There was a time when gaming was simple.
You played after work.
You paused when real life called.
You stopped when your child needed you.
Somewhere along the way—especially with mobile games—that balance quietly died.
This isn’t an anti-gaming article.
I play games.
I have been addicted to games.
I understand the dopamine loop, the comfort, the escape.
What this is, however, is a warning—drawn from lived experience—about what happens when a predatory mobile game stops being entertainment and starts becoming a replacement for real life.
In my case, that game is Last War: Survival.
And yes, I’m going to say this plainly:
Last War Survival has been a bane to my small family’s existence.
For the past year and a half, my wife has been consumed by Last War Survival.
Not casually playing.
Not “just relaxing.”
Not the occasional distraction.
I’m talking about hours on end, every single day.
- Playing in bed until early morning
- Oversleeping because of late-night “wars”
- Playing during meals
- Playing during social events
- Playing while driving
- Playing while our son is asking for her attention
When my child asks to talk to his mother and gets silence because a “war” is happening in a mobile game, something is deeply wrong.
At first, there were excuses.
“I can’t sleep.”
“It helps my insomnia.”
“I’m stressed over our debts.”
But insomnia doesn’t explain playing during lunch, dinner, birthdays, gatherings, and family moments.
Insomnia doesn’t explain emotional absence.
Addiction does.
Addiction Doesn’t Always Look the Same—But It Sure Feels the Same
People get uncomfortable when you compare gaming addiction to drug addiction. But anyone who’s lived with an addict knows the patterns are eerily familiar. I should know. I’ve been one. I also have two younger brothers who are just as totally addicted to gaming as I used to be.
| Addiction Pattern | Substance Abuse | Gaming Addiction |
| Escapism | Yes | Yes |
| Prioritizing the addiction | Yes | Yes |
| Neglecting family | Yes | Yes |
| Lying or minimizing behavior | Yes | Yes |
| Irritability when interrupted | Yes | Yes |
| Emotional disconnection | Yes | Yes |
Last War Survival doesn’t just allow addiction—it engineers it.
Why Last War Survival Is Especially Dangerous
Not all games are equal. Some you can pause. Some respect your time.
Last War Survival does not.
1. It Demands Constant Presence
Alliance wars, timed events, daily check-ins, scheduled duels—miss one and you fall behind.
This creates:
- Anxiety
- Fear of letting teammates down
- Pressure to stay online at specific times
Real life becomes the interruption—not the game. And because real life is an interruption, people become impatient, shout at their children for the slightest disturbances. Worse, they will opt to “stay home” instead of attending important events like Children’s Christmas parties and others.
2. It Weaponizes Social Obligation
Once alliances enter the picture, quitting stops being simple.
You’re no longer “just playing.”
You’re:
- A contributor
- A resource
- A warmate
- A ranked member
That’s not gameplay. That’s social engineering.
3. It Exploits the Sunk Cost Fallacy
The longer you play, the harder it becomes to walk away.
“I’ve already spent months on this.”
“I can’t quit now.”
“I’d be wasting everything I built.”
That feeling? That’s not fun. That’s psychological manipulation. Oh I know how that feels. After almost completing my Fallout Shelter Online characters, I couldn’t walk away that easily.
Had I not made a promise to God that I would stop if he gave me a good client or company to work for, I don’t think I would have stopped.
4. It Is a Pay-to-Win Money Trap
The game constantly pushes purchases:
- “Limited time” packs
- Power boosts
- Speed-ups
- Hero upgrades
Alliance gift boxes normalize spending. When someone drops $50 or $100, it becomes socially acceptable—even expected.
Some families don’t realize the financial damage until the credit card statement arrives. I suspect my wife has purchased some packs but that’s her money so it’s really none of my business at this point.
The Emotional Affair Nobody Wants to Talk About
I’m going to say something uncomfortable.
I strongly suspect my wife has formed an online emotional relationship with someone in the game.
