Help! I have disappeared down a rabbithole of horrible mobile gaming adverts | Dominik Diamond
Dominik Diamond describes how using free mobile games as a short escape from depression and loneliness became an increasingly frustrating cycle of adverts, downloads and disappointment. The column argues that freemium games exploit players’ impatience and vulnerability by withholding progress, then pushing intrusive advertising as the apparent alternative.
He began with Sled Surfers, which limits attempts through tickets and offers adverts to continue playing, before being drawn into games whose advertisements misrepresented their actual content. Diamond cites titles including Royal Match, Slap and Run, Castle Busters and Snake Clash!, and says adverts became longer, harder to dismiss and increasingly focused on gambling-style apps or promises of cash rewards. He also reports that the games quickly overheated his phone and that privacy or “not interested” controls did not meaningfully stop the adverts.
- Freemium mobile games use ads to pressure players into continued engagement.
- Advertised gameplay often differs from the games players download.
- The adverts grew more intrusive and gambling-focused.
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Free mobile games often use a “freemium” model: the basic game costs nothing, while adverts or in-app purchases can help players progress. Some games limit how often people can play or make progress slower, creating pressure to watch adverts or spend money.
Mobile adverts may show games that differ from what players find after downloading them. The games and adverts are usually supplied through app stores and advertising networks, while players can use controls to report or limit some adverts; how well those controls work can vary.
These practices matter because people may turn to games for a brief distraction, while repeated adverts, misleading previews or prompts to spend can affect their time and money. Understanding how free games earn revenue helps explain why advertising is built into the experience.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Freemium games let people play without paying upfront and can offer a welcome distraction, especially to those seeking an inexpensive way to relax. Ads and limits on free play help fund development, while optional purchases or watching an advert can give players a choice about how to continue; the problems described may reflect poor practices by particular games or ad networks rather than the whole model.
The case against
The model can turn a simple pastime into a cycle of frustration by restricting progress and making intrusive adverts the easiest route forward. Misleading promotions, hard-to-dismiss ads and ineffective controls weaken players’ ability to make informed choices, and may be especially troubling when games attract people looking for relief from loneliness or low mood.