I don't think it's inherently unethical to make a game with superficial gambling fixtures but part of me feels a little sad that the platonic ideal of the "forevergame", a game you can buy once and get unlimited entertainment out of, is shaping out to be "slot machine but you have infinite quarters"
Balatro. Clover Pit. Raccoin. Gambling-themed roguelikes have been helping indie devs hit the jackpot in recent years.
But what does the blurring line between gaming and gambling say about modern game design? We asked a bunch of experts, including the developer who arguably started the whole trend.
But what does the blurring line between gaming and gambling say about modern game design? We asked a bunch of experts, including the developer who arguably started the whole trend.
Are Indie Games Developing a Gambling Problem?
What does the increasingly blurry line between gaming and gambling say about modern game design? We ask developer, publisher, and academic experts to find out.
thisweekinvideogames.com
April 2, 2026 at 11:28 PM
I don't think it's inherently unethical to make a game with superficial gambling fixtures but part of me feels a little sad that the platonic ideal of the "forevergame", a game you can buy once and get unlimited entertainment out of, is shaping out to be "slot machine but you have infinite quarters"
I love DF so much, it's the closest anyone's ever come to making a forevergame and it got there without dailies or three choice factories
October 16, 2025 at 4:05 PM
I love DF so much, it's the closest anyone's ever come to making a forevergame and it got there without dailies or three choice factories
when i was a kid i loved the idea of a forevergame but now that's all they are
January 23, 2026 at 7:22 PM
when i was a kid i loved the idea of a forevergame but now that's all they are
The key difference being that hollow knight is a narrative experience while stardew is a forevergame if you want it to be
January 22, 2026 at 4:38 AM
The key difference being that hollow knight is a narrative experience while stardew is a forevergame if you want it to be
Rebuilding my PC has me thinking…
If you had to choose ONE game to redownload first—your forever game—what would it be?
For me, it’s easily #StarCitizen.
What’s yours? Drop it below.
#ForeverGame #PCGaming
If you had to choose ONE game to redownload first—your forever game—what would it be?
For me, it’s easily #StarCitizen.
What’s yours? Drop it below.
#ForeverGame #PCGaming
April 14, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Rebuilding my PC has me thinking…
If you had to choose ONE game to redownload first—your forever game—what would it be?
For me, it’s easily #StarCitizen.
What’s yours? Drop it below.
#ForeverGame #PCGaming
If you had to choose ONE game to redownload first—your forever game—what would it be?
For me, it’s easily #StarCitizen.
What’s yours? Drop it below.
#ForeverGame #PCGaming
Kirby Air Riders is not-so-secretly by and for sickos and that's going to limit the broadness of its appeal somewhat but my god this could very easily be someone's forevergame
November 21, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Kirby Air Riders is not-so-secretly by and for sickos and that's going to limit the broadness of its appeal somewhat but my god this could very easily be someone's forevergame
Like damn im happy for you if youre enjoying a modern fg but its really refreshing to feel like something has forevergame potential again and not just I learn some bnbs every patch
April 25, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Like damn im happy for you if youre enjoying a modern fg but its really refreshing to feel like something has forevergame potential again and not just I learn some bnbs every patch
the Destiny-style forevergame seems to be ultimate conclusion of that loop ;n;
June 2, 2024 at 9:20 AM
the Destiny-style forevergame seems to be ultimate conclusion of that loop ;n;
Mijn ‘forevergame’: gamer.nl/achtergrond/...
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth laat me oud en vertrouwd voelen
In deze rubriek vertellen Gamer.nl-redacteuren over de game die het afgelopen jaar de meeste indruk op ze heeft gemaakt. Vandaag: Ron Vorstermans met Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
gamer.nl
January 4, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Mijn ‘forevergame’: gamer.nl/achtergrond/...
Incredibly bold of real video games in this limit-testing, rising-hellscape economy to try to exist as audaciously as they are right now. It's the perfect petri dish to funnel newgen consumers towards the Hoyoshit singularity--the honeytrap of forevergame habitual spending/playing
September 23, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Incredibly bold of real video games in this limit-testing, rising-hellscape economy to try to exist as audaciously as they are right now. It's the perfect petri dish to funnel newgen consumers towards the Hoyoshit singularity--the honeytrap of forevergame habitual spending/playing
It makes me angry that something that looks this good is weighed down by live service forevergame decisions like that ugh
June 1, 2026 at 9:28 PM
It makes me angry that something that looks this good is weighed down by live service forevergame decisions like that ugh
my old roommate played a lot of it and i was truly struck by how nothing it seemed... the curse of the forevergame...
May 26, 2026 at 4:59 AM
my old roommate played a lot of it and i was truly struck by how nothing it seemed... the curse of the forevergame...
The actual perfect opportunity to make that "Forevergame" they've clearly been chasing with radiant quests and the loot loop, yet they can't even tackle the NG+ as well as a 28 year old JRPG.
December 27, 2023 at 2:31 AM
The actual perfect opportunity to make that "Forevergame" they've clearly been chasing with radiant quests and the loot loop, yet they can't even tackle the NG+ as well as a 28 year old JRPG.
