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Goldie · Game design awareness

Goldie's field guide

In-App Purchases — How Games Nudge You

Games aren't evil. But the most successful ones are designed by professionals to nudge spending. Knowing the patterns turns the nudge into a choice.

Goldie the Wise Owl — owl with spectacles and green vest

“The smartest people in the world design these games. Their job is to make you spend without thinking about it. Your job is to think.” — Goldie

Goldie

🎯 Quick reality check

How much do you think a 12-17 year old spends per month on…

The 6 patterns

Almost every game uses 1-6 of these. Once you can name them, they stop working on you.

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Pattern 1

Premium currency

What it is: Games rarely show you 'this costs €5'. They show 'this costs 500 gems' — and gems come in weird bundles like 460 or 1,200.

Why it works: When you pay in gems, you don't feel the euros. The brain processes 'I'm spending gems' as 'free' even though gems cost real money.

Examples: Robux, V-Bucks, FIFA Points, Genshin's Primogems, mobile game gems.

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Pattern 2

Loot boxes

What it is: Pay money to open a random box. You might get something amazing — or junk. The next box might be the good one. Or the next. Or the next.

Why it works: This is the same psychology as casino slot machines. The unpredictable reward is what makes the brain crave the next one most.

Examples: FIFA Ultimate Team packs, Genshin wishes, Overwatch loot boxes, CS skin cases.

Pattern 3

Time-limited offers

What it is: 'Only 24 hours left to buy this skin!' 'Special bundle expires in 3 hours!' Timers count down right on the screen.

Why it works: Urgency overrides slow thinking. Your brain goes from 'do I really want this?' to 'I might miss out!' Almost all 'limited' items come back later.

Examples: Fortnite item shop daily rotation, mobile game daily bundles.

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Pattern 4

Free-to-start, pay-to-progress

What it is: The first few hours are fun and free. Then progress slows to a crawl — unless you pay to skip waiting or to get better stuff.

Why it works: By the time you're asked to pay, you're already invested emotionally. 'I've played 20 hours, I might as well spend €5 to keep going.' That's the trap.

Examples: Most mobile farming games, Clash of Clans, Candy Crush extra-lives.

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Pattern 5

Almost-won feeling

What it is: The game shows you the cool stuff your friends have. The Battle Pass shows you what you 'unlock' on tier 47 — but you're only on tier 12.

Why it works: Seeing what's just out of reach makes your brain feel like you've ALMOST got it. So spending a bit to bridge the gap feels reasonable.

Examples: Fortnite Battle Pass tiers, FIFA card upgrades, Roblox group goals.

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Pattern 6

Social pressure inside the game

What it is: Your friends have the rare skin. The team voice-chat goes 'why don't you have the new card pack yet?' Some games even show others' purchases.

Why it works: Money pressure from friends works the same in-game as in real life. Maybe stronger, because you're in the moment.

Examples: Voice-chat in shooters, clan/guild chat in mobile games, public lobby skins.

Goldie the Wise Owl — owl with spectacles and green vest

Goldie's 3 rules

  1. 1. Convert to euros first. ‘500 gems’ means nothing. ‘€4.99’ means something. Always do the math.
  2. 2. Sleep on it. If the offer expires in 24h, let it expire. The game will bring it back.
  3. 3. Set a monthly number. Pick a max you'll spend on games per month. Track it. Some kids set €0. That's also fine.

⚠️ Educational only · Game names used illustratively · Not anti-gaming