AFK Journey

-1.89
Slightly Bad
Price: Free
Ads: Unknown
In App Purchases: Yes

iOS App Store

Temporal Dark PatternsTemporal Dark Patterns

This game has 19 reported Temporal Dark Patterns. There are 19 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.

-1.34

6 votes
Daily Rewards -
6 / 0 votes
Encourages return visits every day and punishes you for missing a day.

4 votes
1 votes
Grinding -
4 / 1 votes
Being required to perform repetitive and tedious tasks to advance.

3 votes
2 votes
Infinite Treadmill -
3 / 2 votes
Impossible to win or complete the game.

3 votes
2 votes
Wait To Play -
3 / 2 votes
In-game timers that make you arbitrarily wait for something.

2 votes
4 votes
Playing by Appointment -
2 / 4 votes
Being forced to play according to the game's schedule instead of yours.

1 votes
4 votes
Can't Pause or Save -
1 / 4 votes
The game does not allow you to stop playing whenever you want.

6 votes
Advertisements -
0 / 6 votes
Forced to watch ads or given rewards for watching ads.

Monetary Dark PatternsMonetary Dark Patterns

This game has 36 reported Monetary Dark Patterns. There are 24 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.

-2.01

6 votes
Premium Currency -
6 / 0 votes
Exchange rate between real money and in-game currency disguises the real price of items.

6 votes
Pay to Win -
6 / 0 votes
A player can spend real money to purchase something that gives them an advantage in the game.

6 votes
Artificial Scarcity -
6 / 0 votes
Limited time offers with unnecessary urgency.

6 votes
Gambling / Loot Boxes -
6 / 0 votes
Spending real money to play a game of chance for a reward.

5 votes
1 votes
Recurring Fee -
5 / 1 votes
Encourages players to play as much as possible to get their money's worth.

5 votes
1 votes
Anchoring Tricks -
5 / 1 votes
Placing a cheap item next to an expensive item to make it look more affordable.

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

1 votes
5 votes
Accidental Purchases -
1 / 5 votes
Making it easy to accidentally spend money with no confirmation or ability to undo or refund the action.

4 votes
Pay to Skip -
0 / 4 votes
Spend money to avoid waiting for a timer to expire.

6 votes
Pay Wall -
0 / 6 votes
The game becomes impossible to continue playing without payment.

6 votes
Waste Aversion -
0 / 6 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 17 reported Social Dark Patterns. There are 20 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.

-0.97

6 votes
Social Obligation / Guilds -
6 / 0 votes
To avoid letting down your friends, you are obligated to play when you don't want to.

6 votes
Competition -
6 / 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.

1 votes
4 votes
Reciprocity -
1 / 4 votes
Feeling obligated to return a favor, share resources, trade an item, etc.

4 votes
Social Pyramid Scheme -
0 / 4 votes
You get a bonus for inviting your friends and then they have to invite their friends.

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

6 votes
Encourages Anti-Social Behavior -
0 / 6 votes
The game incentivizes players to lie, cheat, or backstab other players to get ahead.

Psychological Dark PatternsPsychological Dark Patterns

This game has 20 reported Psychological Dark Patterns. There are 17 votes indicating the absence of a dark pattern.

-1.52

6 votes
Invested / Endowed Value -
6 / 0 votes
Having already spent time and money to improve your status in the game, it's difficult to throw it away.

5 votes
1 votes
Badges / Endowed Progress -
5 / 1 votes
Reluctancy to abandon a partially completed goal, even one forced upon the player.

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

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

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

2 votes
3 votes
Aesthetic Manipulations -
2 / 3 votes
Trick questions or toying with emotions or our subconscious desires.

5 votes
Optimism and Frequency Biases -
0 / 5 votes
Overestimating the frequency of something because we’ve seen it recently or memorably.

App Store Ratings

iOS:  (4.90) with 40,477 votes.



