Decentralized gaming is becoming more and more popular among gamers. The fear of NFTs and the Web3 layer is slowly becoming a thing of the past, but only very few productions manage to enter the gaming mainstream. What does a Web3 game need to contain so that players don't approach it like a hedgehog?
Good gameplay is essential
The electronic entertainment industry has long ceased to be perceived as cheap entertainment for children. Thanks to this, the gaming market is constantly expanding into new segments of electronic entertainment, of which Web3 gaming is rising ever higher. Although its origins actually date back to 2014 and the first Web3 game “Hutercoin”, the following years were an arduous climb for decentralized gaming to reach gamers. I wrote more about the history of decentralized gaming in this article.
The first ingredient that every good Web3 game must contain is engaging gameplay. Okay, this is a very general statement, because for one person it will be exciting to eliminate subsequent waves of enemies in Helldivers 2, while for another person, the ultimate relaxation is a quiet card game. Regardless of who the Web3 game is intended for, its gameplay loop, i.e. repetitive actions performed during the game, should be based on reliable mechanics. Today, gamers are not minnows who grab every title that was added to gaming magazines on discs. Player interest requires well-thought-out mechanics with a well-balanced level of complexity.
The audiovisual layer, i.e. a way to attract the player's attention
Gamers are visual creatures and there is nothing strange about that. Visual effects in electronic entertainment are its core. Thanks to the development of technology, today even our smartphones are able to provide the appropriate level of graphics in mobile games, which was present on the most powerful personal computers and consoles a decade ago. A good Web3 game should engage its players with an appropriate level of audiovisual content. Of course, it's not about Ray-Tracing and graphical bells and whistles, but more about the consistent style and design of the entire world.
Contrary to appearances, sounds and music in games are also very important. Sound effects provide a very important background to what is happening on your computer or smartphone screen. In the case of Web3 games, this is an element that is often omitted or neglected, which makes such productions seem unprofessional. It is worth noting that the underdeveloped audiovisual layer is one of the reasons why Web3 gaming has for a long time been associated by players mainly with a scam. This fact should not be surprising, because many Web3 games were focused mainly on their Web3 layer, and aspects such as gameplay and appearance of the production were definitely ignored. A Web3 game must be perfectly balanced in terms of appearance, gameplay and Web3 layering.
A sensible Web3 layer – tokenomics and NFTs
It cannot be denied that every good Web3 game is based on a solid layer of the Web3 ecosystem. This is what distinguishes decentralized games from, let's call it, “traditional” ones. This aspect is so important that developers often focus mainly on tokenomics and the use of NFT tokens in their title. Casual gamers just want to have fun and enjoy the game. The gaming community does not pay much attention to economic mechanics within games, which have been present since skins, i.e. cosmetic elements, appeared in Web2 games.
A well-constructed Web3 ecosystem is therefore something transparent that accompanies the player while playing, and is not exposed as the main goal of the game. Balancing the right proportions makes players more willing to engage in the game and start exploring the Web3 layer. It's a bit like a good book. If your novel has interesting characters and a well-developed plot, the reader will want to learn about the world and the entire universe. Both the native token and the NFT for a given game must have a significant amount of functionality. At the same time, the whole thing should harmonize with the game mechanics. A difficult art that requires long-term planning.
Why are so few Web3 games gaining popularity among Web2 players?
We come to the essence of the topic. A good Web3 game engages not only crypto enthusiasts, but also everyone outside the decentralized bubble. Creating a game with such a wide target group is an extremely difficult task, which is why only few productions have managed to do it at the moment.
However, it is worth noting that many promising Web3 games are currently in production. Interestingly, this race involves not only traditional gaming giants such as Ubisoft, but also small, independent studios. Thanks to this, pieces of this cake are not reserved exclusively for gaming market monopolists.
RoboHero – a Web3 game from Poland
A perfect example of a game from Poland that has a chance to become a real hit is the Web3 game RoboHero. It is a tactical game for mobile devices that draws heavily on traditional Web2 gameplay, at the same time supported by an interesting and engaging Web3 layer.
The game is already in the beta testing phase, and the ROBO token IDO takes place on SpartaDex on March 28-29. At the same time, the RoboHero Airdrop campaign is also underway, allowing players to gain benefits. This is a great opportunity to get interested in this title and at the same time win ROBO tokens. These tokens will act as the main currency in the game and have many different functionalities. You can find more about RoboHero, the Airdrop campaign and the ROBO token IDO in this article.
To sum up, a good Web3 game must be a composition made of elements such as engaging gameplay, aesthetic audiovisual layer and a properly implemented Web3 ecosystem. It is important that all these ingredients are combined in the right proportions.
