Hey everyone, I’ve been debating whether to post this for a long time. It’s not easy admitting this, but after stepping back and looking at the numbers, I feel like I need to share my experience—not for myself, but to warn others who might be heading down the same path. I’m using a throwaway account for obvious reasons, but I feel it’s important to put this out there and hopefully help someone avoid making the same mistakes I did. I started playing Whiteout Survival in December 2023 and played actively until June 2024. After that, I only played on and off until September. At first, it felt like a fun and strategic game, and I genuinely enjoyed it. But then the spending started. What began as small purchases to speed things up or stay competitive quickly spiraled out of control. Over time, I ended up spending a total of $31,937.43 USD. My average daily spending came out to $251.48, and my highest single-day spend was $794.49. Seeing these numbers in front of me now is honestly shocking, but when I was making those purchases, it felt like the right thing to do at the time. Looking back, I can now see how the game was designed to encourage spending. Limited-time offers, leaderboard pressure, and social elements within events all made it feel necessary to keep spending just to stay competitive. On top of that, preparing for things like SvS (State vs. State) wars required continuously purchasing and hoarding resources, which only added to the feeling that if I didn’t spend, I’d fall behind. It’s easy to get caught up in this loop, especially when you feel like you’re investing in something long-term. I’ve struggled with gambling issues in the past, and the more I look at this, the more it feels like the same pattern playing out again. The game exploited my addictive tendencies, and I didn’t even realize it until it was too late. This kind of spending behavior isn’t normal, and seeing how quickly it added up really made me question how games like this are allowed to operate the way they do. It’s not just about buying things—it’s about how these games are built to make you feel like you have to spend in order to keep up. Since stepping away, I’ve started filing refund claims through Google Play since two days ago. I don’t expect to get everything back, but I’m doing it to make a point—these systems are predatory, and people need to be aware of it. I’m not here to tell anyone to stop playing. I get it—games like this can be fun, and they do a great job of pulling you in. But I do think it’s worth taking a moment to track your spending and be honest with yourself about whether it’s worth it. What felt like small purchases added up quickly for me, and thankfully, I stopped in time before it became something I couldn’t recover from. I don’t need the money back—I’m fortunate that this didn’t ruin me financially. But what scares me is how easily it could have. If you’re reading this and spending money on the game, don’t ignore the warning signs. Track your spending. Be honest with yourself. And if this post helps even one person stop before it’s too late, then it was worth sharing. If you’ve been through something similar, feel free to share your story—or DM me if you need tips on refunds. Stay safe out there. P.S. English is not my first language so I used ChatGPT to help with my Grammar and to structure my paragraphs. Edit: grammar mistakes...