Best known for racing games such as Gear.Club, Test Drive Unlimited and V-Rally, French developer Eden Games was acquired by Animoca Brands in 2022. More recently, the team unveiled its debut web3 native title Cosmic Royale as part of the ever-growing Motorverse ecosystem of racing games.

We thought it good timing to speak to Eden Games co-founder David Nadal to learn more about this PC-based party royale kart racer.

BlockchainGamer: Can you give us some background to Cosmic Royale, when did the idea of the game come about etc?

Nadal: The idea emerged in the fall of 2022. We wanted to explore what would happen if we combined the crazy and silly tracks & traps of a game like Fall Guys, including its battle royale mechanics, with our expertise in vehicle-based gameplay. Our goal was also to create a bridge between web3 and traditional gaming, blending the best of both worlds.

How different is it designing and developing a blockchain game compared to a traditional game?

When designing and developing blockchain games, you must consider several unique features unique to this ecosystem. There are obviously technical and legal aspects, such as smart contracts, ensuring security, and following regulations, but it goes beyond that. We need to rethink the game’s monetization. How do we integrate the sale and transaction of NFTs? How do we redesign the game economy to provide value and ownership to the players?

The community is also important, as players are not only gamers but also web3 enthusiasts. We decided to rely on a strong community-driven approach for communication and marketing.

Why do you think racing games and blockchain are a good fit?

Racing is the ideal genre for blockchain gaming as the vehicles can be transformed into NFTs, allowing players to own and trade their assets and even use them across different titles. Players can also level up and customize their vehicles, adding unique features and enhancements that increase their value. This integration provides a dynamic and engaging experience, blending gaming with the benefits of blockchain technology.

How do you think Cosmic Royale fits within the wider Motorverse platform?

Motorverse offers an extensive array of racing games, many of which allow for the use of in-game assets across various titles. As part of the Animoca Brands group, it was clear that Cosmic Royale had to be included, given Motorverse’s goal of creating a thriving digital economy within its ecosystem.

Additionally, being part of a specialized platform like Motorverse fosters a strong community of car enthusiasts and gamers, enhancing engagement and collaboration.

Many predicted the major breakthrough of web3 in gaming would have happened by now. What do you think is holding it back?

Even though web3 gaming is promising and has a place in the future in the broader gaming industry, there are several reasons why it hasn’t fully taken off yet. One of the primary obstacles is adoption. Many people are still wary of blockchain technology or simply uncomfortable managing digital wallets and navigating this complex ecosystem. Additionally, I’ve observed that some web3 developers are overly focused on monetization rather than delivering engaging gameplay, which can detract from the overall player experience.

You’ve said you expect “hundreds of thousands of players” in Cosmic Royale. Do you still  think that is realistic?

We anticipated this number due to our partnership with Mocaverse, which hosts over a million users holding Moca IDs, all of whom are invited to play the beta. However, we’re realistic and understand that building a community takes time as a new game in the ecosystem.

Our goal for the full launch is to make the game as accessible as possible for all players, whether or not they are web3 enthusiasts. We hope to attract more and more players as the game reaches its full release.

What are your future plans in terms of web3 native games?

For the moment, we’re focusing on Cosmic Royale and aim to provide the community with regular content updates and new features. 

If you’re a Moca ID holder, you can download and start playing Cosmic Royale via its website.

PC-based web3 game distribution and discovery store HyperPlay has announced the launch of its Quest Platform. Launching with 25 titles, it will enable players to complete quests across supported games and gain rewards in the shape of tokens, NFTs and reputation.

Compared to many other similar reward programs, HyperPlay hopes its version will provide higher engagement as HyperPlay’s graphical overlay is inherent to these games, meaning completing quests should offer less friction compared to moving between games and the reward website.

Developers can set up quests for their games using HyperPlay’s Developer Portal tools, with most quest types requiring no additional engineering.

Some of the games participating in the launch include Parallel, MetaCene, Xociety, Phantom Galaxies, Forgotten Playland, Dark Throne, Uldor, Gotchi Guardians, Spirit Force Arena, Apeiron, Coinracer, MegaWeapon, Craft World, Legions 2029, Aether, Cosmik Battle, OneTap, Mighty Action Heroes, Medieval Empires, Portal Fantasy, Shutdown and Moonray.