If you could only play one game for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? This is harder than it sounds! 🤔
#GamerLife, #FavoriteGame, #CommunityQuestion, #GamingPoll, #VideoGames, #GamerTalk, #GameRecommendation, #WhatToPlay, #ForeverGame, #GamingCommunity, #AskTwitter, #YourPick
#GamerLife, #FavoriteGame, #CommunityQuestion, #GamingPoll, #VideoGames, #GamerTalk, #GameRecommendation, #WhatToPlay, #ForeverGame, #GamingCommunity, #AskTwitter, #YourPick
July 7, 2025 at 6:30 PM
If you could only play one game for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? This is harder than it sounds! 🤔
#GamerLife, #FavoriteGame, #CommunityQuestion, #GamingPoll, #VideoGames, #GamerTalk, #GameRecommendation, #WhatToPlay, #ForeverGame, #GamingCommunity, #AskTwitter, #YourPick
#GamerLife, #FavoriteGame, #CommunityQuestion, #GamingPoll, #VideoGames, #GamerTalk, #GameRecommendation, #WhatToPlay, #ForeverGame, #GamingCommunity, #AskTwitter, #YourPick
Unlike the first game this one is an always online pve/pvp co-op multiplayer forevergame, tho with an actual campaign you can play solo which is what i'm mainly here for, i'll check out the multiplayer after. You can definitely see that in its design which feels more wave-based and grindy.
July 4, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Unlike the first game this one is an always online pve/pvp co-op multiplayer forevergame, tho with an actual campaign you can play solo which is what i'm mainly here for, i'll check out the multiplayer after. You can definitely see that in its design which feels more wave-based and grindy.
my fucked up and evil opinion is that it's actually fine to release part 1 of a forevergame if that's what you need to convince yourself to get something done but you have to make the effort to actually finish the part. the real problem is not releasing a complete and proper chapter w a point
November 7, 2025 at 4:28 PM
my fucked up and evil opinion is that it's actually fine to release part 1 of a forevergame if that's what you need to convince yourself to get something done but you have to make the effort to actually finish the part. the real problem is not releasing a complete and proper chapter w a point
there';s just so much in this world i have to get around to doing, y'know... i can't let myself spend it all on forevergame... just posting about the cards is probably enough to be like waow cool. and then back to my windbot work or smth
August 31, 2026 at 1:13 AM
there';s just so much in this world i have to get around to doing, y'know... i can't let myself spend it all on forevergame... just posting about the cards is probably enough to be like waow cool. and then back to my windbot work or smth
man i am spiteful today. sorry. when i think too seriously about it i just get super annoyed. the smart thing is to get my brain on a new track now. this is why i ain't getting dragged along by any forevergame live service "who knows maybe it'll be awesome when it ends" type shit tho i've had enough
August 12, 2026 at 11:45 PM
man i am spiteful today. sorry. when i think too seriously about it i just get super annoyed. the smart thing is to get my brain on a new track now. this is why i ain't getting dragged along by any forevergame live service "who knows maybe it'll be awesome when it ends" type shit tho i've had enough
"Yeah, like [literally just another forevergame that actively does not fucking respect player time in the slightest, also paygated]-" shut
July 27, 2026 at 10:36 PM
"Yeah, like [literally just another forevergame that actively does not fucking respect player time in the slightest, also paygated]-" shut
while true (and a key piece of why there's a 1-play-and-done culture in boxed games), aren't TTRPGs often the most likely place to find people playing a forevergame with no set endpoint?
June 23, 2024 at 2:45 PM
while true (and a key piece of why there's a 1-play-and-done culture in boxed games), aren't TTRPGs often the most likely place to find people playing a forevergame with no set endpoint?
When I finally sate my on-spectrum completionism and finish max building all my characters up to the point that the refilling energy system will be less than worthless to me, I'm never spending money on this game again (because another forevergame is calling me to burn money for funsies ehe) ()
May 20, 2026 at 4:20 PM
When I finally sate my on-spectrum completionism and finish max building all my characters up to the point that the refilling energy system will be less than worthless to me, I'm never spending money on this game again (because another forevergame is calling me to burn money for funsies ehe) ()
*Realized I used [other game] to describe both the good one (ffx/iv) with the fucking dogshit timewasting forevergame bad one (g/enshin), so I am explicitly name-dropping to eradicate misconception
September 30, 2025 at 10:54 AM
*Realized I used [other game] to describe both the good one (ffx/iv) with the fucking dogshit timewasting forevergame bad one (g/enshin), so I am explicitly name-dropping to eradicate misconception
Me starting up horse girl racing game, completely <- clueless, as if I hadn't previously gotten psychotically hyperfixated on L/ove Live! for six years (anime girl idols) and G/enshin for 4 years (number go up forevergame simulator)
July 11, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Me starting up horse girl racing game, completely <- clueless, as if I hadn't previously gotten psychotically hyperfixated on L/ove Live! for six years (anime girl idols) and G/enshin for 4 years (number go up forevergame simulator)
Hang on a minute, I thought the offline singleplayer market was dead, and the only way to make a popular and profitable game was to produce an always-online live service forevergame crammed full of microtransactions? www.gamesradar.com/games/action...
Capcom praises Pragmata's "strong start" as the sci-fi game sells 1 million copies in just 2 days, despite not having the brand power of Resident Evil or Monster Hunter
Capcom "implemented a range of marketing initiatives" to get here
www.gamesradar.com
April 20, 2026 at 12:01 PM
Hang on a minute, I thought the offline singleplayer market was dead, and the only way to make a popular and profitable game was to produce an always-online live service forevergame crammed full of microtransactions? www.gamesradar.com/games/action...
MMO's always have to propose to the player that they'll be your forevergame but sometimes you just burnout for no real reason with anything you dedicate significant amounts of time to :c
May 27, 2025 at 8:04 AM
MMO's always have to propose to the player that they'll be your forevergame but sometimes you just burnout for no real reason with anything you dedicate significant amounts of time to :c