The Simpsons™: Tapped Out

-2.35
Bad
Price: Free
Ads: Unknown
In App Purchases: Yes

iOS App Store
Google Play App Store

Temporal Dark PatternsTemporal Dark Patterns

This game has 16 reported Temporal Dark Patterns. There are 5 votes indicating the absense of a dark pattern.

-3.3

3 votes
Daily Rewards -
3 / 0 votes
Encourages return visits every day and punishes you for missing a day.

3 votes
Grinding -
3 / 0 votes
Being required to perform repetitive and tedious tasks to advance.

3 votes
Infinite Treadmill -
3 / 0 votes
Impossible to win or complete the game.

3 votes
Wait To Play -
3 / 0 votes
In-game timers that make you arbitrarily wait for something.

2 votes
1 votes
Playing by Appointment -
2 / 1 votes
Being forced to play according to the game's schedule instead of yours.

1 votes
2 votes
Advertisements -
1 / 2 votes
Forced to watch ads or given rewards for watching ads.

1 votes
2 votes
Can't Pause or Save -
1 / 2 votes
The game does not allow you to stop playing whenever you want.

Monetary Dark PatternsMonetary Dark Patterns

This game has 23 reported Monetary Dark Patterns. There are 10 votes indicating the absense of a dark pattern.

-2.84

3 votes
Premium Currency -
3 / 0 votes
Exchange rate between real money and in-game currency disguises the real price of items.

3 votes
Artificial Scarcity -
3 / 0 votes
Limited time offers with unnecessary urgency.

3 votes
Pay to Skip -
3 / 0 votes
Spend money to avoid waiting for a timer to expire.

3 votes
Accidental Purchases -
3 / 0 votes
Making it easy to accidentally spend money with no confirmation or ability to undo or refund the action.

3 votes
Gambling / Loot Boxes -
3 / 0 votes
Spending real money to play a game of chance for a reward.

3 votes
Anchoring Tricks -
3 / 0 votes
Placing a cheap item next to an expensive item to make it look more affordable.

2 votes
1 votes
Pay to Win -
2 / 1 votes
A player can spend real money to purchase something that gives them an advantage in the game.

1 votes
2 votes
Recurring Fee -
1 / 2 votes
Encourages players to play as much as possible to get their money's worth.

1 votes
2 votes
Pay Wall -
1 / 2 votes
The game becomes impossible to continue playing without payment.

1 votes
2 votes
Waste Aversion -
1 / 2 votes
Capped inventory forces you to destroy items or upgrade inventory. Also, having small amounts of left over premium currency.

3 votes
Power Creep -
0 / 3 votes
A permanently purchased item in the game becomes less valuable over time.

Social Dark PatternsSocial Dark Patterns

This game has 3 reported Social Dark Patterns. There are 18 votes indicating the absense of a dark pattern.

2.62

1 votes
2 votes
Social Pyramid Scheme -
1 / 2 votes
You get a bonus for inviting your friends and then they have to invite their friends.

1 votes
2 votes
Social Obligation / Guilds -
1 / 2 votes
To avoid letting down your friends, you are obligated to play when you don't want to.

1 votes
2 votes
Fear of Missing Out -
1 / 2 votes
If you stop playing you'll miss out on something or be left behind and unable to catch up.

3 votes
Friend Spam / Impersonation -
0 / 3 votes
The game sends spam to your contact list or social media account.

3 votes
Reciprocity -
0 / 3 votes
Feeling obligated to return a favor, share resources, trade an item, etc.

3 votes
Encourages Anti-Social Behavior -
0 / 3 votes
The game incentivizes players to lie, cheat, or backstab other players to get ahead.

3 votes
Competition -
0 / 3 votes
The game makes you compete against other players.

Psychological Dark PatternsPsychological Dark Patterns

This game has 16 reported Psychological Dark Patterns. There are 5 votes indicating the absense of a dark pattern.

-3.3

3 votes
Invested / Endowed Value -
3 / 0 votes
Having already spent time and money to improve your status in the game, it's difficult to throw it away.

3 votes
Complete the Collection -
3 / 0 votes
The urge to collect all the items, achievements or secrets in a game.

3 votes
Variable Rewards -
3 / 0 votes
Unpredictable or random rewards are more addictive than a predictable schedule.

2 votes
1 votes
Illusion of Control -
2 / 1 votes
The game cheats or hides information to make you think you're better than you actually are.

2 votes
1 votes
Aesthetic Manipulations -
2 / 1 votes
Trick questions or toying with emotions or our subconscious desires.

2 votes
1 votes
Optimism and Frequency Biases -
2 / 1 votes
Overestimating the frequency of something because we’ve seen it recently or memorably.

1 votes
2 votes
Badges / Endowed Progress -
1 / 2 votes
Reluctancy to abandon a partially completed goal, even one forced upon the player.

App Store Ratings

iOS:  (4.50) with 347,205 votes.
Google Play:  (4.35) with 647,181 votes.



Recent Dark Pattern Reviews

Daily Rewards reported on Oct 22, 2022
Daily tasks for in-game currency
Grinding reported on Oct 22, 2022
Collecting money and XP
Infinite Treadmill reported on Oct 22, 2022
There is no endgame, only perpetual grinding
Wait To Play reported on Oct 22, 2022
Tasks for characters take a certain time period. Currency collection from structures likewise have set timers
Badges / Endowed Progress reported on Oct 22, 2022
Completing character sets
Variable Rewards reported on Oct 22, 2022
Daily tasks


Report a Dark Pattern

Screenshot THIS GAME IS LIFE-RUININGLY FUN!
From the writers of The Simpsons, comes the city building game that lets you create your own living, breathing Springfield! When Homer accidently causes a meltdown that wipes out Springfield, it’s up to you to clean up his mess… we mean, help him rebuild it!
Collect Your Favorite Characters
Help reunite Homer with his loved ones - Marge, Lisa, Maggie (and even sometimes Bart) – as well as his not so loved ones, like Ned Flanders. Re-populate Springfield with your favorite characters, from Barflies (Barney Gumble) to Wise Guys (Fat Tony). Add them all, we won’t judge! Dress your characters to the nines with options like Daredevil Bart or Lizard Queen Lisa, and relive scenes from your favorite episodes of The Simpsons!
Take Charge of Your Springfield
Can’t control your own life? Now you can control the lives of the citizens of Springfield instead! Make Apu work ridiculously long shifts at the Kwik-E-Mart, have Moe smuggle illegal animals, or make Homer toil poolside all day… that last one might not be so bad.
Build Your Own Springfield
Think Homer deserves to live next door to Moe’s? Or the monorail can survive a few more sharp twists and turns? Or 40% fewer health inspectors? Well you can finally make Springfield just the way you want it! Expand your town to the Waterfront, grow its businesses with the glamourous shops of Springfield Heights, and enjoy its sights, all with only a few taps.

Experience Unique Simpsons Stories
Catch exclusive animated scenes and new hilarious stories from the writers of The Simpsons. You know they’re good because they write for The Simpsons! Tapped Out is the most life-ruiningly fun Simpsons game you can play!
Always Something New for Your Favorite Town
Springfield might perpetually be on the verge of destruction, buy hey, at least it’s never boring. Whether it’s Halloween monster invasions, superheroes run amok, or chaos caused by one of Homer’s “great” ideas, you’ve got never-ending options to tap!

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