Virtual Inequality

"Inequality hurts even in make-belief."

Inequality in real-world societies are associated with psychological distress and behavioral consequences. However, less is known about whether similar dynamics emerge when inequality exists within virtual environments or make-belief worlds. As online games increasingly constitute meaningful social spaces, it becomes critical to examine how players perceive and react to structural and resource differences online to optimize their experiences. This study studies perceptions of inequality in the online simulation game "Whiteout Survival," using semi-structured interviews and think-aloud gameplay walkthrough protocols. By focusing on players' interpretations of resource distribution, ranking systems, gaming mechanisms, and in-game social dynamics, our analyses revealed that players' attitudes on inequality vary according to their relative status: those occupying lower positions often criticize unfair structures, yet as they acquire stakes through resource accumulation or social integration, many defend the same systems they previously opposed. These shifts reveal how hierarchies reproduce position-dependent evaluations of fairness. The consequences of inequality on player actions depended on the transparency of game mechanisms, the structure of community hierarchies, and differential social capital. This work shows how human social perception and consequent actions are transformed when enacted in virtual processes in make-belief.

Publication: Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CHI PLAY'26), arxiv.