Skip the Tips: A game to select "No Tip" but dark patterns try to stop you

as someone who builds mobile games, the execution here is great. but what makes dark patterns actually effective isn't really the visual tricks, it's the context they exploit: time pressure, social pressure, and cognitive load.

you're standing at a checkout with someone watching, a line forming behind you, and the default tip is pre-selected at 25%. the "trick" isn't the UI, it's that calculating a custom amount requires more effort than just tapping accept.

same principle applies in mobile game monetization. the IAP prompt doesn't convert because the button is cleverly placed, it converts because you just failed a level, you're emotionally invested, and the "fix" is one tap away. the real pattern is always: create urgency, minimize friction for the desired action, maximize friction for the alternative.

The "buy me a coffee" button at the end is :chefskiss:

Buy me a coffee? Jokes on you I just practiced avoiding this.

Superb!

Actually doesn't make for a bad reaction time and processing game since you need to think fast and avoid distractions.

Mobile offers a speed boost for taps but heavy nerf to text entry tasks.

Nice! I’ve started only tipping on fridays for coffee, etc. I’m a great tipper at restaurants But being hit up for a $5 tip for a $4 drink is way wrong. I’d tip you, but today is Thursday!

Made me want to sing that classic song from the animated movie "sausage party"

"Just the tip"

Made by https://vladimirj.dev/

This was cool, but I got to one where it would load after every button you click. That's fine, but then I "lost" because it simply wouldn't load a winnable option in time it seems. Maybe I was moving too fast and missed the real button, but I still didn't tip in the end, so eh.

I enjoyed the restaurant names

I hate every bit of this. Well done!