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Deceptive Patterns in Games

References

71 sources — DOI-linked scholarship where available, plus selected reports, legal sources, and primary web sources where they document the mechanism directly. Foundational works and broader practitioner projects — including Zagal, Björk & Lewis (2013) and Brignull's deceptive.design — are credited on the About page.

Papers (55)

  1. Ahuja, S.; Kumar, J. (2022). Conceptualizations of user autonomy within the normative evaluation of dark patterns. Ethics and Information Technology. doi.org/10.1007/s10676-022-09672-9
  2. Bank, D. (2023). Problematic monetization in mobile games in the context of the human right to economic self-determination. Computers in Human Behavior. doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107958
  3. Bongard-Blanchy, K.; Rossi, A.; Rivas, S.; Doublet, S., et al. (2021). "I am definitely manipulated, even when I am aware of it. It's ridiculous!" – Dark patterns from the end-user perspective. Proceedings of the 2021 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS '21). doi.org/10.1145/3461778.3462086
  4. Brock, T.; Johnson, M. R. (2021). The gamblification of digital games. Journal of Consumer Culture. doi.org/10.1177/1469540521993904
  5. Chang, W. J.; Seaborn, K.; Adams, A. A. (2024). Theorizing deception: A scoping review of theory in research on dark patterns and deceptive design. Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '24). doi.org/10.1145/3613905.3650997
  6. Chordia, I.; Tran, L.-P.; Tayebi, T. J. (2023). Deceptive design patterns in safety technologies: A case study of the Citizen app. Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3544548.3581258
  7. Conti, G.; Sobiesk, E. (2010). Malicious interface design: Exploiting the user. Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on World Wide Web (WWW '10). doi.org/10.1145/1772690.1772719
  8. Delfabbro, P.; King, D. L. (2022). Understanding the mechanics and consumer risks associated with play-to-earn (P2E) gaming. Journal of Behavioral Addictions. doi.org/10.1556/2006.2022.00066
  9. Di Geronimo, L.; Braz, L.; Fregnan, E.; Palomba, F., et al. (2020). UI dark patterns and where to find them: A study on mobile applications and user perception. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376600
  10. Drummond, A.; Sauer, J. D. (2018). Video game loot boxes are psychologically akin to gambling. Nature Human Behaviour. doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0360-1
  11. Duarte, L. (2017). Contextualizing deceit in videogames. Entertainment Computing. doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2017.07.001
  12. Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations. doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202
  13. Freeman, G. (2022). Pay to win or pay to cheat: How players of competitive online games perceive fairness of in-game purchases. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CHI PLAY). doi.org/10.1145/3549510
  14. Garea, S. S.; Drummond, A.; Sauer, J. D.; Hall, L. C., et al. (2021). Meta-analysis of the relationship between problem gambling, excessive gaming and loot box spending. International Gambling Studies. doi.org/10.1080/14459795.2021.1914705
  15. Goltz, S. M. (2020). On power and freedom: Extending the definition of coercion. Perspectives on Behavior Science. doi.org/10.1007/s40614-019-00240-z
  16. Gray, C. M.; Kou, Y.; Battles, B.; Hoggatt, J., et al. (2018). The dark (patterns) side of UX design. Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3173574.3174108
  17. Gray, C. M.; Chen, J.; Chivukula, S. S.; Qu, L. (2021). End user accounts of dark patterns as felt manipulation. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CSCW2). doi.org/10.1145/3479516
  18. Gray, C. M.; Santos, C. T.; Bielova, N.; Mildner, T. (2024). An ontology of dark patterns knowledge: Foundations, definitions, and a pathway for shared knowledge-building. Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642436
  19. Gualeni, S.; Vella, D. (2021). Ludic unreliability and deceptive game design. Journal of the Philosophy of Games. doi.org/10.5617/jpg.8722
  20. Hadan, H. (2024). From motivating to manipulative: The use of deceptive design in a game's free-to-play transition. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CHI PLAY). doi.org/10.1145/3677074
  21. Hardwick, T. (2025). "They're scamming me": How children experience and conceptualize harm in game monetization. Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3713611
  22. Karlsen, F. (2021). Balancing ethics, art and economics: A qualitative analysis of game designer perspectives on monetisation. Games and Culture. doi.org/10.1177/15554120211049579
  23. Kelly, D. (2024). Identifying dark patterns in user account disabling interfaces: Content analysis results. Social Media + Society. doi.org/10.1177/20563051231224269
  24. King, D. L.; Delfabbro, P. H. (2018). Predatory monetization schemes in video games (e.g. 'loot boxes') and internet gaming disorder. Addiction. doi.org/10.1111/add.14286
  25. King, D. L.; Delfabbro, P. H. (2018). Video game monetization (e.g., 'loot boxes'): A blueprint for practical social responsibility measures. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi.org/10.1007/s11469-018-0009-3
  26. King, J. (2023). Investigating players' perceptions of deceptive design practices within a 3D gameplay context. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CHI PLAY). doi.org/10.1145/3611053
  27. Krauß, V.; Saeghe, P.; Boden, A. (2024). What makes XR dark? Examining emerging dark patterns in augmented and virtual reality through expert co-design. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction. doi.org/10.1145/3660340
