AFK Arena

-2.67
Bad
Price: Free
Ads: No
In App Purchases: Yes

iOS App Store
Google Play App Store

Temporal Dark PatternsTemporal Dark Patterns

This game has 44 reported Temporal Dark Patterns. There are 29 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.

-2.11

10 votes
1 votes
Daily Rewards -
10 / 1 votes
Encourages return visits every day and punishes you for missing a day.

10 votes
1 votes
Infinite Treadmill -
10 / 1 votes
Impossible to win or complete the game.

10 votes
1 votes
Wait To Play -
10 / 1 votes
In-game timers that make you arbitrarily wait for something.

9 votes
2 votes
Grinding -
9 / 2 votes
Being required to perform repetitive and tedious tasks to advance.

3 votes
5 votes
Playing by Appointment -
3 / 5 votes
Being forced to play according to the game's schedule instead of yours.

2 votes
9 votes
Can't Pause or Save -
2 / 9 votes
The game does not allow you to stop playing whenever you want.

10 votes
Advertisements -
0 / 10 votes
Forced to watch ads or given rewards for watching ads.

Monetary Dark PatternsMonetary Dark Patterns

This game has 79 reported Monetary Dark Patterns. There are 28 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.

-2.94

10 votes
Premium Currency -
10 / 0 votes
Exchange rate between real money and in-game currency disguises the real price of items.

11 votes
Pay to Win -
11 / 0 votes
A player can spend real money to purchase something that gives them an advantage in the game.

10 votes
Artificial Scarcity -
10 / 0 votes
Limited time offers with unnecessary urgency.

10 votes
Anchoring Tricks -
10 / 0 votes
Placing a cheap item next to an expensive item to make it look more affordable.

7 votes
2 votes
Recurring Fee -
7 / 2 votes
Encourages players to play as much as possible to get their money's worth.

8 votes
2 votes
Gambling / Loot Boxes -
8 / 2 votes
Spending real money to play a game of chance for a reward.

7 votes
2 votes
Power Creep -
7 / 2 votes
A permanently purchased item in the game becomes less valuable over time.

7 votes
3 votes
Pay to Skip -
7 / 3 votes
Spend money to avoid waiting for a timer to expire.

4 votes
5 votes
Accidental Purchases -
4 / 5 votes
Making it easy to accidentally spend money with no confirmation or ability to undo or refund the action.

4 votes
5 votes
Waste Aversion -
4 / 5 votes
Capped inventory forces you to destroy items or upgrade inventory. Also, having small amounts of left over premium currency.

1 votes
9 votes
Pay Wall -
1 / 9 votes
The game becomes impossible to continue playing without payment.

Social Dark PatternsSocial Dark Patterns

This game has 35 reported Social Dark Patterns. There are 33 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.

-1.38

9 votes
Competition -
9 / 0 votes
The game makes you compete against other players.

10 votes
1 votes
Fear of Missing Out -
10 / 1 votes
If you stop playing you'll miss out on something or be left behind and unable to catch up.

8 votes
3 votes
Social Obligation / Guilds -
8 / 3 votes
To avoid letting down your friends, you are obligated to play when you don't want to.

3 votes
5 votes
Social Pyramid Scheme -
3 / 5 votes
You get a bonus for inviting your friends and then they have to invite their friends.

4 votes
6 votes
Reciprocity -
4 / 6 votes
Feeling obligated to return a favor, share resources, trade an item, etc.

1 votes
8 votes
Friend Spam / Impersonation -
1 / 8 votes
The game sends spam to your contact list or social media account.

10 votes
Encourages Anti-Social Behavior -
0 / 10 votes
The game incentivizes players to lie, cheat, or backstab other players to get ahead.

Psychological Dark PatternsPsychological Dark Patterns

This game has 47 reported Psychological Dark Patterns. There are 14 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.

-3.02

11 votes
Invested / Endowed Value -
11 / 0 votes
Having already spent time and money to improve your status in the game, it's difficult to throw it away.

9 votes
Badges / Endowed Progress -
9 / 0 votes
Reluctancy to abandon a partially completed goal, even one forced upon the player.

8 votes
1 votes
Complete the Collection -
8 / 1 votes
The urge to collect all the items, achievements or secrets in a game.

6 votes
2 votes
Variable Rewards -
6 / 2 votes
Unpredictable or random rewards are more addictive than a predictable schedule.

6 votes
3 votes
Aesthetic Manipulations -
6 / 3 votes
Trick questions or toying with emotions or our subconscious desires.

4 votes
4 votes
Illusion of Control -
4 / 4 votes
The game cheats or hides information to make you think you're better than you actually are.

3 votes
4 votes
Optimism and Frequency Biases -
3 / 4 votes
Overestimating the frequency of something because we’ve seen it recently or memorably.

App Store Ratings

iOS:  (5.00) with 135,777 votes.
Google Play:  (4.69) with 1,053,261 votes.



Recent Dark Pattern Reviews

Illusion of Control reported on Sep 27, 2023
Enemies are weaker when you just start playing.
Gambling / Loot Boxes reported on Sep 27, 2023
Character gacha.
Artificial Scarcity reported on Sep 27, 2023
Game keeps spamming limited offers in your face every few levels. Very annoying.
Playing by Appointment reported on May 16, 2023
Time limited events that force you to be active daily
Reciprocity reported on May 16, 2023
You can allow other players to take a charecter of yours everyweek or even rent one of your premium charecters aka dimentionals
Pay to Skip reported on May 16, 2023
Its not energy but you can skip a lot of waiting and get a lot of stuff by buying vip and other shit
Can't Pause or Save reported on May 16, 2023
You have a timmer thats for 36 hours if you dont come back them you gain nothing so you have to come back to reset that clock and be able to collect "AFK" rewars
Competition reported on Oct 20, 2022
PvP is largely pay to play at the top.
Fear of Missing Out reported on Oct 20, 2022
Yes you'll miss an event which won't usually have too much impact but you can. You easily miss very time limited codes for minimal or sometimes additional content. And there's always the chance of missing out on the balloon ride that appears every week or so. There's additionally the risk of losing the meta.
Anchoring Tricks reported on Oct 20, 2022
There's plenty of bundles and sometimes a cheap reward at the top after a free reward..


Report a Dark Pattern

Screenshot Sit back and relax in a beautiful world full of epic tales, exciting adventures and an abundance of rewards. Rediscover the fun of mobile gaming again!

##Game Features##

Collect an array of legendary hero cards
Discover heroes and factions that each possess their own unique and gorgeous art style inspired by Celtic mythology. You'll want to add each and every card to your collection!

Kick back and enjoy all the rewards that come your way
Work and study will become the last thing on your mind as you enjoy playing AFK Arena. No complicated gestures or strategies needed. Let your army of heroes fight and amass riches for you. All it takes is ten minutes a day!

Uncover secret treasures in mazes
Venture deep into the heart of Esperia's many mazes situated within the Peaks of Time. Play at your own pace without time restrictions or deadlines.

Unite and fight together with players all around the world
Forge alliances with other players you meet and take on an array of dangerous opponents together! Assemble a robust team of heroes and go to battle in AFK Arena's global 'Legends' Championship'.

Strategize and dominate
Youll be surprised at just how many hero formations are possible as you overcome each of your adversaries. Get more out of heroic unions and factional bonuses as they play to your advantage and allow you to turn the tide of battles at your fingertips.

##Overview##

The demon invasion looms. Esperia must be saved! Call upon heroes from 6 unique factions, train your heroes, forge weaponry and unite with players from all around the globe. Send back those demonic hordes from whence they came!