The purpose of this work is to familiarize the reader with the gaming mechanisms, systems, and tools necessary for designing the game economy and verifying its balance. We introduce the model of free-to-play games and explain the monetization methods used in this model. We present the difficulty system and the economic system in the game, whose task is to encourage user engagement, retention, and profit generation for developers through monetization methods present in the game. The work demonstrates a way to create an appropriate level of difficulty for the selected target audience, regulated by the economic system, specifically through the control of resource and currency flow in the game. To simulate user progression through the game and thus verify its balance, we design and utilize a simulator to ensure the stability of the economy. In the work, we present the design of a specific game, its main systems, and later verify the stability of the systems through simulation. The use of the simulator addresses numerous open questions, connected with game progression, and assists developers in further game development and monetization opportunities shaping.
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