When the Virtual World Becomes the Real Savior: The Strange Case of Snake Games, Cryptocurrency, and the Venezuela Crisis

A few days after a country was thrown into turmoil by political upheaval, another event was unfolding in a completely different world—the world of online gaming. The number of concurrent RuneScape players surpassed 258,000, setting a record in the game’s 25-year history. These two seemingly unrelated events are connected by an invisible thread: people from a collapsing nation are turning to virtual worlds to survive. This is not coincidence but a consequence of an unprecedented economic crisis.

While years ago the international community focused on oil prices or the Venezuelan stock market, gamers were monitoring virtual gold fluctuations, item prices, and player flows in worlds like OSRS (Old School RuneScape) or other games. These numbers are not just game statistics—they are signals of survival and desperate choices.

When Real Currency Loses Value, Virtual Money Becomes a Beacon of Hope

Decades ago, Venezuela was one of South America’s wealthiest countries thanks to its massive oil reserves. But everything changed after 2013. The country’s GDP collapsed repeatedly; between 2013-2021, Venezuela’s economy lost 75-80% of its value—one of the worst recessions globally in nearly half a century, far surpassing the Great Depression in the US or the Soviet Union’s collapse.

By 2021, the numbers told the story: 95% of Venezuelans lived below the poverty line, with 77% in extreme poverty. In 2018, before the currency reform of the Bolivar, annual inflation exceeded 48,000%—an almost unimaginable figure. In just four months, the Bolivar’s value against the USD plummeted from 1 million:1 to 7 million:1. Paper money became worthless trash.

In this desperate context, Venezuelans found an opportunity. Old School RuneScape (OSRS)—a re-release of the classic RuneScape from 2013—had a strange feature: the in-game currency, called “Gold,” was much more stable than the Bolivar. The exchange rate of 1-1.25 million Gold:1 USD was not only higher but also less volatile than real currency.

Even more astonishing: OSRS requires low computer specs, just a web browser. Millions of Canaima laptops distributed by the Venezuelan government to students in the 2010s became livelihood tools. These machines, with only 2GB RAM, meant for education but unable to change the country’s fate, opened a door to escape in the virtual world.

Green Dragons and Virtual Miners

Since 2017, a phenomenon appeared on Reddit: guides on how to “hunt” Venezuelan players in an area called “Eastern Dragon.” This is where the “Green Dragon” monster appears—an enemy that can be repeatedly slain. Venezuelan players congregated here from 2017-2019, tirelessly killing dragons, collecting dragon bones and hides, then selling them on the trading market for gold.

A single task could earn 500,000 OSRS gold—about $0.5 USD. More advanced players could take down other bosses, increasing earnings to $2-3 USD per hour. It may not seem much, but these amounts exceeded the monthly wages of most university graduates in Venezuela.

Over those years, English media interviewed Venezuelan players—earning over $100 a month, while their parents earned around $10. OSRS became their main livelihood, enough not only to survive but to support their families, avoiding the collapse of the Bolivar.

If in Hong Kong Filipino domestic workers fill labor gaps, in OSRS, Venezuelan players fill the need for virtual laborers. Besides dragon farming, they also undertake skill training and item crafting. Unlike domestic helpers who can relax at cafes, Venezuelan players must use multiple “burner” accounts to avoid bans from Jagex—the developer of OSRS—who prohibit in-game item trading.

In 2019, Venezuela experienced a nationwide blackout. During those days, Green Dragons lost their most loyal hunters, who dropped dragon bones, causing prices to spike. The community’s attitude toward Venezuelan farmers was ambivalent: on one hand, they earn their living honestly, like any other player; on the other, their existence affects the game’s experience and economy. On Reddit, endless debates unfolded—sometimes harsh, sometimes compassionate.

Departure and Real-World Migration

But from 2023, a change began. Bots that never sleep, never tire, started competing with virtual miners. OSRS gold prices plummeted. The exchange rate once at 100 million Gold:1 USD is now only about 100 million:0.16-0.2 USD. Farming no longer profitable.

Venezuelan players did not stop—they migrated. Some moved to other games like Tibia, Albion OL, World of Warcraft, which have similar profit mechanisms. Others, questioning “is this life right?”, decisively left the virtual worlds, even leaving their real country.

The final figure is devastating: approximately 7.9 million Venezuelans have fled the country—one of the largest refugee crises in Latin American and global history. Some, like the OSRS gold trader José Ricardo, who once profited from the virtual world, may now be somewhere on Earth, questioning their own choices.

Lessons from the Strange

This story is not just about a game or a country. It is a vivid picture of how people seek livelihoods when the real world collapses, how a snake game or other virtual worlds become sites of economic refuge. It shows that the line between virtual and real money, between actual work and in-game work, between a declared wealthy nation and a game with a more stable currency unit, is very fragile.

Venezuelan players are not just defeating dragons—they are confronting the real dragons of economic collapse, political chaos, and an uncertain future. When the only choices are survival or death, there is no longer an “escape”—only “sustenance.” The gold miners in snake games or OSRS are simply ordinary people trying to survive for themselves and their families.