Read time: 4.5 minutes

Welcome to the WGMI Gaming Newsletter,

where blockchain meets play, and every move counts!

Quests

1. The Playbook for Building a Blockbuster Web3 Game

2. Quick Bytes & Alpha Of The Week

3. Breaking Through Walls: The Vallarok Team Credo

HIGHLIGHT STORY

The Playbook for Building a Blockbuster Web3 Game

Blockchain gaming is poised to transform the industry, unlocking new possibilities for players, developers, and investors alike.

As the hype around Web3 Gaming continues to build, everyone wants to know - what does it take to create the next blockbuster blockchain game?

After reviewing the landscape and trends, I've distilled it down to a playbook, outlining the key ingredients for blockchain gaming success. Follow these steps, and you'll be well on your way to crafting a genre-defining, massively popular blockchain game.

1. Start with solid gameplay mechanics

At its core, a great game is about fun and engaging gameplay. No amount of blockchain or web3 elements can save a game with weak mechanics.

Study what makes successful traditional games tick - addictiveness, progression, and social elements. Master the craft of designing compelling gameplay loops before bringing in blockchain components.

For example, Shrapnel focused on creating a tense and competitive environment with high stakes that encourages risk-taking and rewards skills. The gameplay mechanics were designed to be compelling first before integrating blockchain elements.

2. Integrate blockchain meaningfully

Blockchain should elevate your game, not feel tacked on. Evaluate how decentralized tech can take your game mechanics to the next level.

Use cases like true digital asset ownership, provable scarcity, transparent rarity, and interoperability can profoundly impact gameplay and economics. But integrate blockchain intentionally, not just for buzzword appeal.

Valeria Games created an innovative blockchain treasure hunt meta-game that meaningfully integrates blockchain by making collectibles accessible across different games. This added persistent value and retention beyond just one game.

3. Design a vibrant in-game economy

At the heart of any great blockchain game is a thriving in-game economy. Create incentives and rewarding feedback loops that keep players engaged and progressing.

Utilize sinks and sources to maintain balanced tokenomics and value. Seasonal assets and events add dynamism and excitement. Build an economy that is resilient, equitable, and aligned to gameplay.

Shrapnel used a two-tier promotion system to incentivize players to curate quality maps and cosmetics. The best creations were promoted to a competition tier with performance-based rewards shared between creators, curators, and promoters.

4. Foster an empowered community

Blockchain allows players to be stakeholders, not just consumers. Enable community ownership of in-game assets. Allow collective governance through DAOs. Share revenues transparently.

Build tools for user-generated content and modding. By empowering players, you cultivate a passionate community invested in the game's long-term success.

Valeria Games established a DAO where committed community members can influence decisions on the game world, design, roadmap, and aesthetics. This gives players a real stake in the future of the game.

5. Future-proof the experience

Build with interoperability and longevity in mind. Support emerging standards like ERC-721 and ERC-1155 for NFT portability. Utilize multi-chain strategies to mitigate risk and maximize accessibility.

Modular architecture and smart contracts future-proof gameplay and business logic. Think long-term, as blockchain allows games to persist and evolve over decades.

6. Layer in web3 appeal

While strong mechanics come first, it helps to wrap your game in web3 allure. Pursue collaborations with hot NFT projects or web3 brands for crossover appeal. Implement metaverse integrations for virtual hangouts and events.

Support self-sovereign identities via social sign-on and expressive avatars. These elements can magnify mainstream appeal and provide vital social glue.

7. Promote inclusively

Avoid 'crypto bro' cliches in branding and marketing. Showcase diversity in characters, creators, and community. Build newbie-friendly onboarding to blockchain mechanics.

Support fiat on-ramps and accessibility options. Set fair pricing structures without unreasonable pay-to-win barriers. A welcoming, inclusive environment breeds mass appeal and retention.

By following these best practices, you have a blueprint for crafting the next hit blockchain game. Master the mechanics, build an economic flywheel, empower a decentralized community, and layer in next-gen web3 appeal. Do this successfully, and you have the ingredients for a historic blockchain gaming phenomenon primed for the mainstream.

So rally your team, sharpen your skills, and prepare to launch the next blockbuster. It's game time!

QUICK BYTES

• Playember partners with Cool Cats to push mobile gaming forward

• Illuvium launches their creator rewards program

• Dookey Dash is coming back in Q1 this year

• SkyArk Chronicles raises $15M from Binance Labs

• SkyArk Chronicles announces their mint at 8k supply

• HYTOPIA migrates from Polygon to Arbitrum

• Azuki announced their upcoming hyper-casual BEANZ game

BUILDING IN PUBLIC

Breaking Through Walls: The Vallarok Team Credo

When I recently asked my co-founder Sam about one of our developers and what he was working on, his response resonated deeply - "He's breaking through walls."

At that moment, I realized that "breaking through walls" perfectly captures the spirit of the Vallarok team. It is more than a metaphor for us, it is our credo.

What is a credo?

A credo is a powerful mantra that defines who we are and what we stand for, pushing us to reach new heights and overcome any challenge with unwavering conviction.

The credo of breaking through walls is built on four key pillars:

Resilience and Determination

We embody the attitude of never giving up, even when faced with setbacks. Every wall is an opportunity to demonstrate grit and creativity until we find a solution. We are empowered by challenges, not deterred by them.

Ambitious Goals

Our team sets ambitious goals that stretch our capabilities. This defines our commitment to pushing boundaries, achieving greatness, and continuously raising the bar. Complacency is the enemy of progress.

Problem-Solving

Finding creative solutions is at our core. We see obstacles as puzzles to solve as a team, combining our diverse strengths and perspectives. Our collective ability to innovate is what drives us forward.

Teamwork

Ultimately, our credo is built on teamwork. Alone we can only go so far, but together we can break through any barrier on our path. By combining our skills and rallying behind a shared purpose, no wall can stand in our way.

The credo lives forever

This credo perfectly aligns with the ethos of building a pioneering Web3 game like Vallarok. The path is uncharted, with challenges around every corner. But our team lives and breathes the mindset of breaking through walls.

I know that by staying true to this credo, our team can turn our ambitious vision into reality. The future is unwritten, but our credo lights the way forward. We will break through every wall, together.

LINKS

Thank you for reading.

Until next week,

Aiem.

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