Carnival Tycoon has taken the mobile game community by storm the past few months. It is a fun and simple simulation game where the goal is to build your amusement park and participate in mini-games. It is a free-to-play game but the developers also offer many possible payments, from microtransactions to bigger in-app purchases. Of course, it’s easier to progress when you pay for resources like batteries and coins. But, is it for everyone? Let’s get into it.

What can spending money get you in Carnival Tycoon ? 

When you log into the game, you’ll see many pop-up windows for offers. The whole left side of the game is reserved for paying offers. There are many different options, from mini-games, battery packs, card and joker packs and special event items. So, what can you do with these and are they worth it? 

Higher ranking in mini-games and tournaments

By paying, you can obviously get further in mini-games and tournaments. Players are often missing just a few resources to get to the milestone they want to get to (conveniently for the game developers). By buying resources, you can get the relative rewards. You can also rank higher in tournaments because you’ll be spinning more.

Longer playing time

Because you’ll have more resources to progress, spending money in Carnival Tycoon can give you more playing time. Batteries regenerate quite slowly so you can only play for twenty or thirty minutes a day without spending (in most cases). 

Should you spend money in Carnival Tycoon?

Maybe you already spent money on the game. If that’s the case, take this as a response to whether you should keep on spending in the game. There are a few things to know about the game before you make this decision:

• One thing to mention is that the game removes ads for paying players (which has upset the community) so you will no longer be able to claim the 100-ish batteries per day by watching ads. This can add up to the equivalent of a $1,99 spend per day.
• The game will apparently purposely stall you before a milestone to make it more difficult for you. They do this to increase the chances that you spend money.
• If you spend, lots of players have had issues with Carnival Tycoon’s customer service so you might not get the answers to your questions.

There is no problem spending if: 

• You can afford it
• You don’t feel addicted and you don’t feel guilty afterwards
• It is just a form of entertainment for you 

You should probably not spend money if: 

• You can’t afford it 
• Your game spending is out of control
• You play long hours everyday

Don’t forget to claim the daily Carnival Tycoon freebies to get extra rewards without spending. We centralise them all on our freebies page and update the links multiple times a day. 

Final thoughts

Paying for in-app purchases isn’t a problem as long as you are still in control and you can afford it. Buying a pack here and there to get you past a milestone is a normal form of entertainment. However, beware of the game mechanics that push you to spend, and try not to be easily manipulated. 

If you feel like your in-app spending is out of control, please reach out to someone.