Pay2Win: The Tricks Exposed

About

"Pay2Win: The Tricks Exposed" is a simulator that puts you in a fantasy world to experience the Pay2Win business model firsthand. By making numerous purchases, you'll uncover the secrets behind the system, with all virtual cash provided for free. The game aims to make players think about the value of their spending, as the accumulated cash amount is displayed throughout the game. This game is recommended for those interested in the Pay2Win debate and its impact on the gaming industry.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

60%

Audience ScoreBased on 48 reviews

humor8 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

The game effectively highlights the manipulative tactics used in free-to-play games, providing valuable insights into their monetization strategies.
The concept and idea behind the game are intriguing, serving as an educational tool for players to understand the pitfalls of pay-to-win mechanics.
Some players found the experience to be eye-opening and entertaining, despite its flaws, as it provoked thought about the gaming industry's practices.

The gameplay is tedious and poorly designed, with frustrating mechanics that detract from the overall experience, making it feel more like a chore than a game.
Many players reported that the user interface is clunky and unresponsive, leading to a frustrating experience that requires excessive clicking and dragging.
The exaggerated costs and time requirements for in-game actions make it feel unrealistic and overly punishing, which can overshadow the intended message of the game.

story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
17%
The story is perceived as a clever concept with a moral lesson, but it quickly devolves into a tedious grind filled with frustrating quests that feel more like chores than engaging gameplay. Many players express disappointment with the reliance on premium currency and the time-wasting mechanics, leading to a sense of frustration rather than enjoyment. Overall, while the initial premise shows promise, the execution leaves much to be desired, making it feel like a critique of generic MMO tropes rather than a fulfilling narrative experience.
- “A cool idea and story, with a good lesson - feels like something a teacher would assign as a click-along homework assignment.”
- “This game is okay; the idea of the game being funny and ingenious, and the gameplay and quests are rather comedic.”
- “Faintly attempts amusement with a 'get strong and crush the f2p'ers' quest at the end, followed by the game shutting down as soon as you become the best in the server.”
- “Hearing the moral of the story is not worth the time.”
- “The problem with the quest is that no matter what you do, due to rigged chances, it is a massive timewaster.”
- “It is nice enough until you are about 45 minutes in and the dreadful reinforcement quest comes along.”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay is criticized for its poor execution and outdated mechanics, failing to effectively engage players despite a promising concept centered around free-to-play (f2p) mechanics. While some users appreciate the comedic elements and the game's intent to highlight the pitfalls of microtransactions, many find the overall quality lacking, with tedious mechanics and a lack of depth in addressing contemporary issues like loot boxes. Overall, the game serves as a satirical commentary on f2p practices but struggles to deliver an enjoyable gameplay experience.
- “The idea of showing off the ongoing scam tactics in MMOs with gameplay is great.”
- “What I had to say about that in the feedback thread was the following: 'The mechanics for upgrading items remind me of actually doing that in a real MMO, where I had enough upgrade gems to almost certainly get my items to +10, but didn't want to sit there clicking the button for literally two hours per item until it succeeded enough times in a row.'”
- “This game is okay; the idea of the game being funny and ingenious, and the gameplay and quests are rather comedic.”
- “The idea is actually really good, explanations are well done, but execution and gameplay are poor.”
- “The whole 'pay to win' mechanic is supposed to get rid of the tedium of leveling and doing all this early-game stuff, and this game doesn't provide that.”
- “The overall quality of the game is very lacking (music, graphics, level design, gameplay).”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its tedious and poorly designed interface, which makes tasks feel unnecessarily laborious and frustrating. Players find the mechanics, such as the time-consuming farming and crafting processes, to be exaggerated and unenjoyable, often leading to a sense of wasted time. Overall, the grinding experience detracts significantly from the game's enjoyment, with many suggesting that it fails to effectively critique pay-to-win models while instead creating its own form of tedium.
- “So in my opinion, you are better off watching a video about the psychology of pay-to-win than wasting time and nerves playing this; after around 20 minutes, it becomes so tedious that most will likely miss the 'message' of lecture 4-6.”
- “It was tedious, uneventful, and I feel as if I could have spent my time better doing anything else.”
- “Overall, this game does not capture at all how MMOs try to get your money; it's way more tedious in this game than in real life, and all the prices are exaggerated to the max.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as hit-or-miss, with some players finding it hilarious and clever, while others feel it is overshadowed by frustrating gameplay and poor user interface. There are moments of wit and comedic intent, but overall, the experience can feel tedious, making it difficult for the humor to shine through consistently.
- “Hilarious and pretty much on point.”
- “Would be kind of funny to try to defy the pay-to-win nature.”
- “I did grin at the humor of much of the text and the sort of semi-intentional poor craftsmanship of the game.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The monetization strategy in the game reflects common practices seen in free-to-play MMO projects, emphasizing early access to monetization features to maximize revenue. Players express frustration over the reliance on battle passes and various microtransactions, which they view as excessive and detrimental to the gaming experience.
- “Basically, it shows the monetization behind the majority of free-to-play MMO projects, how it works and why, in a very simple manner.”
- “All of this should be available from the very beginning of the game if the idea is to maximize monetization.”
- “Basically, it shows the monetization behind the majority of free-to-play/MMO projects, how it works, and why, in a very simple manner.”
- “All of this should be available from the very beginning of the game if the idea is to 'maximize monetization.'”
- “Needs a sequel with battle passes and other new frustrating microtransactions.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The graphics of the game are generally considered subpar, with some users noting that while the visuals are not the main focus, they are adequate for conveying the game's message about micro-transactions. Overall, the game's quality in terms of graphics is lacking compared to other aspects.
- “The overall quality of the game is very lacking, particularly in graphics.”
- “The focus is clearly not on the best graphics or mechanics in the world; the graphics are decent but not impressive.”
- “The game does a decent job at graphics, but they are not the highlight.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The music in the game is generally perceived as subpar, contributing to an overall lack of quality alongside other elements like graphics and gameplay.
- “The music in this game is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found the soundtrack to be uninspired and forgettable, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
- “The audio quality of the music is subpar, and it feels like it was an afterthought in the game's development.”