I don't know why I never thought about this before, but the more I've been attempting to explain to mainstream game enthusiasts what separates Splinterlands from mainstream games...

Losing is better on Splinterlands.

People who remember the collectible game crazes of the nineties, especially those of us who were pre-teens at the time, clearly recall the idea of playing for keeps. The competition would take on a new level of severity, as each player battled for one of the worldly possessions of their opponent.

It was pretty sweet to win a game for fun, but victory was so much sweeter in a game for keeps. Splinterlands even has an option for this that you may not be aware of, in the Challenge section. You can wager a number of booster packs on the outcome of a battle, but I rarely hear of anyone taking advantage of this feature.

In the Splinterlands community, I think we're much fonder of giving and receiving gifts than battling for one another's assets. Kudos, Splinterlands players! This shows a real sense of maturity and responsibility.

It's a new model for losing, in which we don't really have to lose anything. Beautiful, isn't it. Players love to fiercely compete and battle one another, but if possible, they would more prefer taking the rewards from the game than from their opponent. It just goes to show that although we battle, we are all on the same team.