Why No Hooks exists
We’re a family at Lake Constance: two parents, three kids and a dog. We build the games we couldn’t find for our children.
How we used to play
When we were kids, there were games you got once and then they were simply yours. You played until you’d had enough, and then you went outside. The game didn’t want anything more from us.
What we see with our own kids
Today our kids sit in front of games that are free and still constantly want something. A clock that’s about to run out. A chest that only opens with gems. A streak that’s lost if you don’t come back tomorrow. And right after the game, an ad for the next one.
Our kids aren’t being unreasonable. These games are tuned by professionals to keep children playing as long as possible and to nudge them to buy at just the right moments. We noticed how well that works. And that we could no longer watch them play with a good feeling.
So we build them ourselves
At some point we decided to make games ourselves. Together with our kids. They come up with characters and ideas, ask for sports, test every new version and tell us very clearly when something is boring. The idea for the trampoline game came from our daughter, and she has a say in which jumps there are and what the gym looks like.
No game goes to the App Store before it has passed the test at home. The first one is Airtime: Ski Jump, more are in the workshop.
Our rules
Buy once
A fair price in the App Store, and nothing after that.
No ads
Not even videos for an extra life.
Nothing to buy in the game
No coins, no chests, no subscription.
No data
No account, no analytics, “Data Not Collected” in the App Store.
No contact with strangers
No chat, no online leaderboard. Playing together happens on the same phone.
Rounds that end
No daily rewards, no countdowns, no notifications luring kids back.
A good feeling
Our yardstick is simple: we only release games we can watch our own kids play without a guilty conscience. If they put the phone down after a few jumps and go outside, that makes us happy.
If you’d like to know how to spot games like this from other makers too, have a look at our guides for parents.
Who’s behind it
No Hooks is a brand of webfeeling OG, a small company from Austria. We make the games on the side and at our own pace. Questions, ideas or a favourite sport that’s missing? Write to [email protected]. We read every email.