Infinity Nikki is facing review bombing on Steam after turning into a paywall playground

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On December 4, 2024, Infinity Nikki was officially launched across various platforms: PC (through Epic Games Store, as well as its own launcher), iOS, Android, and PlayStation 5. Long-time Nikki fans were thrilled that it wasn’t just a mobile release exclusively. Now that the game has made its way to Steam, excitement is at an all-time high – albeit not without controversy. Some players aren’t pleased and have been leaving unfavorable reviews, claiming Infold Games had this coming.

When party dresses come with ugly monetization

Initially, Infinity Nikki received rave reviews from both critics and gamers alike. Despite a few technical glitches such as lengthy shader compilation times and download problems, the game was generally well-received by players.

However, as soon as the game became available on Steam yesterday, the sentiment quickly changed. Critical reviews began to surface, and despite the release of the Bubble Season update featuring a new area, co-op mode, events, and outfits, some of the recent modifications made by developer Infold Games drew attention away from these new additions. To be frank, Steam is a platform known for its candid appraisals.

Currently, the game is rated as “Mixed,” with just 47% of reviews expressing positivity. This rating, being displayed prominently, might pique your curiosity. Thus, let me share some insights from players:

[Here you can put the insights or opinions from players]

The game’s mechanics seem biased and manipulative, using deceptive tactics to entice spending. While the game claims a 1.5% chance for premium items, it conceals a ‘pity system’ (ensuring an item every 20 attempts) in fine print, misleading players into believing they have a better chance. To add insult to injury, the drop rates for popular outfits are covertly reduced during events. Essential gameplay aspects such as climbing and swimming are restricted behind paywalls, making free players endure prolonged and laborious play sessions. Instead of a game, it appears more like a casino exploiting fear of missing out (FOMO).

– tanchimaodada

Every two weeks, the Mira Crown event is allegedly being changed by developers so that it resets after 21 days instead of 14. This change in the event’s timing will impact players as it reduces the amount of free currency they can obtain for the gacha and purchasing outfits on a monthly basis.

– B

In the game, a top-tier costume approximately equates to a $440 in-game credit expenditure. Regrettably, it appears that they are subtly encouraging you to spend your hard-earned cash, using intricate visual techniques.

– myfreedom13

It’s understandable that players become dissatisfied when free-to-play games adopt aggressive monetization strategies, especially when they initially promised a different approach. Consequently, it’s not surprising that such backlash occurred swiftly in the case of Infinity Nikki. Interestingly, this game recently launched on Steam to potentially attract more players, but unfortunately, it seems to be losing them. On the same day, Wuthering Waves also debuted on Steam, and unlike Nikki, its free-to-play model is player-friendly, which has earned it positive reviews and could propel it forward. In contrast, if Infinity Nikki continues down this pay-heavy path, there’s a risk that it may quickly lose popularity among players.

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2025-04-29 13:02