The best Web3 games should be fully – not partially – on-chain

Gaming is the catalyst to lift Web3 out of a year-long hibernation. Mass adoption is also a key force. However, the journey to fully realize the potential of Web3 games is fraught with challenges, most notably the continuous integration of on-chain entities without sacrificing the fundamental principles of decentralization and player development.

New users should encounter conflict only if necessary and as late as possible. That's not the case with most Web3 games. From connecting their wallet upfront to signing transactions to verify, users face many hurdles before trying the game. These inconsistencies run counter to the vision of a seamless and accessible game world that fully chained games aspire to achieve.

Titles like Axie Infinity and CryptoKitties fall completely off the chain even though they stand on the ground. On-chain games store all game assets, mechanics, and states on the blockchain. This radical approach ensures unparalleled transparency, security and player control, enabling a decentralized gaming experience where players take ownership of their digital destiny.

Related: Axie Infinity is toxic to the crypto game.

Building the best game requires a functional, efficient combination of on-chain elements and a rich user experience of proprietary titles.

Holding Web3 games to Web2 standards is comparing apples to oranges. Although they serve the same audience, their needs, value proposition and scope are very different.

Web3 games are intended to address age-old problems such as top-down models, lack of user control, and strong entrenchment by gaming corporations. That can only happen by applying alternative models, processes and principles – not by mimicking the results achieved by Web 2.

We could even argue that terms like “engaging,” “seamless,” and “hassle-free” take on new meanings in this context, enhanced by community orientation, real in-game value, and user-generated logic. .

Therefore, when developing Web3 games, the most critical requirement is to address new challenges, including adopting new technologies and models that are consistent with the principles of autonomy and community management. In the year It's about building “autonomous worlds” (AWs), introduced in 2022 by Luddens – the founder of Lattice.xyz – to describe a “blockchain paved world”.

Moreover, new age games must nurture and serve players who are aware of the growing problem. In legacy games that seek real solutions to the odds stacked against them. They are not just bounty hunters and temporary profiteers.

Building games on the chain

Interestingly, Axie Infinity and CryptoKitties served as major catalysts in the evolution of the blockchain game – but were not entirely on-chain. They were experimental, cryptic and very crypto-centric, characterized by their intuitive user interfaces. Although they opened up new avenues, they were not entirely “selfish worlds.” Users had little or no control over the rules and direction of the game, and only parts of the game states were chained.

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— The Citadel (@0xCitadel) March 6, 2024

Dark Forest is the first decentralized real-time strategy game released in 2020. This project exemplifies the incomplete construction of a cryptographic protocol using zero-knowledge proofs (zkProofs) to create “fog of war” in the gaming experience. Information games on the chain. For reference, think of games like poker, where players only see their hands and don't know what other cards they have.

Dark Forest's challenge was to maintain a publicly accessible distributed ledger without compromising the confidentiality of players' strategies – a fundamental aspect of any strategic game.

Using zkProofs, Dark Forest has secured gameplay and player privacy on the blockchain. This approach solves the critical issue of displaying sensitive game conditions (eg, planetary locations or attack directions), which are easily managed by centralized servers but are more challenging in decentralized environments. Dark Forest's solution set the precedent for real-time strategy games on the blockchain, providing a blueprint for future on-chain game development.

Even community-oriented, bottom-up AWs: Mithraeum, Citadel, Zekhunt, etc. Lott Project was another fun feature of this site, which allowed users to spread IP without permission and hundreds of games, stories, etc.

By putting everything on-chain – from game states (properties, actions, etc.) to logic (access rules, in-game interaction methods, etc.), AWs unlock dynamic and robust digital realities where users come from themselves.

Beyond in-game property ownership, they encourage players to place greater value on their on-chain gaming activities. More importantly, on-chain logic gives players meaningful feedback on what is legitimate and what isn't in the game-world.

This is a major departure from the status quo, where end users are largely passive consumers, playing at the whim and mercy of enterprise publishers. Rules and regulations are made by the consensus of the community, not the arbitrary whims of outsiders. And they serve basic needs. Players can build, contribute, monetize and participate in ways not possible in Web2 games.

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Skin in the Game The in-game nature of AWs instills a greater sense of authority over players. You will be more motivated to solve problems and find creative solutions to create mods and plugins to create completely different economies in the game. This engagement encourages a deep connection with the game, encourages creativity, problem solving and collaboration in the community. For example, Dark Forest has built a variety of bots, plugins, and custom clients that players can use to climb the leaderboards.

Looking to the future, the journey to on-chain gaming is not without its challenges, but its promise is enormous. Redefining participation, ownership, and control in the digital realm, Game on Chain is designed to deliver experiences that closely mirror real-world interactions and relationships. In doing so, it not only enhances the richness of virtual worlds, but also sets a new standard for what gaming can be – truly immersive, empowering, and reflective of players' needs and aspirations.

The principles of decentralization, player sovereignty, and community collaboration will be guiding lights in shaping the future of gaming into an inclusive, democratic, and fun digital frontier.

This article is not intended for general information purposes and should not be construed as legal or investment advice. The views, ideas and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.