Hook: Hamster Kombat, once a top game on Telegram, is plummeting in popularity while a new star, the PAWS Mini App, is capturing attention. What’s behind this surprising shift, and what does it mean for gaming on Telegram?
Hamster Kombat, a popular “tap-to-earn” game on Telegram, was thriving just a few months ago, attracting hundreds of millions of players. But in a matter of weeks, this success story turned upside down. As of now, Hamster Kombat has lost a massive 86% of its users, dropping from 300 million in August to only 41 million today. This dramatic decline is stirring up big questions: What caused this downfall, and why is a new game like PAWS suddenly taking over?
The Fall of Hamster Kombat: Key Factors to Remember
- Political Backlash and Rumors of Bans: The game faced resistance, especially from Iranian government officials who criticized it. Rumors even spread that it was banned in Uzbekistan (although those proved false). This created distrust among players, who started leaving the game.
- Competitors and New Games: Just as Hamster Kombat was facing issues, new games began to enter the scene, especially the PAWS Mini App, which offers a fresh experience that appeals to more users. PAWS gained over 20 million users in just eight days — an explosive start compared to Hamster Kombat’s fall.
- Token Value and User Engagement: Hamster Kombat’s token, HMSTR, saw its price fall by nearly 70%, going from $0.01 to $0.0022. With fewer players interested in the game, its token value naturally declined. Key metric here is the Active Addresses Ratio (AAR), which showed only 0.34% of users holding HMSTR tokens were actually active.
Why the PAWS Mini App is Winning
The PAWS Mini App offers a fresh experience on Telegram, and it’s designed with features that players find exciting. Within just two days of launching, PAWS had 11 million users. By Nov. 4, it had 10 million wallets connected, plus one million followers on X (formerly Twitter). This surge highlights a major trend in gaming: players want something new and reliable, and PAWS seems to be hitting the mark.
Steps to Understanding the Rise and Fall of Telegram Games
- Look at User Numbers: Apps like Hamster Kombat lost users because of outside pressure and competition. Keeping an eye on active user counts can reveal a lot about a game’s success.
- Watch Token Values and AAR: For games with tokens, price and active user engagement (like AAR) indicate health. If token prices fall fast, it’s often a sign that users are leaving.
- Focus on New Features: PAWS became popular by focusing on what users wanted — connectivity, simplicity, and a new way to play. Understanding which features attract users helps predict future hits.
Key Terms to Remember
- Tap-to-Earn: A type of game where users earn tokens just by interacting with the app.
- Active Addresses Ratio (AAR): This measures how many of the token holders are actively using the game.
- HMSTR Token: The currency in Hamster Kombat, which lost significant value.
- Telegram Mini App: Small apps within Telegram that players can use directly from the messaging app.
Why This Knowledge Matters
Understanding shifts like these in the gaming world on platforms like Telegram gives you insight into what makes certain digital products succeed or fail. For anyone interested in crypto, gaming, or technology, knowing how factors like user engagement, token value, and competitive features affect success is essential for building knowledge in this field.
In the end, the rise of PAWS and the fall of Hamster Kombat show that today’s digital audience demands more than just entertainment — they want stability, innovation, and an app they can trust. This trend isn’t just about one game’s success or failure but represents broader changes in how people interact with digital gaming and cryptocurrency.
