Today’s digital games are designed to be engaging, colourful, and exciting. Many offer rewards, surprises, special items, or bonus levels that keep children playing for long periods. But behind these features are psychological strategies meant to influence behaviour, often pushing kids toward spending more time and money inside the game.
These techniques are known as manipulative game design or dark patterns, and they’re becoming increasingly common. Kids, with their developing judgment and strong sense of curiosity, are especially vulnerable.
There is a classic saying about online services: 'If it is free, then YOU are the product.'
In other words, when an app, game, or service is offered for free, a user is paying for it in other ways – usually through giving away personal data by using the app or service. Companies use personal data in a variety of ways; they sell to third parties, use data to personalise advertising and paid services, and adjust the way their services operate based on usage data.
Companies will also use various tactics to encourage spending in online games. This can include purchases of extra lives, new characters, new outfits for characters, additional levels, or unlocking special features. Some free games also offer a one-time purchase to remove the adverts displayed during the game that may interrupt gameplay.
As you work through the following sections, take some time to consider the popular games your learners enjoy and how these tactics might appear in those games.
This term refers to the integration of commercial messages into non-commercial content. It can take several forms, including presenting adverts in the style of the regular content (for example, showing an advert for a product on a billboard in an in-game world), incorporating adverts that fit the theme of the game (for example, adverts for sports brands in sports game such as a soccer or basketball game) and embedding advertising into the narrative (for example, in-game characters wears particular brands of clothing or eat certain brands of food).
Another form of integration in online games is the sale of in-game currency – purchasing gems or coins using real money. This in-game currency is then used to purchase items in the in-game shop. As in-game currency rarely has a 1:1 conversion rate with real currency, it becomes harder for a young person to determine whether the in-game purchase is good value for money.
Integration aims to blur the boundaries between advertising and in-game content, making it more difficult for young people to recognise that the placement and promotion of these products is part of a persuasive approach. Attempts to blur the relationship between in-game currency and real currency can make it harder for young people to make well-informed purchasing decisions.
This term refers to the interactive nature of in-game marketing practices where the players are actively involved in the marketing campaign.
Social games, where players inhabit a game world with other players, lend themselves to this approach. Products and services can be promoted regularly through in-game pop-ups and adverts, but also through word-of-mouth and interactions between players. Gaming culture extends beyond the confines of individual titles, with influencers and live streamers creating content that shows gameplay, discusses games or recommends specific titles.
The above can apply to products and services external to the game (purchased physically or digitally elsewhere), but also to in-game purchases. For example, players may discuss in open chat the benefits of purchasing a particular feature or power-up that provides a competitive advantage (known as ‘Pay to win’), or some players may show off a purchased cosmetic outfit or item that encourages others to buy it too.
Using this tactic in online games can persuade purchasing through peer pressure and Fear of Missing Out (wanting to have the same branded items as other players), and can strengthen positive association with advertised brands. Young people may unwittingly become part of the marketing campaign and act as multipliers and influencers to encourage other players to make purchases. These tactics can also be difficult for young people to spot
This term refers to the harvesting of data collected from tracking children’s online activities to profile them. Advertising is then targeted towards an individual child or young person based on their marketing profile.
While this takes place most frequently on social media and video-sharing platforms, usage data in some online games may be used to target children with specific advertising and promotional messages. Commonly, if the game is aimed at children, any in-game adverts will often feature products that children find appealing. But a player’s data could also be used to target specific offers towards them – for example, if the game knows a player is close to levelling up their character, it might show a ‘special offer’ purchase that could speed up that process. This is another example of ‘Pay to win’ that seeks to capitalise on a player’s impatience rather than their need to be competitive.
Personalisation can also be an effective technique for persuading children and young people into subscription traps. Some games and apps will try to attract users to start a subscription by offering a discount for the first month or a special reward for subscribing. These may be tempting to younger players who wish to unlock a unique item. Other games and apps may offer other subscription-like features, such as removing in-game adverts for a certain number of days.
This tactic involves the evoking of an emotional response from players. Emotional responses can be positive or negative. Positive responses (such as joy, excitement, etc.) are effective in capturing attention and influencing attitudes – for example, providing a free daily reward for logging into the game will encourage young people to play regularly, and increase their positive attitude towards the game by giving away free items.
Negative responses (anger, frustration, worry) are more varied in terms of success, but in some games, they can be used to create a sense of urgency (for example, having a countdown until a special item leaves the store, or using persuasive language like ‘Last chance to buy’, can prompt players into making a quick purchase for fear of missing out).
Emotions can also change how children and young people process information – feeling emotions such as excitement or worry may lead some players to make purchasing decisions based on how they are feeling, rather than being well-informed. Research has shown that children find it harder to apply advertising literacy skills when presented with content that affects emotions.
Games use subtle signals to create urgency and emotional pressure. Timers, pop-ups, and flashing icons encourage quick decisions without thinking. Some even link rewards to watching ads or making purchases. While these features look fun, they can lead to:
These patterns shape habits, teaching children to react to pressure rather than think critically.
Parents can help children understand what’s happening behind the screen by teaching them how games are built.
Kids who understand these techniques become more thoughtful, confident players. They learn to recognise when a game is trying to manipulate their behaviour and how to make decisions based on enjoyment, not pressure. By teaching awareness now, you help them build long-term digital resilience.
A healthy gaming experience should feel fun, not stressful. With guidance, children can enjoy their favourite games while staying in control of their decisions.
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