{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/engagement-retention--family-18","type":"mechanic","id":"engagement-retention--family-18","lang":"en","title":"Selling relief from constraints and advantages","summary":"Paid access removes a limitation or provides an advantage. Evaluation depends on transparent terms and voluntary spending.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/engagement-retention--family-18/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/engagement-retention--family-18.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/engagement-retention--family-18.md","aliases":["Selling relief from limitations"],"tags":["Engagement, retention and addictive patterns","Mechanics catalog"],"sourceIds":["source-38db45754d75dfcb"],"sources":[{"id":"source-38db45754d75dfcb","title":"Duolingo","url":"https://www.duolingo.com/super","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"Selling the removal of restrictions or benefits ties the player's inconvenience and power to costs; value transparency and voluntariness."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n<a id=\"family-18-variants\"></a>\n\n- Purchasing energy and attempts: payment allows you to continue beyond the set limit <a id=\"variant-engagement-retention-18-01\"></a>\n- Paid continuation after defeat: you can save the current run or result <a id=\"variant-engagement-retention-18-02\"></a>\n- Acceleration of timers: waiting is removed by payment <a id=\"variant-engagement-retention-18-03\"></a>\n- Paid grind pass: money replaces long repetition of actions <a id=\"variant-engagement-retention-18-04\"></a>\n- Selling the elimination of inconveniences: cramped inventory, slow collection and other restrictions are removed by purchase <a id=\"variant-engagement-retention-18-05\"></a>\n- Buying a competitive advantage, pay-to-win: spending becomes a way to stay competitive <a id=\"variant-engagement-retention-18-06\"></a>\n- Regular obsolescence of paid power: new stronger objects create the need to gain advantage again <a id=\"variant-engagement-retention-18-07\"></a>\n- Paid loss protection: purchase saves series, property, rating or result <a id=\"variant-engagement-retention-18-08\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"A map of 160 techniques for analyzing interest, returns, costs and pressure on the player. Involvement in itself does not mean dependence; the presence of separate mechanics does not determine the diagnosis or prove causation. This is the author's classification for critical analysis of design, and not a scientifically established list of the causes of gaming disorder. Assess context, audience, voluntariness of participation, and opportunity to stop."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"engagement-retention","id":"family-18","title":"Engagement, retention and addictive patterns","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/engagement-retention/#family-18","categoryIds":["section-1"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Selling relief from limitations","description":"Paid access removes a limitation or provides an advantage. Evaluation depends on transparent terms and voluntary spending.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/learning-duolingo-super-comparison.webp","width":1280,"height":720,"crop":{"x":175,"y":375,"width":930,"height":345},"game":"Duolingo","sourceUrl":"https://www.duolingo.com/super","originalUrl":"https://www.duolingo.com/super","credit":"Duolingo; public website capture, 2026-10-22","rights":"© Duolingo. Signed-out public subscription page captured without starting a trial or signing in, 2026-10-22. All rights reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"Duolingo: public comparison of free access and Super limitations","alt":"Duolingo: public comparison of free access and Super limitations","markers":[{"x":48,"y":79,"label":"Unlimited hearts are listed as a Super benefit"}]},"tips":["Show available free actions and complete terms for the paid option."],"examples":[{"title":"Duolingo","url":"https://www.duolingo.com/super"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/engagement-retention"}}