I will not bet any amount of money on the web-based mini-game titled ‘Dookey Dash’ to revive many things, and certainly not all sub-sections of the wide crypto niche. However, Yuga Labs’ first take on the ‘ingrained monkey’ mini-game has been making waves this month. While the relatively simple game does not reinvent the wheel, it causes dialogue and discussion on what could be the right time in crypto.
If the timing is right and bull market conditions re-emerge, could the Dookey Dash Yuga mini-game be seen as the turning point that pumps life back into GameFi?
Refresh Me… GameFi?
If there’s one topic that’s been pushed all the way back into the ether during bear market conditions, it’s GameFi. In early 2022, before the wind of the bear market turned, this was one of the hottest topics of discussion in the crypto and NFT community. Many believe that GameFi is ‘next,’ and the momentum around titles like Axie Infinity is growing.
At the end of the first quarter, the market lost steam, and of course the rest of the year showed few players in crypto any favors. GameFi has effectively been pushed to the backburner, even as the NFT market continues to thrive.
Could a bull market situation exist in crypto in the near future? If so, GameFi could be in a prime position to continue from the momentum that waned just a year ago.
Yuga Labs aims to build a more cohesive ecosystem around Apes, which currently includes the APE token. | Source: APE-USD on TradingView.com
Yuga Labs & ‘Dookey Dash’
Yuga Labs has long expressed its desire to build a wider metaverse with gamified elements, using properties like Bored Apes and Mutant Apes. Enter Dookey Dash, the earliest iteration of these efforts. The title is a simple web-based mini-game that allows Ape and Mutant owners to use NFTs to record high scores. The winner is believed to be awarded a special 1-of-1 monkey.
Part of the hype has been fueled by former esports professionals and content creators playing to win. Look no further than former Fortnite legend Mongraal, who has recorded the highest score on at least two separate occasions.
Mongraal has nearly a million dollars in official Fortnite earnings and is a staple in the game’s most competitive regions. On the rare occasions Mongraal has streamed on Twitch in recent months, he’s averaged around 8,500 viewers – and is now potentially making more money from mini-games than he’s made in years of hacking Fortnite.
Even more impactful could be Mongraal’s role in expanding Dookey Dash to more traditional gamers – an important pillar of growth for GameFi that has yet to be seen.
1st Dookiedash pic.twitter.com/v8Lx9gJOUH
— Mongraal (@Mongraal) January 31, 2023