[Participating in the Nexon PEAK Post Challenge]

I normally don’t spend money on games. Up to this point, I hadn’t spent on any other game even once. The only exception was Mabinogi Mobile, where I spent a little—but for a long time, I played completely free-to-play! I’ve been playing for almost a year now, and it actually hasn’t been that long since I started spending.

I did end up spending because there were a few things I wanted more of, but honestly, I think Mabinogi Mobile feels best as a free-to-play game! Or, at most, I’d only recommend spending a very small amount. It was that kind of game for me—I could have more than enough fun without putting much money into it.

 

 

< Why I Was Able to Progress Without Pressure >

 

1. Main quests and all the different events!

In Mabinogi Mobile, simply progressing through the main quest and the game’s various content gave me a steady supply of the resources I needed to grow. Daily content and event rewards were also set up really well, so I never had much trouble building my character even without pushing myself to spend.

I also really liked how much weight the game gives to life content. Just doing things like gathering, crafting, and fishing made my time feel worthwhile, and I could enjoy the game in different ways without repeating combat over and over. Because of that, even when I played at my own pace, I didn’t feel like I was falling behind much.

The one area I usually like to spend on is fashion costumes, but even when I was free-to-play, the game gave out rewards through events and notices, so I could still pull outfits I liked and enjoy them! Of course, I couldn’t just pull exactly what I wanted, as much as I wanted—but I think that’s simply the fate of being free-to-play!

Events also happen often, so there are lots of different rewards to pick up! Just by logging in every day and consistently enjoying the content, I had plenty of chances to get items that helped with progression. Because of that, it never felt burdensome to enjoy for a long time, even on a small budget.

 

 

2. A cooperative mindset!

More than anything, I loved that the overall atmosphere was much more about cooperation and adventure than competition. Instead of spending heavily to rush good gear, I could have plenty of fun just by running dungeons with friends or exploring different areas together.

On top of that, in Abyss and raids, even if you haven’t reached the recommended combat power or recommended magic resistance, you can still clear them and earn great rewards as long as you meet the entry combat power and your party members help you out. It felt even better because for magic resistance, only the party leader has to meet that requirement. If you ask for help or open a party, a lot of people really do come help pretty often! That’s how I got help too when I was still a beginner!

 

 

< Play Tips I Want to Recommend >

At the start, I definitely recommend focusing on the main quest first. If you follow the main quest line, the leveling speed is fast enough that you can reach max level within a week, and content unlocks naturally along the way, which made the early game feel much smoother for me. I actually reached max level in just 3 days back then!

It’s also a good idea to keep up with the life content consistently. Spending money doesn’t make those stats go up—instead, they grow based on the time you put in. Since life stats are important too, not just combat power, it’s a great part of the game to enjoy even without spending!

I also recommend joining events whenever possible and trying not to miss them. There were honestly a lot more free rewards than I expected, and they helped my progression a lot, so I was able to keep building my character steadily without spending money.

 

To wrap up,

Mabinogi Mobile was a game where I could have plenty of fun without investing a lot of money. If you keep up with the main quest, life content, and the various events, you naturally grow over time, so the pressure to spend never felt very high.

If you’re looking for a game you can start lightly and enjoy for a long time, this is one I’d definitely recommend trying at least once!