Gaming has played a significant role in reviving Web3 after a prolonged period of stagnation. It has also been instrumental in driving mass adoption of Web3 technologies. However, the path to fully realizing the potential of Web3 gaming is not without its challenges, particularly when it comes to seamlessly integrating on-chain elements while preserving the core principles of decentralization and player empowerment.
New users should only encounter obstacles when absolutely necessary and as late in the process as possible. Unfortunately, this is not the case with most existing Web3 games. Users are confronted with multiple hurdles before they can even begin playing, from connecting their wallets to signing transactions for verification. These frictions contradict the vision of a seamless and accessible gaming world that fully on-chain gaming aims to achieve.
While groundbreaking titles like Axie Infinity and CryptoKitties have made significant strides in the space, they still fall short of being fully on-chain. Fully on-chain games store all game assets, mechanics, and states on the blockchain. This radical approach ensures unmatched transparency, security, and player control, enabling a truly decentralized gaming experience where players own and shape their digital destinies.
It is essential to strike a balance between on-chain elements and the rich user experience of traditional games when building the best Web3 games. Comparing Web3 games to Web2 standards is like comparing apples to oranges. Despite serving similar audiences, their requirements, value propositions, and scopes are vastly different.
Web3 games aim to solve long-standing issues such as top-down models, lack of user control, and manipulation by gaming corporations. This can only be achieved by implementing alternative models, processes, and principles that differ from those seen in Web2. Terms like “engaging,” “seamless,” and “hassle-free” take on new meanings in the context of Web3 games, enhanced by aspects like community orientation, real in-game value, and user-generated logic.
When building Web3 games, the most critical requirement is to address novel challenges by embracing innovative technologies and models that align with the principles of autonomy and community governance. It’s about creating “Autonomous Worlds” (AWs), a concept introduced in 2022 by Ludens, the founder of Lattice.xyz, to describe a world with a blockchain substrate.
Furthermore, new-age games must cater to the expanding community of gamers who are aware of the problems in legacy gaming and seek genuine solutions. These gamers are not just interested in quick profits but are looking for meaningful experiences. Building fully on-chain games is the next step in the evolution of blockchain gaming.
Ironically, Axie Infinity and CryptoKitties, despite being catalysts for blockchain gaming, were not fully on-chain themselves. They were experimental, niche, and heavily focused on cryptocurrencies, resulting in clunky user interfaces. While they opened up new possibilities, they did not fully embody the concept of “Autonomous Worlds.” Users had limited control over the game rules and direction, and only parts of the game states were stored on-chain.
Dark Forest, released in 2020, was the first decentralized real-time strategy game. It used zero-knowledge proofs (zkProofs) to create a “fog of war” in the gaming experience, where players only had visibility of their own actions and not those of others. This approach allowed for maintaining gameplay integrity and player privacy on the blockchain. Dark Forest’s solution set a precedent for real-time strategy gaming on the blockchain and provided a blueprint for future on-chain game development.
Dark Forest and other projects like Mithraeum, Citadel, ZkHunt, and Loot Project have paved the way for community-oriented, bottom-up Autonomous Worlds. By putting everything on-chain, including game states and logic, these AWs create flexible and resilient digital realities where users have more agency. They incentivize players to attach greater significance to their on-chain gaming activities and grant them a meaningful say in the game world.
In AWs, players are no longer passive consumers but active participants who can build, contribute, monetize, and participate in ways that were previously impossible in Web2 games. This shift empowers gamers and fosters a deeper connection to the game, encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration within the community.
Although the journey towards fully on-chain gaming presents challenges, the potential it holds is immense. By redefining engagement, ownership, and control in the digital realm, on-chain gaming can offer experiences that closely resemble real-world interactions and relationships. It establishes a new standard for gaming that is truly immersive, empowering, and reflective of the players’ desires and aspirations.
Decentralization, player sovereignty, and community collaboration will serve as guiding principles in shaping the future of gaming into an inclusive, democratic, and exciting digital frontier.
Felix Xu, the co-founder and CEO of ARPA, has been actively involved in venture capital investment in fintech, big data, and AI startups for the past six years. He led blockchain sector research and early-stage investment at Fosun Group, one of China’s largest conglomerates.
This article provides general information and should not be considered legal or investment advice. The author’s views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Cointelegraph.