I Played Efe Kucuk's Mini-Games and Won

In today’s world, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology are becoming increasingly rooted in our day-to-day lives. From virtual driving assistants used in your Tesla, to smart home diagnostics in Google Nest, to NFT’s impact on collectibles and the digital art market, it’s clear these technologies are becoming more and more accepted.

At that intersection, there are some cool experiments happening in the Tezos ecosystem around gaming. Efe Kucuk, product manager for gaming at TriliTech, has developed some fun games making use of web3 and AI elements. I played through both of them and in this article, I’ll recount the experience and some other recent gaming developments we’ve seen within the Tezos ecosystem.

Bargaining Watch Prices #

In Efe’s series of mini-games, the first one to release was shared initially on the Tezos Discord. The game centers around price negotiation, in which the primary goal is to try to negotiate the best possible price for a watch against an AI salesperson. The AI watch seller’s name is Thadeus Ticktock and your goal is to convince him to sell you a special timepiece for less than his listed price at $10,000.

After expressing my interest in obtaining a new watch from our mysterious character Thadeus, he began to explain to me how he had acquired a special timepiece I’d be interested in from a mysterious man in a red hood. Using this knowledge, in my prompts, I immediately began to question the legitimacy of the watch, citing the lack of certificates of authenticity and papers as a concern.

He continued to explain to me that he believed the watch was genuine. In response, I offered half the original quoted price of the watch, or $5,000. Once again citing reasons for being unable to prove the legitimacy of the watch. Understanding those concerns, he counter-offered me to meet him halfway at $7,500.

Once again, I decided to counter his offer citing concern about the legitimacy of the watch. Thadeus ended up accepting my offer of $6,250 which was nearly $4,000 less than his initial quoted price. In reality, I would have offered him $100 as no one should buy a watch based on the merit of a ‘man in a red hood’, however it’s just a game and the game was a fun way to test your ability to negotiate.

After settling on a final price, I was notified that I had won the ‘Bargaining Beginner’s Watch’ collectible. After you sync your Tezos based wallet, you will have the ability to claim it and share it on social media.

Game #2: Can You Convince The Bouncer? #

In the next installment of Efe’s series of mini-games, his second game features a new challenge for the wordsmiths of the world. The goal of the game is to convince an AI bouncer at an elite nightclub to let you in without being on the guest list. The bouncer’s name is Grim Steele and you’re tasked with convincing him on why he should let you into the Elysium nightclub.

After expressing interest in getting into the club, I explained how I knew the owner and played golf with him from time to time. The bouncer then went on to explain how unoriginal that line was and then proceeded to comment on the music selection, asking if I even knew what type of music was played there.

I proceeded to explain that the music was an eloquent blend of upbeat club and disco music meeting the stunning nature of the cosmos. Not really buying what I said (I don’t blame him), he then asked me about my favorite artist that plays music there. Without hesitation, I told him “Cosmo Medici”. Sounding somewhat more convinced at my made-up famous singer who happens to be behind an art fund on Tezos (Cozomo de’ Medici), he asked me to name a song by him and why I like it.

After telling him the name of my song which was “space odyssey”, I began describing a man’s fascination for the unknown and compared it to space and man’s desire to explore it. With the bouncer fully convinced through my tale, I was admitted into the Elysium nightclub. Having to be quick on my feet, this game was a fun little experience.

Again, once your Tezos based wallet is synced, you can collect a NFT. Once I clicked the claim item after being let into the Elysium, I was able to receive my Elysium VIP pass.

Looking Forward #

Having the chance to check out and play some of Efe’s games was a great experience for me. I enjoy seeing the amount of genuine interest people like Efe Kucuk have in the Tezos ecosystem and build quirky games. To me, it makes me even more confident in all the other work that’s being done on the gaming front, especially in light of the upcoming game, KAYO!