Author: FaultProofBen
Gm!
I’m about to begin my journey to ETH Denver!
I’m excited for the conference, as it’ll be a great opportunity to meet new people, see old frens, and learn about all the cool stuff being built in this space.
While there, I’m sure I’ll also engage in plenty of my “favorite” activity: Introductory small talk!
During these conversations, after introducing myself and WASD, I imagine I’ll be asked the following questions:
“So…are there any actual fun onchain games?”
“Which ones are your favorites?”
If you read WASD, you know my answer to this first question is a resounding “YES!”
However – You may not know how I’d respond to the second.
Today, I figured I’d give you all the answer by going through my three favorite onchain games and why I like them so much.
Let’s get to it!
3. Network States
Network States 101:
Network States is a PvP strategy game created by devs from Small Brain Games, Moving Castles, Primodium and Seismic.
Built using MUD and inspired by the browser game generals.io, your objective in Network States is to build the biggest onchain empire by capturing territory.
To play, you’ll use the WASD (nice) keys to move and capture territory (represented by tiles on a grid) using troops.
Each troop allows you to capture a tile on a 1:1 basis (e.g., 10 troops lets you move and snag 10 tiles), and you accrue them on a per-block basis based on the size of your state and existing troop count.
Troops originate from your capital which you must protect at all costs, as losing it means you’ll be eliminated from the game and forfeit all your territory.
Under the hood, Network States has several unique design features like a zk-proof enabled fog of war that hides the locations of other players' territory, and AI-generated state lore.
This lore is created using GPT-4 and includes information about your state like it’s background, capital, economic focus, and leader.
When you’re eliminated, you’ll also be provided with “death lore,” which includes a summary of the history of your state.
Network States is still in the midst of its development, but the team holds periodic public playtests on testnet in the Small Brain Games Discord.
Why I Like It:
Despite being (based on my point of view as a player) in the earliest development stage of any game on this list, I’ve still had a lot of fun with Network States.
For starters, the game is very accessible.
The controls are simple, and the use of burner wallets makes the overall user experience smooth with wallet-less onboarding (you just have to open the client) and signature-free gameplay.
While it could use some refinement, I’ve very much enjoyed the core of said gameplay.
Battles with other players are intense, and capturing territory, particularly after the implementation of the fog of war, is now quite suspenseful, as you don’t know if another player is lurking around the corner.
With that said, it would be nice if there were a way to gauge your proximity to other players, like a noise or sonar, to indicate whether you are approaching a foe.
I’m also a huge fan of Network State’s AI lore.
(I like to geek out over that kind of stuff.)
The lore is always over the top and funny, adding depth and brevity while deepening player attachment to the game.
It’s still a work in progress, but I really like Network States and am eagerly awaiting the chance to get back in the arena during the next playtest!
2. Sky Strife
Sky Strife 101:
Sky Strife is a MUD-based real-time strategy (RTS) game developed by Lattice.
In Sky Strife, you compete in 2-4 player turn-based, PvP matches, where your objective is to destroy opponents' bases while defending your own from attack.
To do so, you’ll have to strategically deploy knights known as units.
There are six different types of units, each with different ratings across attributes like health, attack, mobility, and more.
You can purchase units using gold, a non-tradable currency that you accrue on a per-turn basis in the game's early stages by capturing mines.
If you win a match (or place in the top 3), you’ll earn 🔮, an ERC-20 token that can be used to create new games or as an entrance fee to join them.
An additional slate of matches, exclusive maps, and heroes (the most powerful unit you begin the game with) can also be accessed by holders of Season Pass NFTs.
Season Passes are SBTs issued via Dutch Auction at the beginning of (as the name suggests) each Sky Strife season and whose price routinely peaks at hundreds of Holesky ETH.
Seasons are multi-week, persistent, public playtests held on Redstone Holesky where you can play and create new matches.
Sky Strife is currently in the midst of Season 0.2, which will run until March 1.
Why I Like It:
Sky Strife was one of the first onchain games I played, and it remains one of my two favorites.
