Source | YuanSight

From bead-mosaic simulators to the comprehensive collection of 4399 games, an increasing number of individuals are getting hooked on addictive mini-games on Xiaohongshu.

Recently, Xiaohongshu rolled out a new feature named 'Gadgets' across its entire platform. This feature allows eligible creators to upload their self-made web-based mini-games or applications and directly link them to their note posts. Other users can simply click on the relevant post links to seamlessly open and play a variety of user-uploaded games within Xiaohongshu.

Screenshot sourced from Xiaohongshu

Initially, these mini-games were primarily casual offerings such as personality tests, schedule managers, and trivia quizzes. However, as more creators and users flocked to the platform, Xiaohongshu's 'Gadgets' feature was quickly 'hijacked' by netizens.

On one hand, addictive business simulation games like various barbecue simulators and bead-mosaic simulators attracted a large number of users to stay and engage in gameplay. On the other hand, a significant number of creators collaborated to bring a plethora of nostalgic mini-games, once popular on 4399 and 7k7k, to Xiaohongshu.

Clone versions of classic IPs such as A Sue's Nail Salon, Gold Miner, and Forest Ice and Fire were gradually released, successfully igniting a wave of childhood nostalgia on Xiaohongshu. Netizens humorously remarked that Xiaohongshu has now transformed into a massive 4399 game launcher.

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4399 'Invasion' of Xiaohongshu

Searching for keywords like '4399' or '7k7k' on Xiaohongshu easily yields a plethora of posts about procrastination companions.

These uniformly high-like, high-interaction sharing posts all express the intent to 'bring 4399 into Xiaohongshu' or 'make Xiaohongshu the next 4399'. Upon clicking into these posts, one discovers collections of entry points to various nostalgic 4399 mini-games, which can be played instantly without the need for loading or redirecting. Xiaohongshu has inadvertently become the most convenient 4399-like mobile gaming platform on the internet.

Screenshot sourced from Xiaohongshu

Among these nostalgia-driven mini-games, the IP that has garnered the most attention from netizens is undoubtedly A Sue, who was once a sensation across Flash mini-games in the 4399 era.

During the heyday of 4399 web-based mini-games, this IP, originating from Korean anime mini-games, spawned dozens of popular titles such as A Sue's Nail Salon, A Sue's Makeup Contest, Flight Attendant A Sue, and A Sue's Tea Restaurant. It accompanied the growth of many and earned her the title of 'childhood goddess' for a generation.

As a result, after A Sue series spin-off games were spontaneously cloned and ported to Xiaohongshu by netizens, the comment sections of related posts quickly ignited a wave of nostalgia. Netizens recommended games to each other and frequently urged for updates. Meanwhile, more creators capitalized on this trend to release even more nostalgic mini-games, vowing to help players rediscover their lost childhoods on Xiaohongshu.

Xiaohongshu's official 'Gadgets' usage rankings reveal that as of September 21st, a mini-game called A Sue's Nail Salon has accumulated over 1.9 million players, making it the undisputed top hit.

Screenshot sourced from Xiaohongshu

Also noteworthy are several highly ranked original mini-games and applications.

For example, Pearl Opening Live Stream: Rare Pearls at Your Fingertips, which has been experienced by over 1.5 million players, offers an immersive experience of various cyber-style pearl opening and extraction fun. Players can purchase oysters in the game, then obtain pearls through steps like opening the shells and cleaning the pearls. They can further process them into various accessories in the workshop to sell for profit.

Another simulation game, Barbecue Simulator, has attracted over 1.2 million players. In this game, players act as barbecue chefs, cooking meat on the grill and controlling the doneness according to customer requests. They race against time to grill and sell meat for high scores.

Screenshot sourced from Xiaohongshu

In the application category, the Lost Phone Fiction Generator, used by 1.48 million people, is a tool that combines various popular game character images for fictional creation functions like simulated dialogues and social media posts. It is primarily used to satisfy users' needs for various storytelling and creative endeavors.

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Gadgets with Big Ambitions

The overnight popularity of numerous 4399-inspired mini-games on Xiaohongshu owes much to official support.

Xiaohongshu data shows that the hashtag #XiaohongshuGadgets has garnered over 73.71 million views and 970,000 discussions. The Xiaohongshu VibeCoding Contest, deeply tied to 'Gadgets' creation, offers 300,000 yuan in prizes and 100 million in dedicated traffic support, further fueling the creation and dissemination of related works.

Screenshot sourced from Xiaohongshu

In fact, earning prizes and enjoying traffic incentives through various vibe coding works and 'Gadgets' games has become one of the hot topics for creators on Xiaohongshu recently.

According to Tianyancha information, the core domestic operating entity of Xiaohongshu is Xingyin Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Founded in 2013, the company's business scope includes value-added telecommunications services, advertising, and internet sales.

As early as July this year, Xiaohongshu had already begun a small-scale test of the 'Gadgets' feature. In mid-August, Xiaohongshu announced the full rollout of the 'Gadgets' feature, allowing any user with a real-name verified account having over 1,000 followers and registered for at least six months to upload their web pages via 'Gadgets'. This further lowered the entry barrier for creators.

According to the official introduction, Xiaohongshu's 'Gadgets' are more suitable for 'independently runnable static HTML works', meaning simple front-end tools that can function normally without an internet connection. They are less suitable for works that 'rely on AI interfaces, real-time data, login systems, leaderboards, cloud saves, or multiplayer real-time interactions'.

It is evident that for Xiaohongshu, these gadgets are primarily positioned to leverage the vibe coding trend and empower platform creators to actively explore and cater to more niche demands, thus serving users with diverse interests. Xiaohongshu currently still aims to play the role of a traffic distribution platform rather than using 'Gadgets' to build another application ecosystem similar to WeChat Mini Programs.

The advantage of this approach is that the gadget games or applications on the platform are simple and easy to use. However, the drawback is also apparent—since 'Gadgets' operate in a local offline mode, users' game progress is not saved after closing the page. Additionally, creators cannot connect to the internet or utilize server-side capabilities, resulting in a current lack of direct monetization capabilities. After the current wave of nostalgia for mini-games subsides, the long-term operational issues of 'Gadgets' still require attention.

Currently, besides Xiaohongshu, several mainstream platforms are also experimenting with similar AI-generated application tools.

Douyin launched an internal test of 'Interactive Space' in July, enabling creators to generate interactive works using ByteDance's AI programming tool Trae. This primarily leverages large model vibe coding capabilities to help creators quickly produce lightweight works like personality tests, fun mini-games, and interactive stories. Bilibili, on the other hand, is taking a video ecosystem traffic diversion route, internally testing the web content publishing platform 'Toy' in June. This platform supports one-click publishing of local creative web pages as interactive works directly accessible and playable on the site.

WeChat, which already has a Mini Program ecosystem, is also strengthening its AI layout for Mini Programs. WeChat's native AI assistant 'Xiaowei' began grayscale testing in June, not only allowing users to operate native WeChat functions and launch Mini Programs through text or voice dialogues but also supporting 'one-sentence generation of Mini Programs'.

It is clear that AI application creation and distribution are becoming a new battleground for major content platforms.

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