Is It Really Free? In-Game Purchases and Tricky Buttons

1. What your child learns and why

Your child plays an invented game with invented coins and sees five ways a game can nudge towards a purchase: a clock, a glowing button, a surprise box, “everyone is buying” and coins instead of money. They turn coins into an invented price and make a family rule: a pause, a question to an adult and the price in real money. Everything is invented — nothing is bought.

2. Three questions for dinner

• “When did a game offer you something to buy? How did you feel?”
• “What makes you want more — the clock, the colour of the button or the surprise box?”
• “What will our rule be: who decides about payments and how long do we wait?”

3. 15 minutes together without a screen — the surprise shop

1. Cut out 10 paper tokens and draw small prizes on slips (some the same). Put them in a box.
2. One surprise costs 3 tokens. After the third draw count the tokens and the prizes. How often did the same one repeat?
3. Talk: what makes you want one more draw? What do we do to stop? Write down the family rule.

4. What success looks like

• Your child names at least three tricky buttons in their own words.
• They ask “how much is this in real money?” and say that a pause is good.

5. Common difficulties

• Asks for “just one” purchase → “I understand it is exciting. Let's pause and look at the price in euros.”
• Hides purchases out of shame → “I won't be angry. Tell me so we can sort it out together.”

Say: “It is not embarrassing to ask.” You don't need to know all the answers; find out together.

6. Safety

The lesson has no real payments, registrations or links to shops; the game and the prices are invented and no real games are mentioned. Payments and parental controls belong to the adult. If something worries your child — they should tell an adult they trust. For you: on 21 March 2025 the network of national consumer protection authorities, coordinated by the European Commission, adopted key principles for clear and transparent use of virtual currencies in online games (European Commission — Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network, read 2026-11-02).

7. Where to go next

Next lesson: coming soon (DB-IB-24, if added) — otherwise see DB-IL-01 “Beaver Tasks”. Previous: DB-IB-22 (coming soon). For age ratings and game requirements: DB-RK-08 “Installing a Game”.

You don't need to know the answer. Say: “Let's find out together.”