The crypto and NFT gaming space is busier than ever lately, what with prominent games starting to release, token airdrops piling up, and a seemingly constant array of other things happening at all times. It’s a lot to take in!
Luckily, Decrypt’s GG is all over it. And if you need a quick way to get caught up on the latest moves around crypto video games, we’re happy to present This Week in Crypto Games.
Our weekend roundup serves up the biggest news from the past week, along with a few other tidbits you might have missed. We also showcase a few of our original stories from the week.
Biggest news
Catizen airdrop: Feline-themed Telegram game Catizen partnered with the HashKey Group on Monday, in a collaboration it says will lead to an airdrop for players. Digital assets firm HashKey Group says the collaboration will use the The Open Network (TON) ecosystem to “provide unique Web3 gaming experiences for global players and digital asset users”.
The group said the collaboration will lead to “gamified experiences in digital finance, a joint HSK airdrop campaign, animal protection, and social responsibility initiatives.” The statement did not indicate when the airdrop would take place, or what the terms and conditions would be.
Telegram Game ‘Catizen’ Partners with HashKey Group for Joint Airdrop
Feline-themed Telegram game Catizen has partnered with the HashKey Group, in a collaboration it says will lead to an airdrop for players. Catizen, which competes with other tap-to-earn Telegram games such as Hamster Kombat and Notcoin, is built on The Open Network (TON). Catizen’s developer, Pluto Studio, claims the game has 26 million users. In an announcement, HashKey Group, a digital assets firm based in Hong Kong, says the collaboration will use the TON ecosystem to “provide unique Web3 gami...
Ragnarok: Monster World beta: Blockchain-based tower defense game Ragnarok: Monster World is now available for most people to play on mobile devices. This beta test will run until August 26 with players being rewarded for their participation.
Ragnarok Online is an iconic massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that has amassed over 167 million downloads globally since its 2002 launch. This is the South Korean franchise’s first venture into the world of blockchain gaming with the game’s beta test launching on Ethereum sidechain gaming network, Ronin.
We've been playing the beta and posted our impressions here.
‘Ragnarok: Monster World’ Beta Teases a Sharp Ethereum Riff on ‘Clash Royale’
The first “closed beta test” for Ragnarok: Monster World—a mobile game based on the popular Ragnarok Online role-playing franchise—isn’t very closed after all. But it is pretty fun. Built with optional NFT assets on Ethereum gaming network Ronin, Ragnarok: Monster World delivers a simple, streamlined strategy experience for iOS and Android that’s more than a little bit reminiscent of Supercell’s mobile smash, Clash Royale. Getting into the weeklong beta test doesn’t require ownership of NFTs, no...
Counter-Strike via Neuralink: The second patient to receive a brain implant from Neuralink has already learned to play video games such as Counter-Strike via the chip, and was also able to use computer-aided design (CAD) software—just one month after receiving the brain-computer interface (BCI).
The neuroscience technology company founded by Twitter owner Elon Musk posted a progress report on the second participant in its ongoing study on Wednesday. The report outlined the experience of the anonymous patient, referred to as Alex, who received the Neuralink chip in August after the developer received FDA approval for the second study in May.
Second Neuralink Patient Does 3D Design and Plays CounterStrike With His Brain
The second patient to receive a brain implant from Neuralink has already learned to play video games via the chip, but was also able to use computer-aided design (CAD) software, just one month after receiving the brain-computer interface (BCI). The neuroscience technology company founded by Twitter owner Elon Musk, posted a progress report on the second participant in its ongoing study on Wednesday. The report outlined the experience of the anonymous patient, referred to as Alex, who received th...
ICYMI
- Hamster Kombat, Notcoin, and other TON game developers are protesting the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.
- Move-to-earn game ‘Stepn Go’ revealed a G-Shock NFT sneaker collab.
- Atari confirmed that its modernized, upcoming 7800+ game console will have no crypto ties at launch.
