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Card 374 of 9982026-08-21 issue

Observed arrival · 2026-08-21

Hold the Line Studio Wants to Make the Ad Real

holdthelinestudio.com Observed source
Editorial interest 79/100 Selection signal · not a rating of the site

An independent game studio building HordeGate, a mobile tower-defense game with no village-building, timers, ads, or in-app purchases.

Landing page captured for the 2026-08-21 issue.

Why it surfaced

Hold the Line Studio is taking aim at the familiar bait-and-switch of mobile game advertising: “We make the game the ad promised.” HordeGate is still in development and playtesting, but its unusually clear promise—“Free means free”—already gives the tiny studio a point of view.

An independent game studio building HordeGate, a mobile tower-defense game with no village-building, timers, ads, or in-app purchases.

Observed signals

Read the marks

Editorial observations of this landing page, not a rating.

OpenPublic substance visible
PrettyNotable craft visible
ProPolished or operationally mature
NicheUnusually specific use
HumanPersonal, local, civic, or handmade

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holdthelinestudio.com

Landing page observed 2026-08-21. The live site may have changed.