Original | Odaily Planet Daily ( @OdailyChina )

Author | Asher ( @Asher_0210 )

On August 30th, the popular NFT project Pudgy Penguins officially released its new mobile game, Pudgy Party, on both the App Store and Google Play. Shortly after its release, the game quickly broke into the top ten free games charts, quickly becoming a focal point within the industry and beyond.

Pudgy Party game main interface

Pudgy Party Gameplay Overview

Pudgy Party is a Web 3 mobile game jointly created by Pudgy Penguins and Web 3 game studio Mythical Games (game download link: bit.ly/pudgyparty ).

Pudgy Party game tutorial interface

The game features a casual, multiplayer experience. Twenty players control adorable penguins in each round, competing on a randomized course filled with obstacles like spinning hammers, moving platforms, and collapsing floors. The goal is to survive the chaotic collisions and shoves. Each round consists of three rounds, ultimately determining a champion. The gameplay is simple and fun, and the skins and emotes are incredibly adorable.

Pudgy Party game interface

Pudgy Party's playability is reflected in many details. In Pudgy Party, players don't have to worry about rank or competitive pressure. The level system is only used to unlock various cute penguin skins and funny actions, and it will not affect the user's matching with other players. Even if you are eliminated in the first round, your play will not be in vain. The system will reward experience points and costume fragments, and will also playfully pop up the phrase "Better luck next time", accompanied by a silly little penguin expression, which will make people laugh out loud. In addition, users can leave the game at any time without any penalties, and there is no need to spend time researching complex upgrades or frantically farming resources. The entire game rhythm is relaxed and smooth. Every time the penguins collide with each other, are pushed off the bridge, or accidentally fall, it makes people feel like they are participating in a joyful penguin brawl.

Pudgy Party game interface

Although the NFT or token rewards are not directly displayed, the gold attribute is still there.

Pudgy Party looks like a casual party game in terms of gameplay, without directly displaying NFT or token rewards, but in fact, the game can still be used for gold farming:

• Limited-edition costume trading : There are two types of in-game costumes: standard and limited-edition. Limited-edition costumes are collectible due to their scarcity. Players can earn these costumes by completing levels, accumulating experience points, or participating in events, and then trade them in the OTC market to generate financial returns.
• Backstage chain wallet : Each player will automatically generate a Mythos Chain-based wallet in the game background. Although the address or operation cannot be directly viewed, this provides a basis for the future integration of PENGU tokens or NFT rewards. Core players can still obtain potential benefits through these mechanisms.

Pudgy Party secondary trading market

It is worth noting that many players have reported that withdrawing money from Mythical Market is not convenient. Not only do they need to register an Uphold exchange account, but they also have to complete identity verification (KYC), making the entire process relatively cumbersome.

While gold farming is possible, Pudgy Party's fun factor relies heavily on its remake of the popular Web 2 game "Egg Party." This means the game itself lacks originality and unique gameplay, leaving long-term appeal and player retention uncertain.

Replicating "Egg Party", how far can Pudgy Party go?

Pudgy Party's core gameplay is a near-copy of NetEase's Web 2 hit "Egg Party," essentially a remake of a mobile multiplayer party racing game. While this format appears lighthearted and fun, attracting players in the short term, blockchain gaming history shows that repurposing gameplay alone isn't enough to sustain long-term success. Similar examples abound, such as Heroes of Mavia, which copied the gameplay of "Clash of Clans," but due to its unstable economic model and unsustainable gold farming system, player activity quickly declined, ultimately fading.

Egg Party game interface

This question also applies to the Pudgy Party:

• Insufficient gameplay innovation : The game relies solely on replicating the Web 2 model, lacking core mechanics and differentiated features. Why do players stay in the game for a long time?
• An imperfect economic model : Without a mature gold farming or reward system, how can user incentives be maintained? Can short-term popularity be transformed into long-term community activity?
• Ongoing retention risk : Downloads and activity may be high in the short term, but once players find the gameplay repetitive or the benefits limited, enthusiasm can easily fade.

It is still worth questioning whether relying solely on fun and initial popularity can avoid the dilemma that blockchain games have fallen into in history, namely "player loss after the popularity and collapse of the economic model".

Pudgy Party's Difference: IP and User Expansion

Although the Pudgy Party mobile game is suspected of being a "copy", it has one key difference from previous blockchain games, that is, Pudgy Penguins has real and continuously spreading IP influence.

Over the past year, plush toys of the little penguin have been hot sellers at Walmart, and social media memes have spread widely, allowing Pudgy Penguins to gradually transcend the NFT circle and become a brand image that connects with the public. A series of events this year have further demonstrated the penguin's unique position in the industry and traditional finance:

• As early as April, World Penguin Day, institutions such as MetaMask, Uniswap, Magic Eden, and Binance.US lined up to build momentum for Pudgy Penguins.
• In July, major crypto companies such as Coinbase, OpenSea, MoonPay, and OKX collectively changed their Pudgy Penguins avatars, triggering a market boom and driving up the NFT floor price and token PENGU tokens.
• Even on Nasdaq, VanEck once rang the opening bell with Pudgy Penguins, and CEO Luca bluntly said: "Pudgy Penguins is the face of crypto."

This influence isn't just meme-like fervor; it's an expression of the industry's stance, signifying that Pudgy Penguins has become part of the Web 3 community's consensus. Leveraging its tangible IP value, Pudgy Party can easily attract Web 2 players and build long-term user engagement and brand recognition, even without relying on complex economic models.

Is it more important for Web 3 games to be fun or to earn money?

Pudgy Party also makes people rethink a key question: Should the essence of Web 3 games be fun enough, or even innovate on Web 2 games in terms of gameplay, or should they have an extremely complete gold-making model that allows everyone to make money continuously?

If we only emphasize "fun", then Web 3 games are no different from Web 2 games, and it will be difficult to surpass the production level of Web 2 giants in the short term. Why should players choose blockchain games?

If we only emphasize "making money", after a short period of wealth creation, there will be a shortage of new players and declining returns for old players, and eventually it will be difficult to escape the death spiral. Players will only turn to the next blockchain game that is about to TGE or has the potential for "explosive profits" in the short term.

Perhaps the answer lies in a dynamic balance between the two. Although the launch of Pudgy Party mobile game has not completely changed the landscape of Web 3 games in the short term, it at least provides a new approach:

• The game itself needs to be fun enough to attract non-crypto users;
• IP can help break through the barriers of the circle , so that the project is no longer limited to blockchain game players;
• The gold-making properties need to be controlled within a reasonable range , so as not to become a Ponzi scheme and to provide additional income for the core group.

In the tension between "fun" and "gold farming," Pudgy Party isn't the end point, but rather a test case in the evolution of the blockchain gaming industry. It demonstrates that Web 3 games don't have to be black and white, but can find a balance across different stages and user groups.

Unlike most blockchain games, Pudgy Party's biggest variable lies in the power of its IP. This may be the key to attracting Web 2 players and breaking down barriers within the crypto community. Compared to relying solely on token incentives, the inherent emotional connection and user base of the IP provides the game with a longer-term external traffic entry point, giving it the opportunity to break out of its "internal cycle."

Perhaps the truly successful Web 3 games of the future will not simply copy the entertainment logic of Web 2, nor rely on the Ponzi scheme of wealth illusions, but will deeply integrate "fun", IP value and "on-chain incentives", allowing users to immerse themselves in it while also experiencing the unique experience given by the blockchain.