Dark pattern
Also said as Deceptive design, Manipulative design, Roach motel, Confirmshaming
A design that gets people to do something they would not choose if they saw clearly. Harry Brignull coined the term in 2010. Zagal, Björk and Lewis applied it to games in 2013.
It makes this quarter's numbers go up by spending your players' trust, and regulators now act on it. The FTC's 2022 case against Epic over Fortnite's purchase design ended in an order, finalised in March 2023, to pay $245 million in refunds. The test: if you would be embarrassed to explain how the button works, it's a dark pattern.
Say it
“Cancel must take the same number of taps as subscribing. Same size button, same contrast, no guilt copy. Any screen in the purchase flow that we would not show a journalist comes out.”
Where you’ve seen it
The FTC said Fortnite's button layout led players to buy things by accident with a single press, and that accounts were locked when people disputed charges.
Not to be confused with persuasive design
Persuasive design makes the thing you already want easier. A dark pattern depends on you not noticing, or on making your own choice hard to act on.