I'm a casual Splinterlands player...
Just like that.
I play because I enjoy it, because I find it fun, because I like the game’s universe and enjoy being part of the community. I don't play out of obligation, nor with that mindset of “I must maximize every penny per minute invested.” I'm also not one of those who spend hours and hours trying to farm the highest possible amount of GLINT or burn out trying to reach the highest league every season. To be honest, just thinking about that tires me.
The truth is that it's been a while since the profitability for casual players in the game went downhill without brakes.
Before, even by playing just a little, you could accumulate decent rewards, climb a few leagues, get some nice cards, and maybe even earn a little bit on the side. But today? Nowadays, between card rentals, SPS rentals, energy burn, and this whole ecosystem of financial micromanagement, those without a highly planned strategy or unwilling to invest real money are simply balancing on a tightrope.
And I'm not here to walk a tightrope.
I prefer something more straight to the point, more relaxed, that fits better into my routine.
I'm not interested in entering a spiral of constant optimization. I don’t want to turn Splinterlands into a walking Excel spreadsheet. I want to play and enjoy. I want to look at the game and see a game, not a second job.
That’s why I don’t stress about climbing since day one of the season. I’m not anxious to play every possible match, to farm every last drop of GLINT, or to treat the game like a mining system. These days, my main goal within the Splinterlands ecosystem is simply to stay active enough to follow the news, play when I feel like it, and occasionally produce some interesting content about my journey.
Of course, that also requires some care. I can’t just write anything, dump a bunch of empty words or substance-less content, and expect the community to embrace it. Content creation, even when casual, demands a certain level of responsibility especially in such a connected environment like Hive.
Still, I prefer this more laid-back approach than diving headfirst into a hypercompetitive model.
And now, with the recent addition of the FRONTIER FORMAT, that desire to keep participating in the ecosystem has grown even stronger. The new cards are interesting, look cool, and seem to offer good strategic possibilities especially for those who enjoy thinking in creative synergies. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll go deep into them or just watch from a distance, but what I do know is that it genuinely rekindled my interest.
Maybe I’ll scale up my involvement a bit more, maybe not. I’m still thinking about it.
I'm also very curious about the second part of the Campaign Mode. The first part, although simple, already added some depth to the game universe. And if more cutscenes, more lore, and more narrative elements are coming, even better. I enjoy that immersion. I like to feel like I'm part of a living world, with stories that intertwine with the battles and characters. That captivates me more than any reward system.
The truth is, unlike many hardcore players who spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on cards, SPS, and meticulously planned strategies, I prefer to be a player who enjoys the game in a healthy way. A player who knows how to balance. Who respects their own time and energy. Who plays when they want to, not when the algorithm commands.
Sure, if there are earnings opportunities here and there, I won’t complain. Getting a rare card, collecting some potions, maybe even turning a few rewards into something useful all of that is welcome. But that’s not the main focus. For me, Splinterlands is, above all, a game. And if I wanted to spend my day crunching numbers, analyzing markets, projecting returns... I’d open a brokerage, not a player account.
And this casual model works very well for me.
For most of the season, I just take it slow and steady. I play one or two matches a day, just to stay sharp. Then, when I’m feeling motivated or simply have some free time, I sit down, play for about 30 minutes, and see how far I can go. I’ve managed to stay between the Gold and Silver leagues playing like this. Lately, it’s been more towards Bronze, I admit. Seems like each day it gets harder... or maybe I’m just getting worse at the game... who knows?
At the end of the day, Splinterlands is still a fun game. But we can’t ignore that it has changed especially for players like me. The reward system isn’t as generous anymore, competition is tougher, and many people have already quit the game because of it. I, on the other hand, adapted my playstyle. I decided I want to enjoy the best of the experience, without sacrificing too much of my time or my wallet.
Because at the end of the day, even though the game is deeply rooted in Web3, the current Play2Earn landscape is far from the paradise many once imagined.