TL;DR
- The Reality: In-game purchases are the engine of modern gaming. "Free-to-play" usually means "expensive-to-look-cool."
- The Culprits: Roblox, Fortnite, and Brawl Stars are the heavy hitters in most households.
- The Tactics: Developers use "dark patterns"—psychological tricks like fake scarcity and confusing currency conversions—to keep kids spending.
- The Strategy: Transition from "Gatekeeper" to "Guide." Use gift cards to cap spending, talk about the "Default" social stigma, and set hard boundaries on "loot boxes."
- Quick Links: How to set up Roblox parental controls | A parent's guide to Fortnite | Understanding loot boxes
Back in the day, we bought a cartridge or a disc for $50, and that was it. Today, the most popular games are "Free-to-Play" (F2P). But as the saying goes, if you aren't paying for the product, you are the product—or at least, your dopamine receptors are.
In-game purchases (microtransactions) are small digital buys made within a game. They range from $0.99 for a "starter pack" to $99.99 for a "mountain of gems." They usually fall into three buckets:
- Cosmetics (Skins): Changing how your character or weapon looks. This is the big one in Fortnite.
- Utility/Power-ups: Buying extra lives, better stats, or skipping a difficult level. Common in mobile games like Candy Crush Saga.
- Access: Buying a "Battle Pass" to unlock the ability to earn rewards over a season.
Learn more about the different types of in-game spending
It’s easy to dismiss a $10 digital hat as "stupid," but for a 10-year-old, that hat is social survival.
The "Default" Stigma
In Fortnite, if you haven't bought a skin, you use the "default" character. In middle school culture, being a "default" is synonymous with being "poor," "bad at the game," or a "noob." The social pressure to not be a default is immense. It’s the 2026 version of wearing off-brand sneakers to gym class.
Self-Expression
For kids, their digital avatar is an extension of themselves. In Roblox, kids spend hours customizing their look to fit specific aesthetics—like the "preppy" look or "emo" vibes. It’s how they signal who they are to their friends.
The Battle Pass Hook
Games like Brawl Stars and Fortnite use a "Battle Pass" system. You pay roughly $10 for the privilege of playing to unlock items. If you don't play enough before the season ends, you lose out on the items you "paid" for. This creates a "sunk cost" feeling that keeps kids glued to the screen.
Game designers aren't just making fun games; they’re hiring behavioral psychologists to maximize "Average Revenue Per User." Here are the tricks they use:
1. Fun-Sized Currency (Obfuscation)
Games rarely show prices in dollars. They use V-Bucks, Robux, or Minecoins. This is intentional. It’s much easier for a kid (and an adult!) to click "Buy" on something that costs "500 Gems" than something that costs "$4.99." It detaches the purchase from the reality of money. Check out our guide on Robux and real-world value
2. Loot Boxes (Gambling-Lite)
A loot box is a digital crate you buy without knowing what’s inside. You might get a rare "Legendary" item, or you might get a duplicate of something you already have. This is essentially gambling. The "near-miss" animation—where the spinner almost lands on the big prize—is designed to trigger the same dopamine hits as a slot machine. Screenwise Stance: We generally recommend avoiding games with heavy loot box mechanics for kids under 13.
3. Artificial Scarcity and FOMO
"Only 2 hours left!" "Limited Edition Holiday Skin!" These timers create a sense of urgency that bypasses the logical part of a kid's brain. They feel they must buy it now or they’ll miss out forever.
Ask our chatbot about which games use the most aggressive marketing
You’ll often hear that Roblox is great because kids can "make their own games and earn money." While true for a tiny fraction of creators, for 99.9% of kids, Roblox is a spending pit, not a career path.
The "Developer Exchange" (DevEx) system has a very high threshold before kids can actually turn Robux into real cash, and the platform takes a massive cut (often up to 70%) of every transaction. If your kid wants to learn game design, that's awesome—check out Scratch or Minecraft Education. But don't let the "entrepreneurship" argument justify a $50/month Robux habit.
Ages 5-8: The "No-Fly Zone"
At this age, kids don't understand the value of money. They see a button, they click it.
- Settings: Password-protect every single purchase. No exceptions.
- Games to avoid: "Free" mobile games that are essentially just ads for in-app purchases.
- Recommended: Toca Life World (buy the packs once, no gambling) or Sago Mini World.
Ages 9-12: The Gift Card Era
This is the peak age for social pressure.
- The Strategy: Move them to a "digital allowance." Do not link your credit card to their account. Buy a $10 or $20 gift card for Roblox or Fortnite. When it’s gone, it’s gone.
- The Conversation: Talk about "cost per hour." If a skin costs $20, but they only play the game for two weeks, was it worth it? Compare it to a physical toy or a movie ticket.
Ages 13+: The Transparency Phase
Teens should be managing their own "fun money" from a job or allowance.
- The Strategy: Discuss the ethics of "Live Service" games. Help them recognize when a game is stopped being "fun" and started being a "chore" (like grinding for a Battle Pass).
- Recommended: Encourage "Buy-to-Play" games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or Stardew Valley, where the full experience is included in the price.
If you’re tired of the "Can I have Robux?" whine, here are three concrete steps to take today:
1. Hard-Code Your Boundaries
Go into the settings of your console (PS5, Xbox, Switch) or mobile device. Set the "Require Password for Purchases" to Always. How to set up parental controls on Nintendo Switch
2. Use the "Wait 24 Hours" Rule
For any purchase over $5, implement a 24-hour cooling-off period. Most of the time, the "must-have" feeling wears off once the "Limited Time" timer isn't staring them in the face.
3. Audit the "Brain Rot" Games
Some games are designed better than others. Minecraft (Bedrock Edition) has a marketplace, but it’s mostly optional. Roblox is a wild west. Genshin Impact is beautiful but features heavy "Gacha" (gambling) mechanics that can be very predatory for impulsive kids.
Ask our chatbot to compare the monetization of two different games
In-game purchases aren't going away. They are how the gaming industry survives in 2026. Banning them entirely often backfires, making the "forbidden fruit" even more desirable and leaving your kid socially isolated in their digital world.
The goal isn't to spend $0; the goal is to teach digital literacy. We want our kids to recognize when they're being manipulated by a countdown timer and to understand that a digital skin is a luxury, not a necessity.
Treat Robux like candy: a little bit is a fun treat, but a diet of nothing but "Skibidi Toilet" skins in Roblox is going to leave everyone with a headache and an empty wallet.
- Take the Screenwise Survey: See how your family's gaming spend compares to your community.
- Set a "Game Day": Pick one day a week where you discuss potential purchases together.
- Check out our guide: Best games for kids that DON'T have in-game purchases