Harm vectors
Axis B — what it costs the player. A single pattern usually threatens more than one of these.
Autonomy / choice
25 patternsSubverted or bypassed agency; decisions steered away from what the player would freely choose.
Competitive fairness
5 patternsPay-to-win dynamics that undermine the implicit contract of skill-based competition.
Data / privacy
8 patternsOver-disclosure, tracking, and profiling — often to target subsequent solicitations.
Emotional / psychological
18 patternsAnxiety, regret, frustration, and addiction-adjacent harm produced or amplified by the design.
Financial
45 patternsUnintended, excessive, or obscured spending of real money.
Social / relational
9 patternsExploited friendships and reputational or guilt pressure exerted through peers and networks.
Time / attention
17 patternsEngineered overuse and degraded digital wellbeing; time captured beyond what the player intended to give.