Three Sprints to Success: Building a 27K+ User Crypto Game
It started with an urgent message from a founder: "We need to build something different - like Hamster Kombat, but better."
In the fast-moving world of crypto gaming, where trends can surge and fade within weeks, we faced a challenging mission: create a standout game in the TON blockchain ecosystem that could capture users' attention and keep them engaged.
The catch? We had just three weeks to go from concept to launch.
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The impact
Sprint 1: discovery & foundation
Concept development
While other games focused on simple tap-to-earn mechanics, our research revealed an untapped opportunity. During late-night competitive analysis sessions, we noticed users craving more strategic gameplay.
That's when inspiration struck: what if we reimagined the classic Monopoly game for the crypto era?
The concept resonated immediately with the founding team:
Players would shake virtual dice through interactive tapping
Each block offered different rewards and strategic choices
Special card drops and coin multipliers added depth
Design foundation
Working against the clock, we:
Created comprehensive user flows mapping core gameplay
Developed initial wireframes for key screens
Established the foundation of our design system
Set up efficient workflows for rapid iteration
Sprint 2: visual identity & asset creation
Visual identity & asset creation
Facing our tight timeline and budget constraints, innovation in our process became crucial. Traditional approaches to asset creation wouldn't work.
Designed a distinctive logo that resonated with the crypto community
Created a cohesive style guide for consistent visual language
Established color schemes and typography that stood out
Innovative asset creation
I pioneered a hybrid approach to asset creation:
Set up efficient Midjourney prompting workflows
Created template systems in Stable Diffusion
Developed a scalable system for generating new game assets
Maintained quality while drastically reducing production time
Sprint 3: implementation & launch
Implementation & launch
The final sprint was an intense collaboration between design and development. Each morning started with quick stand-ups, afternoons were spent iterating on designs, and evenings often stretched into night as we pushed to maintain both speed and quality:
Transformed wireframes into polished interfaces
Generated and optimized game assets
Fine-tuned animation specifications
Key learnings
