The market for blockchain games and the Solana ecosystem are both recovering. Which GameFi projects have recently gained popularity?

Since November, Solana blockchain games have experienced remarkable growth. Unlike Ethereum, Solana has attracted the attention of many game developers and investors with its efficient performance and low transaction fees. At the same time, some notable Solana games are actively entering the mainstream market, with some already successfully launching on the Epic Games Store, a gaming marketplace with 230 million PC users.

The Epic Games Store is significant for the Web3 gaming industry. Although Epic Games still lags behind Steam in the market, it is actively promoting blockchain technology and plans to launch nearly 20 crypto games by early 2024. For Web3 game developers, the Epic Games Store offers tremendous exposure and user numbers, and some prominent Solana blockchain games have planned or successfully launched on the platform.

This trend shows that Solana blockchain games are actively seeking to enter the mainstream market, and the open attitude of the Epic Games Store provides them with significant opportunities. Next, we will delve into several highly anticipated Solana blockchain games.

Aurory Launches "Seekers of Tokane," Where Players Can Explore and Battle in the Land

Aurory is continuously expanding its game world, and the newly launched "Seekers of Tokane" expansion pack makes this role-playing game on the Solana blockchain even more exciting. Last week, Aurory brought the game to the Epic Games Store, launching a desktop version.

The "Seekers of Tokane" expansion pack will initially be available to Aurorian NFT holders during early access, and access codes will be distributed to a broader community in the coming weeks. This expansion pack adds a wealth of new lands where players can use their Nefties (magical creatures) to battle other beings in the environment. This is the first player versus environment (PVE) expansion introduced in the game, and while the game is still in development, a limited version of player versus player (PVP) Blitz Battles has already been released.

Aurory's latest expansion features what the development team calls a "procedural land generation system," meaning that every time players travel through the portal in Blanche town, they will be transported to a newly generated environment that will never be exactly the same. Similar to role-playing games (RPGs) like Diablo 3, players can explore and battle in the new lands while searching for the exit portal back to Blanche. If players die before using the exit portal, they will lose any loot accumulated while exploring that world. This is a common approach in "roguelike" RPGs, which are particularly challenging but also rewarding.

Aurory's Seekers of Tokane (SoT) update also brings new features, such as an avatar customization system, more controls and "elements" added to PVP Blitz Battles, and a Neftie upgrade system called "The Amplifier."

The avatar customization feature offers free-to-play players 67 different customization options, allowing them to choose fashion choices such as hairstyles, outfits, and shoes.

Blitz PVP battles will now give players more control over battle details, allowing them to choose one of three actions for their Neftie each turn or swap out a low-health Neftie for another. Similar to Pokémon, the elements associated with a given Neftie are now stronger or weaker against different types of opponents (for example, fire-type Nefties have an advantage over plant-type ones).

Additionally, Aurory plans to launch the game on the Ethereum Layer-2 network Arbitrum to expand its reach. However, building blockchain-enabled games into web browsers is not without challenges, so the team decided to bring "Seekers of Tokane" to the Epic Games Store for a better gaming experience.

Aurory's executive producer, Jonathan Campeau, stated, "From a technical perspective, Aurory is moving away from its browser-based roots." On Wednesday, the team announced that "Seekers of Tokane" would soon launch on the Epic Games Store. He added, "The difference in experience between the browser and desktop versions is incredible, and I can't wait for players to try it out."

Walk to Earn: Genopets Launches a New GameFi Experience

Genopets is a walk-to-earn game based on the Solana blockchain that recently launched a major update with version 0.9.0, introducing several new features aimed at enhancing the player experience. This update includes an exciting racing mini-game and an in-built store, as well as a range of high-quality food and toys, marking an important step towards Genopets' goal of building a comprehensive ecosystem.

The highlight of this update is Arcade Mode, an exciting racing mini-game that players can access through the Genopets main menu. In this game, players must skillfully navigate the track, collecting treasure chest fragments while strategically avoiding various obstacles. The unique aspect of this mini-game is its competitive nature, with players' best scores displayed on a leaderboard, and successfully completing the game rewards them with rare food and toys for their Genopets.

