Waiting for LLMs Suck – Give your user a game

Give your user a game while they wait for the LLM to return a result.

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FL score

62

out of 100

Verdict

VALIDATE

medium confidence

Competition

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Trend

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A micro-game library that monetizes LLM latency by engaging users during processing delays.

The pain

LLM response times (5-30+ seconds) create dead air that frustrates users, breaks flow, and increases perceived wait time. Users abandon requests or experience poor UX.

The gap

Most LLM apps show spinners/progress bars. No standardized solution exists to productively occupy users during inference, turning a friction point into an engagement opportunity.

Build angle

Start as a drop-in SDK/component for popular LLM frameworks (LangChain, Vercel AI). Bundle 3-5 addictive micro-games (2-10 second plays). Monetize via: (1) freemium game unlocks, (2) B2B licensing to LLM platforms, (3) ad network integration.

Strengths

  • Solves real UX friction in a booming category (LLM apps)
  • Low technical barrier, games are simple, latency is predictable
  • Multiple revenue streams possible
  • Network effects: more LLM apps = more distribution
  • Defensible through integrations and data on engagement

Risks

  • Games may distract from core task; could reduce perceived quality of LLM output
  • LLM latency is shrinking (faster models, caching, streaming); window of opportunity narrows
  • Requires adoption from app builders, chicken-egg problem
  • Highly commoditizable; easy for LLM platforms to build in-house
  • User retention/monetization of games is notoriously hard
  • May cannibalize focus on actual product improvement (streaming, faster inference)

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