Top 10 Biggest Problems with Free Video Games

Microtransactions can be good in small doses, but when they become so common that they become a cornerstone of the video game, that's when there is a problem.

A notable example of a free game overloaded with microtransactions is Fortnite. While the game is free to play, there are microtransactions for outfits called "skins." While this was initially seen as a cool little feature, it soon consumed the game to the point where skins were talked about more than the actual game itself. People even paid thousands of dollars for these skins just to look cool or to flex their "rare skins."

While microtransactions have benefited the game by bringing in more players, they have also tarnished its reputation. Overall, free-to-play games like Fortnite and Roblox are filled with microtransactions to the point where you might end up spending more money on them than on most paid games.

Undoubtedly, the biggest problem with free games is the infamous pay-to-win mechanics. This system essentially forces you to pay for virtual power-ups that give you an unfair advantage in the game.

Games like Roblox are notorious for this, shifting the competition from being about skill to being about who has the most money. Some pay-to-win mechanics are mild, offering slight boosts, while others grant god-like powers for $10, $20, or even $30 just for a digital advantage.

No matter how it's implemented, pay-to-win is a greedy tactic that is widely used in free-to-play games.

This is, unfortunately, a common problem with free games. While not as widespread as some other issues on this list, it is still just as bad.

Imagine you find a cool game for free, and just as you're starting to get into it, you hit a huge paywall that forces you to pay $20 to keep playing. This is a greedy tactic used by game developers, not just in free games but sometimes in paid ones as well. It essentially forces you to pay to continue playing right when you're getting invested. They hit you with a paywall so they can make you pay to keep going.

It's a huge problem with some free games that claim to be "free," but in reality, it's just a big lie.

However, most good free games are usually multiplayer, which makes it hard to find actually good single-player free games that aren't low quality.

Although many multiplayer free games are really good, like Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Roblox, there aren't enough free-to-play single-player games to attract a large audience to the free-to-play market.

This issue is most common in free mobile games, where ads showcase entirely different gameplay or a highly exaggerated version of the game to make it seem more appealing. When you actually play the game, you often find it's either completely different, significantly worse, or sometimes both.

Some examples of free games that do this include Gardenscapes and many other mobile games. It is a greedy and borderline illegal tactic used by game developers.

Ads are a major problem in free games, as there are often far too many of them. This is especially frustrating when the ads are difficult to skip because developers hide the exit button or make it as small as possible, increasing the chances of accidentally getting sent to the app store.

Typically, you might see one or two ads in one session, but the real issue is how frequently they appear, especially when the game revolves around them. For example, some games make you watch an ad for an extra life or to perform an exclusive action.

These ads are extremely annoying for almost everyone and are usually just a way for developers to squeeze out more cash.

Once again, this issue is most prevalent in free mobile games. Many of these games are blatant cash grabs with little to no effort put into them. They exist solely to be filled with ads so developers can make a quick buck.

These games often have poor gameplay, bad mechanics, and use trending themes to attract players. They are usually targeted at younger audiences, who are more gullible and susceptible to this kind of content.

Some free games are also rip-offs of other popular games, like Minecraft, that copy the entire format but are lower quality and more saturated.

Some popular examples of free games that copy well-known titles are Code Cube (a Minecraft clone) and KoGaMa (a Roblox clone), along with many others that are blatant rip-offs of popular games. These tactics are lazy, most likely illegal, and a huge problem for free games.

While not as bad as some other issues on this list, it is still pretty bad. These games pretty much force you to play and pressure you by saying things like, "If you don't play, you are a wuss," or by straight-up begging you not to leave.

Either way, it is still a greedy tactic used by games to keep you playing.