Is Gaming Still Playful? ICPEN’s Global Report Suggests It’s Not

Introduction:  A Growing Concern in Gaming:

With over 3.3 billion people worldwide playing games in 2024, the gaming industry is more than entertainment, it’s one of the most powerful digital ecosystems in today's world. But behind the colorful characters, battle passes, and reward pop-ups, something more troubling is taking shape

A new global investigation by 22 consumer protection agencies has revealed a pattern of manipulative, monetization-driven design across hundreds of mobile and online games including those marketed to children as young as three. The practices uncovered range from pressure-based prompts to hidden costs and gambling-like mechanics, raising major concerns about fairness, transparency, and the safety of young players.

These design choices aren’t just about optimizing engagement. They're tricking users, especially minors , into spending more, sharing more, and playing longer than they intend to. And often, the most aggressive tactics are buried deep within gameplay, invisible to app stores, parents, or even regulators.

The impact runs deep. Beyond user experience, these patterns risk undermining mental well-being, financial safety, parental trust, and the credibility of the entire gaming industry.

Inside ICPEN’s 2025 Global  Global Investigation:

From March 31 to April 11, 2025, the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) , a coalition of 22 national regulators,  conducted a coordinated global sweep of 439 mobile and online games. The aim was to identify design practices that pose risks to players, particularly children and teens.

The review focused on five high-risk areas:

1)Loot boxes  2) In-game advertising  3) Virtual currencies  4)  Dark patterns  5) Age-appropriate design

This wasn’t a surface-level audit. Investigators downloaded the games, tested purchase flows, reviewed design interactions, and compared what was shown in app store listings to what users actually experienced in-game. In many cases, key monetization mechanics were hidden from platform pages,  leaving parents and players in the dark.

While the report doesn’t name specific titles, it confirms these issues are not rare. Many of the games reviewed were popular, well-ranked, and prominently featured, meaning the risks aren’t limited to niche titles. They’re built into the mainstream experience.

Key Findings: What the Sweep Revealed:

1. Virtual Currencies:

Virtual currencies are in-game coins, tokens that players use to make purchases. They’re designed to act like money, but without the transparency or accountability that comes with real-world transactions.

According to the ICPEN sweep, 78% of games included some form of virtual currency. But how these currencies were structured often pushed users, especially younger ones, toward overspending. 36% of games sold currency bundles that didn’t align with the cost of in-game items, frequently leaving players with leftover currency that could only be used if they spent more.  Only 2% allowed players to convert unused currency back into real money, and just 7% provided tools to track virtual spending history.These systems aren’t neutral or user-friendly. They’re deliberately designed to create friction, hide true costs, and keep players locked in the purchase loop.

2. The Problem with Loot Boxes:

Loot boxes, randomized digital rewards that players pay to unlock, appeared in 46% of the games reviewed. But transparency around them was poor. Only 14% of games disclosed the presence of loot boxes on app store listings, making it harder for players or parents to make informed choices. Worse, 55% of these games didn’t show the odds of winning specific items, and 62% were marketed as appropriate for children.

Without this basic information, players,  especially kids,  are left guessing how loot boxes work or how much they’re really spending. In many cases, they’re interacting with systems that closely mirror gambling, without even realizing it.

While the investigation found widespread use of dark patterns. 60% of games used push notifications to prompt log-ins for time-limited rewards, while 32% urged players to buy boosters right after losing. 24% used fake scarcity claims like “Only 1 left,” and 38% ran “limited-time” offers to drive urgency. Key terms were often buried, and opt-outs made difficult design choices that pressure players rather than inform them.

3. Platform Listings vs In-Game Reality:

The ICPEN also revealed a clear disconnect between how games are presented on app store listings and what actually happens during gameplay. Many titles marketed as child-friendly or free-to-play included aggressive monetization features, like loot boxes or pressure-based prompts that weren’t disclosed upfront.

This lack of transparency makes it difficult for users, especially parents, to make informed decisions. It’s not just the in-game design that’s misleading, it’s how these games are packaged and promoted before players even download them.

The result? A mismatch between what parents think they’re downloading, and what their children actually experience.

Protecting Minors and the Legal Landscape:

The report highlights a serious gap in how games are rated versus how they’re designed. Loot boxes, in-game purchases, and ads were just as common in games rated appropriate for children as young as age 3 as they were in those rated for 12 and up. This undermines the reliability of age ratings as a meaningful guide for parents and caregivers.

Additionally, only a small share of games included parental control features,  and among those, just 44% were easy to set up and use effectively.

These aren’t just ethical concerns, they may also raise legal questions. The report notes that such practices could be considered misleading or unfair under consumer protection laws, depending on the jurisdiction.

For designers and developers, this reinforces a growing global message: platforms must take responsibility for how their games engage, and potentially exploit, younger users.

FairPatterns: Making Games Safer by Design:

At FairPatterns, we are reshaping how game developers approach compliance and engagement,our AI-powered tool scans and detects manipulative game design 100x faster than manual audits while our AI agent for designers empowers them to avoid creating deceptive interfaces before they reach players.

Let’s create worlds where players stay by choice, not by design tricks.

Audit you design before regulators do.Audit you design before regulators do.

contact us : https://www.fairpatterns.com/contact-us

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