After thinking long and hard about this, while playing the online version for the past few days , I think I understand the reasons behind the hefty $2.99 price tag. The developer is trying to get an extra dollar to help cover the bandwidth costs of his website. You're not just buying the game, but you're also supporting the free online versions. I get it... And I bit the bullet and got it. I still feel like I'm getting ripped off, but whatever. It's a fun game. I just hope the updates are free, and that more content is added.