Web3 gaming is revolutionizing the world of digital games. Unlike traditional games, they give players decentralized ownership of in-game assets and help to monetize their efforts. From popular Play-to-Earn games like Sandbox, Axie Infinity, and Decentraland, Web3 gaming has evolved from NFT and virtual participation to an easy point-based gaming approach.
Today, the new gaming strategy that is gaining widespread popularity is Tap-to-Earn. This approach lets players play simple crypto games on their mobile phones and earn token incentives. In this article, we’ll delve into what Tap-to-Earn games are, their background, how they work, key considerations, and potential risks.
What are Tap-to-Earn Games?
Tap-to-Earn games are Play-to-Earn or Web3 games that allow users to engage in simple gaming activities that primarily involve tapping on their device screens in exchange for token rewards. Sometimes, the games may include additional features like daily rewards, upgrades, storylines, referrals, social tasks, etc. to foster engagement and adoption.
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How did Tap-to-Earn Become Popular?
The massive trend of Tap-to-Earn is attributed to The Open Network (TON) blockchain, Telegram bot functionality, and Notcoin’s token listing in May 2024.
Telegram’s successful integration of a custodial wallet into its in-app messaging platform spiked the development of several gaming innovations on the TON blockchain. With over 900 million users, Telegram capitalized on its active users and available audience to develop a Play-to-Earn game that would later gain widespread adoption.
Notcoin’s airdrop success contributed immensely to what is known today as Tap-to-Earn. Users’ ability to withdraw and convert their NOT allocation balance opened a new chapter for blockchain gamification and reward systems. This has encouraged developers to provide users with simplified gaming and exciting features.
How Does Tap-to-Earn Work?
Tap-to-Earn games employ several techniques to enhance users’ participation. They utilize simple gameplay and crypto rewards to engage users and drive adoption. Below are some of the strategies and features of Tap-to-Earn:
Tapping for Rewards
The primary mechanic in Tap-to-Earn is tapping. It involves users tapping on their device screen to earn points, which will later be converted into the native token of the project. The frequency of taps increases the point rewards and users’ engagements in-game. While some games involve tapping and cooling periods, others require players to tap while avoiding obstacles for point rewards. For instance, Tatswap allows players to earn up to 500 points before entering a cooling period, whereas BLUM lets users tap for 29 seconds per session until they press on an obstacle.
Daily Check-ins and Tasks
Tap-2-Earn games often require users to launch the Bot daily for point rewards. The everyday logins increase users’ daily streak and active participation. For instance, GameFi projects like Hamster allocate up to 5 Million points daily, while BLUM rewards users with play session passes also referred to as “Play pass”. However, failure to maintain the streak results in a drop in daily allocated coins and passes.
Another important feature is the daily tasks. Tap-to-Earn utilize several tasks that range from following the project’s socials to liking, commenting, and reposting their promotional content. They may also require users to watch their educational videos, etc. in exchange for point rewards. Blockchain projects employ this strategy to increase their social engagements and project awareness to attract users or potential investors. At times, they may use daily quests, puzzles or battles to increase user rewards.
Referral Bonuses
Tap-2-Earn games can reward users based on their number of referrals and active referrals. Apart from earning bonuses after each successful referral, users can leverage their referral efforts to earn additional points. However, since Tap-to-Earn are Telegram games, the referral bonus may vary depending on whether the referral is a Telegram premium user, which helps boost the bonus.
Boosts and Upgrades
Players can increase their potential earnings by purchasing boosts. They can purchase these boosts to enhance playtime and reduce cooldown times, which increases the number of coins they’re able to earn per tap.
Also, players can upgrade the in-app gaming product to increase their rewards. Tap-to-Earn upgrades allow users to personalize their accounts and have a better-gamified experience. The upgrade may include background change, exchange upgrade, etc.
In-Game Rewards
Play-to-Earn games incentivize player efforts with their native token. At first, they allow players to tap and accumulate enough points or coins. After that, they will be able to convert them to tokens upon listing, depending on the project’s point to token reward ratio. However, players need to link their cryptocurrency wallet to withdraw tokens that they can either sell or hold long-term.
NFT Trading
Some Tap-to-Earn integrates NFT trading, allowing users to sell several unique art pieces on their NFT marketplace or other platforms. For instance, GameFi projects like Hamster Kombat allow players to trade several characters of the Hamster CEO on their NFT marketplace.
What are the Benefits of Tap-to-Earn in Blockchain?
Tap-to-Earn games are successful in the cryptocurrency landscape today due to their several contributions to the blockchain ecosystem. Below are some of the benefits of Tap-2-Earn:
Simplicity and Gamification
Tap-to-Earn games are easy-to-play Telegram games. Unlike other Play-to-Earn games that require virtual environments or a prior Web3 experience, users who are unfamiliar with Web3 nuances can easily tap and earn crypto rewards distinctly.
The gamified experience of Tap-to-Earn captivates users and enhances active participation. It allows users to engage in repetitive gaming actions such as tapping and unlocking exciting features in the process. The new features and upgrades improve gameplay and increase player’s activity on the platform.
Accessibility and Widespread Adoption
Today, Tap-to-Earn games are holding the world by storm due to their ease of use. They require no technical tools, but rather utilize the Telegram app, which is mostly accessible to all. Since Telegram, like other Tele-messaging apps, is easy to navigate, it helps to onboard users into the blockchain ecosystem. This means that new users can easily join, tap, and invite their friends to play crypto games with little or no barrier to entry.
Free and Rewarding
Players don’t necessarily need to be financially invested in Tap-to-Earn games before earning rewards. This provides an avenue for players to enjoy a gamified experience for free and monetize their efforts. Although Telegram premium subscribers may enjoy some additional bonuses, users can utilize the free version to play games and potentially earn crypto.
