It was simple enough that it was inoffensive, but it lacked any of Cookie Clicker’s charm.

At the time of writing, the Notcoin token is worth significantly less at $0.007754.

Obviously, this success resulted in copycats, hoping to cash in with their own tap-to-earn games.

A composite image of three crypto idle games

Telegram was perfectly positioned to turn that incredible reach and user attention into gaming."

I believe $HMSTR is gonna be huge, that’s why I play it.

Upon listing, I’m gonna buy more."

A bobblehead man who looks like Elon Musk stands in the centre of a tapping screen in X Empire.

“Just [from] Lost Dogs, I withdrew 0.84 $NOT yesterday.

“Incentives are important, without a doubt,” says Lai.

Tokens can significantly accelerate community growth by creating viral loops and driving behaviour.

A skulls menu screen from X Empire.

However, that’s not enough to sustain a community at scale.

It’s also about clever marketing, consistently delivering on promises and staying true to the community.

The ideal combination is fun gameplay and aligned incentives.

A screenshot of a menu screen from Hamster Kombat.

When done right, tokens are the foundation for sustainable long-term growth built on loyalty and fun.”

That last part is the sticking point for most of these apps; none of them are much fun.

But not being fun is probably the least offensive part of these games.

A screenshot of Hamster Kombat, showing a hamster in a suit below rewards players can buy.

Schemes like this are common, while microtransactions that are clearly pay-to-win by giving certain advantages are also present.

That requires 3900 of its premium currency, which will cost you about $13.

Whether that purchase will pay off when the game’s token launches remains to be seen.

A screenshot of Catizen, showing a room with dozens of cats to be clicked on.

“Therefore, I thought maybe I can get some airdrops here too,” they say.

To its credit, Catizen has also committed to giving 1% of its revenue to charities helping cats.

For many players around the world, these games offer the promise of future riches.

A screenshot of Catizen, full of coins earned from tapping a cat.

“Catizen’s user base will continually evolve,” says Wong.

These new members will likely be of higher quality and more committed.

The airdrop is merely the beginning of opening the entire Catizen ecosystem to the community."

A screenshot of Dog Pooper, showing three dogs in costumes and several themed poops.

But these Telegram games almost certainly aren’t it.

A screenshot of Dog Pooper, showing three dogs in costumes and several themed poops.

A screenshot from Pokey Quest, showing a list of monsters.

A screenshot from Pokey Quest, in which a trainer and a Pikachu-like creature stand next to a punching bag.