“Hamster Kombat,” the popular clicker game on Telegram linked to the launch of a new cryptocurrency token, has been at the center of criticism for its excessive use of social pressure tactics. Despite the game’s viral success bringing it to unimaginable heights, the mechanics driving user engagement appear to have reached a saturation point.
🔄 Controversial Game Mechanics
Andrew Hayward, cultural editor and operations manager at Decrypt, wrote in a recent post that this could become a problem for the hundreds of millions of players participating daily, unless they have a constant stream of friends to recruit. Following in the footsteps of the original viral crypto game on Telegram, “Notcoin,” “Hamster Kombat” requires players to tap the screen to accumulate in-game coins. It introduces a novelty by allowing players to invest these coins in a crypto exchange managed by fictitious hamsters, while encouraging users to invite their friends to join the game.
📈 A Model Resembling Multi-Level Marketing
The game 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 hefty 5 million in-game coins for using specific cards. However, many of these cards can only be unlocked if players manage to convince another friend to start playing via their referral link. While it is a simple “number go up” type of game, players who are unable to increase their numbers due to the need to recruit more people may find themselves at a disadvantage unless they can find additional participants.
gm to 200 million Hamsters! 😱🐹 pic.twitter.com/7USoL6Lddd
— Hamster Kombat (@hamster_kombat) June 24, 2024
🌍 Popularity in Iran and Token Launch
As reported, “Hamster Kombat” has taken Iran by storm, attracting local users eagerly awaiting its upcoming token launch. The game’s developers announced last week that they have reached an astounding 200 million players, a significant portion of Telegram’s estimated 900 million users. This figure represents an increase from the 150 million players reported on June 14. “Hamster Kombat” developers have announced their plans to launch a token on “The Open Network” (TON) in July, following in the footsteps of “Notcoin,” a similar clicker game that debuted earlier this year. Notcoin attracted 35 million players before releasing its NOT token on TON in May, achieving a market capitalization that exceeded $2 billion in the weeks following its launch.
