How Web3 Games Hook You Without You Even Realizing

James

July 23, 2025

How Web3 Games Hook You Without You Even Realizing

Key Takeaways

  • Web3 games hook their players through their secret sauce of play-to-earn as players earn real-world assets. 
  • Web3 games hook their players through community bonding and growth, discouraging solo gameplay. 
  • Players of web3 games have the opportunity to contribute to its game upgrades and designs, making it a hook for players. 

Picture yourself with this thought, “Just one more quest to pass this stage,” and boom, you check the time. It’s already 4 am the next day.

Congratulations, buddy, you’re hooked. Now imagine being rewarded with crypto tokens, in-game assets, NFTs (Non-fungible tokens), XP points that can easily be swapped into real-world value or cash, and a governance opportunity to contribute towards the next big game designs. 

Welcome to web3 games, where the psychological hook is nearly non-existent. 

Web3 games are powered by the blockchain space, with game developers and producers seeking innovative ways to engage their users and keep them hooked. This approach makes playing these games feel more enjoyable and personal than web2 games.

The introduction of real-world value assets has driven the grind and greed to the next level, with community and other perks for these games making it irresistible for many gamers to avoid. 

Let’s break down some of the tricks these web3 games pull to get you hooked without you even realizing it, as this space continues to create a huge buzz on crypto Twitter. 

The Ownership Trap

True ownership in web3 comes from playing fun games like Illuvium Dragon or Sandbox. It is not just a pixel but an NFT or token from Ethereum or Solana, locked in your wallet and waiting to be swapped into cash. 

Unlike web2 games like Fortnite, which vanishes when Epic pulls the plug, players of web3 games can sell their NFTs or tokens to ETH or SOL.

When this reward hits the brain center reward, you are forced to play to build your portfolio as every land or NFT you claim takes you one step closer to owning that dream lambo by sticking to the grind. 

Play-to-Earn – Earn for Fun

P2E is the real web3 hook killer for gamers, allowing players to game while stacking crypto. Axie Infinity and Sandbox, in the 2021 bull market, shocked the crypto space through P2E games as many players were above to make real-world assets with value. 

In 2021, Filipino gamers earned over $1,200 more than their monthly wages, creating quite a buzz in the crypto space. As the Web3 gaming industry continues to grow, there is no doubt it will see a downside, but it will also continue to evolve to attract more players. 

Community Bonding and Growth

Web3 games are not built for solo players; they have been designed for community-driven experiences through Discord guilds, DAOs, NFT raids, and co-op crafting.

Community participation in web3 games allows players to build with others, plan strategies, and make real decisions. 

When players participate in community decisions, they become invested in the growth of the web3 game and its financial success. 

Conclusion

While web2 games can become boring after completing a campaign or finishing a level, web3 games don’t end as they create different ways to keep their players hooked through governance proposals, protocol upgrades, token emissions, and community involvement, allowing players to have a major stake in the game’s growth.

TL;DR

Web3 games hook you through the following:

  • Ownership with real value
  • Rewards from in-game assets such as NFTs
  • Community contributions
  • Growth and game upgrades

Game on, buddy; you’re hooked on web3 games. 

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