Crypto The Game has been successful by even mainstream standards. It is an Emmy nominated virtual reality show where contestants spend two weeks solving puzzles, making friends, and stabbing each other in the back. In the end the winner walks away with a >$100k. Ok I lied, the game actually uses a little bit of crypto. To participate users must purchase an NFT, but after that the game is entirely played on a standard website and across various messaging apps and organization tools.
The game has what crypto people would refer to as “incentives” in that participation gives you a shot at a large prize. Unlike other crypto apps CTG is not fueled by its incentives. In absolute terms spending 2 weeks playing is probably one of the lowest EV (expected value) uses of time. (Almost) everyone loses money. But that is the magic, how many crypto apps do people use for the -EV love of the game?
CTG is fun, it’s social and people really like it. Few apps can get people to use them, even fewer can get people to come back; CTG is on its second calendar year and it only continues to pull more attention, win more hearts, and onboard more people to the space. It is a lighthouse in an industry that has poured billions of dollars into mainstream use cases with no traction.
The lesson is that crypto should be at most a garnish on a compelling user experience. Dylan and the team obsess over creating beautiful interfaces, social flywheels and compelling storytelling. The fun doesn’t have to be explained. The value doesn’t have to be calculated. Crypto doesn’t need more mechanisms or smart contracts. It needs more applications that people enjoy and want to share.
