This is a submission for the DEV April Fools Challenge
What I Built
I built AdTube (Faketube): a fully functional YouTube-like web app designed to make your experience as frustrating as possible.
It looks clean. It feels familiar. It works.
But every interaction is engineered to betray you.
- Clicking a video triggers unskippable ads
- Premium doesn’t remove ads
- The more you interact, the worse it gets
This project intentionally solves zero real-world problems.
Instead, it explores how far we can push dark patterns, user frustration, and anti-value design… while still keeping the system technically robust and believable.
Demo
Live Demo: https://adtube.si4k.online
Try to:
- Watch a full video
- Escape ads
- Buy Premium
- Find all hidden teapots ☕
Good luck.
You’ll need it.
Code
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/akshitkamboz13/adtube
The codebase includes:
- A global "Chaos Engine" using Zustand
- A custom video player with forced ad interruptions
- A fake streaming system using chunked video playback
- A TTS system for some dynamic ad voiceovers
- Hidden Easter egg tracking system (☕ 0/5)
How I Built It
- Next.js (App Router)
- Tailwind CSS for UI
- Framer Motion for animations and chaos effects
- Zustand for global ad state management
- Custom TTS pipeline using Google Translate proxy
- LocalStorage-based persistence for user behavior tracking
The entire system is designed to simulate a real product while intentionally degrading user experience over time.
Prize Category
Best Google AI Usage
While I did not directly integrate a live API, I used Google AI tools during the creative and content generation process.
- Video assets were generated using Google Veo 3, helping create surreal, synthetic content that fits the chaotic nature of AdTube.
- I experimented with Google Antigravity concepts to inspire unconventional interaction patterns and anti-UX behaviors in the product.
This project explores how AI-generated media and experimental thinking can enhance satire, user manipulation, and absurd product design.
Best Ode to Larry Masinter
The system includes multiple hidden HTTP 418 "I'm a teapot" Easter eggs triggered through user interactions such as:
- Clicking ads
- Searching for "teapot"
- Attempting premium checkout
Community Favorite
The project is designed to be shareable, frustrating, and strangely addictive — encouraging users to explore, suffer, and laugh.
If you managed to survive AdTube…
you probably deserve Premium.
Unfortunately, Premium also shows ads.
Top comments (1)
Try surviving one full video without losing your mind 😭