Key Considerations Before Investing in Tap-to-Earn
While Tap-to-Earn games may be rewarding, they also have their potential risks, like every other blockchain-deployed solution. However, to minimize such risks, below are some of the key considerations:
Legitimacy and Security
Tap-to-Earn games are gaining popularity and while some of these projects are building legitimate gameplay, some developers and hackers may leverage it to defraud their community. Therefore, always invest in background research before investing in any game. Check the roadmap, team past projects, and experience, reviews from other players, influencer’s legitimacy, reputable investors, project partnerships, cybersecurity promptness, community organic user and activity, and moderators’ responsive efforts before investing in any Tap-2-Earn game.
Effort vs Rewards
While Tap-to-Earn games may require little or no financial commitment and experience, projects can become overly diluted, which may drastically reduce potential rewards. Although the games are simple and flexible, the gamification may keep users engaged for a very long time. Therefore, it is important to weigh the effort and commitment against the potential rewards before investing.
Reward Sustainability
The rewards of Tap-to-Earn games vary depending on the project. However, some developers may utilize marketing hype to attract players and drastically reduce potential rewards later. Therefore, ensure to check the tokenomics of the game and become familiar with their reward mechanism before committing to the project.
How to Get Started with Tap-to-Earn Games
Below is how to get started and play Tap-2-Earn games:
Download the Telegram App
Most Tap-to-Earn games are created as in-app games on the Telegram app. However, while Telegram can function on the desktop app, it’s very unlikely to successfully launch and play the game there. Instead, download the Telegram app on your mobile phone from the Google Play Store or App Store and successfully install the app on your device.
Choose a Tap-2-Earn game
Once you’ve successfully installed Telegram, go to the project’s official Twitter after you’ve done the necessary security and legitimacy checking and click on their official link. From the link, you will be able to access the game and read other crucial project information. If you don’t want additional rewards, you can simply use your friend’s referral link for signup bonuses.
Set Up or Connect Your Wallet
A wallet is important for any cryptocurrency airdrop. It is required to withdraw or transfer your allocated tokens.
Since Tap-to-Earn games are often Telegram-built mini-games, set up your Telegram wallet in the Telegram settings. Navigate to settings, check underneath the “Profile” and select “Wallet”. Launch the wallet bot to set up your wallet or connect your wallet if you already have one.
Launch the Game and Play
Open the game and select “/start” to launch the bot. Start tapping on your screen for rewards, and follow additional on-screen instructions to participate in necessary activities. For instance, social tasks, referrals, upgrades, etc. may increase in-game earnings and potential rewards.
Keep an eye out for Project Announcement
While tapping, ensure to look out for important announcements. You can turn on post notifications for the project’s Twitter account, and regularly check the Telegram community for important updates on the roadmap, eligibility criteria, point conversion ratio, security updates and many more.
Top 3 Tap-to-Earn Games
After the successful launch of Notcoin in May 2024, several Tap-2-Earn games have gained widespread adoption. Below are some of the top 3 games currently trending in the crypto space:
Hamster Kombat
Popular with over 200 million users, Hamster Kombat allows players to live the life of a Hamster crypto exchange CEO.
Players earn in-game coins known as HMSTR by engaging in simple tasks such as tapping on their phone screens, inviting friends, daily tasks, and other in-game activities. The players can use the earned coins to fund their in-game company, upgrade the exchange, participate in battles, etc.
Tatswap
TapSwap is a massively popular Telegram game with over 50 million players. It operates like Notcoin, where players earn TAPS coins by tapping a digital icon within the Telegram bot interface. Players can also earn by participating in tasks and inviting friends.
https://x.com/tapswapnetwork/status/1805276196445491308?s=46
Unique to TapSwap is its integration of NFT characters, tradable on a marketplace. Beyond tapping, the game includes combat mechanics in dynamic arenas, adding strategy and competition.
Players earn TAPS coins through tapping; each tap increases their Shares, convertible to TAPS tokens after launch. An energy system limits tapping, which is also known as the cooling period. However, it can be managed with boosts for faster earnings.
The plans for TapSwap include staking, a launchpad for new projects, and crypto payment APIs, expanding its features and engagement in the crypto community.
BLUM Clicker
Blum Clicker is a popular tap-to-earn game on the TON blockchain with about 30 million users. It allows players to earn Blum Points (BP) by simply tapping their device screen and completing daily tasks. These points may, in the future, convert into BLUM tokens.
https://x.com/blumcrypto/status/1805964890902802807?s=46
The game encourages regular engagement from players through daily farming sessions. They need to press the “Start Farming” button every 8 hours to accumulate Blum Points, or participate in the Drop Game farming by tapping falling green balls that appear on their device screen to increase their earnings.
Blum Clicker also features various tasks involving watching YouTube videos, following social media channels, or participating in other games, offering opportunities to earn more Blum Points or other rewards.
Additionally, inviting friends, also known as “Frens” is another way to boost earnings as it increases players’ number of playing passes. They can earn commissions from their friends’ Blum Points, which include 10% from direct referrals and 2.5% from their referrals’ referrals.
Conclusion
Tap-to-Earn games allow users earn crypto rewards for playing simple Telegram games. They help users monetize their efforts and have fun while at it, profit from zero or little financial commitment and foster Web3 widespread adoption.
Currently, Tap-to-Earn is still growing, and several games are constantly navigating their way into the market. While some are popular with innovative features, earnings are not guaranteed. Therefore, it’s important to conduct your own research before committing to any projects.