School of Dragons
SteamJumpStart Games, Inc. · JumpStart Games, Inc.
Design Risk Score
Estimated8/100
2 mechanics flagged
Why this score
- FOMO Events+6
Time-limited content with cosmetic-only stakes.
Why this counts
Przybylski et al. (2013) formalized the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) construct. Games exploit this by attaching scarcity signals to social currency items, creating anxiety that is only relievable through immediate purchase.
- Przybylski et al., Computers in Human Behavior — FoMO construct (2013)
- Scarcity principle (Cialdini) applied to limited-time store offers
- Microtransactions+2
In-game purchases sells cosmetic items only — no gameplay advantage.
Points reflect severity, not just presence — cosmetic-only purchases score far lower than pay-for-power. Total: 8/100. This game was scored from its Steam store listing, so its mechanics are an estimate. How scoring works →
Joy Index
62/100
Good
Community score: 62/100
Joy is the share of players who recommend it on Steam, published as-is.
Verdict
Mindful
Enjoy mindfully
Some mild monetization exists, but the core game offers genuine value. Stay aware of spending triggers.
- Set a monthly cosmetics budget
- Ignore FOMO event pressure
- Focus on what you genuinely enjoy
Where to buy
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School of Dragons: your questions, answered
Estimated from store data- Is School of Dragons pay to win?
- No. School of Dragons's real-money purchases don't sell gameplay power — Sifter found no pay-to-win mechanics.
- Does School of Dragons have loot boxes or gacha?
- No. Sifter found no loot boxes or gacha in School of Dragons — no paid randomised rewards.
- Does School of Dragons have microtransactions?
- Yes. School of Dragons has in-game purchases (an in-game store). They buy cosmetic items only — no gameplay advantage.
- How aggressively is School of Dragons monetised?
- Sifter grades School of Dragons A — 8/100 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 School of Dragons respect your time?
- School of Dragons scores 80/100 on Sifter's Time Respect scale. It uses limited-time (FOMO) events, which pull you back on the game's schedule rather than yours.
Mods
Upload a mod →Detected Design Patterns
Content is available only during a limited window, then rotates out.
Players report
Community-reported mechanics from players who own School of Dragons. Shown separately — this never changes School of Dragons’s Design Risk grade.
Own this game? Connect your Steam library to report a mechanic Sifter missed.
Time Respect
Estimated- Limited-Time Events-20
Time-limited content pressures you to play now instead of when you actually want to.
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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