Slightly Bad
Temporal Dark Patterns
This game has 81 reported Temporal Dark Patterns. There are 98 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.
21 votes
1 votes
24 votes
1 votes
25 votes
3 votes
6 votes
19 votes
4 votes
22 votes
1 votes
25 votes
Playing by Appointment
-
Being forced to play according to the game's schedule instead of yours.
1 / 25 votes
27 votes
Monetary Dark Patterns
This game has 138 reported Monetary Dark Patterns. There are 106 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.
19 votes
Premium Currency
-
Exchange rate between real money and in-game currency disguises the real price of items.
19 / 0 votes
23 votes
Pay to Win
-
A player can spend real money to purchase something that gives them an advantage in the game.
23 / 0 votes
19 votes
1 votes
19 votes
1 votes
Recurring Fee
-
Encourages players to play as much as possible to get their money's worth.
19 / 1 votes
27 votes
18 votes
2 votes
Anchoring Tricks
-
Placing a cheap item next to an expensive item to make it look more affordable.
18 / 2 votes
6 votes
11 votes
Power Creep
-
A permanently purchased item in the game becomes less valuable over time.
6 / 11 votes
3 votes
23 votes
1 votes
18 votes
Accidental Purchases
-
Making it easy to accidentally spend money with no confirmation or ability to undo or refund the action.
1 / 18 votes
3 votes
25 votes
Waste Aversion
-
Capped inventory forces you to destroy items or upgrade inventory. Also, having small amounts of left over premium currency.
3 / 25 votes
25 votes
Social Dark Patterns
This game has 52 reported Social Dark Patterns. There are 98 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.
19 votes
20 votes
5 votes
Encourages Anti-Social Behavior
-
The game incentivizes players to lie, cheat, or backstab other players to get ahead.
20 / 5 votes
7 votes
11 votes
Fear of Missing Out
-
If you stop playing you'll miss out on something or be left behind and unable to catch up.
7 / 11 votes
2 votes
19 votes
Social Pyramid Scheme
-
You get a bonus for inviting your friends and then they have to invite their friends.
2 / 19 votes
2 votes
24 votes
Social Obligation / Guilds
-
To avoid letting down your friends, you are obligated to play when you don't want to.
2 / 24 votes
2 votes
17 votes
Reciprocity
-
Feeling obligated to return a favor, share resources, trade an item, etc.
2 / 17 votes
22 votes
Friend Spam / Impersonation
-
The game sends spam to your contact list or social media account.
0 / 22 votes
Psychological Dark Patterns
This game has 116 reported Psychological Dark Patterns. There are 47 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.
24 votes
1 votes
Invested / Endowed Value
-
Having already spent time and money to improve your status in the game, it's difficult to throw it away.
24 / 1 votes
23 votes
Badges / Endowed Progress
-
Reluctancy to abandon a partially completed goal, even one forced upon the player.
23 / 0 votes
20 votes
1 votes
Variable Rewards
-
Unpredictable or random rewards are more addictive than a predictable schedule.
20 / 1 votes
21 votes
2 votes
Complete the Collection
-
The urge to collect all the items, achievements or secrets in a game.
21 / 2 votes
23 votes
4 votes
Illusion of Control
-
The game cheats or hides information to make you think you're better than you actually are.
23 / 4 votes
4 votes
20 votes
Aesthetic Manipulations
-
Trick questions or toying with emotions or our subconscious desires.
4 / 20 votes
1 votes
19 votes
Optimism and Frequency Biases
-
Overestimating the frequency of something because we’ve seen it recently or memorably.
1 / 19 votes
App Store Ratings
| iOS: | (4.50) with 184,961 votes. |
| Google Play: | (4.25) with 178,202 votes. |
Recent Dark Pattern Reviews
Can't Pause or Save reported on Dec 3, 2022
Once in a race, there is no way to pause other than switching away from the app. The settings button does not pause the race even if it is against CPU.
Power Creep reported on Dec 3, 2022
When doing ranking races, your tier affects the minimum score you're expected to reach. The higher you progress, the harder it will become to maintain your tier, thus forcing you to either boost your characters (through free or paid means) or simply lose your tier.
Aesthetic Manipulations reported on Dec 3, 2022
The game has a combo feature that encourages you to keep performing actions and plays a sound that raises in pitch depending on your combo. If your character also happens to have 3 item slots, it's possible to get a "frenzy", which essentially looks like hitting a jackpot on a slot machine, temporarily granting you star power, infinite items and massively boosting your combo.
Competition reported on Nov 12, 2022
You can either indirectly compete against other players in ranked cups to aim for the highest score possible, or you can directly compete against them in multiplayer modes.
Recurring Fee reported on Nov 12, 2022
The game has a monthly Gold Pass subscription, which gives many rewards.
Playing by Appointment reported on Nov 12, 2022
The game features weekly ranked leaderboards, in which getting a high score just before it ends leaves others with almost no way to catch up with you.
Gambling / Loot Boxes reported on Nov 12, 2022
The game formerly had a gacha system as its main method of monetization. However, it is still possible to spend money for variable rewards, such as if it were offered as part of a Premium Challenges pack.
Power Creep reported on Nov 12, 2022
Items never directly get less powerful, but if the tracks each driver/kart/glider are best at stop appearing, then the item becomes much less useful (or possibly even useless).
Artificial Scarcity reported on Nov 12, 2022
Some drivers, karts, and gliders are only available during certain tours, and may not show up for a long time afterwards.
Reciprocity reported on Nov 12, 2022
Coins can be gifted to people on your friends list, and most will expect you to return the favor.
Report a Dark Pattern
■ Mario Kart takes a world tour!Mario and friends go global in this new Mario Kart as they race around courses inspired by real-world cities in addition to classic Mario Kart courses! These destinations will be featured in tours that rotate every two weeks! In addition to courses based on iconic locales, some of your favorite Mario Kart characters will get variations that incorporate the local flavor of cities featured in the game!
■ Endless Mario Kart fun at your fingertips!
The Mario Kart series known and loved by many is ready to take the world by storm – one smart device at a time! With just one finger, you can steer and drift with ease and sling devastating items as you go for the gold in cups filled with new and classic Mario Kart courses.
■ Nab 1st place with items and Frenzy mode!
In Mario Kart Tour you have access to an arsenal of powerful items that can mix things up on the racetrack! Turn up the heat by activating the new Frenzy mode, which gives an unlimited supply of a certain item and makes you invincible! Make the most of the ensuing chaos, as Frenzy mode only lasts a short time!
■ Collect drivers, karts, badges, and more!
Earn Grand Stars by racing or fire off the featured pipe to receive more drivers, karts, and gliders! You can also proudly display badges, earned by completing certain challenges, next to your in-game name!
■ Bonus challenge courses put a twist on traditional races!
In certain races, 1st place isn't always the goal. With names like "Vs. Mega Bowser" and "Goomba Takedown," these bonus challenge courses demand a different approach to gameplay and strategy!
■ Race to increase your online rank!
Boost with the best of 'em! Your high scores will determine how you compare to other players all over the world. Keep practicing and trying out different combinations of drivers, karts, and gliders to increase your score and rise to the top!
Note: A Nintendo Account is required to play Mario Kart Tour.
* Free-to-start; optional in-game purchases available. Persistent Internet, compatible smartphone, and Nintendo Account required. Data charges may apply.
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Mario Kart is a trademark of Nintendo.