Design Risk Score
Estimated37/100
2 mechanics flagged
Why this score
- Pay-to-Win+25
Paying grants a direct gameplay or competitive advantage.
Why this counts
Pay-to-win mechanics undermine competitive integrity and create a two-tier player base divided by spending capacity rather than skill. Research on fairness perception shows they significantly reduce long-term engagement.
- Consumer-protection consensus: paid competitive advantage is the most-cited monetisation harm
- Fairness-perception research on paid advantage in multiplayer games
- Microtransactions+12
In-game purchases sells items that affect gameplay or progression.
Points reflect severity, not just presence — cosmetic-only purchases score far lower than pay-for-power. Total: 37/100. This game was scored from its Steam store listing, so its mechanics are an estimate. How scoring works →
Joy Index
90/100
Excellent
Community score: 90/100
Joy is the share of players who recommend it on Steam, published as-is.
Verdict
Caution
Proceed with caution
Significant aggressive monetisation design is present. Set firm spending and time limits before playing.
- Set a hard spending limit before launching
- Use parental controls if playing with minors
- Track your playtime weekly
Where to buy
Price & availability
Best price now
$1.10−93%
at MacGameStore→
Lowest ever
$0.42
at GreenManGaming · 6/23/2021
Real recorded prices & subscription data via IsThereAnyDeal.
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Guns of Icarus Online: your questions, answered
Estimated from store data- Is Guns of Icarus Online pay to win?
- Yes. Guns of Icarus Online sells items or upgrades that affect in-game power, so Sifter flags it as pay-to-win. The full mechanic checklist behind the grade is on this page.
- Does Guns of Icarus Online have loot boxes or gacha?
- No. Sifter found no loot boxes or gacha in Guns of Icarus Online — no paid randomised rewards.
- Does Guns of Icarus Online have microtransactions?
- Yes. Guns of Icarus Online has in-game purchases (an in-game store). They buy in-game power.
- How aggressively is Guns of Icarus Online monetised?
- Sifter grades Guns of Icarus Online C — 37/100 on the Design Risk scale, where a higher number means more aggressive monetisation. 2 mechanics were flagged. The grade is computed from a public checklist, not opinion.
- Does Guns of Icarus Online respect your time?
- Guns of Icarus Online scores 100/100 on Sifter's Time Respect scale — no energy system, daily-login streaks, or limited-time events designed to pull you back.
Mods
Upload a mod →Detected Design Patterns
Purchases grant progression or competitive advantage over non-paying players.
Players report
Community-reported mechanics from players who own Guns of Icarus Online. Shown separately — this never changes Guns of Icarus Online’s Design Risk grade.
Own this game? Connect your Steam library to report a mechanic Sifter missed.
Time Respect
EstimatedNo time-coercive mechanics detected — this game lets you play on your own schedule.
Ownership
This game is yours to keep
- Plays offline — no server dependency, so it can't be switched off remotely.
- Sold through Steam; a Steam account is required to install it. Steam doesn't publish whether this title is otherwise DRM-free, so we can't confirm it runs standalone.
Whether you keep what you paid for is its own question, separate from the score. How Sifter measures games →
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