“The unmatched immersive player experience and diversity of our quests game line-up, and
player rewards align with HyperPlay’s mission to create an ecosystem without limits,” commented
HyperPlay CEO JacobC.eth.

“We believe this will empower game developers to build much better web3 games. The possibilities are as vast as the game worlds themselves.”

Find out more at the HyperPlay website.

Back when it launched in early 2022, Crypto Unicorns was a posterchild for the whole Polygon gaming ecosystem but the breed, battle and collection title has now completed its migration to Arbitrum L3 Xai.

Crucially, support for Xai means that users no longer have to deal with Crypto Unicorns’ own infrastructure, which resulted in much friction as you had to bridge assets to and from the Polygon mainnet.

The Xai migration has also resulted in the launch of a new native marketplace, gas-free transactions as well as various reward campaigns, both in the new CU tokens – effectively a reissued version of the old RBW token – and the underlying XAI token.

“Launching Crypto Unicorns on Xai is a game-changer for our community,” commented Aron Beierchmitt, CEO of Crypto Unicorns’ developer Laguna Games.

“With faster, gas-free transactions, a new marketplace, and enhanced features, the player experience is significantly improved. By combining these advancements with hyper deflationary tokenomics, we are setting the stage for a stable and sustainable in-game economy. Two years of bear-market-building is finally coming to fruition!”

Next up comes Crypto Unicorns’ play-to-airdrop campaign, which will launch on Monday 1st July and run for two months. Xai is including the game in its own Vanguard rewards campaign too.

Players will be able to earn Xai rewards logging in and completing tasks, while Shadowcorn NFT owners will receive additional Xai rewards by minting minions in the Shadow Forge, a feature in which they can harvest resources, craft rituals, and mint minions to improve their standing on the leaderboard. They will also have access to future Shadowcorn vs Unicorn game loops.

You can find out more and play the game via the Crypto Unicorns‘ website.

Boomland’s Hunters On-Chain has launched its BOOM token airdrop campaign.

The month long play-to-airdrop event will see 250 million BOOM tokens distributed alongside Hunters On-Chain going live on Immutable zkEVM.

More precisely, the game is now live on Immutable zkEVM – available via browser or Google Play (iOS only via Testflight) – but the existing NFTs and tokens currently on the Polygon blockchain will be migrated later in the summer.

As for this airdrop, players have to log into the game using (or creating) an Immutable Passport, and then play the game to collect badges and gain XP. This increases a player’s standing on the leaderboard.

There’s also a faction system in which players can join up with collaborating games including Pixelmon, Blast Royale, Infinigods, WildCard, and others, to gain a 10% multiplier. The factions themselves also get placed on their own rewards leaderboard for a share of 10 million BOOM.

One of the advantages of the long gestation of Hunters On-Chain up-to-this-point is that the game – which is a web3 version of mobile web2 title Hunt Royale – is now a very polished experience, including daily quests and missions.

Being available to download from Google Play or browser, players use their email to log in, or they can use Immutable’s Passport sign-in.

New players are given a free NFT hunter on a trial basis. Obviously this is a vey lowly ranked asset but if they play for 14 days within a period of 30 days, the trial hunter is converted to a real onchain asset.

Even playing with the trial version, you can immediately earn small amounts of the utility BGEM token, which can be used to purchase chests and gain other in-game assets such as shards and artifacts. In addition to BGEM, the main BOOM token is used to level up hunters.

The airdrop is only the first element in building utility in the Boomland ecosystem, however. The company has already announced that games such as Archery Club and Car Driving School are also being rolled into the process.

Discover more about Boomland’s games via its website, and download Hunters On-Chain via Google Play.

Emerging blockchain Internet Computer (aka ICP), has garnered a small but dedicated group of game developers building fully onchain. With MMORPG Dragginz from former Neopets duo Adam and Donna Powell being the most high-profile, a growing number of teams have intentionally chosen ICP for its high speed, low costs and scalability technology.

