on local multi‑track recording and use overlays, notes, and layouts to tell a clearer story while you play.
• Add OBS when you have specific needs for advanced game capture modes or encoder tuning, treating it as a capture engine that feeds into your StreamYard workflow.
• Use Loom only for short, async clips or internal feedback, not as your primary tool for full‑length gameplay walkthrough series.