  28. Mathur, A.; Acar, G.; Friedman, M. J.; Lucherini, E., et al. (2019). Dark patterns at scale: Findings from a crawl of 11K shopping websites. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CSCW). doi.org/10.1145/3359183
  29. Mathur, A.; Kshirsagar, M.; Mayer, J. (2021). What makes a dark pattern... dark? Design attributes, normative considerations, and measurement methods. Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445610
  30. McGarrigle, J. (2026). Dark patterns in online gambling: A scoping review and classification of deceptive design practices. Journal of Behavioral Addictions. doi.org/10.1556/2006.2025.00096
  31. Mildner, T.; Freye, M.; Savino, G.-L. (2023). Defending against the dark arts: Recognising dark patterns in social media. Proceedings of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS '23). doi.org/10.1145/3563657.3595964
  32. Mildner, T. (2025). A comparative study of how people with and without ADHD recognise and avoid dark patterns on social media. Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3713776
  33. Monge Roffarello, A.; De Russis, L. (2022). Towards understanding the dark patterns that steal our attention. Extended Abstracts of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3491101.3519829
  34. Monge Roffarello, A.; Lukoff, K.; De Russis, L. (2023). Defining and identifying attention capture deceptive designs in digital interfaces. Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3544548.3580729
  35. Narayanan, A.; Mathur, A.; Chetty, M.; Kshirsagar, M. (2020). Dark patterns: Past, present, and future. Queue. doi.org/10.1145/3400899.3400901
  36. Newall, P. W. S. (2025). Sludge, dark patterns and dark nudges: A taxonomy of online gambling platforms' deceptive design features. Addiction. doi.org/10.1111/add.70085
  37. Nguyen, J.; Ruberg, B. (2020). Challenges of designing consent: Consent mechanics in video games as models for interactive user agency. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376827
  38. Petrovskaya, E.; Deterding, S.; Zendle, D. (2022). Prevalence and salience of problematic microtransactions in top-grossing mobile and PC games: A content analysis of user reviews. Proceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3491102.3502056
  39. Petrovskaya, E.; Zendle, D. (2022). Predatory monetisation? A categorisation of unfair, misleading and aggressive monetisation techniques in digital games from the player perspective. Journal of Business Ethics. doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04970-6
  40. Radesky, J.; Hiniker, A.; McLaren, C.; Akgun, E., et al. (2022). Prevalence and characteristics of manipulative design in mobile applications used by children. JAMA Network Open. doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.17641
  41. Sánchez Chamorro, L.; Bongard-Blanchy, K.; Koenig, V. (2023). Ethical tensions in UX design practice: Exploring the fine line between persuasion and manipulation in online interfaces. Proceedings of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference. doi.org/10.1145/3563657.3596013
  42. Sánchez Chamorro, L. (2025). Resisting the 'Matrix': Perceptions of manipulative designs among vulnerable users. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction. doi.org/10.1145/3757652
  43. Schäfer, R.; Sahabi, S.; Brocker, A. (2024). Growing up with dark patterns: How children perceive malicious user interface designs. Proceedings of the 13th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (NordiCHI '24). doi.org/10.1145/3679318.3685358
  44. Schäfer, R.; Preuschoff, P. M.; Röpke, R. (2024). Fighting malicious designs: Towards visual countermeasures against dark patterns. Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642661
  45. Sobel, J. (2020). Lying and deception in games. Journal of Political Economy. doi.org/10.1086/704754
  46. Sousa, C.; Oliveira, A. F. (2023). The dark side of fun: Understanding dark patterns and literacy needs in early childhood mobile gaming. Proceedings of the European Conference on Games Based Learning. doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1656
  47. Spicer, S. G.; Nicklin, L. L.; Uther, M.; Lloyd, J., et al. (2021). Loot boxes, problem gambling and problem video gaming: A systematic review and meta-synthesis. New Media & Society. doi.org/10.1177/14614448211027175
  48. Timms, R. G. (2025). All 'dark patterns' are 'hostile patterns': A hostility framework for understanding problematic digital interfaces. Ethics and Information Technology. doi.org/10.1007/s10676-025-09856-z
  49. Vogel, E. A.; Rose, J. P.; Roberts, L. R.; Eckles, K. (2014). Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture. doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000047
  50. Wilkinson, T. M. (2013). Nudging and manipulation. Political Studies. doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9248.2012.00974.x
  51. Yin, M. (2024). Lies, deceit, and hallucinations: Player perception and expectations regarding trust and deception in games. Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642253
  52. Zendle, D.; Meyer, R.; Over, H. (2019). Loot boxes are again linked to problem gambling: Results of a replication study. PLoS ONE. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0213194
  53. Zendle, D. (2020). Beyond loot boxes: A variety of gambling-like practices in video games are linked to both problem gambling and disordered gaming. PeerJ. doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9466
  54. Zhang, Z. (2025). More than just microtransactions: Predatory monetization in user-generated games. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CHI PLAY). doi.org/10.1145/3748626
  55. Zhang, G. X. (2025). First contact with dark patterns and deceptive designs in Chinese and Japanese free-to-play mobile games. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CHI PLAY). doi.org/10.1145/3748620

