Game requirements

Before being published in the Yandex Games catalog, every game goes through moderation — this is how we maintain a stable, high-quality gaming experience for millions of users on different devices and with any type of connection.

This page provides an overview of the main Game requirements items grouped by topic — use it to quickly get oriented before preparing your game. It is not an exhaustive list: before publishing, check the Full list of requirements.

The requirements are divided into implementation levels:

Basic — basic implementation, mandatory for all games without exceptions.
Full — advanced implementation, mandatory only if you use the corresponding functionality (for example, support a specific platform or monetization scheme). It complements the basic implementation requirements — both must be met at the same time.
Recommendation — optional items: moderation does not check them, but following them improves the quality of your game.

Some items also have link badges: an item number, for example 1.1, leads to that item in the Full list of requirements, and the Clarification badge leads to a page with a detailed breakdown of the requirement.

Common reasons for rejection of publication

Game requirements item	Category	Violation	Explanation
1.6.1.8, 1.6.2.7	UI / Interface	Context menu on interaction	A system browser context menu appears on right-click or long press — it must be disabled in the game area.
1.6.1.6, 1.6.2.5		System player (desktop and mobile)	Audio or video content is played via the system player instead of the built-in game player — this disrupts interface integrity. More info.
4.7		Sound is not paused during ad display	During an ad playback, the game audio continues playing. Audio must be paused for the duration of the ad.
1.3		Sound continues when switching tabs	Game music or sounds do not stop when leaving the tab. The game must respond to page focus loss. More info.
2.14	SDK / Game Ready	Automatic language detection via SDK is not implemented	The interface language is set manually instead of using `ysdk.environment.i18n.lang`. The game must automatically adapt to the user's language. More info.
1.19.2		Game Ready is not used at all	Game Ready is not integrated, although it is required for publication in the catalog. More info.
1.1		SDK is not embedded or is embedded incorrectly	The SDK script is missing, connected from an unofficial source, or initializes with errors. More info.
1.9	Technical issues	Progress is not saved	Results, levels, or settings are not saved between sessions. More info.
1.14		Game does not launch	The loading screen freezes or the game does not reach gameplay. Check the console for initialization errors. More info.
1.14		Error at startup or during actions	JS errors appear in the browser console at startup or during gameplay that affect functionality. More info.
1.15		Game looks unfinished	The game is missing essential elements (texts, textures, controls, icons) or they don't work, or there are traces of development left ("demo", "in development", "trial version"). More info.
2.3	Compliance with description	Game does not match the declared genre	The gameplay contradicts the category selected in the Draft tab. The genre and description must accurately reflect the game's content.
8.2.2	Game title	Misleading title	The title contains words that mislead the user about the game's terms: "free", "top", "best", "бесплатно", "бесплатный", etc.

Technical requirements

SDK

Basic SDK 1.1 1.19.1 Clarification

SDK initialization. The SDK is integrated and initialized strictly as described on the Connection and usage page.

Basic SDK 1.19.2 Clarification

Game Ready. At the moment the user can start playing, LoadingAPI.ready() from Game Ready is called.

Full SDK 1.19.3

Gameplay markup. If it exists, the moments when GameplayAPI.start() and GameplayAPI.stop() are called match the Gameplay section.

Full SDK 1.19.4

Gameplay events. If ysdk.on() / ysdk.off() are used for game_api_pause / game_api_resume, their handling logic matches the Pause and Resume Events section.

Error-free operation

Basic Console 1.6 1.20

Compatibility. The game runs in current browsers, operating systems, and on platforms that match the environment selected in the draft.

Basic 1.14 Clarification

Stability. The game runs without errors and crashes during regular gameplay and system actions: screen rotation, long press, minimizing the browser, showing ads, and others.

Basic 1.15 Clarification

Readiness. The game has a finished look and is not in development or preliminary testing. All elements necessary for gameplay are implemented: texts, graphics, controls, and game mechanics.

Full Mobile 1.6.1.7

No WebGL notification. There is no WebGL notification when opening the game.

Full Mobile Desktop 1.6.1.8 1.6.2.7

No field highlighting. A long tap on the game's inner field on mobile devices or interaction with it on desktop does not highlight the field or open the context menu.

Recommendation 6.4

Clean console. When opening the console in DevTools, the game has no errors.

Devices and display

Basic 1.8 1.10 Clarification

Adaptive layout. The game's interactive elements are adapted to the screen size and easy to interact with. The game is displayed correctly, including when the window is resized and the screen is rotated.

Full Mobile 1.6.1.1

Playfield on mobile. The game is in fullscreen mode during gameplay or launch.

Full Desktop 1.6.2.1 1.6.2.2

Playfield on desktop. The active field stretches vertically or horizontally to the edge of the available area (not counting sticky banners), and its long side is no more than twice the short side.

Full TV 1.6.3.1 Clarification

Playfield on TV. The game occupies the entire screen area, and fullscreen mode is available.

