Fake Scarcity Store: a free game about fake urgency

What is Fake Scarcity Store?

First build the most stressful product page you can: fake countdowns, “37 people are looking”, “only 2 left”. Then swap sides and shop on a rival's page, tapping every fake pressure signal.

Fake Scarcity Store is a free satire game about pressure selling. First, build a product page that stresses shoppers out: countdowns, “37 people are looking”, “only 2 left”.

Then swap sides. On a rival's page, tap every fake pressure signal and leave the real facts alone.

At a glance

Category

Social Engineering

Difficulty

Easy

Play time

3–5 min

Price

Free, in your browser, sign-up optional

How to play

Build

Each trick you switch on adds its stress to your score.

Spot

On the rival page, tap each fake signal: +100. A real fact: −50.

Three levels

Beginner, Intermediate or Expert, picked before you play: the content and the clock change, and each level keeps its own best score.

Satire

Satire with a lesson: every name, brand and platform is made up, and every run ends on how to spot the trick.

Scoring

Your stress points from part 1, then +100 per fake signal spotted and −50 per real fact tapped.

Win by spotting at least 70% of the fakes.

What it trains

Spotting fake urgency

Countdowns, stock alerts, fake was-prices.

Calm shopping

Deciding without the rush.

Strategy and tips

Fakes push, facts inform

Anything that makes you hurry is a candidate; delivery times and materials are not.

Mind the penalty

Tapping a real fact costs 50 points.

In real life

Reload the page: a countdown that resets was never a deadline.

Why play Fake Scarcity Store?

Fake scarcity works because it rushes decisions. Building it yourself makes it easy to spot.

Frequently asked questions