And honestly?
I don’t even care anymore.
That’s how disconnected she’s been.
Mobile games like Last War Survival blur boundaries:
- Constant private chats
- Shared “struggles”
- Emotional validation
- Late-night coordination
For people unhappy, lonely, or emotionally checked out, the game becomes a parallel life—one where they feel needed, powerful, and admired.
At the expense of the people or children physically sitting beside them.
How Gaming Addiction Destroys Careers
Let’s move beyond family for a moment and talk about work.
Career Damage Caused by Gaming Addiction
- Missed deadlines
- Reduced focus
- Chronic fatigue
- Declining performance
- Loss of professional credibility
- Stagnation or termination
When your brain is constantly checking the clock for the next in-game event, deep work becomes impossible.
You’re not present. You’re distracted. You’re split.
And employers notice—even if they don’t say it immediately.
I’ve lost a few clients back in the day because I was still immature about my role as a freelancer and money was good back then. I took it for granted and lost that client.
I still regret that because that was a fun way to meet “underground” celebrities who work for the other Hollywood. And I would interview them and write about their personal lives to give other people a different perspective on them as a person.
I miss that job… so many beautiful women…
To this day I am still amazed at how I managed to resist the temptation to form a relationship with any one in that industry. Not that I had a real shot anyway…
Ooofff… I’m going way off on a tangent here…
Anyway… moving on.
Why I Know This Firsthand (Because I’ve Been There)
I’m not writing this from a moral high horse.
I was addicted to Fallout Shelter Online.
The difference?
- It didn’t require scheduled participation
- I could put it down instantly
- It never took priority over my son
When I decided to take my career seriously, I removed it.
I deleted the game in December 2023, while going through interviews for Zywave. By January 2024, I was hired as an SEO Specialist, and the game never came back into my life in a meaningful way.
After six months away, the addiction simply… died.
That’s the difference between a game and a trap.
Last War Survival Is a Scam—Not Because It’s Illegal, But Because It Lies
The game markets itself dishonestly.
It advertises:
- Simple math puzzles
- Casual zombie gameplay
What you actually get:
- A time-gated base builder
- Aggressive monetization
- Alliance dependency
- Psychological pressure
The bait-and-switch is intentional. The math game is just the hook.
After that, it’s all timers, paywalls, and social obligation.
The Real Cost of “Free” Games
| Cost Type | Hidden Impact |
| Time | Thousands of hours lost |
| Money | Microtransactions add up |
| Health | Sleep deprivation |
| Relationships | Emotional neglect |
| Career | Missed growth opportunities |
If Last War Survival were sold as a $20 upfront game, most people would never touch it.
Instead, people spend thousands—slowly, invisibly, and often shamefully.
When a Game Replaces Reality
The hardest part of all this?
Realizing the person you loved is still physically there—but emotionally gone.
Existing not in this plane of reality, but inside a server.
Living for digital wars.
Caring more about alliance rankings than their own child.
That realization is devastating.
And yes, this game has effectively destroyed my marriage.
Why I’m Writing This Anyway
I know there’s a risk.
Someone might read this and get curious.
Someone might download the game.
And for that, I’m sorry.
But silence helps no one.
If this article convinces even one person to uninstall an addictive game or behavior, to look up from their phone, to talk to their child, to choose reality over a dopamine loop—then it was worth writing.
Entertainment Should Never Cost You Your Life
Games should be:
- Fun
- Optional
- Pause-able
- Secondary
The moment a game demands your time, loyalty, money, and emotional presence at the expense of your family and career—it stops being entertainment.
It becomes something else entirely.
Yes, gaming addiction is real and it can be just as devastating to someone’s life and everyone around them as addiction to narcotics.
If you’re reading this and seeing yourself—or someone you love—in these words, know this:
You’re not crazy.
You’re not overreacting.
And you’re not alone.
Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do…
is uninstall.