In this monthly roundup, we focus on the selection of projects that excite us the most, and which we think will be worth keeping an eye on.
September, 2023
Gabby World
As a fully onchain game world with emphasis on user-generated and AI-generated content, Gabby World is created by its community, Gabby World DAO. Described as one of the most innovative adventure-based autonomous worlds in the onchain gaming space, players can create AI characters, storylines and challenges and fully participate in evolving Gabby World further.
Deploying on Ethereum and AGLD’s fully decentralized Lootchain, Gabby World is powered by the AGLD token. It recently launched closed beta.
LootCraft
Another new game part of the fully onchain Lootchain ecosystem is LootCraft from Loot Craft Studios. This 3D voxel autonomous world is designed to optimize Lootchain, a blockchain custom built to enhance the experiences in autonomous worlds and games. LootCraft includes features like mining, crafting and building and is powered by the AGLD token.
Due to being at an early stage in their development, many fully onchain projects and autonomous worlds can seem puzzling, unfinished, and lacking in purpose, but that’s often the point. Their creators are embarking on pioneering a space that is largely unexplored, but while these experiences vary in both idea and execution to most game experiences we know, that’s also seen as their strength.
Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA
Developed by South Korean game studio Sandbox Network, Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA is a mobile-based collectible RPG building on the themes of mythological dragons and wind-up toys. With both PVP and PVE features, players will engage in battles between dragons and toys. Season 1 League of Toy Masters launched at the end of September and will run for two weeks, giving players a taste of its leaderboard based PVP mode.
Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA is deployed on Immutable and available through app stores.
Heroes of the Flow
UK-based web3 studio Rogues was the winner of Flow’s first hackathon with its post-apocalyptic turn-based autobattler Heroes of the Flow. Part of the wider Rogue ecosystem which has more titles in the making, Heroes of the Flow is mobile-first and will deploy on Flow. Game launch is slated for November 2023.
Recently minted Heroes of the Flow Lootboxes contain a set of minion NFTs which enhances the game experience and unlocks early access, however players are not required to own NFTs to play the game.
August, 2023
Wild Forest
Announced as the most recent thirdparty game to be launched on Ronin, Wild Forest is a mobile-based RTS by renowned mobile game studio Zillion Whales. Among other mobile titles from the developer is the Mushroom Wars series.
A F2P fast-paced PVP deck-builder with card-collecting elements, the aim in Wild Forest is to destroy your opponent’s castle before they destroy yours. Unlike many RTS-games, the battlefield layout will be contained to a single screen.
Its web3 features include in-game assets like unit and skin NFTs as well as a WF token.
Inmates
Inmates is an NFT ecosystem project on Cardano. Set in a prison environment, players can buy and stake prison inmates, cellmates and guards in the game’s own marketplace and staking platform. While staking is rewarded with SMOKES tokens, NFTs that are unstaked can generate NFTs.
Male inmates were minted and sold out earlier in 2023, while female inmates are yet to be minted during Q4, as well as additional missions being released. The game is available through the Kwic launcher.
Infinite Victory
Basketball infused with various other sports elements. In Infinite Victory, Bit Fry Games introduces a cross-sporting high-energy arcade game, in collaboration with Immutable.
While its main focus is on fun action-filled matches, Infinite Victory also aims to educate its players about ‘phygital’ ownership while bridging the gap between web2 and web3. In addition, the game will offer tools for player-created content that can be shared and monetised in-game. Players will be rewarded based on their game performance, but also for their interaction with the community.
Infinite Victory will deploy on Immutable and interested users can register for the game beta here.
SpeedThrone
Swedish developer Orion Eunix has set the ambition on making the ultimate racing esports game. SpeedThrone is built with Unreal Engine 5 and has integrated car NFTs as well as its CRS token on Cardano, with further plans to expand to Arbitrum and Bitcoin.
While free-to-play is and will remain a core feature, players also have the opportunity to own NFTs which enable higher rewards and exclusive access to events.
SpeedThrone’s Prime series collection consists of 1000 NFTs which act as VIP memberships for the game’s ecosystem, unlocking all events within the game. In addition, owning multiple NFTs can unlock exclusive access to the VIP game, depending on how the NFTs are matched.
