Color Switch is a popular game and chances are that if you have played this game you are annoyed at yourself for killing time, because you cannot keep the game down; and even if you do, you keep going back to it to sneak in a few games in your free time. All it takes is a tap of the thumb.
After playing a few number games of Color Switch (which is a brilliant game btw) I couldn't help realize the smart interstitial ad placement. It's devilishly creative and brilliant. Every time the ball goes bust (when you hit the wrong color) the round of game ends and the next round of game starts. However sometimes after the end of the first game and the start of the second there is a screen filled with an interstitial ad that you didn't completely expect to see at the end of that round.
You had expected the next round of game to start and continued tapping the screen to get the ball moving as soon as the round starts. However contrary to your expectations an ad appears, occupying the entire screen and you end up tapping that.
Even if this is not exactly close to tricking users to clicking ads and being called a click bait, it is devilishly close to that. Think why: Color Switch does not place ads after the end of every game round?
Answer (Disclaimer: This is a personal hypothesis): If color switch were to do that then your mind would be conditioned to the fact that an ad is shown after every round and you wouldn't continue to tap the screen. So instead of showing an interstitial ad at the end of each round color switch shows these ads randomly after 5-7 rounds when you are least expecting them and continue to tap the screen being tricked into clicking the advertisement.
As you might know most of the companies/apps showing ads from an affiliated ad network derive their money off users, clicking or following the ads shown within their app. Most of the ad networks are PPC (pay per click). So it is important to get more clicks/taps from your users to get more returns. Color Switch developers seem to understand this very well.
I love the game Color Switch; it is brilliant. I wouldn't call their ad strategy evil either, because in the end it was effective and I couldn't help noticing the brands being advertised, but it sure seems to be squeezing out more money per user, from it's smart ad placement.