Books & chapters (3)

  1. Karlsen, F. (2019). Exploited or engaged? Dark game design patterns in Clicker Heroes, FarmVille 2, and World of Warcraft. Transgression in Games and Play. MIT Press. doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11550.003.0019
  2. Lewis, C. (2014). Temporal dark patterns. Irresistible Apps: Motivational Design Patterns for Apps, Games, and Web-based Communities. Apress. doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4302-6422-4_9
  3. Potel-Saville, M.; Da Rocha, M. (2024). From dark patterns to fair patterns? Usable taxonomy to contribute solving the issue with countermeasures. Privacy and Identity Management. Springer. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61089-9_7

Reports (5)

  1. Team Snapchat (2024). Best Friends, Streaks, and the Solar System. Snap Newsroom. newsroom.snap.com/best-friends-streaks-and-the-solar-system
  2. Snapchat Support (n.d.). How do Friend Solar Systems work?. Snapchat Support. help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/8098318922516-How-do-Friend-Solar-Systems-work
  3. Deceptive Design (n.d.). Trick wording. Deceptive Design. deceptive.design/types/trick-wording/
  4. van Rooij, A. J.; Birk, M. V.; van der Hof, S.; Oostenbach, K., et al. (2025). Game-check: Development, application and visualization of a classification system for behavioral design in games. Trimbos Institute, Eindhoven University of Technology & Leiden University (for the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations). osf.io/5qzda/
  5. Snapchat Support (n.d.). What do my Friend Emojis mean on Snapchat?. Snapchat Support. help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012335460372-What-do-my-Friend-Emojis-mean-on-Snapchat

Legal & regulatory (8)

  1. Brenncke, M. (2023). A theory of exploitation for consumer law: Online choice architectures, dark patterns, and autonomy violations. Journal of Consumer Policy. doi.org/10.1007/s10603-023-09554-7
  2. Helberger, N.; Sax, M.; Strycharz, J. (2021). Choice architectures in the digital economy: Towards a new understanding of digital vulnerability. Journal of Consumer Policy. doi.org/10.1007/s10603-021-09500-5
  3. King, D. L.; Delfabbro, P. H. (2019). Unfair play? Video games as exploitative monetized services: An examination of game patents from a consumer protection perspective. Computers in Human Behavior. doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.07.017
  4. Luguri, J. B.; Strahilevitz, L. J. (2021). Shining a light on dark patterns. Journal of Legal Analysis. doi.org/10.1093/jla/laaa006
  5. Strycharz, J.; Duivenvoorde, B. (2021). The exploitation of vulnerability through personalised marketing communication: Are consumers protected?. Internet Policy Review. doi.org/10.14763/2021.4.1585
  6. van der Hof, S.; van Hilten, S.; Ouburg, S.; Birk, M. V., et al. (2022). "Don't gamble with children's rights" — How behavioral design impacts the right of children to a playful and healthy game environment. Frontiers in Digital Health. doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2022.822933
  7. Xiao, L. Y.; Henderson, L. L.; Nielsen, R. K. L. (2022). Regulating gambling-like video game loot boxes: A public health framework comparing industry self-regulation, existing national legal approaches, and other potential approaches. Current Addiction Reports. doi.org/10.1007/s40429-022-00424-9
  8. Xiao, L. Y. (2023). Breaking ban: Belgium's ineffective gambling law regulation of video game loot boxes. Collabra: Psychology. doi.org/10.1525/collabra.57641