How we earn
HudPicks is free to read. Exactly how we make money, and what that never changes.
- Orange buttons are paid links: game publishers pay us when you install through them, and stores may pay us a commission when you buy.
- The game stays free and prices stay the same for you.
- Money never buys a score or a positive verdict.
Game install offers
The orange "Play free on PC" buttons are paid links. When you download and open a game through them, the game's publisher pays us a fixed fee through an advertising network. Some publishers pay only if you also create an account. The game stays free for you, and we never see your game account or payment details.
Today, every game guide on HudPicks covers a game whose publisher pays us for installs. That is why each guide lists the costs, the gacha mechanics and the downsides, and why none carries a score before we have played it.
How we select games
A publisher paying for installs does not decide what we cover. We select games for their relevance to PC players, the usefulness of their system requirements and the questions players need answered before installing.
Partner availability changes the button and its disclosure, not the inclusion of a game, the wording of its guide or whether it receives a future score. We also intend to publish non-sponsored picks so readers can compare the wider free-to-play landscape.
Does the game answer a real PC-gaming decision?
Can important facts be checked against reliable sources?
Can we explain time, hardware, monetization and trade-offs clearly?
Store affiliate links
Affiliate links are marked rel="sponsored" in our code, and every orange button and product banner is labeled "Sponsored".
Advertising
No ads run today. Once they are enabled, some pages will show ads from advertising partners. Ad slots are clearly separated from our content and have no say in it.
What this never changes
- Paying for a score or a positive verdict.
- Hiding a better product because it earns us less.
- Buying a deal badge: badges only come from price data.
Our partners
Game install networks, stores and hardware affiliate programs are listed here once our account with them is active.
Questions
Something unclear? Tell us.