"Pay-to-win" gets used for any game with a store, but most free-to-play games sell something. The real question is whether money buys time and looks, or victories. These six questions tell the two apart, in any strategy game. After each one, we explain what Raidcrown does.
1. Can you buy something that affects battles and can't be earned?
If a troop, hero, upgrade or stat is only for sale, spending decides fights. Raidcrown: everything that affects combat can be earned by playing. The store sells gems (to speed up timers), cosmetic skins and an optional Season Pass.
2. Does matchmaking protect players who don't pay?
When matchmaking looks only at trophies, a player who rushes upgrades with money keeps meeting weaker opponents. Raidcrown: matchmaking weighs a power score (your Keep, defenses, troops and hero) as well as trophies, so a rushed base meets bases just as strong. The formula is on our fair-play page.
3. Do paid boosts work in competitive modes?
Boosts and potions that raise damage or speed in ranked play turn spending into wins. Raidcrown: there are no potions and no paid damage or strength bonuses. The premium Season Pass speeds up building and training by 10%. That is the only boost in the game, and it switches off in Feuds and the Crown League.
4. Is there paid randomness?
Loot boxes, chests and spins sell a chance at power and make spending hard to predict. Raidcrown: there are no random paid items. If we ever add one, we will publish its odds before you can buy it.
5. Does the game push you to spend at weak moments?
Offers that pop up right after a defeat, or countdown timers that keep coming back, are designed to catch you when you are frustrated. Raidcrown: no offers straight after a lost battle, no countdown offers that reappear after you close them, and every price is shown in your local currency.
6. Are younger players protected?
Raidcrown: players aged 13 to 17 can spend at most US$50 (or the local equivalent) per calendar month, enforced by our servers on every device, and the Season Pass never renews by itself. Our Parents' Guide explains every control.
Check it yourself
Good intentions are easy to claim, so we publish the numbers: matchmaking weights, how often computer-controlled opponents appear, speed-up prices and the odds of every random reward are all on our fair-play page, taken straight from the game's balance data. Raidcrown is coming soon to Android. Join the newsletter to hear the day it launches.