Microtransaction Simulator

There is always something wrong with the video games industry, and it’s been so for quite some time now. A decade or more ago the developers started to considerably shorten their games, which got us 3 hours-long Call of Duty titles costing $60, albeit with a multiplayer component as well. However, things have gotten very interesting in the last few years, given the rise of downloadable content and microtransactions.

Microtransaction Simulator is a very basic game which is more or a parody than anything else, but it certainly gets a few things right. Hence, the game aims to show you how bad things got to be when it comes to microtransactions and DLCs, especially now that even triple-A studios are doing it. Granted, the whole thing is pretty unrefined and sketchy-looking, so it won’t keep you busy for longer than a few minutes.

In short, the game allows you to open card packs in exchange for money, so you pay a few dollars every time you open a pack. The cards come in different colors, and their value increases depending on said colors, so you can sell them in exchange for profits. Thus, the resulting money can be used to purchase even more packs, and so it goes until you become too bored to continue.

To mimic the current games industry, you can also use the money to purchase new content, such as other mini-games, increased luck on your pack openings, as well as completely useless stuff that doesn’t bring anything new to the game. In fact, if you have enough money you can even purchase a win button, which allows you to instantly win the game and get infinite money.

Since this is a simple parody that’s not meant to be taken very seriously, the graphics are about as basic as they can get too. Don’t expect anything too grand in terms of card design or the interface, because it’s all just a bunch of ugly colors and straight lines. On the other hand, the game certainly sends a message, and it’s difficult to argue with its point.

Even if it’s obviously a bit exaggerated in some regards, Microtransaction Simulator really nails the whole in-app purchases method, which should make you think. Other than that, you can pretty much see everything there is to see in a matter of minutes.