Gaming Risk Index (GRI)
By analysing millions of reviews across thousands of Google Play Store games, the Gaming Risk Index scores titles against ten child financial risk categories, including loot boxes, subscription traps, skins, and pay-to-win mechanics.
We are still in early stages of analysis but so far we have found that over 99% of the games we have looked at contain financial risk indicators and that risks occur fairly uniformly across all age ratings.
We also found that whilst educational games may score lower on risks like gambling, they have the highest prevalence of subscription traps – showing how business models shift so that the reality of what’s in a game may not match our expectations.
Through this work we have evidenced what many parents already tell us, that game ratings are confusing, don’t reflect parents’ concerns and miss key risks. And, our findings align with broader research on persuasive design. An Ofcom study identified manipulative features, such as dissociative in-game currencies and impulse-activating countdown timers, that encourage unchecked spending, while a University of Sydney report identified misleading monetisation in 14 out of 15 games they sampled on Roblox.
Gaming has a valuable role in children’s lives. It brings many positives – but also hidden risks and challenges for families. Improvements are underway, but broader system changes are still needed. In the meantime, we will continue to help parents make sense of it all. |
