Magic: The Gathering Arena

-1.68
Slightly Bad
Price: Free
Ads: No
In App Purchases: Yes

iOS App Store
Google Play App Store

Temporal Dark PatternsTemporal Dark Patterns

This game has 17 reported Temporal Dark Patterns. There are 18 votes indicating the absense of a dark pattern.

-1.33

5 votes
Daily Rewards -
5 / 0 votes
Encourages return visits every day and punishes you for missing a day.

5 votes
Infinite Treadmill -
5 / 0 votes
Impossible to win or complete the game.

3 votes
2 votes
Grinding -
3 / 2 votes
Being required to perform repetitive and tedious tasks to advance.

3 votes
2 votes
Can't Pause or Save -
3 / 2 votes
The game does not allow you to stop playing whenever you want.

1 votes
4 votes
Playing by Appointment -
1 / 4 votes
Being forced to play according to the game's schedule instead of yours.

5 votes
Advertisements -
0 / 5 votes
Forced to watch ads or given rewards for watching ads.

5 votes
Wait To Play -
0 / 5 votes
In-game timers that make you arbitrarily wait for something.

Monetary Dark PatternsMonetary Dark Patterns

This game has 30 reported Monetary Dark Patterns. There are 25 votes indicating the absense of a dark pattern.

-1.75

5 votes
Premium Currency -
5 / 0 votes
Exchange rate between real money and in-game currency disguises the real price of items.

5 votes
Artificial Scarcity -
5 / 0 votes
Limited time offers with unnecessary urgency.

5 votes
Gambling / Loot Boxes -
5 / 0 votes
Spending real money to play a game of chance for a reward.

4 votes
1 votes
Pay to Win -
4 / 1 votes
A player can spend real money to purchase something that gives them an advantage in the game.

4 votes
1 votes
Power Creep -
4 / 1 votes
A permanently purchased item in the game becomes less valuable over time.

3 votes
2 votes
Recurring Fee -
3 / 2 votes
Encourages players to play as much as possible to get their money's worth.

3 votes
2 votes
Anchoring Tricks -
3 / 2 votes
Placing a cheap item next to an expensive item to make it look more affordable.

1 votes
4 votes
Accidental Purchases -
1 / 4 votes
Making it easy to accidentally spend money with no confirmation or ability to undo or refund the action.

5 votes
Pay to Skip -
0 / 5 votes
Spend money to avoid waiting for a timer to expire.

5 votes
Pay Wall -
0 / 5 votes
The game becomes impossible to continue playing without payment.

5 votes
Waste Aversion -
0 / 5 votes
Capped inventory forces you to destroy items or upgrade inventory. Also, having small amounts of left over premium currency.

Social Dark PatternsSocial Dark Patterns

This game has 13 reported Social Dark Patterns. There are 21 votes indicating the absense of a dark pattern.

-0.51

5 votes
Competition -
5 / 0 votes
The game makes you compete against other players.

4 votes
1 votes
Fear of Missing Out -
4 / 1 votes
If you stop playing you'll miss out on something or be left behind and unable to catch up.

3 votes
2 votes
Encourages Anti-Social Behavior -
3 / 2 votes
The game incentivizes players to lie, cheat, or backstab other players to get ahead.

1 votes
3 votes
Social Pyramid Scheme -
1 / 3 votes
You get a bonus for inviting your friends and then they have to invite their friends.

5 votes
Social Obligation / Guilds -
0 / 5 votes
To avoid letting down your friends, you are obligated to play when you don't want to.

5 votes
Friend Spam / Impersonation -
0 / 5 votes
The game sends spam to your contact list or social media account.

5 votes
Reciprocity -
0 / 5 votes
Feeling obligated to return a favor, share resources, trade an item, etc.

Psychological Dark PatternsPsychological Dark Patterns

This game has 18 reported Psychological Dark Patterns. There are 16 votes indicating the absense of a dark pattern.

-1.53

5 votes
Invested / Endowed Value -
5 / 0 votes
Having already spent time and money to improve your status in the game, it's difficult to throw it away.

3 votes
2 votes
Complete the Collection -
3 / 2 votes
The urge to collect all the items, achievements or secrets in a game.

3 votes
2 votes
Variable Rewards -
3 / 2 votes
Unpredictable or random rewards are more addictive than a predictable schedule.

3 votes
2 votes
Optimism and Frequency Biases -
3 / 2 votes
Overestimating the frequency of something because we’ve seen it recently or memorably.

2 votes
3 votes
Illusion of Control -
2 / 3 votes
The game cheats or hides information to make you think you're better than you actually are.

1 votes
3 votes
Badges / Endowed Progress -
1 / 3 votes
Reluctancy to abandon a partially completed goal, even one forced upon the player.

1 votes
4 votes
Aesthetic Manipulations -
1 / 4 votes
Trick questions or toying with emotions or our subconscious desires.

App Store Ratings

iOS:  (0.00) with 0 votes.
Google Play:  (4.08) with 236 votes.



Recent Dark Pattern Reviews

Daily Rewards reported on Oct 25, 2022
Every day, you get a daily quest that earns coins. Coins can be used to buy packs or entries into events where gems can be earned.
Competition reported on Oct 25, 2022
Arena is almost exclusively PVP focused.
Infinite Treadmill reported on Oct 25, 2022
MTGA will always have new card sets because Magic: The Gathering releases new card sets frequently.
Premium Currency reported on Oct 25, 2022
You buy gems with the credit card, which then transfers over to buying card packs or entering in-game events.
Artificial Scarcity reported on Oct 25, 2022
Only cosmetics are limited time offers, but some people are scared of missing cosmetics.
Gambling / Loot Boxes reported on Oct 25, 2022
Do you count card packs as lootboxes? Some people do.
Encourages Anti-Social Behavior reported on Oct 25, 2022
Deception is part of MTG, but your ability to express said deception is rather limited.
Optimism and Frequency Biases reported on Jul 6, 2021
The progression system rewards wins more than it punishes losses.
Daily Rewards reported on Jul 6, 2021
Daily quests that go away. These quests reward with in-game currency.
Competition reported on Jul 6, 2021
Almost all the game modes involve player-vs-player competition. The only non-competitive mode is against an AI that is only there for practice and not challenging.


Report a Dark Pattern

Screenshot WELCOME THE CHALLENGE

YOUR GATEWAY TO MAGIC
You know the name. Now download and play the original strategy card game on your phone. Unlock powerful decks right away, earn rewards just by playing, and jump into action with a variety of game formats for players of all skill levels. There’s never been a better time to get into Magic.

Magic: The Gathering Arena supports iPhone 8 (all models), iPhone X, XR, XS, XS Max, iPhone 11 (all models), iPhone 12 (all models), iPad mini (5th Generation), iPad (8th Generation), iPad Air (3rd and 4th Generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st and 2nd Generation), iPad Pro 12-inch (3rd and 4th Generation) - and newer devices.

NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED
New to Magic? No problem. Play the tutorial and practice against AI to learn the basics. Queue into casual matches to sharpen your skills at your own pace.


CONTEND RIGHT AWAY
Unlock 15 unique decks and discover your own playstyle. Collect daily rewards to grow your collection and build powerful decks of your own.

PLAY WITH PERSONALITY
Tell a story with your deck through Magic’s immersive lore and vibrant card art. Show off eye-popping cosmetics like avatars, card sleeves, and pets.

MORE WAYS TO HAVE FUN
Try out multiple game modes like Draft and Brawl. Special in-game events offer exciting prizes, and you could even be the next Magic pro with Esports qualifiers!


All prices inclusive of VAT.

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