The Art Of Cheating | Power Ups and Cheats In Mobile Gaming

I have recently started to play more mobile games. And what I have noticed as of late is that so many of these games provide multiple cheats for reaching certain point goals, or winning mini games within the game. These cheats are provided deliberately by the game developers and the coders to make the player continue playing as long as possible.

Even basic trivia or riddle games have the same formula. Oh and if it is a game that requires lives, even if you run out, you can watch a video or another ad and get more lives or just wait till the next day and your lives are replenished.

This takes a lot out of the challenge of gaming in my eyes and makes things a lot easier for the player and easier for the developers and the companies that made the game to make more money, but it cheapens the overall gaming experience. It essentially gives the player a free pass for their mistakes.

But I cannot argue against the fact that it can be effective. Thanks to these cheats I was able to continue playing my mobile games longer. Which I believe is the ultimate goal here. To do whatever it takes to keep the player glued to their screen and tapping away for as long as possible. If that means offering a multitude of ways for the player to cheat their way to victory as long as they have enough points, so be it.

And there is something to be said about that. In particular about the developer's integrity. Creating games that are built specifically to manipulate the player in order to get more revenue. What is the effect of that on the psyche of the developers? Does it break down their moral compass over time, or are they just conditioned by their work environment to be manipulative with the code? These are all intriguing questions about cheating in these particular type of games.

So next time you play your favorite mobile game, take a moment to think about what the game is doing to keep your attention. The conclusions might surprise you.

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