I love the competitive, PvP aspect of the game and being able to face off against other players (especially those I know personally).
I’m also a big fan of the diversity of it’s gameplay, as you’ll experience suspenseful standoffs and fast-paced unit brawls.
Although these stalemates can sometimes run a bit long, pacing has improved considerably over the past several months, with boosted gold rewards for killing units helping incentivize aggression.
Another great aspect of Sky Strife is its strategic depth.
There are numerous unit combinations, formations, and maneuvers you can employ to go on the offensive or defensive while also utilizing terrain like rocks, rivers, and trees.
Performance-wise, Sky Strife runs smoothly for the most part.
It’s one of the most polished onchain games, though there still is the occasional bug and some issues with lag and long loading times.
All in all, Sky Strife is a ton of fun, and I can’t wait to keep playing this season.
I’m especially excited to get my hands on the game after a new update set to release soon, which introduces new units, counters, and a 1v1 map.
1. Primodium
Primodium 101:
Primodium is a factory simulator MMO built in MUD.
Initially inspired by Factorio, Primodium is set in an asteroid belt, where your objective is to accumulate resources to score points.
To do so, you’ll build out your base by mining resources, constructing factories, producing materials, and creating units.
Units are used in the game's PvP mode (known as Conquer), and you can use them to raid other players' bases to steal resources and conquer motherlodes.
Motherlodes are asteroids with deposits of one of four rare resources critical to leveling up and expanding your base and serve as chokepoints that players battle over.
Primodium also has social components, as you can trade resources with other players using testnet ETH in the marketplace and team up with frens by joining an alliance.
Alliances are groups of players who pool their points together to conquer, protect one another, and climb the in-game leaderboard (there are sections for both individuals and alliances).
As you may have seen, WASD has an alliance of it’s own, and placed second in the most recent round.
(We’re also providing rewards to our alliance members in this upcoming round - DM me on X or Warpcast if you want to join!)
Primodium is currently live on a Caldera testnet and is set to release its newest update, v0.10, in the near future.
Why I Like It:
Primodium is my favorite and (in my view) the best onchain game out there.
The game's core loops of setting up production sequences, optimizing base construction, and raiding other players are incredibly engaging and addicting.
There’s something inherently satisfying about the whole process, and it elicits emotions that range from unbridled joy when you level up your base to blood-curdling rage when you lose all your resources after being raided.
Primodium also has the most depth of any onchain game I’ve come across, as you can sink hours upon hours into individual sessions while it takes weeks to reach the max base level.
The social and PvP elements brought about by the introduction of alliances also contribute to the fun.
Teaming up with friends to strategizing and compete make the game far more intense and creates a sense of community and camaraderie.
There is a learning curve, but Primodium has great onboarding.
You don’t need a wallet to start playing, and a quest system will walk you through the basics of gameplay.
The dev team is also highly responsive and promptly answers questions or help troubleshoot in their Discord.
Primodium could still use some more refinement; you can run into a game-breaking bug and long load times when deep into a round.
However, new updates always fix issues from prior ones, incorporate player feedback, and introduce a plethora of new features.
I love Primodium, and I’m incredibly hyped for the next update!
And for WASD to win, of course. 😉
Bullish Onchain Games
As you can see, I’ll certainly have an answer when someone asks me what my favorite onchain game is, as Network States, Sky Strife and Primodium are all a ton of fun.
They’re my favorites for good reason, as they bring addicting, unique gameplay to the table.
These three titles, along with the litany of promising others that I didn’t mention in this piece, are what make me an onchain gaming perma-bull.
They are why I answer “YES” when people ask if there are any fun games out there.
But don’t take my word for it.
You should try each out and see for yourself!
🤝 Thank you to our sponsor: Fire Eyes 🔥_🔥
Fire Eyes is a leading organization for onchain governance.
They are active players and contributors to onchain games, and care deeply about furthering the development of the Ethereum and DAO ecosystems.
Fire Eyes is a great outlet for any team looking for in-depth feedback on community sentiment and token design.
If you’re interested in getting in touch with 🔥_🔥 - DM them on X!
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