How much longer will the excitement around Hamster Combat last, and when will it fade away?

One of the most impressive aspects of cryptocurrency is the ability for incredible projects to gain popularity and attract millions of users almost instantly. The latest trend is clicker games, which are simple in nature: you just need to repeatedly tap the screen to make progress.

One such project is Hamster Kombat, which has created a buzz since its launch in March. It is estimated that the game now has 250 million players worldwide. Founded on the Telegram messenger app, the game’s goal is simple: tap, tap, tap to gradually evolve from a bald hamster to the CEO of a major crypto exchange.

However, what has especially caught gamers’ attention is the plan to distribute a native token that will be launched on The Open Network. The token is already pre-listed on several major trading platforms, despite the fact that its tokenomics details are still unknown.

Constant screen tapping can be tiring, prompting some enterprising Russian merchants to advertise finger massagers to speed up finger movements. Hamster Kombat has also faced criticism. The game has become particularly popular in Iran, where the military has claimed it is a “soft war feature” waged by the West, aimed at making people strive for quick wealth rather than hard work.

Additionally, the game has been scrutinized for social pressures encouraging users to recruit friends in order to earn extra coins as rewards. This has led to comparisons with multi-level marketing schemes.

So what is the secret to Hamster Kombat’s popularity, and is all this hype sustainable?

The Psychology of Hamster Kombat

Leon Y. Xiao, a Ph.D. student at the IT University of Copenhagen who researches video game legislation, shared his thoughts with Cryptogramma

“These clicker or idle games (broadly hyper-casual games) are very easy to understand and play. They require no special skills. Each game session can be very short, allowing people to play anytime and anywhere. The game’s availability on mobile devices and its integration into the Telegram app also contribute to this. The player doesn’t need to download any additional software.”

He also noted that players often derive great satisfaction from seeing “absurdly high” numbers in the game as they progress—with immediate rewards for their actions.

Leon asserts that casual players do not risk losing real money, as upgrades can only be unlocked by progressing to the next level. However, this does not mean that endless time spent in Hamster Kombat comes without its costs.

“Playing this game is not productive, so if the player does not enjoy the gameplay itself, engaging in it is a waste of time,” he said. “This time could be spent more productively on other activities. By not doing something useful, the player may actually be losing time and money.”

Undoubtedly, passionate speculation about the official token has contributed to the increase in Hamster Kombat users, but Leon notes that even clicker games that do not promise airdrops have enjoyed vast popularity.

“Admittedly, other games developed as commercial products usually have more game mechanics and more appealing graphics. Nevertheless, some players definitely enjoy the clicker/idle gameplay process,” the academic noted.

He went on to explain that the upgrades offered in Hamster Kombat, aimed at crypto trading, represent an interesting and unique feature that may attract some players.

Is there stability here?

Leon told Cryptogramma that the history of Web3 games is full of failures. Projects like Axie Infinity and CryptoKitties have proven to be unsustainable in the long run. In the case of Axie, some players in Southeast Asia were able to cover their rent with in-game earnings, but the devastating hack of the Ronin network and revised tokenomics meant it didn’t last long.

“I expect Hamster Kombat will soon lose almost all of its users once people realize they either can’t really earn from it or it’s extremely difficult to do so,” Leon predicted. “Nevertheless, despite losing the majority of players, such games can retain a strong core of players who truly enjoy the gameplay.”

Although the storyline is related to cryptocurrency, Leon also noted that Hamster Kombat cannot yet be considered a crypto-game, as real digital assets and non-fungible tokens have not been integrated.

“Most likely, this game will become an advertising platform thanks to its large user base—for example, rewarding players with in-game currency for watching video ads, which has already been implemented in other games to generate revenue,” he added.

Leon also warned that Hamster Kombat’s social pressure tactics might violate laws in some countries. The Dutch advertising code states that you cannot offer users rewards for inviting children to download the game, but current age verification measures are lacking.

Clicker games are trendy right now, and there are no signs that this market craze will end soon. However, just like meme coins that rose and fell quickly, the hype around Hamster Kombat also seems unlikely to last forever.