Main points

• Full-chain games (FOCG) are characterized by their unique attributes: logical on-chain, shared state, and client-agnostic. It’s worth noting that games like Axie Infinity, The Sandbox, and Illuvium don’t fall into this category; they’re more like Web2.5 games.
• This emerging field has experienced significant growth, especially after the success of Dark Forest. Starknet (the Ethereum L2 blockchain utilizing zk-STARKs technology) currently leads in terms of number of games across the chain.
• Building games on the blockchain offers the advantages of permissionless innovation, potential interoperability, and powerful player incentives.
• However, full-chain games still face some challenges that prevent them from thriving, such as latency, bots, and development costs. We are constantly working to resolve current issues, including game engine development. \

Full-chain games will challenge people’s understanding of Web3 games. They embrace the ethos of blockchain, which is decentralized, transparent and permissionless. The simplest explanation, full-chain games are those games that exist entirely on the blockchain (logic, animation, data, etc.). Since the game runs on the blockchain, the game world is permanent, also known as “autonomous world”。

Specifically, full-chain games have the following attributes:

• Logical chaining: All game actions, scores, assets and achievements are recorded on the chain and executed by smart contracts.
• Shared status: Game data is stored on the blockchain and is accessible to all players.
• client agnostic: A community of gamers can create their own clients and run games instead of relying on developers.

)

Image source: Bankless

According to the above definition, those previously mentioned Web3 games such as Axie Infinity, The Sandbox, and Illuvium do not fall into this category. They are minimally on-chain games, similar to “Web2.5” games, or as @3pa15 (from Dialectic) classifies them, “weak on-chain” games. This is because their assets exist on the chain, while the core logic and state of the game reside on centralized nodes outside the chain. These gaming parties have full control and can ban players (and bots). Even worse, if the game company shuts down the servers the next day, all the achievements and efforts the players have put in will be wiped out. In contrast, the games on the far right are called “strong on-chain” or full-chain games.

)

Why do we put the game on the chain?

The following are some advantages brought by full-chain games:

1. Permissionless Innovation/Open Economy

Full-chain games offer a level of durability, meaning they are not at risk of shutting down, ensuring players can continue to enjoy the gaming experience. Additionally, they give players the creative freedom to modify (or mod) the game using user-generated logic (UGL) through smart contracts, similar to composability in DeFi. Think of MakerDAO and Curve, which are built on top of the Ethereum protocol.

In Web2 games, players can modify the game to make it unique. Some examples are modified zombies in GTA 5 and Genshin Impact characters in the Elden Ring world. However,Mods typically run at the local user level, affecting individual experience rather than changing the global game state. These mods cannot be directly integrated into the real game。

In contrast, the infrastructure of full-chain games is usually designed to be front-end/client-agnostic, meaning that it can adapt to various user interfaces, andNot limited to a single client type. They struck a balance between retaining classic rules and adapting to new second-tier rules. As long as they follow the basic rules, players can generate tokens, build guild systems, create tasks, and develop trading systems. The best examples of these activities can be found in games like Dark Forest.

1. Possible interoperability

Full-chain games get rid of the constraints of a single game logic, allowing assets to break through the boundaries of a single virtual world. In this vast gaming multiverse, assets are no longer limited to their respective games. Imagine wielding a $1 million CS:GO knife in the world of Valorant, and it’s a fascinating idea that hints at the exciting cross-play possibilities that full-chain play could unlock.

1. High-intensity incentives/financialization

Unlike Web2 games, which give players weak property rights, full-chain games provide them with stronger incentives, providing censorship-resistant, permanent creations in immutable smart contracts. In this environment, creators have complete autonomy over their tokens, game mechanics, and rules, creating a competitive ecosystem within the game economy.

This approach enables game developers to foster vibrant and open gaming environments, allow player-generated content to flourish, and end gaming dictatorships by avoiding ever-changing rules. It is worth noting thatBlockchain-based games and Web3 projects tend to favor relatively low adoption rates compared to traditional fee structures (e.g. Rolex has a whopping 75% adoption rate). This economic model promotes a fairer distribution of rewards and opportunities within the gaming ecosystem.

Let’s explore how this niche is developing

The full-chain game trend was kicked off by the real-time strategy game (RTS) “Dark Forest” that emerged in 2020 and was developed by MIT graduate Gubsheep (Brian Gu). In the game, players compete for planets and resources, using ZK-SNARKs to keep coordinates secret while verifying actions. Players can play alone or form a guild to conquer other planets and claim dominance. Of course, all actions are fully recorded on the chain.

Gamers can use plug-ins to extend the functionality, features and content of their games. Plugins can be customized to enhance the user experience and extend the life of your game. Nightmarket is a plugin for Dark Forest that introduces escrow smart contracts for buying/selling planetary coordinates, allowing players to profit from in-game success.

)

“Dark Forest” gameplay

Following the success of “Dark Forest”, the new full-chain game/autonomous world industry is constantly developing.Starknet leads in number of games on chain. The following are famous cross-chain games:

)

Multiple projects are actively addressing ongoing issues and building infrastructure/engines for on-chain gaming.

)

The challenge of building a full-chain game

1. Delay

Network congestion often results when thousands of players take simultaneous actions to update shared state in an online game. The huge amount of data transmitted may cause communication delays between players and game servers, thus affecting the real-time nature of the game.

Slow synchronization with the blockchain can lead to a degraded user experience. Although blockchain technology has advantages such as security and transparency, it may introduce latency issues due to the time required to verify and record transactions on the chain. This is especially true in fast-paced games like DOTA and Counter-Strike, where split-second decisions are crucial. In these high-intensity environments, the blockchain won’t consider whether you’re stuck in a transaction queue waiting to process those twitchy reflexes.

