Free-to-play mobile games have a murky reputation in the video game world. While the mobile games industry far outstrips PC and console gaming in revenue, a lot of the money is at the top end of town, in the success of huge games like Clash of Clans, PUBG Mobile and Genshin Impact. Not only that, big-ticket mobile titles are increasingly using exploitative mechanics to coerce players into spending more on their games.
We spoke with three mobile game developers from a mix of small and mid-size dev teams during Melbourne International Games Week 2022 to find out how they balance ethical design with financial viability.
Getting Started
Lauren Clinnick is the CEO of Lumi Interactive, developer of Kinder World, a cosy game about raising houseplants. Kinder World was designed during the pandemic to support players’ mental health and…
