HTML5 game publishing
Why HTML5 Game Submissions Fail Review
A pre-submission review of asset rights, advertising conflicts, loading failures, controls, and mobile behavior.
Each portal has its own review rules, but the same practical failures appear often: unclear rights, conflicting ad code, a build that fails outside the developer's machine, inaccurate metadata, or controls that do not match the declared devices. Check the portal's current rules first, then run a clean-browser test against the submitted package.
Rights and licensing
Keep a source and license record for art, audio, fonts and code libraries. A marketplace receipt may show that you bought an asset, but the license determines whether it can be distributed inside a commercial browser game on another domain. Record original work as well: who created it, when, and under which agreement.
Ad SDK conflicts
A second ad network's SDK left in the build — even inactive, unused code — is a common flag, because portals can't verify it isn't also serving ads or tracking players. Strip any competing monetization SDK completely before submitting, not just disable it.
Reward logic that doesn't match the ad lifecycle
Granting an in-game reward on ad click, ad request, or ad close — instead of on genuine completion — gets caught during review and is treated as a policy violation, not a bug. The reward should fire only from the SDK's completion callback (for example onReward), never optimistically.
Technical failures reviewers hit
- Build doesn't load at all in a clean browser profile — often caused by hardcoded localhost URLs or absolute paths that only work in local dev.
- Game requires an account, external app, or a service that isn't reachable during review.
- Broken on the first input a reviewer tries — reviewers don't debug your game, they report what they see.
- Missing or placeholder thumbnail/description — signals an unfinished submission even if the game itself works.
Content and audience fit
Most portals run mixed-age, ad-supported audiences and reject explicit content, real-money gambling mechanics, or anything that could create legal exposure around minors. If a mechanic is borderline, it's worth checking the specific portal's content policy before investing more build time in it.
See PlayKovo's full technical and content requirements in the submission rules — most of what's listed there maps directly onto what other portals check too, even where the wording differs.