The Exact Moment I Realized Blood Money Is Actually Messed Up

Published: November 11, 2025

Every player has that moment.

That moment when Blood Money stops being a quirky clicker game.

And becomes something else entirely.

Here's mine.

It Started Normal Enough

I was about ten minutes in.

I'd bought the feather. Then the needle. Working my way up.

Harvey was reacting to each click. Little yelps. Some pain sounds.

But I was focused on the numbers. The money counter going up.

Just another idle game, right? Click to win.

Then I bought the hammer.

Harvey Said Something

After I bought the hammer, I clicked.

Harvey cried out. Louder than before.

Then he said: "Keep going! You can do it!"

And that's when it hit me.

Wait. What?

I stopped clicking.

Read that dialogue again in my head.

He's... encouraging me?

I just hit him with a hammer.

And he's telling me to keep going?

What the hell?

The Contrast Is Disturbing

Think about it.

Harvey is clearly in pain. His voice shows it. His animations show it.

But his words are supportive. Helpful. Kind.

He's suffering and encouraging you at the same time.

That's not normal. That's messed up.

Why Would He Do That?

I started thinking about his motivations.

Why does Harvey encourage you to hurt him?

Option 1: He genuinely wants to help you get the surgery money.

Option 2: He's trapped and has to do this.

Option 3: He's broken. Stockholm syndrome or something worse.

None of these options are good.

It Gets Worse

I kept playing. Bought more tools.

The pattern continued.

Pain sounds. Then encouragement.

Screaming. Then "You're almost there!"

Crying. Then "Don't give up!"

Each time, the dissonance got stronger.

The Cognitive Dissonance

That's what the game is doing.

It's creating cognitive dissonance.

Your eyes see violence. Your ears hear pain.

But Harvey's words tell you it's okay. He wants this.

Your brain can't reconcile these things.

And that discomfort? That's the point.

The Game Is Smarter Than I Thought

I realized this isn't just a shock value game.

It's not trying to gross you out with violence.

It's trying to make you uncomfortable with complicity.

Harvey's consent (or whatever it is) doesn't make it okay.

You're still the one clicking. Still the one benefiting.

Still the one in control.

The Real Horror

The horror isn't Harvey's pain.

It's that his encouragement makes it easier for you to continue.

If Harvey screamed at you. Cursed you. Begged you to stop.

Most players would stop. Or at least feel terrible.

But because he's supportive, you keep going.

His kindness enables your cruelty.

I Felt Sick

This realization made me feel physically ill.

I'd been using Harvey's niceness as justification.

"He's okay with it," I told myself. "He's encouraging me."

But that's not how consent works.

Especially when there's a massive power imbalance.

I'm the player. I have all the power.

Harvey has none.

The Parallel To Real Life

Then my mind went to dark places.

How often do we exploit people who can't say no?

Workers who smile while being mistreated because they need the job.

Service staff who are cheerful despite abuse because tips matter.

People who endure suffering and still say "it's fine."

Harvey is all of them.

The Game Knows What It's Doing

This isn't accidental design.

The developers knew exactly what they were creating.

They made Harvey likeable. Made him kind. Made him encouraging.

Not to make the game easier on your conscience.

To make it harder.

Because now you can't even blame Harvey for being a victim.

He's trying to help you. And you're hurting him for it.

I Couldn't Stop

Here's the really messed up part.

Even after this realization, I kept playing.

I needed that $25,000. (No I didn't. It's a game.)

I'd already invested time. (Sunk cost fallacy.)

I wanted to see the ending. (Curiosity over morality.)

I kept clicking.

Knowing exactly what I was doing.

That's when I realized the game had me.

The Trap

Blood Money is a trap.

It presents itself as a simple clicker.

Then slowly reveals its true nature.

By the time you realize what you're actually doing, you're invested.

You've already crossed lines.

Might as well keep going, right?

That's the trap.

The Art Style Makes It Worse

The pastel colors. The cute character design.

It's all deliberate.

If this game looked like a horror game, you'd be prepared.

But it doesn't. It looks friendly. Approachable.

The visual style lies to you.

Makes you think it's harmless.

By the time you know better, it's too late.

Other Players Feel It Too

I went online after this. Read comments and forums.

Everyone has their moment.

For some, it's the first time Harvey says "please."

For others, it's seeing the injuries appear on his character model.

For me, it was the encouragement.

But we all have that moment where we go: "Oh. Oh no."

The Follow-Up Game

I learned there's a sequel called "Human Expenditure Program."

It reveals Harvey's backstory.

From what I read, it's even darker.

Harvey is trapped in this game. Forced to do it.

There's something about his wife being involved.

I haven't played it yet. Not sure I want to.

Because knowing the truth might make Blood Money even worse retroactively.

Can't Look At Clickers The Same Way

Blood Money ruined clicker games for me.

I tried playing Cookie Clicker after. Just couldn't.

Kept thinking: what's the cost here? Who's suffering for my cookies?

That's what Blood Money does.

It makes you question the systems you participate in.

Even in other games. Even in real life.

The Brilliance Of It

Here's the thing: I think Blood Money is brilliant.

I hate it. It made me feel terrible.

But it's brilliant.

Most games let you be a hero or a villain.

Blood Money makes you something worse.

It makes you complicit.

The Question It Asks

Blood Money doesn't ask: are you a good person or a bad person?

It asks: what would you do if someone offered to suffer for you?

If they smiled while suffering. If they encouraged you. If they made it easy.

Would you take that offer?

Most of us, apparently, would.

The game's popularity proves it.

I Still Think About It

That moment of realization was weeks ago.

I still think about it.

About Harvey encouraging me while I hurt him.

About how his kindness made me crueler.

About what that says about me.

That's messed up.

The game is messed up.

And I can't stop thinking about it.

When Does It Hit You?

If you play Blood Money, you'll have your moment.

Maybe it'll be the same as mine.

Maybe it'll be something else.

But trust me, it'll come.

That moment when you realize this isn't what you thought it was.

When you see past the clicking and the money counter.

When you understand what you're actually doing.

And if you're like me, you'll keep playing anyway.

Because that's the most messed up part of all.