Let’s talk about mobile/indie monetization. Are we just stuck with invasive AdTech forever?

Hey everyone,

I wanted to start a discussion about something that’s been bothering me (and probably most of you) for a long time: monetization in mobile and indie games.

Right now, it feels like developers are backed into a corner. You either poison your game's UX with aggressive, out-of-context video ads that ruin the player experience, or you rely on predatory microtransactions and gacha mechanics just to keep the lights on. Meanwhile, players either deal with the spam or resort to root/DNS ad-blockers, meaning the developer ends up making zero.

It feels like a broken loop where nobody wins except the massive ad networks.

I’ve been tinkering with an open-source alternative (an intent-driven, lightweight hybrid model using a curated brand catalog instead of random spam), but I’m more curious about your perspective as devs:

• How do you handle monetization in your projects without driving players away?
• Have you tried any alternative models that actually worked, or do you feel like traditional ads are a necessary evil?
• What’s your biggest frustration with current ad networks?

Let's hear your thoughts, rants, or alternative ideas. How do we fix this?