Dark Patterns : Den sura sidan av Candy Crush Saga

Sammanfattning: Many mobile games use a user interface designed to get their players to spend more time, money or social engagement within their application. This is done by deliberately misleading or otherwise confusing the user by, for example, making the player lose track of time when playing or by giving rewards to players who spend money or invite their friends into the game. This can be taken to the extent that it strongly affects players negatively both financially and socially. This type of game elements is also known as dark patterns, which are not only used in games but also on websites, social media and other digital applications. Dark patterns have been discussed more in recent years since consumers and users have become more aware of how deceptive digital design affects behavior. This study examines the game design of Candy Crush Saga with a focus on dark patterns, and how these affect the game as a whole as well as the users who play it. The study focuses on three categories that characterize dark patterns, namely temporal, monetary and social. Based on these categories, they have subcategories that describe specific design elements with examples. The study that has been done consists of two parts: a heuristic evaluation and a survey where a number of active players have been asked to answer questions about their gaming habits in the game Candy Crush Saga. The study finds that the game contains several dark patterns, which in varying degrees affects the players’ experience in the game. The study also discusses how cumulative dark patterns enhance each other and can therefore be perceived as particularly problematic.