Grinding
Being required to perform repetitive and tedious tasks to advance.
Grinding is a game mechanic where players are required to perform repetitive tasks. Each task earns the player experience points, levels, items or some other in-game benefit. The player will need to repeat the task many times to accumulate enough of the rewards for them to make a difference.
Often, the more you play the game, the more tasks you have to perform to get the same benefit as before. For example, level 1 may require you to perform 5 tasks, but level 2 may require you to perform 10 tasks for the same increase in level. This "ramping up" of the repetitive tasks allows new players to get hooked on the gameplay before it becomes too repetitive and boring. By the time the grind becomes excessive, players have already become addicted to the gameplay and continue playing even though it's not enjoyable anymore.
It should be noted that Grinding is the core mechanic of many games, and some people enjoy it. For those people, this isn't a dark pattern. However, if Grinding is combined with other dark patterns, like Pay to Skip where you can spend money to skip parts of the grind, then this dark pattern can be amplified.
Another way this can be amplified is by combining it with the Wait to Play dark pattern. If you need to perform 10 tasks, but you only have enough energy to perform 5, now you have to put the game down and retain some Endowed Progress. This is a powerful urge to come back to the game later and complete your goal.
Often, the more you play the game, the more tasks you have to perform to get the same benefit as before. For example, level 1 may require you to perform 5 tasks, but level 2 may require you to perform 10 tasks for the same increase in level. This "ramping up" of the repetitive tasks allows new players to get hooked on the gameplay before it becomes too repetitive and boring. By the time the grind becomes excessive, players have already become addicted to the gameplay and continue playing even though it's not enjoyable anymore.
It should be noted that Grinding is the core mechanic of many games, and some people enjoy it. For those people, this isn't a dark pattern. However, if Grinding is combined with other dark patterns, like Pay to Skip where you can spend money to skip parts of the grind, then this dark pattern can be amplified.
Another way this can be amplified is by combining it with the Wait to Play dark pattern. If you need to perform 10 tasks, but you only have enough energy to perform 5, now you have to put the game down and retain some Endowed Progress. This is a powerful urge to come back to the game later and complete your goal.
Citations and Sources • Dark Patterns in the Design of Games
• Why are Video Games Addictive?
• Behavioral Game Design
• Why are Video Games Addictive?
• Behavioral Game Design
Examples
Mighty DOOM"Basically, the game is very repetitive and wants you to perform same missions over and over (to win XP, currency, and upgrade material)"
Beatstar - Touch Your Music"To unlock songs normally, you must collect cards from time-locked card cases. These cards then fill up genre boxes, which give you songs."
Honkai: Star Rail"Trailblaze Levels take effort to accumulate and require trailblaze power."
Forge of Empires"Have to schedule your buildings over and over again"
Hitman Sniper"the game has one map, with the same targets, you need to farm them to get new sniper parts"
Merge Studio"Like merge mansion A more popular game you have to merge times the change into more things. The problem with this is that you have “ energy” this runs out over time and of course you can pay to recharge and occasionally you get it for free or you have to watch adds to recharge."
Coin Dozer"Level grinding which is done via winning coins."
Pick Me Up™"each level finished, you get money and it's the same task over and over again"
Chuzzle 2""levels" are built of a map of minigames that get very repetitive very quickly"
Pikmin Bloom"in order to level up or complete some events, you must plant a certain number of flowers, defeat mushrooms, send pikmin out on expeditions, and feed pikmin nectar to collect petals. you also frequently have to check if there are new expeditions in the area and select specific pikmin to send, which can be tedious"