There's nothing quite as frustrating as getting excited about a game, only to later discover that it's a pay-to-win game. These types of games are usually quite appealing at first, but after you progress a bit, it starts to get harder to advance and win without having to buy in-game items with real money.

But how can you avoid the disappointment of downloading a game, getting attached to it, and then realizing that to advance or be competitive you need to spend a lot of money? We'll explain how to spot a pay-to-win game in six simple steps.

This way, you avoid frustration or even the temptation to throw money at the game. After all, a game that requires more than a few reais or dollars to advance is probably not healthy for your wallet.

1. Understand that any free game can be pay to win

I know this sounds like a pretty radical statement, but it's not far from the truth. Free-to-play mobile games need to finance themselves somehow. Most of them, especially the multiplayer games, have an internal item store.

It is through purchases made in this store that the game is financed and brings profit to the company that published it. Is this a problem? It depends a lot on what is sold in these internal stores in mobile games. Because of this, if you are downloading a free game on your cell phone right now, be prepared because it may be pay-to-win.

2. Read reviews before downloading

You don't need to install the game and check the store to find out if it's pay-to-win. These games usually have several reviews written by players who have had their experience interrupted by the need to pay to progress or win matches.

So before you click the download button, scroll down a bit and see what users are saying about the game.

3. See if the game has a “paid premium currency”

This term may seem redundant, but it represents the reality of some Android and iPhone games. In addition, it is usually an excellent indicator that a game is pay-to-win.

Most free-to-play games work with two currencies: a virtual currency obtained in the game and a currency that can be purchased with money. This premium currency is usually offered for free as a reward for completing objectives in the game or to celebrate events. Or it can be purchased, which is not really a problem. However, there is a highly controversial practice that has appeared even in releases from major producers: a second premium currency that can only be obtained with money.

And guess what: some item packs can only be purchased with this type of currency! Therefore, we recommend that you avoid games that do this, as it is almost certainly pay-to-win.

4. Check if the game requires collecting many different resources

Just imagine: you are opening a new game that you just downloaded. Did you do the first parts of the tutorial and already discovered that you must use different resources to level up, level up equipment, increase the strength of skills and even feed your virtual pet?

It's a shame to say this, but you're dealing with a typical pay-to-win game. You can almost always buy these resources with real money in the game store, which makes it a legitimate "pay-to-win" game. At first, the game will be quite generous, requiring almost no resources to evolve. Towards the middle, however, the demands start to increase. In the end, you'll spend weeks to evolve just one level.

Of course, you don't have to make all this effort. Just spend a few dozen or even hundreds of dollars to evolve in a matter of seconds.

5. See if the game uses the “gacha” system

Very common in titles based on famous franchises, this system consists of drawing lots for characters and equipment. These draws are paid for with the game's premium currency.

In other words, you don’t buy a specific character or equipment, but rather you throw money into a roulette wheel that will draw a character for you. The nickname “gacha” is inspired by the Japanese arcade machines known as “gachapon” or “gashapon”.

In this game, the customer puts in coins and takes home items or dolls from a franchise they like, such as Naruto, One Piece or My Hero Academia, for example. The difference is that, in this case, they take home something real.

It's worth mentioning that rare and competitive characters tend to have the lowest chances of appearing. In other words, you could lose a lot of money just for the chance to compete in the game's global rankings, without your skill having anything to do with it.

6. Access the game's in-game store as soon as possible

Finally, if the game passed all the items on this list unscathed, our last tip is to go straight to the game's internal store. In this store you can only buy cosmetic items or items that give you more "lives" or equipment that increases your attributes.

If the second option is your answer, then it is undeniable that the game is pay to win on some level. But does that mean that pay to win games are inherently bad?

Not necessarily. While some companies abuse these systems in their games, others take a long time to hinder your progress without spending.

In other words, it depends a lot on how much the company responsible for the game uses the system. Although there are pay-to-win games that still allow you to be competitive without spending money, others will not give you the chance to appear in the global rankings without spending a lot of money first.