Atari Revives Classic 7800 Game Console With Modern Upgrades—But No Crypto Ties
Iconic gaming brand Atari announced Tuesday that it’s reviving its 1986 game console as the Atari 7800+, a modern recreation developed in collaboration with game publisher PLAION. But it won't connect to any of Atari's crypto initiatives, at least not initially. The Atari 7800+ is a compact version of the original console that’s built to connect with modern televisions. Each console comes equipped with the CX78+ wireless gamepad and includes a new game, Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest, a sequel to...
- Telegram tap-to-earn game MemeFi will launch its token on October 9. The team has said it is building on Ethereum scaling network Linea.
- Creator Chain, a network from ZTX—the crypto project of massive Asian metaverse platform Zepeto—will build its network using ZKsync’s ZK Stack.
- Xai Foundation, the core contributor to the layer-3 network Xai, and risk management company Gauntlet partnered to enhance governance and treasury management for the gaming network.
- Mobile gaming platform GAMEE received investment from Pantera Capital to expand its presence on The Open Network.
- MMORPG The Forgotten Runiverse will enter open beta starting Monday. We spoke with the developers about it.
- "Snow Crash" author and "metaverse" term coiner Neal Stephenson is working on a new metaverse project called Artefact.
GG spotlight
Here are a few of our original stories from this past week that we think are well worth a weekend read:
‘Ragnarok: Monster World’ Beta Teases a Sharp Ethereum Riff on ‘Clash Royale’
The first “closed beta test” for Ragnarok: Monster World—a mobile game based on the popular Ragnarok Online role-playing franchise—isn’t very closed after all. But it is pretty fun. Built with optional NFT assets on Ethereum gaming network Ronin, Ragnarok: Monster World delivers a simple, streamlined strategy experience for iOS and Android that’s more than a little bit reminiscent of Supercell’s mobile smash, Clash Royale. Getting into the weeklong beta test doesn’t require ownership of NFTs, no...
Forgotten Runiverse Open Beta Billed as 'Coming Out Party' for Ethereum Franchise
Ronin-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Forgotten Runiverse is entering open beta on Monday, with the move positioned as a significant step forward in the franchise’s quest to become a household name. “I see this open beta as our first real coming out party,” Bearsnake, pseudonymous co-founder and COO of Forgotten Runes—the broader universe which Forgotten Runiverse falls under—told Decrypt’s GG. “The biggest swing for the IP to date is this open beta. It's going to b...
'PokeyQuest' Is a Slick Telegram Tap-to-Earn Game, But Nintendo's Lawyers Might Not Love It
For the most part, the current crop of popular Telegram games such as Hamster Kombat and X Empire don’t look particularly appealing—from a visual standpoint, at least. From very basic menus to what appears to be AI-driven artwork and a complete lack of engaging effects, the absence of any real visual stimulation has been one of my main complaints of the budding genre. But PokeyQuest, a Telegram tap-to-earn game that appears to have around half a million players so far, fixes that issue by… let'...
Here Are Today’s ‘Rocky Rabbit’ Enigma and SuperSet Daily Combo Solutions
Editor's note: Rocky Rabbit has paused its gameplay until September 24, when the "new Rocky Rabbit era" is set to begin. As such, there are currently no SuperSet combos or enigma puzzle solutions to update this story with. Rocky Rabbit is a rapidly rising Telegram tap-to-earn game that riffs on the premise of hits like Notcoin and Hamster Kombat. In this case, the tapping is augmented by a bodybuilding and combat vibe, where you’ll unlock fitness and skill upgrades ahead of an apparent battle mo...
What Is ‘Bitcoin Miner’? This Free iOS and Android Game Pays Real BTC
Mining real Bitcoin is increasingly out of reach for the average person, with the industry dominated by massive firms running warehouses full of super-powered computers. But there’s a popular iOS and Android game that turns the act into an amusing diversion—and pays you small bits of real Bitcoin just for tapping your phone screen. Bitcoin Miner is a simple game that lets you fake-mine an array of popular cryptocurrencies, including BTC, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Solana—and rack up real satoshis,...
Edited by Andrew Hayward
