There is often a difference between a game being good and being respectful. Does your game respect your time and your money? This checklist is something you can go through to start conversations and decide if it’s something worthy of your time and money. This applies to PC, console and especially mobile devices!

These aren’t necessarily reasons to avoid a game totally, but it’s worth being aware of what manipulation the game is doing.

Positive Traits (Green Flags): +1 point each

Encourages playing together in the same room, supporting cooperation and shared experiences.
The game promotes learning, problem solving, or cognitive development. This is not when it asks a trivia question and then gives you some unrelated gameplay.
A relaxed pace or low-stress environment suitable for winding down.
Encourages imagination, building, designing, or problem solving in creative ways.
Helps develop fine motor skills, rhythm, decision making, etc.
Getting a level of story and engagement with the in-game world that allows deeper thinking on the characters and dilemmas.

Negative Traits (Red Flags): -1 point each

Free games often use aggressive monetisation models to generate revenue.
Virtual currencies can obscure the real cost of spending and make it difficult to see how much real money you’re spending.
If the cost of in-game currency isn’t consistent then your brain gives up doing any conversions into real money.
Limited-time offers create pressure to spend quickly.
Content blocked behind payments creates frustration and encourages spending.
Loot boxes mimic gambling and encourage repeated spending.
Paying money gives competitive advantages, encouraging unhealthy spending habits.
By saying how much something is discounted and placing it next to something more expensive, it makes it look like a bargain.
Frequent spending becomes an expected part of the game such as prominent store.
The game will let you get straight to the fun stuff if you pay.
The game will let you play but you get to levels which are near impossible without the extras.
Creates habit-forming behaviour and fear of missing out.
Encourages compulsive play to maintain progression.
Long waits push players toward paying to skip them or forces the habit of revisiting the game often.
Players feel pressured to continue spending because they already invested time/money.
Repetitive tasks are used to extend engagement artificially without any new content.
Encourages external sharing for rewards. If you love a game you’ll talk about it without the pressure.
Players may feel responsible for letting their team down if they don’t play enough or purchase an upgrade.
Fast, frequent rewards encourage habit formation and long play sessions. Hits all the dopamine receptors.
Bright colours and satisfying sound cues encourage continued play. Hits all the dopamine receptors.
Players feel forced to log in or continue playing to avoid losing progress.
Designed to make losses feel close to wins, encouraging retrying (and spending).
Limited-time cosmetic items create pressure to spend before they disappear.
Open chat features create the possibility of exposure to inappropriate behaviour.
Online multiplayer may expose young players to predatory behaviours.
Custom content may contain inappropriate or un-moderated material.
Encourages recruitment-like behaviour and social pressure.
If the game has to remind you to play, then you’re not leading.

Total Score: 0

0 positive and 0 negative

Note – this does not include:

Type your game and score in the comments below! (all comments moderated)

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