Every Friday I will write a thread about a new gamification technique, the theory behind it, and how it can help your Web3 project. This week: Social Treasure - What is it and how can it increase your community engagement X10 ?

Social Treasure is a reward in a game (or experience) that can ONLY be acquired as a gift from another player.

This technique plays on the "Social Influence and Relatedness" core drive of motivation as defined by Yu Kai Chou. This is an intrinsic type of motivation - the act itself is rewarding - and a balance of positive/negative motivation.

OK, but what does it all mean Bazzle?

Well - game techniques that use the Social core drive release Oxytocin in the brain and give players that warm and fuzzy feeling of family. But - this drive can make people strive to achieve more to match or exceed their peers... which can be unhealthy, but motivating if done in the right way. You want people to feel a sense of belonging, not alienation.

So back to the Social Treasure - how are we seeing this used in Web3 today? DAO delegation. When you stake tokens in a DAO you can delegate your votes - as some may remember from the Optimism airdrop. Not a very warm and fuzzy use of Social Treasure...

These techniques have different effects when combined in certain ways - implement Social Treasure with Protector Quest (where everyone loses if one person doesn't complete the goal: giving a friend a reward), and you get an environment of frantic giving and accountability.

Foundation marketplace has implemented Social Treasure beautifully with their invite system. You know it feels sooo good to receive/give an invite to Foundations marketplace (especially in the bull market ;) )

Where do I see opportunity for Social Treasure to bring more value to Web3?

- Give to mint: Allocate AL spots to people with a catch - they can only give them away.

- NFT Game Invites: Players earn an open edition NFT through gameplay, that can only be sent to invite other players to the game - to reduce barrier to entry to blockchain games.

- Wallet Names: Bestow a named address (like .eth) upon a friend you share connections with, that uses the same wallet offering this feature.

Just to name a few ideas!

This feature tends to create brand champions and recruiters that go out and try to get people to "play the game" so they can ask them to be given the rare gift :)

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