How We Curate Games

Last updated: May 2026 · Author: Giovanni Picaro, Publisher

This page describes how a game gets onto ASK.ME Games — from initial sourcing through licensing verification, content screening, categorization, publication, and ongoing review. The five-stage workflow below applies to every game in the catalog. The goal: every game on the Site has a verifiable license trail and meets our content standards.

Stage 1: Sourcing

Games come from established HTML5 game distribution networks and direct developer relationships. The current sourcing channels:

Famobi — one of the largest licensed HTML5 distributors, headquartered in Germany, providing curated portfolios of casual games.
GameDistribution — broad-catalog distribution platform.
GameMonetize — publisher-monetization-focused distribution.
CrazyGames partner network licensed for redistribution.
Direct developer relationships — individual indie developers who provide their games for embedding in exchange for traffic exposure and (where applicable) ad-revenue share.
Open-source HTML5 game projects — games released under permissive licenses (Creative Commons, MIT, GPL where compatible) where the license permits embedding on commercial sites.

What we do not source from:

Random “free games” feeds where the licensing chain is unclear.
Aggregator-of-aggregator sites that may have downstream licensing problems.
Game ROMs of console / arcade titles — even where playable in browser, these typically lack the license to redistribute.
Cracked / modified versions of commercial games.
Direct copies of trademarked properties (Mario clones, Pokémon clones, Disney character clones) where the developer doesn’t have authorization.

Stage 2: Licensing verification

For each potential game addition, we verify:

The distribution agreement permits embedding on commercial sites.
Required attribution (developer credits, sometimes publisher credits) is identified and noted for the game’s catalog page.
Geographic restrictions (some licenses restrict distribution in certain countries) are recorded.
Any required ad-revenue-share arrangement is in place.
The game’s underlying assets are licensed appropriately (e.g., music, fonts, character art) — we trust the distributor’s certification but spot-check for obvious red flags.

If the licensing chain has gaps, the game is not added. We do not host games on the assumption that takedown will sort it out later.

Stage 3: Content screening

Every game is played briefly to assess against our content standards (see Content Standards). The screening covers:

Age-appropriateness. Is the game suitable for a general audience that includes children? If the game’s themes, imagery, or mechanics make it inappropriate for under-13 viewers, it is excluded.
Violence level. Cartoon-style action / shooter mechanics are typically fine. Realistic graphic violence is excluded.
Sexual content. Excluded. Any sexualized character framing is excluded.
Gambling mechanics. Real-money gambling is excluded. Simulated-gambling games that explicitly mimic regulated casino formats targeting children are excluded. Standard card games (solitaire, hearts, gin rummy without wagering) are fine.
Trademark issues. Games that are obvious clones of trademarked properties without authorization are excluded.
Technical quality. Games that don’t load, run with major bugs, or have serious mobile-compatibility issues are excluded until the developer fixes them.
Data-collection in-game. Games that require account creation, social-media login, or other personal-data collection mechanisms are excluded.
Aggressive in-game advertising. Games that have abusive in-game ad placements (forced rewarded video for basic gameplay, full-screen interstitials between every level) are excluded.

Screening is not exhaustive — a brief play session cannot catch every issue — but it is the first quality gate. Issues found post-publication are handled through the takedown / removal procedures (Stage 5).

Stage 4: Categorization and publication

Games that pass screening are:

Categorized. Each game gets one or more category tags (puzzle, arcade, hypercasual, etc.) that match its mechanics. Categorization affects discoverability through the Site’s navigation.
Described. A short description is generated, often based on the developer-provided description but adjusted for our voice and to remove any promotional puffery.
Attributed. Developer credits are added to the catalog page where the licensing terms include them.
Tagged for restrictions. Geographic restrictions, age-appropriateness flags, and similar metadata are recorded so the game is presented to appropriate audiences.
Published. The game is added to the live catalog with a permanent URL.

Stage 5: Ongoing review and removal

Games on the catalog are not “set and forget.” Ongoing review covers:

Hosted-file availability. The game files are hosted by the developer / distributor; if their hosting goes down, the game becomes unplayable. We periodically check the catalog for broken games and remove or replace them.
License expiration. Some licensing arrangements have time-limits or renewal requirements. Games whose licenses lapse are removed.
Standards drift. A game that was acceptable when added might become inappropriate as our standards tighten or as the game’s content updates. Periodic audits catch this.
Player reports. Visitors who notice content concerns, technical issues, or advertising problems can email abuse [at] askme [punto] rest. Credible reports trigger investigation.
Takedown requests. Developers, publishers, IP holders, and parental-control organizations can request removal via DMCA. Honored within 3 business days for valid notices.

What this curation framework does not guarantee

It does not catch every problematic game on the first screening pass. A short play session can miss issues that surface during deeper play.
It does not eliminate the risk that a game’s developer has misrepresented licensing — we trust the distributor’s certifications but rely on takedown procedures to correct errors that surface later.
It does not eliminate the possibility of advertising in the game (developer-placed ads within the game itself) showing inappropriate content. We do our best to exclude games with abusive in-game ad behavior, but ad networks change their offerings; we monitor and respond.
It does not provide age-rating in the formal sense (PEGI, ESRB). Where formal age ratings exist for a game, we may reference them; the absence of a formal rating does not mean we treat the game as unrated.

How readers can flag a curation issue

If you encounter a game on the Site that you believe should not be there — content concerns, IP concerns, technical issues — please email abuse [at] askme [punto] rest with the game URL and a brief description of the concern. We respond within several business days; flagged games are typically taken offline pending review.