‘Hamster Kombat’ Clicker Game Faces Criticism for Social Pressure Tactics

cryptonews.com:

Hamster Kombat, the popular Telegram-based clicker game associated with an upcoming crypto token launch, has faced scrutiny due to its excessive use of social pressure tactics.

While the game’s viral success has propelled it to unimaginable heights, the mechanics that drive user engagement seem to have reached a saturation point, at least for me, Andrew Hayward, the Culture Editor and Hub Operations Lead at Decrypt, wrote in a recent post.

He claimed that this may also become an issue for the hundreds of millions of players who participate daily, unless they have a constant stream of friends to recruit.

Following in the footsteps of the original viral Telegram crypto game, Notcoin, Hamster Kombat requires players to tap the screen to accumulate in-game coins.

It introduces a unique twist by allowing players to invest these coins into a fictional hamster-operated crypto exchange, while also encouraging them to invite their friends to join the game.

This is where things take a peculiar turn, resembling something akin to 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 it is a simple “number-go-up” game, 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 said the shift highlights the limitations of an engagement-driven machine like Hamster