ethical-monetization-patterns

Ethical Monetization Patterns

Dark Pattern Audit Checklist

MONETIZATION ETHICS AUDIT
==========================

SECTION 1: Pay-to-Win Assessment
[ ] All spending provides cosmetic/convenience only, no gameplay power
[ ] No stat boosts, ability unlocks, or damage increases tied to spending
[ ] PvP balance unaffected by any purchasable item
[ ] Free players can compete with paying players in all core game modes

SECTION 2: Transparency
[ ] Real currency prices shown prominently (no hiding behind premium currency only)
[ ] Premium currency amounts shown in real money equivalent during purchase flow
[ ] No orphaned premium currency designs (bundles divisible cleanly by item prices)
[ ] "What you get" fully described before payment, no mystery boxes unlabeled

SECTION 3: Psychological Manipulation
[ ] No countdown timers on non-scarce digital goods
[ ] No "only N left" false scarcity on infinitely reproducible items
[ ] No social pressure mechanics ("your friends bought this")
[ ] No progress loss threats to prevent churn
[ ] Loot boxes: are contents and probabilities disclosed? (required in Belgium, Netherlands, China)

SECTION 4: Children's Protections
[ ] Parental control spending limits honored (iOS Screen Time, Google Family Link)
[ ] Purchase confirmation dialog before every transaction
[ ] Opt-in spending limits (monthly cap user can set themselves)
[ ] No targeted advertising based on spending patterns for under-18

SECTION 5: Cancellation and Fairness
[ ] Subscriptions cancel in 2 clicks (no roach motel UI)
[ ] Refund policy clearly stated and honored
[ ] Account deletion removes payment data (GDPR)
[ ] Premium content retained if subscription lapses (no retroactive removal)

RESULT: ___ / 20 checks passed
0-10: Significant ethical issues requiring redesign
11-16: Some concerns to address before launch
17-20: Ethically sound monetization

Cosmetics-Only Store (Path of Exile Model)

# Cosmetics-only item store - no pay-to-win
class_name CosmeticStore extends Node

# Purchasable items: visual only
class CosmeticItem extends Resource:
    @export var item_id: StringName
    @export var display_name: String
    @export var price_real_currency: float  # Show real price, not obscure currency
    @export var item_type: StringName       # "character_skin", "emote", "title", "portrait"
    @export var preview_texture: Texture2D
    # NOT: damage_bonus, stat_modifier, unlock_ability

func purchase(item: CosmeticItem, player_id: int) -> bool:
    # IAP flow - platform-specific
    # On success: write to player's owned_cosmetics save data
    # On failure: show clear error with reason
    return _initiate_platform_purchase(item, player_id)

func apply_cosmetic(player: Player, item_id: StringName) -> void:
    if player.owned_cosmetics.has(item_id):
        player.active_skin = item_id
        # Change visual only - no stats affected