One of them is a Mexico-based studio led by CEO Omar Hernandez, which is currently preparing for the launch of its fully onchain cross-platform RTS Cosmicrafts. We checked in with Hernandez to learn more about the game.

BlockchainGamer: Can you tell us about the team behind Cosmicrafts, how and why it was founded?

Hernandez: The team behind Cosmicrafts has evolved from a large group of passionate freelance developers, designers, and gaming enthusiasts to a small core dev team. Founded by Omar in 2016, the project aimed to create a multiplatform real-time strategy game that bridges the gap between the desktop giant Starcraft and the mobile sensation Clash Royale. 

You’re described as an “esports-veteran turned AI enthusiast”. What drew you to web3 gaming?

I ventured into web3 gaming during the 2021 boom of NFTs, DeFi, and emergent titles like Gods Unchained, Splinterlands, and later Axie Infinity. The potential of blockchain technology to revolutionize the gaming industry fascinated me. When I discovered the capabilities of the Internet Computer, I realized it was the perfect opportunity to upgrade Cosmicrafts with the latest technology, offering advanced tech, economy, and security.

Tell us more about Cosmicrafts, and how it stands out from other RTS games?

Cosmicrafts stands out from other RTS games in several key ways. Firstly, it is a true multiplatform game, allowing play on both desktop and mobile devices – an innovation not seen in traditional RTS titles. Additionally, Cosmicrafts integrates a robust web3 economy, being fully on-chain. This means that not only are tokens and NFTs managed via blockchain, but so are player statistics, profiles, and matchmaking, ensuring transparency, security, and true ownership.

In Cosmicrafts, players not only own their assets but also their profiles, and can publicly inspect the smart contracts governing game rules, PVP matchmaking, and reward validation.

Omar Hernandez, Cosmicrafts

The gameplay itself is action-packed and engaging, with updated graphics that enhance the immersive experience. Beyond these features, Cosmicrafts is designed to launch as a DAO, potentially becoming the first game of its kind to be community-governed. This combination of cutting-edge technology, cross-platform accessibility, and dynamic gameplay makes Cosmicrafts a unique and compelling choice in the RTS genre.

What are the benefits of building fully onchain; how does it enhance Cosmicrafts?

Building fully on-chain brings the principles of decentralization and transparency. In Cosmicrafts, players not only own their assets but also their profiles, and can publicly inspect the smart contracts governing game rules, PVP matchmaking, and reward validation. Additionally, they can participate in rule changes through DAO voting and proposals. The Internet Computer’s speed ensures a seamless web2-like experience while maintaining complete blockchain integration.

Why did you choose to build on ICP?

We chose to build on the Internet Computer (ICP) because it offers unparalleled possibilities, allowing us to create anything we envision. ICP stands out for its speed, cost-efficiency, and scalability. Our decision was also strongly influenced by our trust in the DFINITY Foundation and its team, who supported us from the start and continue to do so.

How is the game’s tokenomics designed to balance UA with long-term retention?

We’ve learned from our own and others’ mistakes by launching different web3 versions of the game over the past three years, each with unique tokenomics and player dynamics, and gathering community feedback. We’ve seen the pitfalls of P2E models, like Axie Infinity’s long-term viability issues and Splinterlands‘ pay-to-win dynamics.

Our latest version offers a completely free-to-play experience with play-to-earn capabilities. We’re not aiming for profit but rather experimenting to see where the community takes the web3 economy, aiming to reach as many people as possible and foster a community-owned web3 economy.

What can players expect from the first iteration of Cosmicrafts?

If we talk about previous versions to this one, it represents a significant leap in web3 economy features. Players can expect upgradable NFTs (improved metadata), NFT lootboxes that can be opened for tokens or other NFTs (or transferred), and missions and events to earn tokens, NFTs, or lootboxes. Multiplayer mode is back after years of AI bot experimentation. We’ve also enhanced login options to attract web2 players, integrating Google and other social media logins, along with various blockchain wallets like Metamask, Phantom, and native ICP wallets.

Discover more about Cosmicrafts via its website, and follow the game’s updates on X.