In this episode, we explore how modern game design blurs the line between entertainment and exploitation. Beyond the visuals and action, many titles are engineered to keep you engaged—and spending—through carefully crafted reward systems.

What You'll Learn:

• How Gacha mobile games—modeled after Japanese gachapon vending machines—use gambling-like mechanics to drive repeated spending for chance-based virtual rewards.
• Why major franchises like Call of Duty, Fortnite, FIFA, and NBA 2K are built around microtransactions, encouraging purchases of skins, avatars, and stickers that don’t affect gameplay yet keep players paying.
• How to identify and support games that respect your time and attention, offering genuine fun without exploiting your wallet.

We break down the tactics these companies use to lure you into spending more money—and what you can do to avoid falling into the trap.