Mobile game ads have a reputation for showing gameplay that looks nothing like the actual game. Some fill them with fake puzzle challenges and dramatic moments to really sell players on exciting gameplay. But, as we all probably know by now, the gameplay in these ads is often exaggerated or barely exists at all. Once you actually download them, you’re far more likely to find something you didn't expect. That said, the following 15 mobile games promoted themselves in ways that mislead players into thinking they were going to play something almost entirely different.
15. Lily’s Garden
The ads for Lily's Garden portray dramatic storytelling with branching choices and problem-solving gameplay. In reality, it's another match-3 title game where completing puzzles unlocks narrative segments. The interactive decision-making sequences with 3D character designs shown in ads rarely make an appearance in the actual gameplay.
(Image Credit: Tactile Games)
14. Doomsday: Last Survivors
Doomsday: Last Survivors is often advertised as a super hands-on zombie survival shooter with direct control and chaotic combat scenarios. But when you begin playing it, you'll find that it's really a strategy-heavy game focused on building a shelter and managing your resources. It's frankly a decently fun game, so it's an injustice that the game had to be promoted with commercials that slightly mislead players.
(Image Credit:
13. Gardenscapes
Despite ads showing open-world, puzzle-based scenarios, Gardenscapes is primarily a match-3 game where you complete levels to renovate a garden. The over-the-top dramatic "save the character" choices seen in ads are either rare or nonexistent in actual gameplay. It becomes very clear once you start playing that the gameplay revolves around clearing colorful tile boards and obtaining cosmetic upgrades.
(Image Credit: Playrix)
12. Mafia City
The ads for Mafia City highlight extremely exaggerated progression where players seemingly go from rags to riches in an instant. In reality, however, the game is a real-time strategy, base-building game focused on resource management, forging alliances, and slow progression. The flashy “instant upgrade” visuals are far from the actual case, and, as a result, many have dubbed the game one of the worst mobile games to exist.
(Image Credit: Phantix Games)
11. Age of Origins
The commercials for Age of Origins often showcase intense first-person zombie combat and survival gameplay, but the real game is a strategy builder with tower defense elements. You manage resources, expand your territory, and coordinate with troops to win engagements from an aerial viewpoint rather than actively play in a first-person point of view during combat.
(Image Credit: Camel Games)
10. Fishdom
Fishdom's ads frequently show players saving fish from dangerous situations using puzzle-solving mechanics. However, the real gameplay is a match-3 system where you complete levels to decorate aquariums. The dramatic scenarios from ads rarely reflect the actual experience. The game is created by the same team behind Gardenscapes and Homescapes, so there's definitely a bit of a theme with how the developers market their games.
(Image Credit: Playrix)
9. Homescapes
Homescapes markets itself as an interactive dilemma game with puzzles that help you fix disasters in a house. In reality, it's just another match-3 experience where solving tile puzzles unlocks story progression and home renovations. Interestingly, ads from both Homescapes and its sister game, Gardenscapes, have been labelled as misleading by the Advertising Standards Authority in the United Kingdom.
(Image Credit: Playrix)
8. Hero Wars
The promotional videos showcase simple number-based combat puzzles and rather suggestive gameplay, but Hero Wars is really a simple idle RPG. You collect heroes, upgrade skills, and play through battles rather than solving the complex puzzles seen in ads. It's arguably one of the biggest culprits in the field of misleading mobile ads.
(Image Credit: Nexters)
7. State of Survival
While the ads for State of Survival depict cinematic zombie survival gameplay that's filled with action-packed decisions, the game itself is a tactical base-building game. You manage a base, train troops, and participate in combat with and against other alliances. We think it's a bit of a shame this game is included in this list because the gameplay itself is intense, thrilling, and good enough to have won a few big awards. The misleading ads could have been avoided since it puts a slight stain on the game's overall reputation.
(Image Credit: FunPlus)
6. Rise of Kingdoms
Rise of Kingdoms has frequently aired ads that allude to intense real-time battles, but the gameplay actually leans heavily into long-term city-building. While battles do exist, they’re not as dynamic or player-controlled as the ads imply. The experience is more about careful planning than all-out action.
(Image Credit: Lilith Games)
5. Project Makeover
The promotions for Project Makeover highlight makeover decisions and exciting, interactive character transformations. The core gameplay, however, revolves around match-3 puzzles that you can solve to earn currency for character and room customization. The free-roam and decision-making aspects are far less prominent in the game than it's advertised.
(Image Credit: Magic Tavern)
4. Royal Match
Royal Match's ads often showcase unique puzzle scenarios involving saving a king from danger, but the actual game sticks to regular match-3 mechanics, where you solve them to progress through levels. The rescue situations appear occasionally, scattered across some levels, but ultimately, it doesn't represent the majority of gameplay.
(Image Credit: Dream Games)
3. Evony: The King’s Return
The ads for Evony: The King’s Return often showcase logic puzzles and open-world exploration, such as pulling pins or rescuing characters, but the actual game is a complex strategy MMO set in a medieval period. You can build cities, train armies, and engage in real-time warfare. The puzzle elements shown in ads play only a very minor part in the overall gameplay and are not the core experience.
(Image Credit: Top Games)
2. Last War: Survival Game
Last War: Survival Game sells itself as a fast-paced zombie shooter filled with obstacle-dodging and real-time action, but that’s only a small slice of the experience. In actuality, the game is a base-building strategy experience where you manage resources, upgrade structures, recruit heroes, and wait through timers. It's not exactly the high-octane shooter that the ads will try to make you believe.
(Image Credit: FUNFLY)
1. Merge Mansion
While ads show super realistic, story-driven puzzles with dramatic reveals, the gameplay in Merge Mansion is centered around merging items in a match-3-style to complete tasks. The narrative plot line exists, but it unfolds slowly in a 2D fashion and without the high-stakes, real-life scenarios seen in ads. At one point, Hollywood superstar Pedro Pascal appeared in an ad for Merga Mansion that some claimed to be the weirdest commercial for a mobile game to ever exist.
(Image Credit: Metacore)
Mobile game ads have a reputation for showing gameplay that looks nothing like the actual game. Some fill them with fake puzzle challenges and dramatic moments to really sell players on exciting gameplay. But, as we all probably know by now, the gameplay in these ads is often exaggerated or barely exists at all. Once you actually download them, you’re far more likely to find something you didn't expect. That said, the following 15 mobile games promoted themselves in ways that mislead players into thinking they were going to play something almost entirely different.
