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This Week in Videogames - TWIV
@thisweekinvideogames.com

Balatro. Clover Pit. Raccoin. Gambling-themed roguelikes have been helping indie devs hit the jackpot in recent years. But what does the blurring line between gaming and gambling say about modern game design? We asked a bunch of experts, including the developer who arguably started the whole trend.

thisweekinvideogames.comAre Indie Games Developing a Gambling Problem?What does the increasingly blurry line between gaming and gambling say about modern game design? We ask developer, publisher, and academic experts to find out.
Qualbert.com
@qualbert.com

Including CloverPit in this article is some strange irony. Yes, the game is played using a slot machine and on face value has many gambling elements to hook players. But the entire game is satirical commentary and a warning on the addictive and harmful nature of gambling.

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Francisco Dominguez
@dominguezf.bsky.social

I find it interesting how they're creating a grey area. Many of these games are excellent, made by thoughtful, conscientious developers. But the appeal still capitalises on gambling elements. It was cut for space but Paul mentioned the Starship Troopers problem: satire feeding what it comments on.