The Breakthrough of GameFi: Returning to the Essence of Humanity, 70% Game + 20% Fi + 10% Meme

Recently, various sectors of the market have been rising in turn, from inscriptions to Solana and then to Depin, seemingly indicating a signal: "The bull market is getting closer."

In the face of such a market environment, veteran players are beginning to think: "Which track should we focus on next? Is it the already popular L2? Or the trending inscriptions? Or perhaps the GameFi with potential to break out?"

This article will focus on the GameFi track and discuss the following questions:

• What is the key to breaking the GameFi deadlock?
• What is a healthier ratio between Game and Fi?
• Which new GameFi projects are worth paying attention to and investing in?

1. Human nature to the left, GameFi to the right

Looking back at the last wave of GameFi craze, it is not hard to find a common problem: an excessive emphasis on the Fi attributes, neglecting the Game itself. Whether it's AAA masterpieces or P2E mining games, players are always caught in a cycle of "buying NFTs - completing tasks - earning tokens."

Designers believe that as long as they capture the "greed" in human nature, players will flock to it. However, in reality, human nature is not just about greed.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory states that property ownership is the most basic level of need, with higher-level needs including belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. In other words, when only a single need is satisfied, people will eventually move on to other levels of needs.

Therefore, Fi in Game should be "driving force" rather than "main force". This is also the fundamental reason for the high overall failure rate of GameFi projects in the previous round.

So, what is the key to GameFi breaking the circle?

In fact, breaking the circle is not simply about transitioning from Web3 to Web2, but rather about continuously breaking through the five levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs to meet the different levels of needs of the same group of people.

How to measure whether a product meets the demand? The answer is time. Whoever can satisfy the user's demands on more levels can occupy more of the user's time.

So, in the face of human nature and demand, there is no distinction between Web2 and Web3. Time is the common battlefield for all future businesses. Meeting multi-layered demands is the key to GameFi and the entire Web3 project's breakthrough.

2. 70% Game + 20% Fi + 10% Meme

Compared to L2 and the various popular meme coins, the GameFi sector may not show much progress yet, but it still has the greatest potential for breakout. The reason is that gaming has become an element ingrained in human DNA; it is a part of human experience.

From ancient tribal games to the Olympic Games and then to modern video games, games have always catered to the diverse needs of humanity. Compared to other Web3 native tracks, GameFi inherently integrates the demands of both Game and Fi, making it easier to meet the diverse needs of humans.

So, how should Game and Fi be proportioned for better health? After going viral, how can we "retain" the new traffic?

After studying numerous failure cases, I propose the best ratio formula for breaking the deadlock: 70% Game + 20% Fi + 10% Meme.

20% of Fi is the driving force for users to engage, but it is merely a motivation rather than the main focus. 70% of the emphasis should be placed on the stimulating points and rhythm design of the Game itself, focusing on players' immersion time rather than gold farming efficiency.

In addition, 10% of Meme elements can be added to transform players from participants into creators, helping them find like-minded individuals. Attention itself is money, so let players immerse themselves first, then use Fi to attract new players, and finally use Meme to give players a sense of belonging. This healthier ratio is the key to breaking the deadlock and retaining users.

3. From 0 to 1 is innovation, 1 + 1 + 1 > ∞ is also innovation

When looking for innovative and breakout potential GameFi projects, we don't have to be obsessed with innovation from 0 to 1, nor do we have to blindly pursue AAA masterpieces. Perhaps, this "combinatorial innovation" of 1+1+1 is the new trend of innovation in this round of GameFi.

Taking the recently popular Cards Ahoy(, abbreviated as CA), as an example, this game is not an innovation from 0 to 1, but rather a combination and stitching of various validated demands, ultimately establishing an internal loop.

CA is a card game with a Meme style, easy to pick up in 60 seconds. It combines card play and auto chess mechanics, reducing the difficulty for users while retaining the strategic elements of card games, presenting an effect of 1+1>2.

This combination innovation has many successful cases in the history of game development, such as Don't Starve ( survival + building + Roguelike ), Clash Royale ( simplified RTS + card ), etc.

Compared to the unknown of going from 0 to 1, players prefer to incorporate Web3 economic models based on gameplay they are familiar with in Web2; rather than grand and complex mechanics, they favor simple, fast, and fun gaming experiences.

CA is precisely practicing this combination innovation of 1+1+1. It draws on the successful experience of Web2 games, incorporates the Fi gameplay of Web3, and turns in-game virtual items into NFTs, with players generating demand and pricing based on game mechanics.

According to official data, CA performed impressively in the recent internal test, with nearly 25,000 users participating and a total online duration of nearly 180,000 hours, and a retention rate of over 47% ten days after the test ended.

In addition to having sufficient gaming features, this combinatorial innovation also has the advantages of fairness and low risk. Since it taps into proven demand and continuously integrates new gameplay, the investment cycle is short, and users can fully experience it upon launch. No matter when you enter the market, it is relatively fair, and the participation risk is also lower.

In terms of economic model design, CA has also made a number of innovations. It has increased the diversification of outputs, which include not only tokens but also NFTs, avoiding the continuous selling pressure faced by a single token system. Through diversified output channels, rich gameplay mechanics, and consumption scenarios, CA has built a healthier and fairer Fi system.

In terms of breaking the circle, the issuance platform behind CA, the Metalist Game team, comes from well-known game manufacturers, with partners including Binance, OKX, NetEase, and other leading Web2 and Web3 companies, demonstrating strong channel resources and the ability to break the circle.

In general, CA-type combination innovation games that follow the 1+1+1 model may be more sustainable. Each 1 represents a validated demand, continuously stacking and merging, which may ultimately result in an effect of 1+1+1 > ∞.

Therefore, in this round of the GameFi track, it is recommended to pay attention to multi-element Web3 games like CA that have light investment, heavy operation, micro-innovation, and more vitality. After all, surviving brings more possibilities. Time is not only the battlefield for future business but also the standard for testing product vitality.

Conclusion

In this round of market cycles, it might be worthwhile to return to the essence of human nature and look for GameFi projects that can meet multi-layered demands. Regardless of the Game type or Fi model, there is always a combination that can just right hit most needs in human nature. Finding it, laying it out, and utilizing it may just give you an advantage in the next wave of GameFi.