MnemonicMaker: A Serious Game for Reconstructing Bitcoin Wallet Mnemonic Phrases

Abstract

Mnemonic recovery phrases are crucial for securing cryptocurrency assets, yet their memorization presents significant challenges for users. Traditional approaches to storing these phrases often compromise between security and ease of use. This paper presents MnemonicMaker, a serious game that leverages the Method of Loci (memory palace technique) through interactive gameplay to enhance the memorization and retention of BIP 39 recovery phrases. We conducted a two-month user study with 38 participants to evaluate the effectiveness of MnemonicMaker compared to traditional memorization methods. Results show that participants using MnemonicMaker maintained high recovery success rates after 60 days, significantly outperforming the control group. Most users required only a few practice attempts to memorize their routes, indicating a manageable learning curve. The study demonstrates that gamified spatial mnemonic techniques can effectively address the challenge of recovery phrase retention while maintaining high user engagement. These findings suggest promising applications for game-based approaches in cryptocurrency security and broader contexts requiring secure information retention.