When we launched Chicken X, we knew Jack Chicken had personality. What we didn’t fully expect was how quickly players connected with him.
The humour, the tension, the arcade-inspired visuals, and the simple goal of helping Jack cross the road created something that stood out in a category often dominated by minimal interfaces and abstract multipliers.
But internally, one question kept returning: What would happen if players could actually see each other on the road?
That question became the starting point for Chicken X & Friends.
Traditional crash games are usually solitary experiences. Even when multiplayer elements exist, players often only see usernames or small indicators beside the gameplay itself.
We wanted to explore something more social and alive.
The idea behind Chicken X & Friends was not simply to add multiplayer functionality. The goal was to make the entire experience feel active from the second players entered the game.
No waiting for game rounds to start.
No isolated gameplay sessions.
No static lobby feeling.
Players can jump in at any time and instantly see other contestants attempting to survive the crossing together in real time.
The result is a crash experience that feels far closer to arcade gaming and social competition than traditional multiplier gameplay.
One of the most important moments during development came during early testing.
As soon as multiple people started crossing the road together, the atmosphere changed immediately.
Players began watching each other’s progress, reacting to near misses, comparing multipliers, and taking bigger risks when someone else pushed further. Simply seeing other players live on the road added a new layer of tension and excitement to the experience.
That was the moment we realised the social layer fundamentally changed player behaviour.
The multiplier was no longer the entire experience. The interaction around it became equally important. And so did the leaderboard!
Jack Chicken has always been central to the identity of the game.
From the very beginning, we intentionally designed Chicken X with a strong character focus. The team wanted something more expressive and memorable than the clean, minimalistic presentation often associated with early crypto-era crash games.
The arcade-inspired art direction gave Jack humour, emotion, and personality. Over time, he became more than a game asset. He became the face of the experience.
That personality also helped shape Chicken X & Friends.
Leaderboards, competition, and cosmetic progression all became natural extensions of the world around Jack. Internally, the team even referred to parts of the progression system as “bragging power” — rewarding players not only for surviving longer, but for standing out visually, inspired by the arcade games many younger players grew up with.
The intention was simple: Make crash gameplay feel more personal and social without losing the simplicity that made the format successful in the first place.
We don't believe crash games need to move away from their roots. The original simplicity of the format remains one of its biggest strengths. But we believe there is room for the category to evolve alongside changing player expectations.
A new generation of players has grown up with multiplayer experiences, arcade-style progression systems, visible competition, and constant interaction. That naturally influences modern gameplay and feels engaging to them. Chicken X & Friends, just like the original game, was built around that shift.
Not to replace traditional crash gameplay, but to add another layer on top of it with:
* more personality,
* more identity,
* and more emotional connection.
“We believe crash games are still only scratching the surface of what the format can become. With Chicken X & Friends, we wanted to explore social interaction and personality-driven gameplay, and we already have more crash-related titles planned to launch later this year. They will continue to expand the category,” says Thomas Nimstad, CEO of Million Games. “The future of crash is not just about bigger multipliers. It is about building experiences players remember.”