Arknights

-1.26
Slightly Bad
Price: Free
Ads: No
In App Purchases: Yes

iOS App Store
Google Play App Store

Temporal Dark PatternsTemporal Dark Patterns

This game has 83 reported Temporal Dark Patterns. There are 97 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.

-1.13

21 votes
5 votes
Daily Rewards -
21 / 5 votes
Encourages return visits every day and punishes you for missing a day.

20 votes
6 votes
Grinding -
20 / 6 votes
Being required to perform repetitive and tedious tasks to advance.

17 votes
9 votes
Wait To Play -
17 / 9 votes
In-game timers that make you arbitrarily wait for something.

14 votes
11 votes
Infinite Treadmill -
14 / 11 votes
Impossible to win or complete the game.

7 votes
19 votes
Playing by Appointment -
7 / 19 votes
Being forced to play according to the game's schedule instead of yours.

2 votes
23 votes
Advertisements -
2 / 23 votes
Forced to watch ads or given rewards for watching ads.

2 votes
24 votes
Can't Pause or Save -
2 / 24 votes
The game does not allow you to stop playing whenever you want.

Monetary Dark PatternsMonetary Dark Patterns

This game has 151 reported Monetary Dark Patterns. There are 127 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.

-1.71

24 votes
2 votes
Premium Currency -
24 / 2 votes
Exchange rate between real money and in-game currency disguises the real price of items.

23 votes
3 votes
Gambling / Loot Boxes -
23 / 3 votes
Spending real money to play a game of chance for a reward.

22 votes
4 votes
Artificial Scarcity -
22 / 4 votes
Limited time offers with unnecessary urgency.

21 votes
4 votes
Pay to Skip -
21 / 4 votes
Spend money to avoid waiting for a timer to expire.

19 votes
7 votes
Recurring Fee -
19 / 7 votes
Encourages players to play as much as possible to get their money's worth.

13 votes
9 votes
Anchoring Tricks -
13 / 9 votes
Placing a cheap item next to an expensive item to make it look more affordable.

11 votes
14 votes
Pay to Win -
11 / 14 votes
A player can spend real money to purchase something that gives them an advantage in the game.

11 votes
14 votes
Power Creep -
11 / 14 votes
A permanently purchased item in the game becomes less valuable over time.

3 votes
23 votes
Accidental Purchases -
3 / 23 votes
Making it easy to accidentally spend money with no confirmation or ability to undo or refund the action.

2 votes
24 votes
Pay Wall -
2 / 24 votes
The game becomes impossible to continue playing without payment.

2 votes
23 votes
Waste Aversion -
2 / 23 votes
Capped inventory forces you to destroy items or upgrade inventory. Also, having small amounts of left over premium currency.

Social Dark PatternsSocial Dark Patterns

This game has 42 reported Social Dark Patterns. There are 126 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.

0.93

14 votes
10 votes
Fear of Missing Out -
14 / 10 votes
If you stop playing you'll miss out on something or be left behind and unable to catch up.

12 votes
12 votes
Reciprocity -
12 / 12 votes
Feeling obligated to return a favor, share resources, trade an item, etc.

6 votes
18 votes
Social Pyramid Scheme -
6 / 18 votes
You get a bonus for inviting your friends and then they have to invite their friends.

7 votes
17 votes
Social Obligation / Guilds -
7 / 17 votes
To avoid letting down your friends, you are obligated to play when you don't want to.

1 votes
23 votes
Friend Spam / Impersonation -
1 / 23 votes
The game sends spam to your contact list or social media account.

1 votes
23 votes
Encourages Anti-Social Behavior -
1 / 23 votes
The game incentivizes players to lie, cheat, or backstab other players to get ahead.

1 votes
23 votes
Competition -
1 / 23 votes
The game makes you compete against other players.

Psychological Dark PatternsPsychological Dark Patterns

This game has 81 reported Psychological Dark Patterns. There are 96 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.

-1.09

19 votes
4 votes
Badges / Endowed Progress -
19 / 4 votes
Reluctancy to abandon a partially completed goal, even one forced upon the player.

19 votes
7 votes
Invested / Endowed Value -
19 / 7 votes
Having already spent time and money to improve your status in the game, it's difficult to throw it away.

16 votes
8 votes
Variable Rewards -
16 / 8 votes
Unpredictable or random rewards are more addictive than a predictable schedule.

13 votes
13 votes
Complete the Collection -
13 / 13 votes
The urge to collect all the items, achievements or secrets in a game.

10 votes
16 votes
Aesthetic Manipulations -
10 / 16 votes
Trick questions or toying with emotions or our subconscious desires.

2 votes
24 votes
Illusion of Control -
2 / 24 votes
The game cheats or hides information to make you think you're better than you actually are.

2 votes
24 votes
Optimism and Frequency Biases -
2 / 24 votes
Overestimating the frequency of something because we’ve seen it recently or memorably.

App Store Ratings

iOS:  (4.50) with 342 votes.
Google Play:  (4.91) with 1,892 votes.



Recent Dark Pattern Reviews

Daily Rewards reported on Oct 5, 2023
If you missed one day you got punished by missing the rewards
Infinite Treadmill reported on Oct 5, 2023
they have been updated it for 3 years
Recurring Fee reported on Jan 20, 2023
"Weekly growth pack" or "monthly pass" are available
Complete the Collection reported on Dec 22, 2022
You can complete a badge set for each event as a sort of flex on others, and show off your badges on your profile.
Reciprocity reported on Dec 22, 2022
You can borrow friends' characters and exchange resources (clues) with each other
Recurring Fee reported on Oct 9, 2022
Optional monthly cards
Variable Rewards reported on Oct 9, 2022
Stages have random item drop rates.
Invested / Endowed Value reported on Oct 9, 2022
I have been playing regularly for 3 years, and have accrued more progress and resources as a result.
Badges / Endowed Progress reported on Oct 9, 2022
Medal system.
Artificial Scarcity reported on May 26, 2022
Both limited events and limited characters. They do re-run the events/characters frequently though, and allow lots of time to complete/obtain them.


Report a Dark Pattern

Screenshot Take on the role of a key member of Rhodes Island, a pharmaceutical company that fights both a deadly infection and the unrest it leaves in its wake. Together with your leader Amiya, you’ll recruit Operators, train them, then assign them to various operations to protect the innocent and resist those who would thrust the world into turmoil.

・Gorgeous anime-style game with a perfect combination of RPG and strategy elements
・Hundreds of unique Operators across a variety of classes open up countless gameplay options
・Auto Deploy system conveniently allows you to free up your hands
・Carve out a home, just the way you want it, with the Base construction system
・A robust soundtrack and some of the most famous Japanese voice actors and actresses will give you a sublime auditory experience.

Arknights Official Homepage:
https://www.arknights.global/

Official Discord Server:
https://discord.gg/arknights

Official Twitter Account:
https://twitter.com/ArknightsEN

Official Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/ArknightsGlobal/

Official Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/arknights_messenger_official/