How to Know If an Online Game is Safe to Play

The world of online gaming is an alluring one that offers a multitude of entertainment with something for everyone, be it multiplayer co-op battles, solo ventures, puzzles, or city building. 

However, with millions of games to offer, ensuring the game you’ve chosen is legitimate becomes tricky and that could potentially put you in danger. The game is Safe to Play, but you must remain cautious and aware of potential threats.

So to help make sure that your gaming experience is a happy one we’ve created a guide to take you through the pitfalls, such as scams, how to recognize them, and the steps to take to protect yourself while online gaming.

Game Source Evaluation: Spotting Safe Games

The global gaming industry is worth well over $184 billion, making it a lucrative scene for hackers and other cybercriminals to exploit.

Games should be fun, full stop, but if you dive headfirst into an online game that takes your fancy without scrutinizing it, you could be leaving yourself vulnerable to malware, phishing attacks, and countless other scams. 

The source of a game will give away a lot of clues as to its legitimacy; reputable developers typically work with your cyber security in mind. 

So, checking where your game is from and digging into the developing team and publisher should always be your first port of call.

Tips for Checking Publishers and Developers

Reputable sources will have a very good track record. The following tips will help you stay safe:

• Search online for game reviews and look for developers who have plenty of high-quality games that have been a success online.
• Reading through Reddit and scrolling Metacritic can help you gauge a game’s safety. The online gaming community is huge, pretty open, and honest in their feedback. While a top-notch, safe game might get one or two complaints, reading multiple reviews from multiple sources will usually give you a good idea.
• Check out streamer footage to see the game for yourself. If enough well-known streamers have given it a whirl, then the chances are you’re in safe hands.
• Be wary of unknown or brand-new developers that bring up very few search results.
• Use official channels to download your chosen games, download directly from official sites, or use reputable game clients and stores such as Steam, Epic Games, and PlayStation Store.
• Remember that third-party site downloads and illegitimately cracked copies are likely to be hiding malicious software.

Game Evaluation: Recognizing Red Flags

In addition to putting the above source evaluation tips into practice, it is a good idea to check the design and performance.

Even reputable clients might harbour games that have a few red flags when it comes to permissions or performance issues that present potential risks.

Perform a Permission Assessment

Games request permissions during installation, some permissions are necessary for the game to function such as internet access or microphone use if there is an in-game voice chat. 

Suspicious games developed nefariously to collect their details might ask for permissions that are totally irrelevant to gameplay, such as your location or messaging and call history.

• Stay cautious of any game that asks for unnecessary permissions.
• Asses the permissions asked by cross-referencing the game feature details.

Evaluate the Performance

There are also a couple of post-download and post-installation things to consider. How a game performs or behaves can indicate whether something suspicious is afoot. 

Firstly, if a game that is relatively simple with no complex graphics is hogging your CPU like crazy, then it could potentially be running other programs elsewhere on your device.

Secondly, while many free-to-play games use in-game advertising to generate revenue, if you are being bombarded non-stop, you might want to re-evaluate.

If your device begins to slow down when you are hit by ads and in-app purchases, it could be an indication the game is low quality and possibly not as reputable and safe as you thought.

In-Game Protection Advice

So, armed with the above advice, you may be savvy enough to spot a legitimate game.

However, regardless of whether a game seems like the real deal or not, there are precautions you can take to ensure safe, fun gameplay. 

Below are 5 top tips that should always be adhered to if you want to keep your gameplay secure.

1. Access and Authentication Advice

Keeping your accounts private begins with a strong password, while a gaming account might seem less important than other accounts an unguessable password is a must.

Never use the same password for different accounts and platforms and where possible, take advantage of two-factor authentication (2FA) in case a password gets hacked.

2. Software and System Updates

Many cyber criminals gain unauthorized access via known issues with software and systems. 

These vulnerabilities are usually patched and addressed pretty quickly by reputable developers but if you don’t regularly update then you are left to be preyed upon.

Enabling automatic updates can help you stay on top, but don’t forget to manually check from time to time in case they have been disabled maliciously.

3. Transaction Monitoring

It is never a bad idea to check your financial statements for anything suspicious. All the more so if you are playing subscription-based games or anything that has in-app purchasing.

4. Use a VPN for Gaming

Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS attacks are some of the most common cyber tracks launched against gamers. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts connections and makes these attacks more difficult.

A VPN for gaming can also help you get around geo-restrictions, and select closer servers to reduce your lag.

5. Stay Cautious in Communication

Unsolicited messages should raise alarm bells, be wary of anything that suggests you might have something to gain, and never click any external links.

Conclusion

No one wants their gaming time ruined and sadly it seems there a plenty of malicious actors, scammers, and hackers out there who would happily ruin it for you. So the risks are there, knowing how to prevent yourself from becoming the next victim is key.

When you browse for a new game, risks can be reduced with a little pre-installation sleuthing. The source of a game and its reputation must be evaluated. User reviews and community feedback, especially when they mention that a game is safe to play, can be invaluable in picking a safe game.

Remember to err on the side of caution, check permissions, and pay attention to game performance to know that your game is good to go ahead with.