Alongside the racing mini-game, the in-built store caters to the diverse needs of Genopets enthusiasts. The store offers a variety of items, including toys, food, and even a "Morphosphere," a unique item that can randomly change the appearance of a Genopet's head. However, it is important to note that the in-built store only accepts Qubits, a premium internal currency. Players can easily acquire Qubits using preferred payment methods such as credit cards and mobile payments.

The toys and food offered in the in-built store are classified as premium items. Using these items can significantly enhance a Genopet's mood and overall health. Additionally, the marketplace now allows players to purchase Energy using Qubits. While this may seem smooth for users, it is important to recognize that this process also consumes KI tokens.

Genopets plans to introduce an option in future updates that allows players to acquire Qubits without using fiat currency. This will enable players to use GENE tokens to purchase Qubits, expanding the avenues for obtaining in-game resources. Furthermore, the marketplace will be improved to allow players to shop using GENE tokens, streamlining the in-game economy and transaction processes.

In the future, Genopets plans to further expand its in-built marketplace, providing players with a convenient and centralized platform for handling all transactions related to Genopets. This commitment ensures that Genopets will continue to evolve and provide a seamless experience for its loyal player base.

Star Atlas: Currently the Most Active Game on the Solana Chain

Star Atlas is a space-themed multiplayer online strategy game that combines blockchain technology with a gaming economy, offering players a grand virtual universe. In Star Atlas, players can build their own space empires, explore the universe, engage in battles against other players, and even earn virtual currency through economic management.

The depth and complexity of this game have attracted numerous players, making it the most active game on the Solana chain.

Star Atlas recently launched a significant update during its Golden Ticket event on Solana, providing players with the opportunity to win substantial rewards, with a total prize pool of $1.35 million over an 8-week period.

Players participating in this event can create Golden Tickets by using in-game assets in the SAGE Labs game. These Golden Tickets are unique Semi-Fungible Tokens (SFTs) that can enter weekly raffles, with a prize pool of $150,000 each week and an initial week's prize pool of $300,000, including additional command-level ships. The first raffle will take place on November 3, 2023, and participants can start submitting their Golden Tickets from October 27, 2023.

Golden Tickets can not only be used to win rewards but can also be traded on the Galactic Marketplace. This raffle system is made possible through a partnership with Hedgehog Markets, providing players with a permissionless and completely secure way to participate.

During the event, players can obtain Golden Tickets through various means, including crafting, purchasing, and referring other users to trade through the Starpath program. Raffle rewards include various valuable loot, from ships to land parcels, ships, and new types of ships.

The Golden Ticket event aims to reward loyal users of the Star Atlas ecosystem and provide players who spend time in the SAGE Labs game with opportunities to win high-value loot.

After the Golden Ticket event concludes, players can also look forward to the next version of the fully 3D browser game SAGE: Starbased.

Angelic: Currently Raised $10 Million, with Investors Including Animoca Brands, Pantera, and Solana Capital

Angelic is a unique blockchain card game that stands out for its distinctive gameplay and strategy. In this game, players can enhance their cards through collecting, trading, and battling. Unusually, the cards in the game are unique non-fungible tokens (NFTs), meaning each card has its own unique value and attributes. This makes trading cards more interesting and valuable.

With close integration with the Solana blockchain, Angelic offers players a secure, transparent, and low-cost trading method. This means players can freely trade their cards within the game without worrying about security or high transaction fees. This seamless integration of blockchain technology allows players to engage more deeply with the game's economic system, increasing the enjoyment and appeal of the game.

Angelic features a dark sci-fi style and storyline, immersing players in an engaging role-playing world. While players do not need to interact directly with wallets, NFTs, etc., they can convert in-game assets into on-chain items as needed, enriching the gaming experience.

This highly anticipated game is developed and published by Metaverse Game Studios and has received support from well-known institutions such as Animoca Brands, Pantera, and Solana Capital, raising a total of $10 million in funding. Metaverse Game Studios is an independent game company based in Florida, USA, whose games have attracted over 100 million players, with several titles acquired by giants like Microsoft, Ubisoft, and Peak Games.

Overall, a series of noteworthy games have emerged on the Solana blockchain, attracting the interest of many players and investors. These games are leading innovation in the Web3 gaming space, leveraging blockchain technology to provide more opportunities and entertainment experiences.

As blockchain technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see more exciting games emerge in the Solana ecosystem.