The hidden cost of free games: how microtransactions in mobile games impact players with ADHD

This paper investigates how microtransactions in mobile games impact players with ADHD, exploring their purchasing behaviours compared to neurotypical players. Concerns grow regarding the tactics used by games companies to push microtransactions as this financial model becomes increasingly dominant within the games industry. This research used a pilot study of 144 participants, including both neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals, to identify differences in players’ relationships with microtransactions. The study found that ADHD neurodivergent players were more likely to purchase microtransactions in the first place and were additionally more susceptible to accidental purchases and exceeding budget limits. This research suggests that many traits associated with ADHD like impulsivity, executive dysfunction, and temporal discounting contribute to this increased vulnerability to the psychologically manipulative tactics employed to sell microtransactions. The paper calls for more ethical game design, regulatory oversight and industry reforms regarding microtransactions, and further research on how microtransactions uniquely affect neurodivergent players.