Fake Game but Real Play: Exploring Player Motivations and Coping Strategies with Fake Games

Fake games are an emerging form of games characterized by misleading advertising (external referent) and perceived inauthenticity in gameplay (internal referent). While previous research has examined game authenticity, deceptive advertising, and game design, there is a lack of understanding about why players engage with fake games despite their deceptive nature and how they cope with the fakeness of these games. To address these questions, we conducted an interview study with 30 mobile game players. Through reflexive thematic analysis, we identified four motivations for playing fake games, such as curiosity and easy entertainment, and four coping mechanisms, including adaptive and reconciled play. We discuss how players uniquely interact with the fakeness of fake games and how these games form a distinct ecosystem at the intersection of digital platforms, digital marketplaces, and game developers. We conclude with implications for research and design to mitigate their impact and improve the gaming environment.