Free-to-play games are both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, they act as a gateway into the world of mobile gaming and allow players to experience popular titles without having to spend anything. On the other, they're rife with titles that exploit players and want to squeeze every single dime they can out of unsuspecting mobile game fans. Just in case you need a little extra guidance when it comes to avoiding these sneaky suspects, here are five of the worst offenders that'll rip you off.
1. Angry Birds Go
While this Angry Birds-themed kart racer is inherently fun on its own, the requirements that force players to play for upgrades that do very little, mandatory wait times, and a veritable cavalcade of IAPs that are designed only to drain you of every cent from your wallet make little sense when it comes to Rovio -- Angry Birds is their prized cash cow. Aren't they making enough money off of merchandising as it is? Angry Birds doesn't have nearly all of this mess, and it did just fine. There's no excuse for this type of behavior from a company we thought better of.
Download Angry Birds for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
2. Dungeon Keeper
Dungeon Keeper was a classic of the mid-'90s -- you'd be hard-pressed to find a hardcore gamer during the time who didn't play. But once it came to iOS that all changed. It was changed into a free-to-play title with timers, delays, and the worst kinds of tactics meant to force players to have to shell out cash if they want to succeed. And if this is the kind of dungeon that EA is keeping, we want no part of it.
Download Dungeon Keeper for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
3. Candy Crush Saga
While Candy Crush Saga is one of the most addictive games on the App Store, it's still one we hate to love sometimes due to its ridiculous amount of IAPs. If you want to pass one of the higher levels, sometimes you're all but required to purchase a power-up. Those small purchases add up, and when it's all said and done you could find yourself having spent thousands of dollars just to try to see the end of the game. Is it even worth it?
Download Candy Crush Saga for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
4. Real Racing 3
Real Racing started out as a venerable racing franchise that used IAPs as a supplemental thing rather than forcing players to use it. Except when the third game came out, that all tumbled downhill. As the prices of the cars went up, the need to purchase additional items with real-world money went up as well. And now we're looking at a Real Racing that's about half IAPs and half attainable items. And that's no good.
Download Real Racing 3 for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
5. Final Fantasy: All The Bravest
To take a venerable role-playing franchise and reduce it to what's in Final Fantasy: All The Bravest is shameful, but Square Enix did it anyway. Not only is the game painfully simple, but it's one of the greediest attempts at robbing the player of their money we've ever seen. You must spend a dollar to unlock your favorite characters, but you can't choose which character. It's totally random. And if you die, just buy a golden hourglass to start over. The cycle repeats itself over and over like a cruel joke, and one day you realize you're really just better off uninstalling the app and playing something different. Seriously.
Download Final Fantasy: All The Bravest for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
1. Angry Birds Go
While this Angry Birds-themed kart racer is inherently fun on its own, the requirements that force players to play for upgrades that do very little, mandatory wait times, and a veritable cavalcade of IAPs that are designed only to drain you of every cent from your wallet make little sense when it comes to Rovio -- Angry Birds is their prized cash cow. Aren't they making enough money off of merchandising as it is? Angry Birds doesn't have nearly all of this mess, and it did just fine. There's no excuse for this type of behavior from a company we thought better of.
Download Angry Birds for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
2. Dungeon Keeper
Dungeon Keeper was a classic of the mid-'90s -- you'd be hard-pressed to find a hardcore gamer during the time who didn't play. But once it came to iOS that all changed. It was changed into a free-to-play title with timers, delays, and the worst kinds of tactics meant to force players to have to shell out cash if they want to succeed. And if this is the kind of dungeon that EA is keeping, we want no part of it.
Download Dungeon Keeper for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
3. Candy Crush Saga
While Candy Crush Saga is one of the most addictive games on the App Store, it's still one we hate to love sometimes due to its ridiculous amount of IAPs. If you want to pass one of the higher levels, sometimes you're all but required to purchase a power-up. Those small purchases add up, and when it's all said and done you could find yourself having spent thousands of dollars just to try to see the end of the game. Is it even worth it?
Download Candy Crush Saga for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
4. Real Racing 3
Real Racing started out as a venerable racing franchise that used IAPs as a supplemental thing rather than forcing players to use it. Except when the third game came out, that all tumbled downhill. As the prices of the cars went up, the need to purchase additional items with real-world money went up as well. And now we're looking at a Real Racing that's about half IAPs and half attainable items. And that's no good.
Download Real Racing 3 for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
5. Final Fantasy: All The Bravest
To take a venerable role-playing franchise and reduce it to what's in Final Fantasy: All The Bravest is shameful, but Square Enix did it anyway. Not only is the game painfully simple, but it's one of the greediest attempts at robbing the player of their money we've ever seen. You must spend a dollar to unlock your favorite characters, but you can't choose which character. It's totally random. And if you die, just buy a golden hourglass to start over. The cycle repeats itself over and over like a cruel joke, and one day you realize you're really just better off uninstalling the app and playing something different. Seriously.
Download Final Fantasy: All The Bravest for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
