Telegram’s Tap-to-Earn Games Will Drive Web3 Gaming’s Success in 2025

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As a seasoned crypto investor with over a decade of experience in this wild west of digital assets, I have seen countless trends come and go. However, none has captured my attention quite like the explosion of Web3 gaming on Telegram.

The gaming environment within Telegram is flourishing, as tap-to-earn and clicker games capitalize on its massive user base of over 950 million people. According to the Q3 2024 Telegram Games Report, popular games such as Hamster Kombat and Catizan attracted hundreds of thousands of active users in just a few weeks, demonstrating the effectiveness of the “mini-app” strategy initially introduced by WeChat.

Despite some blockchain-based games like Axie Infinity experiencing challenges with user retention and fluctuating popularity, it’s clear that Web3 games haven’t consistently thrived as one might expect. To achieve their full potential as a driving force for blockchain adoption, they could benefit from studying Telegram’s successful strategies. I anticipate that the mini app model pioneered by Telegram will be instrumental in propelling the growth of Web3 gaming in 2025.

How the Telegram gaming ecosystem attracts users

2023 saw the market value of Web3 gaming exceed $3 billion, with predictions suggesting it could climb as high as $90 billion by 2030. Boasting over 950 million users, Telegram’s clicker games have captured players from diverse backgrounds through simple game mechanics and enjoyable play that reward in-game currency and items, along with airdropped tokens for upcoming titles. Unlike the typically expensive user acquisition costs reported by exchanges and other businesses, which Notcoin founder Sasha Plotvinov estimates at around $10 to $15 per user, Telegram manages to onboard players for under $1 per individual.

As a crypto investor, I’ve witnessed an extraordinary phenomenon unfolding in the gaming world. Small development teams have managed to gather millions of users within mere weeks, thanks to a cost-effective strategy that’s been unheard of in traditional gaming circles. In just September 2024 alone, across nine games, there were over three million active wallets, a pace that’s seldom seen. This surge is primarily fueled by Telegram’s massive, crypto-friendly user base and the simplicity of creating rapid, user-driven HTML5 mini-games, a combination that’s proving to be a game-changer indeed.

As an analyst, I can say that this platform offers a unique and immersive experience for gamers by providing opportunities to accumulate rewards, own tokenized assets, and trade in-game goods such as skins and weapons. This approach seamlessly introduces users to the concept of blockchain technology without requiring any extra downloads or complex tools, since the games are directly integrated into the platform. By eliminating traditional obstacles for non-crypto-familiar users, this platform streamlines the onboarding process for Web3 gaming, making it more inviting and accessible. Moreover, by collaborating with popular gaming brands like Delabs’ Ragnarok, the platform expands its appeal, attracting avid gamers to its Web3 ecosystem, thereby enriching their gaming experience.

The ongoing challenge of user retention

The Web3 gaming environment provided by Telegram is noteworthy, as it attracted an extra 50 million players this year through clicker games alone. Nevertheless, maintaining user engagement continues to be a persistent issue. Clicker games excel at swiftly onboarding users due to their simplicity and ease of access, but they may struggle to keep these users engaged for extended periods because of the lack of variety, basic gameplay mechanics that are less intricate compared to traditional games, and market oversaturation.

To ensure the thriving growth of Telegram’s gaming environment, it is crucial to venture beyond simple tap games and airdrops towards more immersive and enduring experiences. By making games complex and multifaceted, we can keep players hooked even in repetitive games with restricted features. To prevent mass user churn once the initial thrill subsides, Telegram games should implement engagement-boosting strategies like those listed below, which stimulate continued involvement and instill a stronger connection to the game.

1. Setting up daily challenges and streaks

Approximately 40% of web3 gaming enthusiasts dedicate more than ten hours weekly to playing blockchain games, underscoring the growing demand for such games offering rewards and incentives. Those actively participating in daily challenges tend to stay engaged longer compared to those only involved in one-time quests. Frequent interaction fosters habit formation and encourages repeat play, creating a routine that strengthens game-player connections.

Offering continuous challenges keeps users engaged by offering small but frequent rewards, transforming occasional players into dedicated participants over time. The captivating strategies of Hamster Kombat have boosted its Monthly Active Users (MAUs) to 110 million, while TG Tap Miner empowers players to augment their cryptocurrency holdings.

2. Utilizing personalization and segmentation

Interacting continuously is greatly enhanced by customized experiences. For instance, dividing gamers into groups like “high spenders” (whales), “moderate spenders” (dolphins), and “casual players” (fish) enables games to tailor content and prizes based on their level of engagement, thereby making the gaming experience more gratifying and personalized.

Users of Web3 are already comfortable with the ownership of digital assets and NFTs. Interactive experiences like TON Racing League’s fast-paced game where players can own, enhance, and trade unique racing vehicles as NFTs will strengthen their bond by providing them with content and incentives that strike a chord beyond typical quests.

3. Building community-driven economies

Web3 fosters decentralized economies within games, empowering players to buy, exchange, or sell in-game goods and assets at will. These transactions generate a distinctive engagement cycle linked to the blockchain world, where player participation is crucial for both the game’s economy and community development. Games utilizing peer-to-peer trading and real-time content updates driven by gamers foster natural interactions that boost player devotion and contentment.

4. Merging with more traditional gaming models

Approximately 72% of the world’s top video game companies, which include giants like Microsoft, Tencent, Sony, and Nintendo, are already investing in blockchain gaming. As we move towards the next cryptocurrency market boom expected in 2025 and beyond, it’s likely that this trend will continue to grow. The future of gaming within the Web3 environment is predicted to blend seamlessly with conventional models, offering enhanced user experiences, advanced gameplay, and even adopting the successful mini-app approach seen on Telegram.

In this article, it’s important to understand that the opinions stated here belong solely to the writer and may not align with the perspectives of CoinDesk, Inc., its proprietors, or associated parties.

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2024-12-17 20:37