The evolution of in-game earning
Over the past few years, the concept of in-game earning has evolved. While the specific trends and "meta" around earning shift over time, the core idea remains constant: it’s always about enabling players to earn value in some form. Given this, it’s safe to predict that the P2A meta of 2024 will also adapt and evolve in the future.
It's important to note that the landscape is constantly evolving, and there’s no exact blueprint for user bootstrapping or incentive design in web3. However, by studying past trends and user behaviors, you can gain valuable insights to shape effective strategies for your audience.
While many "earn" narratives have come and gone, two models have demonstrated the most resilience:
- P2E (Play-to-Earn):
- Players earn tokens or NFTs by participating in in-game activities.
- Example: Completing daily missions or PvP battles to receive rewards.
- P2A (Play-to-Airdrop):
- Players earn points by completing tasks (in-game or SocialFi). These points are later converted into a token allocation during the TGE (Token Generation Event).
- Example: Participating in quests, creating UGC, or engaging with community initiatives to earn allocations.
Best practices for P2A campaigns
The ever-changing meta in Web3 gaming makes it challenging to provide a universal framework for P2A campaigns that will remain relevant long-term. However, by looking at successful campaigns, we can extract some key best practices that increase effectiveness:
The below best practices were derived from: Do’s and Don’t For Play to Airdrop Campaigns by Hunter
P2A monetization
Pay-to-Airdrop (P2A 2.0) is an evolution of traditional P2A campaigns, where players earn token rewards not just through in-game engagement but also through monetary contributions. In this model, players who make purchases—whether for NFTs, in-game assets, or special event access—are prioritized for token rewards over purely free participants.
This approach gained traction in Q4 2024 as it helps address common challenges in traditional P2A, such as bot farming, unsustainable reward emissions, and a lack of long-term player retention. By requiring some level of financial participation, P2A 2.0 ensures that rewards go to spending users rather than extractors who abandon the game post-airdrop. It also serves as a good example of how reward incentives adapt over time even within the same cycle. In order to come up with successful campaigns, founders need to be ware of the current trends and be adaptable.
The differences between traditional P2A and P2A 2.0:
Aspect | Traditional P2A | Pay-to-Airdrop (P2A 2.0) |
Entry Requirement | Free participation based on gameplay | Requires purchases to “earn” (NFTs, passes, or in-game spending)
Note: the effect will most often be that top of funnel metrics (e.g. participants) will be worse due to higher barrier to entry. |
Reward Distribution | Based on engagement/activity alone | Prioritizes paying users + engaged players |
Bot Resistance | High risk of bot farming | Reduced bot risk due to financial barriers |
Sustainability | Often leads to high sell pressure (from farmers) during launch | Monetization ensures stronger retention |
User Intent | Attracts speculative grinders | Attracts real spenders & engaged participants |
Key benefits:
Best practices for P2E
After completing a P2A campaign, most companies transition toward P2E mechanics. P2E aligns more closely with post-token-launch strategies, as it requires an active, live token to function effectively.
We will explore this topic in greater detail in Part 3 of this playbook, where we discuss strategies and best practices for implementing P2E post-token launch.
Peer-to-peer incentives
In crypto, word-of-mouth (WoM) is a critical component of any growth strategy. This is due to the community-driven nature of the ecosystem, which thrives on trust, advocacy, and the power of network effects.
The effectiveness of WoM can be quantified using the K-factor, which measures the virality of your growth strategy:
- Formula:
- Key Insight:
K-factor = (Number of invites sent per user) × (Conversion rate).A K-factor greater than 1 indicates exponential growth, as each user brings in more than one additional user on average.
The most common and effective strategy to amplify your K-factor is implementing a referral system. We’ve covered this topic extensively in the chapter “Creator Strategy and Outreach” where we detail how to design and optimize referral campaigns to maximize user acquisition and engagement.
Gifting and tipping
In addition to referral systems, gifting and tipping have proven to be effective tools for driving growth in Web3 ecosystems. These methods leverage the community’s engagement and encourage viral participation, seamlessly integrating into gaming and crypto environments.
Gifting
Tipping
Giveaways (and contests)
Designing a successful giveaway
Align incentives with broader goals
Your incentive models should be designed to steer growth in areas that align with your broader objectives, such as:
- Increasing followers and social engagement.
- Driving community growth and player acquisition.
- Encouraging mass participation and activity within your ecosystem.
These metrics will play a critical role in achieving key milestones, such as securing CEX listings or attracting investment opportunities (explored further in the post-TGE section).
By aligning incentives with long-term goals, you ensure that your campaigns are not only engaging but also strategically impactful for the project’s growth trajectory.