What are your favorite video games that feel like gambling but are not gambling games?

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I mean “not gambling games” very strictly, this post is intended to be about games that give the aesthetic, impulsive feedback and addictively risky gameplay feel of gambling without actually being gambling meaning that either the games are free or you buy them and keep them, no microtransaction crap tolerated in this thread at all.

I think it is very unethical to actually make a gambling video game, so I want to highlight games that explore these territories without hurting the player.

The kind of games I am thinking of are.

The Original Peggle games/other original Popcap Games (NOT EA’s slop)

to a less extent Peglin and Roundguard.

Luck Be A Landlord

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1404850/Luck_be_a_Landlord/

Balatro

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2379780/Balatro/

Games I haven’t tried/aren’t familiar with but look like they fit the bill.

Scritchy Scratchy

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3948120/Scritchy_Scratchy/

Raccoin

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3784030/RACCOIN_Coin_Pusher_Roguelike/

Dice A Million

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3430340/Dice_A_Million/

Whatever it means to you though I am interested in your answers!

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The ones I recognize aren’t actually gambling at all, they just aesthetically resemble them. From Balatro and what I remember of peggle there’s no risk/reward really. From your description I’d expect something like a mechanic where you bet a resource where you clear a challenge (where the resource is an in game currency for upgrades etc but money or a proxy).

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OP

Not necessarily, I consider anything that gives you a similar feeling close enough for this discussion.

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Clover Pit fits this perfectly, because you aren’t actually gambling, but in game you are totally gambling.

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Let’s go gambling! Better get your piss jar and lucky coin at the ready!

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I can’t give you a title because Balatro is the only one I know that fits your bill and you already mentioned it, but I think the concept of video game dark patterns is related to your post to some degree. So if anyone here isn’t familiar with the concept, might want to check it out

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Literally most oldschool JRPGs.

Oh, the enemy chose their insanely OP attack, 3 times in a row?

Try again.

Maybe they won’t this time.

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Vampire Survivors. Definitely addictive.

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Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, blackjack roguelike

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Going by your description, it could be interpreted as “any games heavy on luck that aren’t gachas”.

If so, God Hand for the PS2 with its between stages casino minigames for example would count.

Also, Crisis Core for the PSP (and apparently modern consoles and Steam now too?) with the playable character’s power being a literal roulette that is constantly spinning, allowing him to mimic other people’s abilities when icons match.

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Pokemon

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Yeah, Pokémon red and blue especially. Gold and silver too. Did they all have it?

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In YuGiOh legacy of the duelist link evolution, you get cards by opening boosters so it has that pack opening aspect of building your decks and collection. It simulates being a tcg addict pretty well. The gameplay is a bit dated in terms of the game now but still has like 10,000 cards to obtain

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