Love this game and the people I play it with. Recently there has been a group of players who are upset they have spent a lot of money on a mobile game and are unable to survive if they are not the top dogs, they have inundated play with negative reviews. Yes there is spending in game, but you can certainly have a great time playing free to play and as a low spender. There are challenges for all levels of spending and lots of opportunities to meet new people online and make friends.