Comment by offsky | Hacker News Reader

Comment by offsky | Hacker News Reader

When I found myself becoming addicted to games that I didn't enjoy playing, I started to do some research about dark patterns in game design, particularly free-to-play mobile games that abuse the in-app purchase mechanic. I personally want to create (and play) healthy games that are actually fun and not just exploiting my neurochemistry.

That's why I created DarkPattern.Games, to share this research so other people can learn to avoid these dark patterns in games that they create or play. The site explains all the dark patterns that I have found and allows people to find and rate mobile games based on how aggressively they use these patterns.

I'm not saying that any game that uses a dark pattern is bad. It's clearly subjective and depends on the intent of the developer and other factors; I tried to convey this on the site.

I still have a lot to learn, so I'm looking for feedback on how to make the site a better resource for improving the healthiness of games. What do people here think about dark patterns in games?

Thank you for making this site. I think its important that people think more deliberately about the kinds of game mechanics they find fulfilling. I would point out that what may be a dark pattern for one player could be a desirable feature for another. For example customization can be used to exploit the sunk cost fallacy to the detriment of casual players, but others might consider that investment to be a good part of the gameplay as with some rpgs. It might be useful if people could express the magnitude of effect a pattern has on the game with some kind of numerical score. That would open up the possibility of eye catching data visualizations.

Thanks for this, it seems quite comprehensive. Personally I think once a “game” starts using a dark pattern I no longer consider it a game but an exploit for human weakness because they’re not acting in the interests of their players. A good indication is the existence of IAP’s which allow you to buy unlimited quantities of in game currencies.

This is a good resource you've created. Much like our relationship with food has evolved (read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" if you haven't), the kinds of interaction we engage in everyday have important effects on our mental health, but these kinds of "information consumption patterns" are not (yet) well-known by the general public. Thank you for making and sharing!

P.S. What's up with Roblox? Are they sending voting brigades to neutralize the "dark pattern" pages that indict their product?

The site is super interesting. Thanks for creating and sharing it.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com