The Allure and Deception of “Get Rich While Gaming”: A Look at Atlas Earth

In mobile gaming, location-based apps like Atlas Earth have emerged as an enticing blend of entertainment and supposed passive income.

With promises of earning real money through virtual real estate investments, Atlas Earth markets itself as a game where users can “buy land, earn rent, and make money” by owning plots mapped to real-world locations.

I came across one of their ads on social media and decided to check it out. The game is impressively designed, highly engaging, and undeniably addictive…

However, a closer look reveals that the game’s portrayal of earnings is grossly unrealistic, and it exemplifies a growing trend of apps that mislead users with exaggerated claims of financial rewards.

atlas earth buy a plot screen

How Games Like Atlas Earth Mislead Users

The appeal of games like Atlas Earth lies in their ability to present a gamified version of passive income, tapping into users’ desire for financial freedom. However, the methods they use to market their platforms are often misleading.

1. Exaggerated Financial Claims

Atlas Earth promotes the idea of “earning rent” from virtual land, using language that suggests players can achieve meaningful financial gains. For many, the concept of passive income is highly appealing, especially when paired with gamified features that promise growth and rewards. But these claims are far from realistic.

2. Hidden Costs

Players can earn in-game currency by watching ads, but the process is painstakingly slow. As a result, most users feel compelled to purchase Atlas Bucks with real money to accelerate progress. This cost isn’t transparent upfront, leading users to spend more than they ever anticipated.

3. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) Tactics

The game leverages psychological triggers like limited-time boosts, exclusive plots, and leaderboards to encourage users to invest more money and time. These tactics exploit the human desire to avoid falling behind or missing opportunities, even when those opportunities are financially insubstantial.

4. The Illusion of Passive Income

Atlas Earth’s core promise of passive income is undermined by the time, effort, and money required to scale earnings. Boosts, ad-watching, and referrals are necessary to accelerate progress, turning what’s marketed as “passive” into an active grind.

The Reality Behind Atlas Earth’s Earnings

To truly understand the game’s financial prospects, let’s break down the numbers:

Base Earning Rate

Each plot of land earns 0.00000000111 cents per second, which sounds promising until you consider the actual math.

• Earnings Per Day and Week:
  • Daily earnings per plot: 0.00000000111 × 86,400 = 0.00000095904 dollars per day per plot.
  • Weekly earnings per plot: 0.00000000111 × 604,800 = 0.0000067 dollars per week per plot.
• Earnings Per Year:
  • Yearly earnings per plot: 0.00000000111 × 31,536,000 = 0.00035 dollars per year per plot.
• Breakeven Time:
  • A single plot costs 100 Atlas Bucks, roughly equivalent to $1.00 in real money.
  • To recoup this cost: 1 ÷ 0.00035 = 2,857 years.
• Earning $1 in One Week:
  • To make $1 in one week, you’d need: 1 ÷ 0.0000067 = 149,011 plots.
  • At 100 Atlas Bucks per plot, this would cost 14,901,100 Atlas Bucks, or approximately $149,011 in real money.
• Legendary Rent Boost (2.5x Multiplier):
  • Boosted weekly earnings per plot: 0.00000000002775 × 604,800 = 0.00001678848 dollars per week per plot.
  • Plots required to earn $1 in a week: 1 ÷ 0.00001678848 = 59,590 plots.
  • Cost of 59,590 plots: ~$59,590 in real money.

atlas earth shop page

The Rise of Gamified Financial Deception

Atlas Earth is part of a larger trend in mobile gaming: the rise of “play-to-earn” games that blur the line between entertainment and investment. These games, often marketed as revolutionary financial tools, prey on users who hope to combine fun with profit. However, the vast majority of these games fall into the following pitfalls:

1. Unclear Monetization Models

Many of these games generate profits primarily through microtransactions, where players spend real money to progress faster or gain advantages. The financial ecosystem within the game rarely benefits the user.

2. Targeting Vulnerable Users

These games often target younger audiences or individuals looking for alternative income streams. The promise of “easy money” attracts users who may lack the financial literacy to recognize the exploitative nature of the game.

3. Addiction to Incremental Rewards

The design of such games is addictive, relying on small, incremental rewards to keep players engaged. This addiction can lead users to invest more time and money than they intended, with little to no return.

The Consequences of Misleading Gamification

The misleading promises of games like Atlas Earth are not just harmless marketing ploys—they can have real consequences for players:

• Financial Losses: Users who invest significant amounts of money into in-game purchases often find themselves with no way to recoup their losses. The promise of financial gain is ultimately a mirage.
• Time Wasted: Players may spend countless hours grinding for rewards, only to realize that their time has been undervalued. In the case of Atlas Earth, even watching ads or completing surveys earns less than a fraction of a cent.
• Erosion of Trust: As more games adopt these tactics, the public’s trust in legitimate financial or investment tools may erode. The line between gaming and actual income opportunities becomes blurred, making it harder for users to differentiate between the two.

A Call for Transparency in Gamified Earnings

While location-based games like Atlas Earth can be entertaining, they need to be more transparent about the realistic financial outcomes for players. Companies should clearly communicate:

• The actual earning potential of their platforms.
• The costs associated with boosting or accelerating progress.
• The true timeline for recouping investments.

Regulatory bodies may also need to step in to ensure that apps making financial claims are held to higher standards of transparency and accountability.

Conclusion

Atlas Earth may promise an exciting blend of gaming and passive income, but the numbers tell a different story. For most players, the game is a losing proposition, with returns so small that profitability is nearly impossible. As games like this continue to grow in popularity, it’s essential for users to approach them with skepticism and for developers to prioritize transparency over misleading marketing.

At its best, Atlas Earth is a fun and innovative way to explore the virtual real estate concept. At its worst, it’s a reminder that not everything marketed as a “game” is meant to be fair—or even fun—for the player.