From the link:
Definition: A gaming dark pattern is something that is deliberately added to a game to cause an unwanted negative experience for the player with a positive outcome for the game developer.
DarkPattern.games - a website that rates mobile games for their "dark patterns"
Submitted 2 months ago by airportline@lemmy.ml to games@lemmy.world
https://www.darkpattern.games/
Comments
KingOfSleep@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
very_well_lost@lemmy.world 2 months ago
This appears to only cover mobile games. I’d love to see something similar for PC/console releases…
Kory@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
From the website: “We are starting with iOS and Android games because this is where most dark patterns appear, but we will be adding other platforms soon.” So that looks good for your request.
Redacted@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Anecdotally Fifa (EA FC or whatever they’re calling it now) would have to be up there. Haden’t played it in years but gave it a go last season as it was free on Game Pass.
They’ve combined the addictiveness of card collecting with loot box mechanics, FOMO and moving the goalposts (pun intended) to get the best players. The gameplay also seemed pretty rigged to prevent grinding rewards out.
Then when the new game is out, rather than dishing out all the rewards to those still playing it instead becomes infeasible to unlock any more decent players so you’re pretty much stuck with what you have.
Even if you pay full price for the next game you’ll have to use low stat players as they only seem to start releasing decent ones half way through the season.
xpinchx@lemmy.world 2 months ago
That’s sad to hear. It’s been a long time since I’ve played any sports games and I had a hankering recently but everything has shit reviews and I keep coming across stories like yours.
Remember a game would come out with everything you need to enjoy the game? ¯_(ツ)_/¯
CrowAirbrush@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Not sure of they fixed Diablo, but that one had some dark mechanics for the season stuff making people accidentally get the premium.
arin@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Most games fit multiple categories of dark patterns. Almost all gachas have 90% of these
Alk@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Many of the games listed here have old or dead links, and you can’t sort by rating either. I had a very bad time finding games using this site.
Zacryon@feddit.org 2 months ago
I’ve always wanted to make a website like this. But then I got too addicted to some game and spent all my time on that instead. /j
Only partly joking, I really wanted to make a website similar to this. But then stuff happened. You know how it is.
(Here was an entire wall of text, where I detailed the idea, before I decided to delete it all again.)
Pandantic@midwest.social 2 months ago
Hugin@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Interestingly enough Luca Galante the creator spent 10 years coding digital slot machines. He used a lot of the techniques used by them to keep you playing. He just did it in a way to maximize fun instead of micro transactions.
PraiseTheSoup@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Vampire Survivors is a great game but the mobile version is the fucking worst.
Alk@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Hard agree
Pandantic@midwest.social 2 months ago
I didn’t know there was a non-mobile.
RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Interesting, but its based on user generated input, so this data could easily be manipulated by someone that doesn’t like particular games creating a few accounts to add bad data.
thesmokingman@programming.dev 2 months ago
It could also be manipulated by someone who reports the dark patterns are inaccurate. If it were run by a single org or person, it could get sold to a company interested in gaming the ratings or used to bash things the owner doesn’t like. I’m not entirely sure what your point is. Every way to set this up is subject to bad actors. There are some checks and balances present in the website. Why are they inadequate and why should we not trust this site? Are you, perhaps, an industry dark pattern plant trying to get us to avoid something that could deter dark pattern usage?
RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Im just a person pointing out that this site has issues. Make up your own opinion, I don’t care.
ApollosArrow@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Oh fun. I game series I used to work on is on the first page of the list.
And009@lemmynsfw.com 2 months ago
Great site, lots of info on gamification
hahattpro@lemmy.world 2 months ago
After spending days reading this website, write out case study, I can fully quit my mobile game addiction
Pringles@lemm.ee 2 months ago
So the only mobile game I really play often is Mad Skills BMX 2 which has 0 dark patterns. Yay
Mandy@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
im glad it also highlights the ones that have less of these patterns, some really good games there
kazzz7420@lemmy.world 2 months ago
[www.darkpattern.games/…/zenless-zone-zero.html](Zenless Zone Zero)
[www.darkpattern.games/game/…/blue-archive.html](Blue Archive)
I was honestly expecting a worse rating for my favourite gacha games, not gonna lie…
benignintervention@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Cool cool cool. The dark games list is basically all the play store recommendations
Aethr@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Keep in mind that the recommendations are likely influenced by being in the top 200, which is where they look for games to review. Careful of correlation fallacy
PlzGivHugs@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
At the same time, the goal of dark patterns to to make people spend more money. Given that revenue is very likely one of the key things Google wants (and thus promotes) out of apps, its also entirely expected that the apps people find are largely those who try and the most money from users, which requires dark patterns.