Recent Dark Pattern Reviews

Daily Rewards reported on Jul 6, 2024
You need to visit every day to collect your AFK rewards, play challenges that reset daily for rewards, complete daily quests, send and recieve a daily gift to friends, and if you've joined a guild, complete the guild challenges.
Playing by Appointment reported on Jul 6, 2024
Certain optional events require you to be online and specific times.
Gambling / Loot Boxes reported on Jul 6, 2024
There's a Gatcha system for collecting characters. While they make it easy to get all the lower level characters, the higher level characters are mostly locked behind a Gatcha game.
Power Creep reported on Jun 15, 2024
You can't have the minimum number of heroes to play all the contents. This game forces you to invest in as many heroes as possible.
Social Obligation / Guilds reported on Jun 15, 2024
If you don't join the guild and play every day, you will get less reward and fall behind.
Invested / Endowed Value reported on Jun 15, 2024
Your account can be ruined and less valuable if you don't focus on meta, or spending less than other players. There are a lot of time-limited pop-up bundles that will only appear once. If you don't buy them, your account will fall behind forever.
Artificial Scarcity reported on Jun 15, 2024
Infinite number of 2-hour time-limited pop-up bundles that you can buy will premium currency. Artificial valuable bundles with 650% value bundles in shop.
Can't Pause or Save reported on Jun 15, 2024
This is an online game. If you stop playing and get back later, you will fall way behind other players.
Recurring Fee reported on Jun 15, 2024
There are 2 type of Monthly Passes, normal and premium. There are also 2 type of Battle Passes for normal content and season content, each also has normal and premium version.
Gambling / Loot Boxes reported on Jun 15, 2024
This is a gacha game. There are 4 types of banners: Rate-up, All-hero, Epic, and Stargaze. The Stargaze banner is a special one that only has Hypogean-Celestial heroes. You will have to play for at least 6 months to rank up a Hypoceles hero in the Stargaze banner to be actually usable.


Report a Dark Pattern

Screenshot Step into Esperia, a fantasy world full of magic—a lone seed of life meandering among the sea of stars. And on Esperia, it took root. As the river of time flowed, the once all-powerful gods fell. As the seed grew, each branch sprouted leaves, which became the races of Esperia.
You will play as the legendary mage Merlin and experience strategically tactical battles. It's time to dive into an unexplored world and embark on a journey to unlock a hidden mystery together with the heroes of Esperia.

ANYWHERE YOU GO, MAGIC FOLLOWS.
Remember, only you can guide heroes to pull the sword from the stone and learn the truth about the world.

Explore Ethereal World
Lead the Six Factions to their Destiny
• Immerse yourself in the captivating realm of a magical storybook, where you can singlehandedly explore the world. From the shining fields of Golden Wheatshire to the luminous beauty of the Dark Forest, from the Remnant Peaks to the Vaduso Mountains, journey through the wondrously diverse landscapes of Esperia.
• Form bonds with the heroes of the Six Factions on your journey. You are Merlin. Be their guide and help them become who they were meant to be.

Master Battlefield Strategies
Conquer Each Challenge with Precision
• A hex battle map allows players to freely assemble their hero lineup and strategically position them. Choose between a bold strategy centered around a powerful main damage dealer or a more balanced team. Witness different outcomes as you experiment with various hero formations, creating an engaging and unpredictable gameplay experience in this fantasy adventure.
• Heroes come with three distinct skills, with the ultimate skill requiring manual release. You must time your attack at the right moment to disrupt enemy actions and seize command of the battle.
• Various battle maps offer different challenges. Woodland battlefields offer strategic cover with obstacle walls, and clearings favor rapid assaults. Embrace the distinct strategies that allow differing tactics to thrive.
• Master the use of flamethrowers, landmines, and other mechanisms to triumph against your enemies. Skillfully arrange your heroes, strategically utilizing isolating walls to turn the tide and reverse the course of battle.

Collect Epic Heroes
Customize Your Formations for Victory
• Join our open beta and discover 46 heroes from all six factions. Witness the Lightbearers, who carry the pride of humanity. Watch the Wilders flourish at the heart of their forest. Observe how the Maulers survive against all odds through strength alone. The Graveborn legions are amassing, and the eternal clash between the Celestials and the Hypogeans continues. — All are waiting for you in Esperia.
• Choose from the six commonly-used RPG classes to create different lineups and adapt to various battle scenarios.

Acquire Resources Effortlessly
Upgrade Your Equipment with a Simple Tap
• Say goodbye to grinding for resources. Collect rewards effortlessly with our auto-battle and AFK features. Continue gathering resources even while you're sleeping.
• Level up and share equipment across all heroes. After upgrading your team, new heroes can share experience instantly and be played right away. Dive into the crafting system, where old equipment can be directly disassembled for resources. No need for tedious grinding. Level up now!
AFK Journey provides all heroes for free upon release. New heroes after release are not included.