SpeedThrone will be released during Q4 2023.
Project T
Axie developer Sky Mavis recently announced an early version of its new virtual meetup game Project T. Serving as a measure to enhance its community, the project encourage player interaction through a set of mini-games. Alongside this, players will be introduced to the most ancient axie species, the sapidae.
Deployed on Sky Mavis’ native chain Ronin, Project T is currently exclusive to whitelisted players and available on the App.axie game page or through the Mavis Hub.
Words3
At large, Words3 is a fully on-chain “cryptoeconomic” version of casual crossword game Scrabble – with a twist. The four simple rules of the game include 1. buying letters to make words, 2. letters have a dynamic price, 3. players score higher when other players use their letters, and 4. players win or lose ETH depending on their score.
Deployed on Base, Words3 is developed by Small Brain Games, a studio focusing on making a new fully on-chain experience every six weeks.
July, 2023
Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles
Part of the ChampionsVerse, the most high-profile game to be announced is Champions Tactics. Although few details have been revealed, the fact it’s Ubisoft’s first web3 title is enough to stir up excitement.
Set to deploy on Japanese gaming blockchain Oasys, Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles is a PC-based RPG revolving around mythical champions, tactical battles and legends of the mystical Grimoria world.
Rumble Arcade
Finnish studio Tribo Games recently announced web3 title Rumble Arcade. All about tactical battle, Rumble Arcade enables players to set up teams and strategically choose various battle moves.
After the first alpha build test, the team decided to extend the playtest period, which is currently available to everyone through the game’s Discord. Rumble Arcade is set to deploy on Ethereum, and its Flamey NFTs are available on Opensea.
Battle of Three Kingdoms – Sangokushi Taisen
- Twitter 1,000
While there’s been some debate recently of whether Sega has ditched web3, double.jump tokyo’s Battle of Three Kingdoms, which licenses Sega’s IP Sangokushi Taisen, suggests the company is still in the game.
A PC-based TCG, Battle of Three Kingdoms is well underway releasing new game characters through its Twitter channel. The game is set to deploy on Oasys, and its full launch is expected in Q4 2023.
Galaxy Commanders
Currently looking for players to join its first playtest, Galaxy Commanders from South Korean studio MagmaByte, is a space-themed PVP set to release on PC and mobile.
Revolving around immersive PVP battles, the goal is to take down your opponents’ battleship. Provided with co-op modes and missions, players will also be able to upgrade their own battleship, with upgradable NFTs planned to be integrated in the future.
Loaded with veterans from previous games, the team recently announced the game will be deployed on Immutable’s zkEVM rollup as well as leverage Immutable’s passport onboarding tech.
Cosmik Battle
Space battle TCG Cosmik Battle is a new title from French web3 game developer and publisher Cometh. A strategy-based game adapted for PC and mobile, Cosmik Battle enables players to customize their decks, and boost them through crafting or trading. Cards and spaceships are also available as NFTs, which will be available to buy or rent.
Slated for release in Q4 2023, Cosmic Battle will be available on HyperPlay, app stores and Epic Games Store.
Soulkeep
While not as recent as the majority of titles on this list, tower defense game Soulkeep was first announced in early 2023. Double Coconut, the team behind the game, is currently busy working on its next build, following its current closed beta.
Soulkeep has been developed in close collaboration with the Splinterlands team and will run on the Hive blockchain. Described as a deep tactical tower defense, players will be challenged to place out towers strategically, use spells wisely and deploy heroes to beat increasing waves of enemies.
June, 2023
Chains of the Eternals
A fully onchain open world MMORPG, Chains of the Eternals is built on Arbitrum. With zero central entities the game is entirely player owned with players’ key actions requiring the execution of smart contracts stored on the blockchain. Able to craft their own characters, players will be rewarded with XO token for participating in quests, killing monsters and joining in various events.
The developer behind Chains of the Eternals was recently awarded one of six winners of MetaMask’s gaming program Sidequest.
Built with Unity, the game also has a custom game editor that interacts with the blockchain with which its players can add new elements to the game. Certainly one for the hard-core onchain players!
