Tap-to-earn games have rapidly surged in popularity in less than a year, with hundreds of millions of players trying these crypto games. This simple game genre, which revolves around tapping a screen to earn coins, was first introduced at the beginning of 2024 and has since evolved into a global craze.
Many assume the tap-to-earn trend began with the launch of the first tap-to-earn game, Notcoin. However, its origins actually trace back to the launch of The Open Network (TON) blockchain, a layer-1 blockchain that was the first to integrate with Telegram. This integration unlocked a vast user base of nearly a billion potential players, many from developing countries seeking easy ways to earn money by tapping.
Notcoin was the first game to popularize the tap-to-earn trend, offering a straightforward method to earn coins by tapping a virtual coin within the game and completing small tasks. As Notcoin gained momentum, other projects followed suit, including Catizen, Dogs, Hamster Kombat, and X-Empire.
What is Tap-to-Earn (T2E)?
T2E is a simple game mechanism where players can make money by tapping on their mobile screens or clicking with a mouse on desktops. It's a version of play-to-earn (P2E) and part of the larger decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. Unlike traditional P2E games, T2E involves minimal interaction, allowing players to collect rewards with much less effort.
Since constantly tapping a screen can become monotonous, T2E games often include additional layers of tasks for players to complete. These tasks offer more points and keep the experience engaging. Each task awards a different amount of coins depending on its complexity, and many of these tasks help support the game itself, often serving promotional purposes.
To further captivate players, T2E games introduce narratives and storytelling. For example, Hamster Kombat follows the story of a hamster acting as the CEO of a virtual cryptocurrency exchange, with gameplay that builds upon this narrative.
Characteristics of Tap-to-Earn Games
Tap-to-earn is a unique genre within the broader crypto gaming space, and these games share several common characteristics.
Simplicity and Accessibility
Tap-to-earn games are incredibly easy to play, running as mini-apps within Telegram, one of the most widely used messaging platforms globally. The basic mechanics involve simple tapping, making the games accessible to anyone, even players with little or no gaming experience.
Gamification Features
While these games lack the depth found in more traditional P2E games, they compensate for it with creative gamification features. Players can earn coins, complete tasks, progress through ranks, and compete on leaderboards. Each game offers different rewards and storylines to make these seemingly repetitive tasks more enjoyable.
Earning Potential
Tap-to-earn appeals especially to players from developing regions or those looking for an easy way to earn money without any upfront costs. The idea of earning simply by tapping or completing basic tasks is attractive to many—after all, who wouldn't like to earn a little extra money while casually playing on their phone?
How Tap-to-Earn Games Work
The most fundamental aspect of tap-to-earn games is the tap itself. In each game, players can tap on a designated area of the screen to earn coins for a limited period until the character's energy is depleted. Once the energy refills, the player can return and tap again to earn more.
Many of these crypto games also feature a tasks section, where players can complete additional tasks to earn more coins. These tasks may be one-time, daily, or weekly, with the reward varying based on complexity. Over time, tasks can be added or removed from the game, or adjusted based on the player’s progress.
To add another layer of complexity, T2E games often include boosters and upgrades. Boosters are special items that players can earn for free, typically as rewards for meeting certain goals or regularly engaging with the game. Upgrades, on the other hand, can be purchased using coins that players have already earned. These upgrades help players earn more coins in a given time frame, creating a loop where they buy upgrades to earn more coins and purchase even better upgrades.
How to Get Started with Tap-to-Earn Games
If you're interested in trying out tap-to-earn games, follow these simple steps:
Download Telegram: These games run as mini-apps within Telegram, so the first step is to download and install the app on your phone.
Pick a Game: Determine what appeals to you most—whether it's the storyline, game mechanics, or earnings—and choose a game that suits your preferences. Notable choices include Notcoin, Hamster Kombat, Catizen, and TapSwap.
Join the Game’s Channel: Once you've selected a game, search for its Telegram channel and join it. This is where the game takes place and where you'll find updates and instructions.
Start Playing: Begin tapping to earn coins, or complete tasks to accumulate even more rewards.
TON Blockchain and Tap-to-Earn
The Open Network (TON) is a layer-1 blockchain that was designed specifically for integration with popular messaging apps like Telegram. This integration creates a seamless gaming experience. By merging Telegram's simplicity with TON's blockchain capabilities, tap-to-earn games can easily reach a huge audience, including many people who are new to cryptocurrency. This ease of access has played a significant role in the rapid rise of tap-to-earn games.
TON's high-speed transactions and extremely low fees make it ideal for tap-to-earn games. Other blockchains may struggle with high transaction costs or slow speeds, but TON can process millions of transactions per second, allowing for fast, real-time gameplay. This responsiveness is crucial for keeping players engaged, especially when quick feedback is important.
Another advantage of TON is its integration with Telegram, which includes a built-in cryptocurrency wallet for players. This integration simplifies interactions with DeFi, making it easy to manage in-game assets as players earn, store, and exchange coins—all within the same platform.
Additionally, TON offers a developer-friendly ecosystem with access to SDKs, APIs, and templates for creating tap-to-earn games. These tools make it easier for developers to launch new games, further expanding the growth of this genre.
Popular Tap-to-Earn Games
Notcoin
Notcoin was the very first tap-to-earn game and helped launch this phenomenon. In just a few months, it attracted over 35 million players. Players earn Notcoins by tapping a virtual coin and completing tasks, all while enjoying community-driven features like squads and leaderboards.
Hamster Kombat
Launched in March 2024, Hamster Kombat became the most popular tap-to-earn game, quickly amassing over 350 million players. Unlike many other games in this genre, Hamster Kombat incorporates a unique narrative where players manage a virtual crypto exchange as a hamster CEO, adding strategic elements to the typical tapping mechanics.
TapSwap
TapSwap, which launched in February 2024, attracted over 67 million players. It blends tap-to-earn simplicity with a marketplace concept, allowing players to trade their earned coins in a virtual marketplace.
Catizen
Catizen is another tap-to-earn game, featuring adorable cat characters that players guide through simple challenges. The game combines fun visuals with tapping mechanics, making it particularly appealing to casual gamers.
Pixelverse
Pixelverse is a visually stunning tap-to-earn game that features pixel art, giving the game a nostalgic vibe. Players interact with a pixelated universe, completing tasks and earning coins as they progress.
The Future of Tap-to-Earn Games
With a wide selection of tap-to-earn games now available, players can choose the ones that best suit their preferences for gameplay, narratives, and rewards. However, the current focus on earnings may not be sustainable in the long run. Some players have already expressed frustration with the minimal rewards, especially after exchange fees and withdrawals.
Moving forward, tap-to-earn games will likely evolve to offer more complex and engaging gameplay beyond just financial incentives. We may also see tap-to-earn evolve into a PvP format, where players compete against one another for pooled rewards or coins. Additionally, integrating more social aspects into the games could help create a more communal experience.
These games may also expand to other platforms, such as TikTok, to tap into even larger audiences. This could further benefit both the games and the platforms by engaging current users and attracting new ones.
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