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Author: 0xAkina
Gm onchain gamers!
In the past, WASD has covered onchain gaming ecosystems on different L2s like Starknet and Arbitrum.
Today, we’re going to do the same thing…but for Base!
If you’re a WASD reader (and especially collector) you very likely know what Base is.
But for those who don’t, Base is an optimistic rollup developed by Coinbase and built using the OP Stack .
Although it may not yet have the traction of older networks like Arbitrum or OP Mainnet when you look at metrics like TVL, Base has been steadily growing since it’s August 2023 launch.
While the L2 is known for its social and creator economy use cases, it’s quietly becoming a hub for games and other cool onchain experiments.
Can Base become a leader in the category?
Let’s find out!
Why Base
Before diving into some individual projects, let’s unpack why Base is well suited for hosting onchain games.
Scalability:
As an L2, Base can facilitate a significantly higher TPS relative to Ethereum L1.
This is critical for onchain games, as they require a large amount of low-cost transactions to provide players with a smooth and accessible experience.
EVM Compatibility:
Base is EVM-compatible, allowing developers to leverage existing developer tools or migrate their dapps from other networks.
For onchain gaming in particular, this means that teams can utilize EVM-compatible engines like MUD or Paima.
Coinbase Support:
In the long run, onchain games building on Base should be well positioned to tap into Coinbase’s enormous existing userbase.
Base is becoming deeply integrated across Coinbase’s product suite, whether it be support for bridging from the CEX, or free USDC transfers on the L2 with Coinbase wallet.
In addition, the team provides extensive developer support, spotlights projects building on the network, and distributes grants to developers.
The Games of Base
Now that we have an understanding of Base’s value proposition as it relates to onchain games, let’s take a look at some of the live, playable titles on the network.
FrenPet
FrenPet is a Tamigotchi-style mobile game where you care for an onchain pet.
Aside from tending to your pet, you can engage in different activities like battling other players, buying cosmetics in the in-game boutique, and participating in mini-games like “Spin-The Wheel” and “Dice in the FrenPet Arcade.
Each FrenPet is represented by an NFT, can be minted with 10 FP tokens ($7), and will be burned if you neglect it.
$FP is an ERC-20 token with a 5% trading tax, however a portion of this fee is distributed as rewards in ETH to players to proportionally based on your score relative to all players in the game.
(I.e. The more points you score, the greater portion of rewards you receive.)
Overall, if you enjoy simple, casual mobile-games than you should have a fun with FrenPet.
The retention mechanism is quite clever, as it incentivizes players to engage and climb higher in the rankings to maximize their rewards.
However, given its casual nature and as the type of player who likes to get very deep into games, I never got 100% into it.
Words3
Words3 is a PVP word game developed by Small Brain Games.
Words3 is like Scrabble or Words with Friends; as you compete with other players to form words and earn points.
However, unlike those offchain games, you have to pay ETH to use letters, whose prices change throughout the game based on the demand to use them.
Games of Words3 take place over timed rounds.
At the end of one, the ETH spent throughout it will be redistributed to players on their profitability, or the points they score relative to the ETH they spend.
I enjoy Words3, as combines strategy, speed, and creativity in an easy-to-pick-up (but hard to master) game.
I’ve been playing every week during the Words3 community rounds that WASD is hosting with [WE].
Having said that, I think the game could benefit from burner wallets to facilitate a smoother experience, and a tutorial or guide with some more information on strategies and how to play.
Drawtech
Drawtech is a PVP drawing game also developed by Small Brain Games.
The first-ever mobile onchain game, Drawtech is built as a PWA and uses Privy for onboarding and to host an embedded wallet.
In the game, you compete to color tiles over a shared grid.
Similar to Words3, you have to pay ETH to do so, with each tile having its own price determined by player demand.
Assuming they don’t cover yours, every time a player colors in a tile, you’ll earn a share of the ETH they spend proportional to the number of tiles you control.
While I enjoy the underlying mechanics and the opportunity to earn some ETH, I did think title prices got very expensive very quickly, pricing out newer players.
Nonetheless, it’s a big leap forward for onchain games as the first-ever mobile title.
LandTorn
LandTorn is aiming to build an interconnected ecosystem of onchain games.
You can think of the project as similar to Treasure DAO on Arbitrum or Realms on Starknet, as LandTorn acts as a game publisher and distributor aiming to unify their ecosystem around a shared token ($TORN).
Along these lines, games published in the LandTorn ecosystem will utilize $TORN while participating in a larger meta-game and economy.
The project’s first game is Lorak, an idle game that, similar to Treasure DAO’s Bridgeworld and Realm’s Eternum, acts as the meta-game for the ecosystem.
In Lorak, you’ll mint a “Settler NFT” that you can use to complete dungeons and earn “Spoils.”
Spoils are NFTs that can be sold for a second ERC-20 token, $SHARD.
$SHARD serves as the main token for Lorak itself, as it can be used to upgrade your Settler and enter certain dungeons.
This is done in service of your ultimate goal, which is to discover items known as “Mythics” that can be used to mint “Torn Lords,” a rare collection of 500 NFTs.
Overall, the vision of creating an interconnected ecosystem of games that LandTorn is pursuing is very interesting, though Lorak itself is complicated.
While the game is not that fast-paced, I like being able to grind the leaderboard, especially now when there are not many players.
Cambria
Cambria is a studio creating several games, including Duel Arena, Degen Wars, and Gold Rush.
Degen Wars is a 2D MMO inspired by games like Runescape and Ultima Online.
In it, players compete for territory and resources as a part of onchain clans by participating in PVP battles.
Their second game, Degen Arena, is now the team’s main focus. In Arena, players can challenge each other to 1v1 duels.
Duels use a stake-to-play mechanism, as users can put up ETH, NFTs, FriendTech keys, or other assets on Base, with this bounty going to the battle's winner.
Duel participants will earn “Essence Points,” making you eligible for an upcoming Duel Arena token airdrop.
You can also play in a “free duel” where you can earn “Arena Tokens,” another currency used for other purposes like purchasing cosmetics.
I’ve found Degen Arena to be incredibly fun, with plenty of opportunities to chat, compete, flex your NFTs, and even win some ETH.
I’m excited to keep playing and to see future upgrades, such as the implementation of guilds.
Other Cool Games on Base
There are several other interesting onchain games, projects, or experiments being built on Base that are worth checking out.
These include:
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Basepaint, a collaborative onchain art project.
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Dot, a protocol that enables you to create collectible pixel art (Ben will be covering it on Friday!)
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Land, Labor, Capital (LLC), a tycoon game with a Base deployment.
Bullish Base
As you can see, Base’s onchain gaming ecosystem is popping off.
There are numerous games building on the L2 that are playable today that are bringing unique gameplay mechanics, mechanisms, and economic designs to the table.
Between these titles, it’s scalability, EVM-compatibility, and ties to Coinbase, Base is in strong position to continue its ascent towards becoming a leading onchain gaming ecosystem.
We’ll see what the future holds.
But don’t sleep on Base.
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