Controversy Surrounds ‘Hamster Kombat’ Clicker Game for its Use of Social Pressure Tactics
Ruholamin Haqshanas
Last updated:
June 30, 2024, 12:00 EDT
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2 min read
Hamster Kombat, the popular clicker game on Telegram that is associated with an upcoming crypto token launch, is facing criticism for its excessive reliance on social pressure tactics.
Despite its viral success, the game’s mechanics for driving user engagement seem to have reached a saturation point, according to Andrew Hayward, the Culture Editor and Hub Operations Lead at Decrypt, in a recent post.
Hayward believes that this issue may also affect the hundreds of millions of players who participate in the game daily, unless they constantly recruit new friends to join.
Hamster Kombat Encourages User Recruiting
In a similar vein to the original viral Telegram crypto game, Notcoin, Hamster Kombat requires players to tap the screen to accumulate in-game coins. However, it takes a unique twist by allowing players to invest these coins into a fictional hamster-operated crypto exchange, while also urging them to invite their friends to join the game.
This is where things become peculiar, resembling a form of multi-level marketing. Hamster Kombat frequently introduces new exchange upgrade cards that promise higher earnings. These cards are often tied to the game’s “daily combo,” which rewards players with a substantial 5 million in-game coins for using specific cards. However, many of these cards can only be unlocked if players manage to persuade another friend to start playing through their referral link.
While the game itself is simple, players who are unable to increase their numbers due to the requirement of recruiting more people may find themselves at a disadvantage unless they can find additional participants.
Hayward argues that this shift highlights the limitations of an engagement-driven game like Hamster Kombat. It demonstrates the challenges of sustaining continuous growth without offering new incentives and benefits that are truly compelling.
Hamster Kombat Gains Popularity in Iran
As previously reported, Hamster Kombat has taken Iran by storm, attracting the attention of local users who are eagerly anticipating its upcoming token launch. The game’s developers announced last week that it has already amassed a staggering 200 million players, a significant portion of the reported 900 million Telegram users. This figure represents an increase from the previously claimed total of 150 million players reported on June 14.
The developers of Hamster Kombat have revealed their plans to launch a token on The Open Network (TON) in July. This follows in the footsteps of Notcoin, a similar clicker game that debuted earlier this year and attracted 35 million players before releasing its NOT token on TON in May. Notcoin experienced a peak market capitalization of over $2 billion in the weeks following its launch.
It’s worth noting that Telegram’s “The Open Network” (TON) blockchain has consistently outperformed Ethereum in terms of daily active addresses throughout this month, which can be attributed to the Hamster Kombat craze.
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