We Put CraftMyGame in a Real Bar
We took CraftMyGame out of our development bubble and into the wild - specifically, a crowded bar in Taipei with 60 people. Not gonna lie, we were nervous:
The Setup
We partnered with a bar for one of their social event. The deal was simple: we’d provide interactive entertainment for their guests, and they’d collect emails from players for their marketing. Win-win, right? Players were incentivized to play to win a beer. First top 2 players get a beer.
60ish people showed up. 21 people played.
That’s… actually pretty good? we honestly were not sure what to expect. Some people scanned the QR code immediately, others needed friends to convince them. A few tried to download something before realizing they were already playing.
But here’s what got me excited: people came back for more rounds when they were seeing they were losing their top ranking.
This wasn’t just “oh cool, a game” and then forgotten. People were genuinely engaged. They were trash-talking each other, comparing scores, asking when the next round would start.
What This Actually Proves
This little experiment validated some big assumptions:
No-install really matters: Not a single person asked to download an app. They just played. The friction was basically zero.
Multiplayer creates social dynamics: People weren’t just playing a game, they were competing with strangers and friends in the same room. That’s powerful.
HTML5 performance is good enough: Despite some optimization needs, the games ran smoothly across all devices.
QR codes works: Gen Z and Millennials had no problem scanning codes. Even some older folks figured it out quickly.
Real-time spectating works: Having the real time game visible on the big screen created a shared experience that brought the whole room together.
What’s Next
We’re already planning the next IRL test. Maybe a corporate event, maybe another bar, maybe somewhere completely different. Each test teaches us something new about how people actually want to interact with games in real spaces.
If you’re running an event and want to test CraftMyGame for audience engagement, hit us up. We’re looking for more real-world testing opportunities.
Interested in using CraftMyGame for your business? → eric@craftmygame.com