The Monument Game is… a digital art experience created by Sam Spratt. The pause in between that introduction came from my belief that referring to this artfully put-together experience went beyond the purchase of a digital art piece. A true masterclass in COMMs.
Here are some things that happened:
The Monument Game was first announced by Sam Spratt on the 1st of August to begin on the 21st of the month.
It involved two main collections: a 1/1 art piece and 256 player editions.
The community was invited to take part in a training exercise for the Monument game in exchange for player slots or tickets.
Players were selected by a small council of early supporters.
Training exercises included people in the community creating art pieces, derivatives, and stories even before art was revealed.
Players are invited to an observation game on the 1/1 piece where the winning observations receive a unique "Skull of Luci" piece.
The intention for the Monument Game had been set and clearly communicated by Sam Spratt from the very beginning.
“To play The Monument Game is to give a little part of yourself. A sacrificial offering” - Sam Spratt.
True to those words, every part of the game was an introspective and personal journey for the players and observers. Many observations carried weight. Stories told of Fear, Faith, Hope, Love and a world of vast experiences opened up on a single canvas. If a picture says a thousand words, The Monument Game says a hundred thousand.
Clear communication and community participation from the very beginning could very well be the reason the entire experience was one that rocked the space to its core even in the depths of a bear market, raising 1116.66 ETH from sales with the monument game 1/1 itself selling for 420.69 (yes, these numbers call for a tin foil hat and some conspiracy theories).
Early stages of the game involved creating a small “Council of Luci”, showing the intent of creating a unique digital experience. The council, made up of early supporters, was responsible for conducting the training exercise and selecting player candidates. Community members as well as player candidates also set out to create little pockets of magic across the timeline in a plethora of creative ways, from 3D art to poetry to complex breakdowns of previous works like this.
The Monument Game is a thorough encapsulation of everything that is made possible with Web3. From game winners and players being able to sell their observations to a secondary marketplace on Nifty Gateway’s platform built just for the game.
Engage your community as early as possible. Think of activities that, if done well, could create a deeper connection with your community.
Take care of your OGs: give some priority to people who have supported you, not just with direct incentives. Create sub-communities based on loyalty and understanding of your brand. Give them decision-making rights in some key situations. Involve them in curating the broader community.
Be honest when vocalizing what matters.
Find the top 10% of early members, subscribers, supporters, followers, buyers or collectors, who are still active and send a message thanking them for their support. Give them a trip down memory lane to the beginning of your brand and an idea of where you currently are.
Nigeria is a country with a large base of young crypto enthusiasts, one of the largest in the world. However, penetrating this market requires special attention to what matters to this target audience.
When starting out, for financial empowerment, or the way to financial empowerment when building a community base. Testimonials of people who your brand has uplifted and sponsored to some form of education go a very long way in building a loyal community base in Nigeria.
That concludes today's long overdue edition of "OMG I'm COMMing". Quite frankly this has taken basically the whole day to put together after procrastinating for weeks. Yet, I found it very enjoyable and plan to do it again tomorrow.
If you enjoyed this read, please leave a comment, I would really love to hear your thoughts about this newsletter as well as the Monument Game.
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Love, Kuusho.
Kuusho
