What is a Gacha Game?
Gacha games are typically a type of Free To Play (FtP) video game, with their source of revenue being a form of ‘gashapon’ (Gacha). Not all Gacha games are free, but most requiring money outside of the Gacha aspect are generally MMOs.
What Genre are gacha games?
The actual genre of Gacha games are vast, ranging from RPGs to shooters to hack n slashers.
However, they are usually anime inspired, since they aim to prey of certain type of individual, using a combination of FOMO, limited availability, and an individuals inability to stop gambling.
What is the difference between Gacha and Blind Boxes/Loot Boxes?
In general, if the game is anime inspired or of Eastern origin, with the intent of collecting pretty anime characters, it is considered Gacha Game.
If the game focuses on getting emotes, cosmetics, and character/weapon skins, and/or is a western franchise, it is likely considered a Game with Loot Boxes/Blind Boxes.
The primary difference is usually if the game is aimed towards targeting Anime fans generally though. The prior definitions are more technical definitions of the differences between, since both types of games are generally filled with the same abusive nonsense aimed at getting you to spend.
What is the appeal of Gacha games?
As mentioned above, there are multiple ways that a Gacha game is designed to get someones attention.
Sometimes it can be a game of a specific franchise, or it can be as simple as appealing character designs, or the fact that the base experience is actually really competently made.
They are also usually maliciously designed so that both people with gambling problems (either known to them, or are inclined towards problems with it), and neurodivergent folk (since we are generally inclined to hyper-focusing and obsessing over various things that have piqued our interests).