How We Pick Games for Gerk Games
Our actual curation process, not a marketing pitch
People often ask whether we just dump every available HTML5 game on the site. We don't. Here's what we actually do.
Step 1: source filtering
We work with established HTML5 game distribution networks — primarily GameMonetize, with smaller catalogs from independent developers. The networks we partner with already do basic vetting: no malware, working game files, valid copyright.
That gets us a starting catalog of several thousand games. Then the actual curation begins.
Step 2: the 30-second test
Every game we consider gets played for at least 30 seconds. If the game doesn't load in 5 seconds, it's out. If it loads but the controls don't respond on first input, it's out. If the first thing we see is a forced ad, it's out.
About 40 percent of games fail this step. Bad iframes, broken builds, games that depend on Flash even though they claim HTML5 — surprisingly common.
Step 3: the 5-minute test
For games that pass the first filter, we play five minutes. We're looking for: clear instructions or self-explanatory mechanics, no aggressive in-game purchase prompts, no obviously broken levels, no content that's inappropriate for general audiences.
About another 30 percent fail here. The most common issue is "monetization that breaks gameplay" — pop-ups every 60 seconds, paywalls disguised as difficulty walls, locked features that change the game.
Step 4: category fit
Even good games sometimes don't make our cut because we already have something similar and better. We try to keep each category meaningful, not stuffed with five versions of the same idea. If a new game is the third "spin the wheel and shoot balls" game in the Arcade category, only the best of the three stays.
Step 5: ongoing review
Games on the network can update. A game that passed our review six months ago might suddenly add aggressive ads or break something. We re-check our top games quarterly and pull anything that has gotten worse.
Players can also report issues. Anything reported gets re-tested within a week. Most reports turn out to be browser-specific issues, but maybe one in five is a real game problem that leads to us pulling the title.
Things we won't list
To be explicit, here are categories we won't add no matter how popular they are: anything featuring real public figures, anything that copies a recent TV or movie property without authorization, anything with content unsuitable for under-13s in our general categories, anything that requires payment to actually play, anything that asks for personal information before it'll let you start.
This is why our catalog is smaller than some game portals. The size isn't the goal. Reliability is.
How to suggest a game
If there's a game you'd like to see on Gerk Games, email us. We test every reasonable suggestion. About one in ten makes it onto the site.