Controls

Basic Console 2.2

Controls description. The controls are fully described inside the game or in the How to play field.

Full Mobile 1.6.1.2 1.6.1.5

Controls on mobile. If there is an option to enter data (for example, the player's nickname), the keyboard is shown automatically when tapping the input field. The game is fully controlled with gestures — mechanics can be supplemented with the accelerometer.

Full Desktop 1.6.2.4 1.6.2.6

Controls on desktop. The game can be controlled with the keyboard or mouse by default, regardless of the keyboard layout. Key combinations reserved by the operating system or other applications are not used.

Full SDK TV 1.6.3.2 1.6.3.3 Clarification

Controls on TV. Control with the TV remote's arrow buttons is supported — this is enough to fully complete the game. The game handles the Back and OK button events.

Recommendation 6.7

No useless elements. There are no buttons or controls that serve no purpose when interacting inside the game on the declared platforms. For example, an exit game button in the main menu.

Sound

Basic 1.3 4.7 Clarification

No focus — no sound. The sound stops when the tab loses focus, including during fullscreen ads.

Full Mobile Desktop 1.6.1.6 1.6.2.5 Clarification

No system player. In any browser, the system player invoked by the game is not displayed.

Recommendation 6.2

Sound toggle. An option to turn off the sound is added.

Authorization and progress saving

Basic SDK 1.2 Clarification

Entering the game. Guest entry or playing without authorization is implemented, and progress is saved in this case. Authorization with third-party services is not required — only authorization with Yandex ID is allowed, which can be requested via the Yandex Games SDK. It happens only after a deliberate user action.

Basic 1.9 4.2 Clarification

Progress saving. Changes are saved immediately after the player's action and are not lost when the page is refreshed or the screen orientation changes. Progress is also saved after navigating to an ad and returning back.

Full SDK Console 1.11

Cloud saves. If the game saves progress via the Yandex Games SDK, the The game use cloud save option is enabled in the draft.

Full 1.13.3 Clarification

Purchase progress. If the game has in-app purchases, progress is saved on the server and available to the same user from different devices.

Game files

Basic 1.21

Game size. The total size of all game files does not exceed 100 MB uncompressed.

Basic 1.22

Archive structure. The root contains index.html, and file and folder names contain no spaces or Cyrillic characters.

Basic SDK 1.7 Clarification

SDK link. For correct operation from anywhere in the world, the game code contains no absolute URLs to games.s3.yandex.net — except when the game is hosted on its own domain.

Basic 1.18

URL independence. The game's operation is not restricted because of the address it is opened at.

Gameplay and content

Copyright and uniqueness

Basic 3.5

Copyright. The copyright to all materials belongs to the game's creator. All materials are submitted for moderation by the creator or a person with the right to distribute them.

Basic 3.6 Clarification

Uniqueness. The game does not fully or partially copy another game from the Yandex Games catalog and does not duplicate your games. A sequel is published separately only with a complete rework of the game's setting and/or mechanics.

Basic 1.24

Update continuity. New versions of the game preserve its core concept — you cannot upload a completely different game as an update.

Age rating and prohibited materials

Basic Console 2.7 Clarification

Age rating. The game's content matches the age rating specified in the draft.

Basic 8.3.5 Clarification

Explicit content and discrimination. Media materials do not contain pornography, erotica, or materials offensive on the basis of gender, nationality, or religion.

Basic 8.3.6 Clarification

Safety and ethics. Media materials do not focus on unpleasant and shocking content: toilet themes, scary characters and settings, excessive blood or its visualization.

Basic 1.23

No interactive AI. Materials that were generated by artificial intelligence (AI) in advance are allowed, but interactive AI in the game itself is prohibited.

Basic 3.4

Prohibited topics. Black magic, realistic violence or cruelty toward animals, children, and the elderly, politics and conflicts, religion, predictions about the player's life and health.

Basic 8.2.4

No profanity. Texts do not contain profanity or obscene expressions in any language.

Gameplay

Basic 2.4 Clarification

Game mechanics. The game meets at least one of the criteria for having game mechanics: it features competitive mechanics, progress, a goal, or completion.

Basic 2.8

Difficulty and plot. Increasing difficulty and a clear plot or setting.

Basic 2.9 Clarification

Duration. Completing the game's main content takes more than 10 minutes, or the user has a motivation to replay it.

Recommendation 6.3

Pause. The gameplay can be paused.

Recommendation 6.8

Tutorial. Games with complex mechanics have a tutorial at the start.

Localization

Basic SDK 2.14 Clarification

Automatic language detection. Automatic language detection via the Yandex Games SDK is integrated into the game.

Basic 8.2.1

Literacy. Texts are written without errors in the selected language.

Full Console 8.2.3 Clarification

Text translation. All texts important for gameplay are translated into the supported languages.

Recommendation 6.9

Language switching. If the game has a setting for manually selecting the language, it is intuitive: menus and settings are represented by universal icons, and languages by flags or their own names.

