Idea that could be a proposal : A Tree-Planting Game That Turns Taps into Real Trees + Crypto Rewards

[nhezari]

Hi everyone,

I’m Navid, and I’m currently building an early-stage idea and found out Gitcoin supports climate change eco friendly solution and ideas.I’d love your feedback and thoughts on my idea.

I have name it Greeny for now. So what is Greeny?

Greeny is a mobile game web based game that lets players grow tree-based characters ( not necsseraly but its good to be related to forest protection like elves or forest guardians) , complete green quests, and earn in-game currency. The twist? That currency can be converted into real-world tree planting, and eventually into crypto rewards.

It’s a game where:

• Players tap, level up tree spirits, and protect the forest (using idle or deck-builder mechanics or any other game type)
• Players earn two tokens:
  • $LEAF for in-game actions, watching ads, or purchases
  • $TREE tied to real-world tree planting (unlocked through milestones or quests)
• Once enough progress is made, users receive:
  • A Tree Certificate
  • A real photo of a tree planted on their behalf
  • GPS coordinates they can view and share on social media
• Verified users in rural areas can become Planters, earning $TREE for planting and uploading tree photos with GPS/time metadata

Why This Matters

• People want to take climate action but don’t know how
• Many can’t donate, but would watch ads or play games to make an impact
• Crypto and games often lack real-world meaning — this combines both

Where I’m At

I’m a solo founder with a vision but no development background. Right now I’m:

• Exploring a no-code prototype for the mobile game
• Learning about token setup
• Looking for collaborators, feedback, and maybe Web3 devs who align with this vision
• Planning to apply for Gitcoin Grants to fund an MVP

What I’d Love From You:

• Feedback on the idea or structure
• Would you use or support a game like this?
• Are there others here working on climate gaming I should talk to?
• Open to advice on smart contract setup or wallet integration

Thanks for reading and for any thoughts, ideas, or encouragement you can offer. I believe Greeny could start as something small and fun — and grow into something really impactful for both people and the planet.

Happy to answer any questions or go deeper into the game mechanics if helpful.

Navid

[derethanos]

Ciao Navid, grazie per aver condiviso Greeny: la tua visione di un gioco che trasforma il desiderio di agire per il clima in un’esperienza divertente ha un potenziale reale. Immagino l’utente che apre l’app, tocca lo schermo e vede crescere il suo piccolo spirito-albero; ogni tap genera $LEAF, la valuta interna che serve a potenziare il guardiano e a far avanzare la barra-comunità. Quando la somma di tutti i $LEAF raggiunge una soglia, scatta il vero impatto: un oracolo on-chain conferma la piantumazione di un albero, si minta un NFT $TREE e il giocatore riceve la foto, le coordinate GPS e la data, prova tangibile che quello non è “green-washing” ma un albero vivo da qualche parte nel mondo.

Per mantenere l’economia sana, terrei $LEAF off-chain, inflazionaria e senza fee, mentre $TREE resterebbe scarso e tracciato in blockchain, un NFT “uno a uno” con l’albero reale. Chi vive in zone rurali può candidarsi come planter: scatta la foto, l’oracolo controlla metadati e posizione e gli accredita i $TREE guadagnati, così chi gioca in città sostiene chi pianta sul campo. Sul fronte tecnico puoi partire in poche settimane con un prototipo “idle clicker” costruito in Construct o Buildbox, un backend leggero in Supabase e il mint di prova in testnet via thirdweb su Polygon o Celo, reti a fee minime e carbon-negative. Misuri rapidamente se il loop tap-upgrade-ricompensa trattiene davvero gli utenti: invita una ventina di amici, guarda quanti tornano dopo due giorni; se la retention è bassa, affina il gameplay prima di toccare i contratti.

