Some games offer a paid purchase to turn off all ads. The ban also seems to be only in the UK for now. Now developers are inserting other characters from puzzle games into the same ads to get around the ban. While these misleading ads for Gardenscapes and Homescapes have been banned, it’s not the end. If Playrix wants to advertise either game, they must properly show that the game primarily has match-3 puzzle gameplay. The final judgment is that the ads must not appear again in a misleading manner. The ads breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules – 3.1 (Misleading advertising), 3.9 (Qualification), and 3.11 (Exaggeration). The company believed the ads “appealed to the logic and problem-solving skills required to win during the games.” The ads also contained some small disclaimer text that the ads did not present all of the games’ gameplay.ĪSA ultimately concluded that the ads were misleading: Playrix believed that the ads represented the game’s story, along with the game’s important characters.

In total, seven complainants believed that the ads did not represent Gardenscapes and Homescapes and claimed it was a misleading advertisement. None of these situations occur in the real versions of the game.ĪSA ruling on two ads for two apps that presented gameplay which wasn't representative of the games being advertised ĪSA investigated the ads and posted the results on its official website. Players had to watch or interact with the ad to save Austin from falling down a well, surviving in cold weather, or getting eaten by a shark. Instead, they showed Austin in various dangerous situations. Playrix’s ads did not show examples of the match-3 gameplay. There is no other gameplay, but that’s where Playrix’s ads were found to be misleading. If a player wants to complete even one room of Austin’s mansion, they may have to complete 50-100 puzzle levels. Players unlock the repairs and other home improvements by earning stars through playing puzzle games. In each game, players help a man named Austin make various home repairs.

The developer created the popular match-3 puzzle games Gardenscapes and Homescapes. One set of ads from the developer Playrix was recently banned in the UK. Some puzzle games may give a player extra moves if they watch an ad, or others may play an ad before and after every level. Free-to-play mobile games may seem easily accessible, but they’re often plagued with in-game ads.

Game ads on homescapes