Links

Basic 8.4.2 3.9

No external resources. Links do not lead to file downloads or external resources. There are no links as part of logos and graphic elements. Video integration (if any) does not allow navigating to external resources through the player interface — integration via YouTube is not suitable.

Basic 8.4.4

No auto-redirects. Automatically or upon recommendation directing the user to external sites is prohibited.

Full SDK Mobile Desktop 8.4.1 Clarification

Links to your games. If the game has links to your other games in the Yandex Games catalog, they are integrated via the SDK. Navigation does not interrupt the gameplay, and navigation elements are obvious to users.

Full TV 1.6.3.5

Links on TV. There are no links to your other games.

Full 8.4.3

Social media. Links to public communities dedicated to your games in the catalog are allowed if they mention Yandex Games in the name and do not publish third-party materials.

Recommendation 6.1

Feedback. An email address for contacting the developer or publisher is provided.

Monetization

Basic 1.12 Clarification

Monetization is enabled. The game has ads or in-app purchases.

Basic SDK 4.1

Ads via SDK. Ads are invoked only via the Yandex Games SDK. There are no ads from third-party advertisers, including static ad images and text.

Basic 1.16

No modifications. Modifying the content and appearance of ad blocks or imitating them with your own elements is prohibited.

Full 4.4 Clarification

Logical pauses. Fullscreen ads do not interfere with interacting with the game and are shown only during logical pauses.

Full 4.7

Pause during display. When a fullscreen ad is shown, the game's sound and gameplay are paused.

Full 4.5

Rewarded ads. The user watches rewarded ads voluntarily and then receives a reward in the game. The button for showing such ads contains clear text or an illustration.

Full 4.6.1 4.6.2

Additional blocks. Only sticky banners are allowed. Custom RTB banners are prohibited.

Payments and purchases

Basic 1.6.3.4 3.4.2

Restrictions. In-app purchases are absent in games on TV and in games that feature fortune-telling.

Basic 3.7

No real money. In the game, it is impossible to win, buy, or receive real money, physical prizes, goods, promo codes, or other real-world valuables.

Basic SDK 1.4

Payments via SDK. Payments are made only via the Yandex Games SDK. There are no external purchases of any kind.

Full SDK 1.13.1 Clarification

Consummation. The consummation method is enabled.

Full SDK 1.13.2 1.13.4 Clarification

Automatic detection. All purchases have a price and currency, which are taken from the Yandex Games SDK.

Full 1.13.5 Clarification

Purchase description. The purchase description matches what the user receives.

Full Console 1.13.6

Console consistency. The list of purchases in the game matches the active purchases on the In-app purchases tab in the Developer Console.

Full 1.13.3 Clarification

Purchase progress. If the game has in-app purchases, progress is saved on the server and available to the same user from different devices.

Basic Console 5.2 5.3 Clarification

Correct completion. All mandatory fields of the draft are filled in. Texts and files meet the requirements for their content, volume, and format.

Basic Console 5.1.1.1 5.1.2 8.2.2 8.3.2

Match with the game. Elements of the game itself or materials directly related to it are used: they reflect the game's actual mechanics and gameplay, do not mislead the user, and are not an arbitrary image or video. Reusing the gameplay and promo materials of other games is prohibited.

Basic Console 2.3

Genre. The game matches the genre declared in the draft.

Full Console 5.4

Metadata. Tags and keywords match the game's theme and content.

Basic Console 5.11

No artificial volume. Repeated characters and duplicate texts in different fields of the draft are prohibited.

Basic Console 5.12

Title uniqueness. The game's title is unique in the Yandex Games catalog for all languages selected in the draft.

Basic Console 5.1.3 Clarification

Title consistency. The title is identical in the game and in all draft materials for each language.

Basic Console 8.2.1

No all caps. The game's title is not written in all caps.

Basic Console 8.2.2

No misleading words. The game's title does not mislead the player: words like "free", "top", "best", and similar are not allowed.

Recommendation 6.5

No extra words. The title does not contain the words "game" or similar, unless they are an integral part of it.

Basic Console 8.3.1

Good quality. Media materials have no visual defects: pixelation, excessive darkening, monochrome frames, or cropped text on the icon or cover.

Basic Console 5.9

No solid fill. All media materials should not have black or white borders around the edges. A colored background is allowed.

Basic Console 8.3.3

No frames. Media materials have no frames or rounded corners.

Basic Console 8.3.4 Clarification

No interface elements. Media materials do not contain the device's system interface or the Yandex Games interface — badges, game rating, and so on.

Basic Console 5.6

Icon and cover. Using screenshots from the game as the icon or cover is prohibited.

Basic Console 5.1.1.2 5.1.1.3 Clarification

Real gameplay. Screenshots and video materials (except ads) demonstrate the game's real gameplay, which occupies at least 70% of the image or duration. The remaining part can be used for framing or visual effects.

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Full list of requirements