Cute, cool, and… meta?
The metaverse is here. At least, when it comes to social media games. Just a week ago, it was impossible to swipe through Instagram Stories without seeing Bondee QR codes or scroll through TikTok without video after video about users’ rooms.
But why is Bondee suddenly inescapable? What can you even do in the app? And will it last, or is it just a fad that we’ll all forget about soon? And with a name like Bondee, are we going to see some R21 content in the future?
Bondee is a Singapore-based social app, like a mix of The Sims and Bitmoji. Users can add and interact with up to 50 friends, customise little versions of themselves, design their rooms and post status updates to their hearts’ content.
There are various features and activities to keep users busy. The first step of designing yourself could take hours to get done. Since it is yourself in the game, many users take their time to create idealised virtual versions of themselves. However, some have gone the more creative route, giving themselves features they aspire to have like brightly-coloured hair or clothes they wouldn’t dare to wear in real life.
Another main activity is decorating your room. Users can customiste just about anything, from flooring and wallpaper colour to ambience and lighting. There’s a wide range of options to let your inner interior designer out and create your dream room. The only thing you can’t change about your room is its size.
Users can also post status updates to let friends know what they’re up to. You can chat with and “poke” your friends or even visit their rooms. But be warned, the app tells them every time you do.
So why do people like it so much? Well for one, it acts as a form of escapism, allowing them to mimic their lives but augment them however they see fit. It doesn’t require much activity or hard work. It’s also really popular on social media. Simply put, Bondee is a great place to do absolutely nothing with your friends and have fun doing it.
However, there have been some issues. The app still suffers from lags and one bug in particular kept logging users out of their accounts. While there was a scandal in which Bondee was accused of stealing private information from users, Bondee quickly refuted this claim.
Of course, games like these have come and gone before. Habbo, launched nearly a decade ago, offers the same experience, and it boasts 600,000 users a month. IMVU is another metaverse before the metaverse. And, of course, The Sims 3 and 4 were outstanding hits.
Will Bondee scale the same heights or even more?
