Most of the games we play on our phones will hound us to spend a few bucks here and there, especially the free ones. Though, you don’t have to cave in and bust out your credit card or other means of online payment. If you are trying to get into mobile games, here are the worst ones for your wallet.
Worst mobile games for your wallet
This list is a bit subjective and does not act as a means of deterring you from playing any of these games. You can enjoy any of these without spending a single cent. If anything, this is more of a list that depicts the games that are the most tempting to spend money on for a fun experience.
Choices: Stories You Play
This is the premier mobile game for visual novel lovers out there. Choices is a game with a variety of stories to choose from. The thing is, each story has branching paths based on what you choose and premium outfits for your characters. Oftentimes the spicier, more risqué, and bold options are locked behind Diamonds— a premium form of currency. Then you have Keys, which are needed to continue these stories. Finally, you have monthly subscriptions for people who can’t stop just after a few chapters.
If you’re a person who likes to binge-play text-based, oftentimes steamy, romantic games, it’ll be very tempting to throw some cash at Pixelberry’s mobile visual novel.
AFK Arena
Though this is considered to be a chill and automated game for many, it’s the hero-collecting aspect that reels people’s wallets. You can play the game completely free. The grind is there for you to enjoy, constantly getting slightly better pulls through progression. It’s just that, sometimes, that itch for instant gratification can get the best of you. Not to mention, the occasional collaborations that happen can make you pull your wallet out.
Clash Royale
This game and Clash of Clans are the big money makers of Supercell. While many see it as a simple PvP version of a tower defense game, there are so many opportunities to monetize it. Gems, for example, are the lifeblood of powering up your decks. It’s tempting to spend, especially if you’re out of Gold and want to upgrade your cards to their maximum potential.
Many say Clash Royale is pay-to-win, which is a fair assessment to make. Since it revolves around PvP and you can skip the grind by throwing money at it, that desire for more crowns can reel your wallet in.
WWE Champions
Professional wrestling made a comeback in the past few years, so many things revolving around the sport, especially WWE, is a goldmine. This game is essentially a Candy Crush clone, but with a gacha aspect of collecting different wrestlers. The premise is simple enough, but that digital collection can have certain fans spending thousands of dollars on this game alone.
Candy Crush Saga
The OG of match-three mobile games is such an easy place to sink money into if you’re impatient. Whether it’s for Gold Bars, extra moves, or power-ups, the thousands of levels that await you can be tough to get through if you’re constantly waiting around.
Monster Hunter Now
It’s all about the gems and paintballs if you really want to speed up the grind in this game. From doubling your rewards and making sure you didn’t miss a monster, this is another game where you can easily sink a couple of bucks at first, then perhaps much more later on. Niantic really knows how to tug at the fans’ heartstrings for hunting virtual beasts. Still, you can get through Monster Hunter Now without having to spend a dollar.
Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go is a huge money maker for Niantic and it has been since 2016. With it constantly adding new events that players can participate in with purchased tickets, there’s still money being thrown at the game. Not to mention, the smaller purchases of Pokécoins that players do have the option of taking the free route on, those purchases can rack up very easily.
Puzzle and Dragons
Progressing through a game like this can get tedious in later levels, especially if you have limited resources like Magic Stones. They are the basis of improving everything in Puzzle and Dragons (PAD). From rolling for rare monsters, increasing monster inventory space, and expanding your friend list, those Stones are so heavily relied on.
You can definitely take a free-to-play route here, but not without grinding heavily and being patient.
Roblox
It’s all about the Robux in this game. Robux gives you drip; it makes you stand out more apart from all the others out there. If you can resist having a plain avatar and take a free-to-play route, you can do just that. However, there are some games where you would need to spend Robux to get certain abilities. Just be careful to not drop a lot of cash as you can lose hours of your time playing Roblox.
Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is the premier gacha game that can easily make you want to spend money to get all your favorite pulls. Gambling on those can feel very addictive. So, pair that with the pity system that kicks in after a certain number of rolls, and that will incentivize you to try and get more wishes. Though, that can be achieved by playing a lot or by throwing money at the game. All in all, pick your progression route with time or money.
