zynga.com
Rating: 4+
FarmVille takes a long time to get cooking without gifts from friends.
$0 Spent: Grinding
FarmVille popularized the free-to-play revolution back in 2009, and it’s still going strong today. Starting with a blank space, you’ll harvest crops and build up the land, but it takes a long time to make any progress without investing cash.
$5 Spent: What Now?
You don’t get a lot for your $5 in FarmVille—either a small sum of coins or a pittance of FV bucks, neither of which goes a long way toward houses or items. Find a few established FV friends to mooch from; otherwise you’ll be staring at the screen a lot.
$15 Spent: Seeds of Doubt
After spending $15 in a farming game, I expected to be commanding vast lands of crops. Instead, I had three buildings, a few trees, and a small field of pumpkins. FarmVille may be influential, but it’s hardly the paragon of free-to-play fulfillment.
Colorful crops and animals make this freemium hit undeniably adorable.
Best Option: $0
Link up with FV veterans who like to share—otherwise, it’s a slow and pricey route to entertainment.
nimblebit.com
Rating: 4+
Each floor houses a different business or residence for “Bitizens” to visit.
$0 Spent: Stellar
Ever wanted to run your own multipurpose skyscraper? Of course you did! Tiny Tower turns that concept into an addictive task management game that lets you expand into the sky with steady play—and without being forced to spend money.
$5 Spent: Moving Up
Admittedly, dropping $5 on a stack of Bux—which lets you speed up things like building floors and restocking stores—can make a big difference, and if you ration them out, a little can go a long way.
$20 Spent: Skyward
At some point ambition set in and I splurged for enough Bux to double the size of my tower, but it felt like a shortcut, and now I don’t feel right comparing my tower to those of my friends.
You must hire employees for stores and keep them stocked with items.
Best Option: $5–$10
Feel free to top up on Bux every so often, but Tiny Tower is serious fun even without spending a single penny.
ngmoco.com
Rating: 4+
Tending to crops is just as prevalent here as in FarmVille.
$0 Spent: Castle Hassle
We Rule Deluxe is a little bit like FarmVille (albeit with a fantasy slant) as you’ll set up buildings and harvest crops, but unless you spend a little money on Mojo points, you’ll be sitting around pretty regularly, just waiting for things to happen.
$5 Spent: Kingmaker
With just five bucks, you’ll unlock enough Mojo to get things rolling, and from there We Rule starts to take shape. Random folks are often sending gifts of experience and coins to one another, which can quickly unlock new land, buildings, and options.
$15 Spent: Overkill
Honestly, so much happened so quickly after that first $5 investment that the extra Mojo I bought seemed less essential after the fact. Just buy a little to start things off and then let We Rule’s social sharing build your foundation with generous gifts.
Spend cash to accelerate your player level and unlock new items.
Best Option: $5
Unless We Rule rules your free time, it isn’t necessary to drop a large chunk of coin in this fantasy-themed simulation.
