Good Day Manager! Exploring Social Relationships in NFT-based Play-to-Earn Games

Play-to-Earn (P2E) crypto-games recently emerged as a gig opportunity despite the absence of regulations. As these platforms continue to grow, there is a need to understand the interactions involved to protect vulnerable stakeholders. This paper describes how an unintended social dynamic became a strategy guiding players to navigate an unregulated space. First, we inquired through surveys (N = 69) and interviews (N = 9) to understand stakeholder motivations and practices in this space. Second, we analyzed data and then conceptualized eight themes (e.g., Management, Social, Gaming). Then, we uncovered four types of relationships (e.g., Manager-Scholar, Manager-Investor-Scholar, Coach-Mentee, Scholar-Turned-Manager) that shaped the behaviours of the different users on the platform. Lastly, we present design implications and recommendations to guide the design of P2E crypto games and the gig-focused communities that thrive around them. Our results contribute to ongoing discussions in designing digital gig economies and crypto-based games.