Postknight 2

Postknight 2 is a prime example of how to properly monetize a free-to-play game. While there were still some aspects that I didn't love, it is clear that the developers respect their players. Similar games may use banner ads or unskippable pop-ups to supplement their micro-transactions, but Postknight 2 puts its players in control. If I wanted to, I could have played the whole game without seeing a single ad or spending a single cent. I had enough fun with my time in the game, and the incentives to watch ads were excellent, so I didn't take that approach, but I'm impressed that it was even an option.

Postknight 2 is a simple action RPG, trimming down the genre so it's conducive to quick play sessions on a small screen. You take on the role of a fledgling postknight, and your job is to brave the dangerous wilds of your world in order to make all manner of deliveries. You'll face hostile animals, monsters, thieves, and more, so you'll want to be well-equipped. There is a pretty lengthy story, but gameplay-wise, it is virtually identical to the rest of the game.
 
When playing Postknight 2, you'll usually be going on delivery quests, which earn you experience points, resources, and money. Experience points allow you to level up and improve your stats, resources can be used to craft armor and potions, and money can pay for said armor, as well as stat-boosting foods and new weapon skills. These facets form the main gameplay loop of adventuring and making incremental improvements to your postknight. As you improve, you'll be able to take on the increasingly difficult story missions to unlock new shops and locations, which can be quite exciting. While the number-crunching alone can feel very rewarding, it is also the main focus of the game's monetization scheme.

There are plenty of micro-transactions available in Postknight 2's in-game store, but I generally ignored those (although I did give in one time to buy the cute blooplet pet that makes your postknight run faster). Instead, I watched absolutely every advertisement I possibly could. While I would normally hate that kind of thing in any other game, Postknight 2 only offers you the opportunity to watch an ad at specific times, and you can always refuse. However, if you do sacrifice those 30 seconds of playtime, you can get some valuable rewards. From doubling offline earnings to collecting premium items for free, almost every incentive felt worth it. There was even a system that allowed you to bank ad watches for later redemption. Every week, you could watch a few ads to receive ad-skip tickets which you can use to get any ad-based reward instantly. I took advantage of that system multiple times when I was in a rush, and it served to cement even further that the developers respected me and my time.

Gradually, your momentum will slow and it will become clear that the developers want you to start putting real money towards getting your upgrades faster. However, that comes so far into the game that you've probably played enough to justify sending the dev team some support. While I did drop a little hard cash on the game, it wasn't long after that I decided I had my fill. Postknight 2 was a lot of fun, but I didn't want to make the same mistake I did with Fantasy Life and push myself until it became a drag. As it stands, I can happily recommend Postknight 2 if you're looking for a simple RPG to play in your downtime. There are better options than this if you're looking for something to dive deeper into, but at this price point, it's hard to find a better deal.
The game is available for Android here (as of 11/27/24): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kurechii.postknight2&hl=en_US
The game is available for iOS here (as of 11/27/24): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/postknight-2/id1497250814

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