I Went Undercover in Crypto’s Answer to ‘Squid Game.’ It Nearly Broke Me

Developers have long struggled to blend crypto functionality into games and services that people want to use because they’re enticing, not just for the opportunity to turn a quick profit. But CTG players waxed lyrical about the game, which became the talk of Crypto Twitter during the first two seasons. “Financial incentives are the greatest [user] acquisition tool in the world, but very bad for retention,” says David Phelps, founder of crypto startup JokeRace, who played in the second season of CTG. “Tapping into social incentives is almost radical in crypto.” CTG is partly a game of skill; each day, tribes of players compete in a challenge—typically some sort of crypto puzzle, scavenger hunt, or arcade game—with the goal of earning temporary immunity from elimination. But it’s predominantly a social game; one of politicking, alliance-building, maneuvering, and backstabbing. Each night, the tribes without immunity are tasked with voting out a varying number of their own players until ... Read full article.