The Stark Reality: Telegram Games vs. Traditional Gaming Retention

Telegram-based games, particularly “play-to-earn” titles like Hamster Kombat, are struggling with alarmingly low user retention rates of 5% to 20%, significantly below the 20%-30% benchmark seen in traditional gaming. This gap highlights systemic challenges in retaining players despite initial viral growth. For example, Hamster Kombat saw its user base plummet from 300 million total players in August 2024 to 41 million post-airdrop in November, with monthly active users (MAU) peaking at 155 million.

The Airdrop Hype Cycle and Its Aftermath

The temporary surge in engagement driven by token airdrops—a hallmark of Telegram’s blockchain gaming ecosystem—proved unsustainable. Players disillusioned by underwhelming rewards rapidly abandoned games post-airdrop, causing daily active users (DAU) and MAU ratios to decline across the ecosystem. Helika’s analysis notes that the allure of “easy money” faded, exposing a lack of intrinsic gameplay value to retain users long-term.

TON Blockchain Growth Amid Retention Woes

Despite retention struggles, the TON blockchain underpinning Telegram’s ecosystem expanded dramatically, growing from 6 million to over 140 million accounts in 12 months. This growth suggests that user acquisition isn’t the issue; instead, the ecosystem fails to convert new sign-ups into loyal players. The disconnect between blockchain adoption and gaming retention underscores a critical need for better gamification strategies.

Bot Activity and Data Reliability Concerns

Compounding these issues is the prevalence of bots and artificial inflation of user metrics. Helika warns that distinguishing genuine players from automated accounts remains a major hurdle, skewing retention data and masking the true scale of engagement challenges. This opacity complicates efforts to diagnose and address retention gaps effectively.

Strategies to Bridge the Retention Gap

To align with traditional gaming benchmarks, Telegram games must prioritize:

1. ​Sustainable Incentives: Move beyond one-time airdrops to reward long-term engagement.
2. ​Enhanced Gameplay Depth: Invest in mechanics that foster organic replayability, not just financial incentives.
3. ​Transparent Metrics: Implement stricter anti-bot measures to improve data accuracy and trust.