You're three seconds into a gaming session. You've got five minutes before your next meeting. You load up the game you actually want to play — the one you've been waiting to get back to. But before you can even tap the screen, a full-screen ad erupts.
It's for some other game. Some hyper-casual puzzle game with shitty graphics and a title you'll forget before the ad ends. You watch helplessly as a 30-second countdown timer mocks you. 15 seconds left. 10. 5. Finally, it's gone.
You've now spent 25% of your gaming session watching an ad for a game you will never, ever play.
This is the absurdity of ad-supported games.
THE INSULT AT THE CORE
Here's what really gets me: the fundamental betrayal of it all. You chose to play this game. You downloaded it. You opened it. You want to play it. And the first thing the game does is punish you by forcing you to watch an ad for a different game.
It's like buying a pizza and being forced to watch a commercial for burgers before you can take a bite.
The worst part? The ads are for games you're never going to play. They're targeting you with games that don't match your interests, your skill level, or your taste. They're generic, low-effort knockoffs churned out by studios that understand one thing: how to farm ad revenue.
And we've all accepted this. We've normalized it. We sit there and wait. We watch the countdown. We tap “close” when the timer finally lets us. We've been trained like Pavlov's dogs to just... accept it.
But why?
THE ECONOMICS OF CONTEMPT
The answer is money, of course. Ad networks will pay developers for impressions. Every time you watch an ad — even if you're seething with rage — that's a dollar sign. Multiply that by millions of players, and suddenly, a game that costs $0.99 (or is “free”) becomes a revenue machine.
The catch? That revenue is built on contempt.
Free-to-play games have become hostage situations. The game is free, which sounds great — until you realize you're not the customer. You're the product. Your attention is being harvested and sold to the highest bidder. Every ad is a transaction where your time becomes someone else's profit.
And the worst part is that this model works. It's so effective at extracting money that it's become the default for indie developers and massive studios alike. Because if they leave, there are a million other players willing to tolerate the ads.
THE DEVELOPER'S DILEMMA — AND THE WAY OUT
I get it. I'm a game developer too. I know the pressure to monetize. Servers cost money. Development takes time. If you're not charging an upfront price, you need some way to fund your work.
But there are other options. In-app purchases for cosmetics. Premium tiers that unlock extra features. Battle passes that reward engaged players. Even a one-time “remove ads” purchase for $2.99 that lets players vote with their wallet.
The irony? Players are willingto pay. They just don't want to be waterboarded by ads for games they don't want. A paid game with no ads? I'll buy it. A free game with cosmetic purchases and no ads? I'll spend money on it. A free game where ads are optional — where I choose to watch one to get a reward? That respects my time.
But a free game that ambushes me with ads every five seconds? That's not monetization. That's extortion dressed up as a business model.
WHAT “AD-FREE” REALLY MEANS
I'm not talking about banning ads from the internet. I'm not a purist. But in games — in interactive entertainment that requires your full attention and participation — ads are fundamentally incompatible with the experience.
- ✗No forced video ads before, during, or after gameplay
- ✗No banner ads cluttering the UI
- ✗No pop-up ads interrupting your flow
- ✗No ads masquerading as tutorials you're forced to watch
- ✗No ads as 'rewards' where you trade your time for something you should get for just playing
It means respecting the player's time and attention as a finite resource that deserves protection.
THE PATH FORWARD
Here's my manifesto: games should go ad-free. Not all of them. Not immediately. But consciously, deliberately, as a choice.
If you're building a game, I'm asking you to do something radical: value your player's experience more than the ad impressions they generate. Charge for it. Ask for donations. Sell cosmetics. Offer battle passes. Give power users premium features. Get creative. But don't treat your players like billboards.
And if you're a player? Vote with your feet. Delete games that abuse your attention. Spend your money on developers who respect you. Make it clear: we're done with this.
We can have better games. Games that don't punish you for playing them.
Games with no ads. Ever. It's time.
— 1775 Dev Team