No Hooks

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A guide for parents

Spotting the hooks in kids’ apps

Many games are built to keep children playing as long as possible and get them to buy. The tricks behind this have names. Here are the ten most common, how to recognise them and what helps.

Most kids’ games in the App Store cost nothing. They still make money, inside the game. A small share of players spends most of the money. That’s why many free games are tuned to keep as many players as possible for as long as possible, and nudge them to buy at just the right moments. The tricks are well researched and have names. Once you know them, you see them straight away.

Ten hooks every parent should know

  1. Loot boxes and mystery chests

    You pay for a chest and don’t know what’s inside. Sometimes something rare, usually not. That “maybe” is the whole appeal, and it’s the same mechanism as a slot machine. Look for: chests, packs, eggs or “draws” with rarity levels.

  2. Gems, coins and other second currencies

    You don’t buy with dollars or euros but with gems. They’re sold in odd-sized bundles so there’s always some left over. That blurs what an item really costs. Look for: bundles like “500 gems for 4.99” in the list of in-app purchases.

  3. Energy and waiting times

    After a few rounds the energy runs out. You can carry on in two hours, or right now for money or an ad. The game deliberately interrupts itself at the most exciting moment. Look for: hearts, lightning bolts or lives that refill over time.

  4. Daily rewards and streaks

    Come by every day and you get something. Skip a day and you lose your streak. Children then play not because they want to but because they don’t want to lose anything. Look for: calendars with daily gifts, flame icons and counters like “12 days in a row”.

  5. Countdowns and offers about to expire

    “Only 2 hours left: 80% off!” Time pressure switches off thinking, in adults and children alike. In reality the offer comes back regularly. Look for: flashing red clocks and pop-ups that open by themselves when the game starts.

  6. Battle passes and season passes

    For a fee you get extra rewards for a season, but only if you play enough to unlock them. Anyone who has paid feels obliged to keep playing every day. Look for: progress bars with a free track and a golden track.

  7. Ad videos for extras

    “Watch a video and get an extra life.” Sounds fair, but it teaches children that ads are part of the game. And a tap on the ad often leads straight to the App Store and the next game. Look for: buttons with a small film icon.

  8. So close, then pay

    The level is almost solved, just two moves short. For a few gems you get five more moves. The game is tuned so that you often just barely fail. Look for: offers that appear exactly at the moment you lose.

  9. Social pressure

    Invite friends for rewards, a team that’s counting on you, gifts you’re meant to return. Children are especially receptive to this, because nobody wants to be the one who lets the others down. Look for: clans, guilds, friend lists and referral rewards.

  10. Push notifications

    “Your chest is ready!” or “Your village is under attack!” Notifications pull children back into the game, often just when they’re doing something else. Look for: a request to allow notifications right at the first launch.

What helps

  • Talk about it. Show your child where the trick is: “Look, the clock isn’t really running out, the offer will be back tomorrow.” Children see through tricks faster than you’d think, and are often properly indignant.
  • Play for a few minutes yourself. After five minutes you know how a game works. Often at the very first launch, when the first offer pops up.
  • Block purchases. Ask to Buy and Screen Time take a few minutes to set up. Here’s how, step by step.
  • Turn off notifications. In Settings, Notifications you can switch them off for each game.
  • Choose games with a one-time price. A game that costs once has no reason to push your child to buy. Our checklist shows how to recognise them.

And how do we handle it?

At No Hooks we build in none of these hooks. To be honest: Airtime: Ski Jump does have an in-game currency too. Every jump earns prize money, which buys better skis and suits. The difference: prize money can only be earned by jumping, never bought with real money. There’s no energy, no waiting, no daily reward and no notifications. A round takes a minute or two, and then you can put the phone down happy.

Frequently asked questions

Are loot boxes gambling?

Legally, that’s disputed and differs from country to country. Belgium banned paid loot boxes in 2018, others are still looking into it. The mechanism is the same as a slot machine either way: you pay for a chance and don’t know what you’ll get.

Is an in-game currency always bad?

No. It becomes a problem when you can buy it with real money. A currency you can only earn by playing is simply part of the game, like points or stars.

My child really wants to play a game like this. What now?

Banning it rarely works for long. Play it yourself for a few minutes, show your child where the tricks are, and block in-app purchases. Children who see through a trick fall for it far less often.

How can I spot these games before downloading?

The “In-App Purchases” note next to the Get button is the most important sign. The list of purchases further down the app page tells you what’s being sold: gem packs, passes and special offers speak for themselves.

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