Fight Me
In Fight Me, players obtain evolving fighter NFTs which can be collected, trained up for tournaments and traded. Successful fighters are rewarded with Boost Cola to enhance their performance.
Still in its early days, the game’s website launched just days ago. However, Fight Me’s developer Nekki is anything but new to the industry, with popular web2 game series Shadow fight and parkour runner Vector among its game portfolio.
Fight Me is set to run on Polygon with closed beta starting Q1 2024.
Space Nation
Combining the themes of exploration and survival, MMORPG Space Nation invites players to an adventure reaching to the far end of the universe. Developed over the span of three years, the team is hopeful that Space Nation will attract both web2 and web3 players, bridging the gap between them seamlessly.
With $25 million in funding, the game is developed by a Chinese team led by CTO Xin Wang and CMO Barry Hoffman and is set to run on Ethereum. The Space Nation release is expected Q2 2024.
Last Resort
Labelled a free-to-play game with the option to own NFTs, survival MMO Last Resort is deployed on Immutable.
As the last remaining survivors, players are welcomed to start their journey out of the city complex built by the military. With the ability to obtain and store material, players have to start off by building a house and proceed by growing their new city by scavenging. Further they will have to keep the city safe by defending it from zombie attacks.
Set to launch Q3 2024, Last Resort is developed by French game studio Blue Sky Interactive.
May, 2023
Dark Machine
- Meta-X Twitter: 1,000
With a team backed by Tencent and formed by industry veterans from the likes of Square Enix and Sega, Meta-X’s new game Dark Machine looks promising. An ambitious next-gen shooter, Dark Country is set to be launched in partnership with Immutable in 2025.
CEO of Meta-X Takashi Murakoshi commented, “We are excited about our partnership with Immutable and together we look to provide new gaming experiences through our player focused games and Decentralized Competitive Gaming platform that will allow more players, more rewards, more of the time.”
A second title from Meta-X currently in development, Jewel Knights, is set to launch in H2 2023.
Providence
At the Avalanche summit in early May, Dynasty Studios announced its flagship title Providence, in collaboration with Avalanche. Promising its users a unique multiplayer experience set in alien worlds where players will compete in a drifting galaxy, this survival game built with Unreal Engine 5 has been in development for two years.
Providence’s alpha version is planned to be released later in 2023.
Game Dosi
- Twitter: 38,000
Behind web3 gaming platform Game Dosi is the US-based NFT venture of Japanese messaging and entertainment app Line, Line Next. During May the platform launched, and as part of it, the announcement of five new games:
- town defense game Sweet Monster Guardians,
- RPG V.L.O (Vestria the Last Order),
- roguelike action game KEROZ,
- NFT game Drawshop Kingdom Reverse and
- Line Next’s game Project GD.
April, 2023
The Wandering Giant
- Twitter: 15,000
At GDC 2023, Chinese game publisher Giant Network announced its overseas brand and game developer ZTimes. Alongside this came the news of two new upcoming titles, The Wandering Giant and Road of Conquering.
The former, The Wandering Giant, is a combination of F2P SLG, or simulation gameplay, with NFTs. Players will be immersed in and explore a new unknown world together.
Find out more about the game on the ZTimes website.
LifeVerse
In its first project update, web3 gaming ecosystem LifeVerse, powered by TreasureDAO, announced the imminent launch of RPG Arcane Magic. Additionally, season 3 and the web app of auto-battler management sim Colosseum of Phanes is nearing.
The LifeVerse gaming ecosystem is built on Arbitrum. As part of the teams’ dedication to interoperability it collaborates with various game projects in the treasure ecosystem. A third title, Journey Through Phanes, has also been announced.
Find out more about the project on the LifeVerse website.
ONE Fight Arena
- Discord: 1,000
Most recently we’ve had the announcement of Animoca Brands and Singaporean MMA organization ONE Championship joining hands to make fighting game ONE Fight Arena.
With Animoca subsidiary, game studio Notre Game, taking charge of the development of the game, it’ll see ONE Championship’s prominent fighters and IPs become NFTs. These will power the entire game, in which players will be building the fighters’ careers and find strategy an important aspect of the gameplay.
Find out more on the ONE Fight Arena website.