Parallelamente apri il canale con Treejer per sfruttare la loro rete di piantatori e con Open Forest Protocol per il tracciamento MRV; ti risparmia mesi di logistica e dà credibilità immediata alla campagna Gitcoin Grants. Nella proposta di grant punta a un obiettivo chiaro – per esempio mille alberi piantati e cinquemila utenti attivi in sei mesi – e dettaglia budget, milestone e metriche di successo: i revisori apprezzano numeri concreti più di qualunque slogan.

In breve, Greeny funziona perché offre gratificazione rapida al gamer, reddito equo al planter e trasparenza a chi finanzia; se il core loop diverte anche senza pensare all’impatto, l’effetto “faccio del bene” diventa un moltiplicatore di retention. Quando avrai il prototipo in mano o vorrai rivedere la tokenomics prima di andare in mainnet, fammelo sapere: sarò felice di aiutarti a fare il passo successivo. Buon lavoro e tienimi aggiornato!

[nhezari]

Dear James,

Thank you so much for your incredibly thoughtful and detailed response. It genuinely gave me clarity, inspiration, and a much stronger sense of direction. You’ve taken my early concept and shaped it into a vivid, structured vision of what Greeny can evolve into — and I truly appreciate that.

I agree with your key suggestions — particularly keeping $LEAF off-chain and inflationary to ensure smooth, low-friction gameplay, and using $TREE as a one-to-one on-chain NFT to preserve the integrity and traceability of real-world impact. That said, I’ve been thinking carefully about how to keep players engaged after they receive their photo and GPS certificate — so the reward loop feels continuous, not finite.

Evolving Tree Ownership: Ideas for Long-Term Engagement

One of the most compelling aspects of real trees is that they grow in value over time — but this is also a long process, which could challenge retention. I’m exploring a few ideas:

1. Tree Streaks and Ongoing Care
   Players who continue logging in and interacting with their tree over time (e.g., checking on its status, watering, verifying updates) can earn bonus $LEAF or even level up their pseudo-ownership status. Those who stop engaging may lose their tree, which could then be reassigned to another active user.
2. Benefits via $LEAF Spending
   To give users more ways to re-engage, I’d like to offer:

• Updated tree photos or health reports, unlocked through milestone streaks or by spending $LEAF
• Tree insurance or twin-planting options in case a tree is lost, maintaining the emotional connection and motivation to continue playing
• Redistribution of trees from inactive users, keeping the forest ecosystem alive and meaningful

City-Based Tree Planting (Expanding Access)

I loved your framing of the city-rural loop — it aligns perfectly with my goal of making tree planting more accessible to urban players too.

Here’s what I envision:

• City players can plant a tree near their home or in underutilized public spaces
• These trees would be registered via QR code tags that link to the user’s Greeny profile — enabling social sharing, tracking, and even team-based growth
• We could partner with local garden centers to provide saplings and basic tools for urban users who don’t have easy access

Urban planting doesn’t have to be limited to professionals — there are so many neglected public spaces where individuals can make a lasting impact with just a little guidance.

Integration and Next Steps

Your suggestion to reach out to Treejer and Open Forest Protocol is spot-on. I’ll be engaging with them as I explore how to build Greeny’s certification pipeline efficiently and credibly from the start.

And finally, I really appreciate your reminder about gameplay. The fun must come first. The impact becomes a powerful multiplier once players already love the experience. That mindset helps me stay grounded as I refine the core loop and token model.

I’ll definitely keep you updated as I move forward, and I’d be thrilled to take you up on your offer to review the tokenomics and early prototype when the time comes.

At the moment, I’m working through Buildbox and following tutorials to develop a simple prototype — I have no background in game design or development, so it’s been a learning curve, but I’m committed to getting a working version out.

Thanks again for all your support — it means a great deal at this stage.

Warm regards,
Navid

[Sov]

Thanks for sharing this concept @nhezari

There are other ecosystems and teams across Web3 that focus on climate initiatives that would be better positioned to support this type of work.

Gitcoin’s current focus is on solving Ethereum’s biggest problems and ongoing support of OSS/Digital Public Goods, so you’d likely find more relevant expertise and funding opportunities with organizations specializing in climate tech.