For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to find some way to monetize Gamers Dungeon.

There’s just been one rather large problem.

I hate ads.

I also hate the idea of pushing random “stuff” at you that I wouldn’t buy myself just because someone is willing to pay me to do it. That’s never really been what Gamers Dungeon is about, and after 12 years, I’m certainly not going to start turning the place into a billboard now.

There is, however, an unavoidable reality to running a website for 12 years: it costs money. And those costs have continued to creep up year after year.

Gamers Dungeon has reached the point where I’d really like the site to start paying for at least some of itself.

Well, I think I’ve finally found a way to do that.

The Gamers Dungeon Affiliate Program

Over the years, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have publishers and designers send me games to review. That certainly helps with the cost of running the site, but I’ve always felt a little weird about selling those review copies afterward.

I don’t know…. It just feels wrong somehow.

At the same time, when I find a great game and spend countless hours playing it, and writing about it and ultimately recommending it, that recommendation has value.

So I thought: why not put those two things together?

Going forward, when I find a game I really like, I’m going to try to establish an affiliate relationship with the publisher, crowdfunding campaign, or online store selling it.

That means that if you read one of my reviews, think “damn, that sounds awesome,” and decide to buy the game through a Gamers Dungeon affiliate link, I’ll receive a small cut of the sale.

It won’t cost you anything extra.

More importantly, the affiliate relationship isn’t what gets a game recommended. I’ll still review games exactly as I always have. If I think something sucks, an affiliate link isn’t going to magically make it good.

But there’s another part to this.

You Get Something Too!

Every month, I’m going to hold a raffle for readers who purchased games through Gamers Dungeon affiliate links.

And the prizes?

Games!

Specifically, games I’ve reviewed here on Gamers Dungeon over the years.

If you purchase a game through one of our affiliate links, you’ll have a chance to win something from the ever-growing Gamers Dungeon review collection. Winners will only need to cover the cost of shipping.

That means your purchase helps support Gamers Dungeon, helps support the designers and publishers creating the games we love, and gives you a chance to get another game out of the deal.

Meanwhile, I get to reclaim a little shelf space.

Everybody wins!

At least, that’s the idea.

Hopefully, this feels like a fair and unobtrusive way to help keep Gamers Dungeon alive without filling the site with ads or turning every article into a sales pitch.

If you’re going to buy a game I’ve recommended anyway, using one of the affiliate links is a small way to support the site, and it genuinely helps.

Thanks for reading Gamers Dungeon, whether you’ve been here for 12 years or stumbled through the door yesterday.

Here’s to another 12 years of playing far too many board games.