1. Robot

Due to its permissionless nature, this domain has opened the floodgates for bots. These automated programs can undermine the fairness and integrity of the gaming experience by giving players an unfair advantage or manipulating the in-game economy.

Traditional games can mitigate bot attacks through KYC processes, selective bans, and expensive barriers to entry, making it harder for malicious actors to infiltrate the game. However, free blockchain games often lack this centralized control mechanism. This makes bots an ongoing pain point in the field, as regulating decentralized, permissionless systems can be very challenging.

1. Cost

Developing blockchain-based games can be expensive, especially without a Web3 game engine (which is still in development and early stages). The integration of blockchain technology requires specialized knowledge and development resources, which can be a barrier for game developers, especially independent developers.

On-chain interaction costs and gas fees also place a burden on players, especially those Web2 players who are unfamiliar with the concept of crypto wallets. These additional costs may deter players from participating in blockchain-based games. However, it is worth noting thatThe industry is actively working on solutions such as account abstraction to reduce cost barriers and make blockchain gaming more accessible and affordable for everyone。

Other trade-offs in this area and their magnitude are as follows:

Source: Various

Direction of development

Robbinson (core contributor to Alliance DAO) proposed several interesting directions at ETHDenver 2023. These ideas provide innovative solutions to challenges faced in niche areas:

• Temporary chain: In scenarios where the data generated during the activity is not particularly valuable, the data can be designed to disappear automatically after a certain period of time. The beauty of this approach is that even ephemeral data can be bridged to a more durable chain, thus retaining all valuable information.
• Precompilation for applications:Robbinson envisions developing chains specifically tailored for gaming applications.These chains will be built from the ground up with a game loop at their core. For example, imagine shuffling a deck of cards but doing this directly on the blockchain. While this may seem like a considerable computational burden, it has the potential to create a more seamless and efficient gaming experience.
• Battle Rollup: Instead of completely recording the entire state of the game, only a fragment of the state is retained. This strategy allows the game to remain trustless and permissionless while significantly reducing computational load. The Battle Rollup approach promises to enhance scalability and performance without sacrificing game integrity.

An optimistic way forward

The list of solutions and challenges could go on long,But the fundamental question is: do players care about “permanent gaming”?

In short, the answer is usually “no,” at least for most people.

For many people, gaming is a fleeting experience. They play games for the sheer enjoyment and experience the game provides and usually leave after a while。

However, there is a group of hardcore gamers who do care. They invest heavily in the game and are committed to the community/franchise they foster. EVE Online is a great example. The game has been around for over 20 years and still has an impressive 100,000 DAU, which is a goal for many Web3 games.Players come to games not because of new content provided by developers, but because of the rich emerging social and economic world driven by other players. Other classic games like StarCraft 2, Minecraft, and RuneScape still attract hundreds of thousands of DAU even more than a decade later.

Full-chain games can leverage this to build a durable game economic system that gives players full control over the items they purchase and the results of their in-game efforts. They can even reshape the original gameplay to their liking and form guilds with other players to maintain its longevity. Even if they decide to leave the game, new players can seamlessly pick up where they left off and continue to progress.

Building games entirely on-chain is a new frontier that inspires developer innovation. Similar to new possibilities unlocked through innovation:Internet → Multiplayer games, mobile terminals → Casual games and AR/VR → Spatial Internet（1kx Ventures）。

It is:Blockchain → Composability.

“Most innovation is the result of people’s willingness to commit to blue skies and moonshots” - Gubsheep (Dark Forest)

Gubsheep brilliantly quoted in his share at Ethereum Devcon “Finite games are about winning, infinite games are about continuing to play”。

Playing an infinite game in this context means:

• inspire innovation
• Try a new ruleset
• Develop new tools to continue expressing creativity

Rather than competing head-on with current desktop and console gaming, full-chain gaming is forging a new path. This unique route provides game developers and players with the opportunity to explore a variety of game types outside the traditional boundaries of typical games.。

If a complex user interface is a hindrance due to technical limitations, developers can turn this weakness into an advantage or a unique niche for on-chain gaming. Some independent Web2 games with minimalist graphics, such as Flappy Bird, Stardew Valley, RimWorld, Battle Bothers, and Crypt of the NecroDancer, are still hugely successful.This shows that full-chain games can find their footing with minimal graphics but strong story/gameplay, carve out your own unique space.Strategy games, casual games, and simulation games seem to be a promising avenue for full-chain gaming。

Conclusion

Every breakthrough innovation encounters a series of initial challenges before it reaches success. Full-chain gaming is currently in its early stages and is expected to develop and improve. While there are many advantages to on-chain game development, there is an urgent need for enhanced tools and gameplay to improve player experience. The evolution of the full-chain gaming field takes time, whether it will be one year or five years is still uncertain. Nonetheless, it’s clear that visionaries are actively engaged in this space, working tirelessly to turn the concept of an autonomous world into a reality. So, let them cook now!

Original link:https://research.ancient8.gg/research/en/articles/fully-on-chain-games-unlocking-the-virtual-autonomous-economies

Disclaimer：

1. This article is reprinted from [MetaCat]. All copyrights belong to the original author [MetaCat]. If there are objections to this reprint, please contact the Gate Learn team, and they will handle it promptly.
2. Liability Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not constitute any investment advice.
3. Translations of the article into other languages are done by the Gate Learn team. Unless mentioned, copying, distributing, or plagiarizing the translated articles is prohibited.