How faucets and sinks govern a game economy
In game economy design, faucets are the sources that create new currency and inject it into the world, such as monster drops, quest rewards, and daily login bonuses. Sinks are the mechanisms that permanently remove currency from circulation, including repair costs, vendor purchases from non-player shops, auction-house taxes, fast-travel fees, and crafting expenses.
The balance between faucets and sinks determines the total money supply over time. If faucets consistently outpace sinks, currency accumulates and prices inflate; if sinks dominate, players feel starved of resources and progression stalls.
Why designers tune the balance carefully
Persistent online games are especially prone to inflation because faucets run continuously while early sinks can saturate once players own what they need. Designers add ongoing sinks, such as consumable repairs, cosmetic spending, and percentage-based trade taxes, to keep removing currency at a rate that scales with player wealth.
A well-tuned economy keeps currency meaningful: rewards feel earned, prices stay stable enough to plan around, and trading remains active. Monitoring the faucet-to-sink ratio is a core ongoing task for live-service game teams.