What's Your Gam3? #11

Welcome

Welcome to What’s Your Gam3? #11 My aim with everything I do is to introduce you to new games! As I continue to improve the newsletter, all feedback is gratefully received. Now, let’s see what has happened this week.

What’s That Game?

You can join me live as I play new games on Twitch! Alternatively, you’ll find edited versions of my playthroughs on my YouTube channel. [Don’t forget to follow and subscribe].

Phantom Galaxies

TLDR: 

Spaceship dog fights, mech combat, console hacking, and more. Plenty of gameplay, but expect patience with bugs and server issues. I enjoyed it.

How to play

The game is free to play on Steam and Epic. I like this ease of access and using a trusted launcher to avoid downloading a random .rar file. It has been a little brutal in the Steam reviews though. Most seem to have a short time played and are critical of the game having NFTs or server stability rather than the gameplay itself.

It has had over 50k downloads, so must be doing something right.

Game Loop

Upon starting the game, the first step is creating your human avatar. This character represents you as you navigate through the various space stations in the game. After that, you select your ship, which is central to your gameplay experience.

The ship features two modes: a traditional spaceship and a Mech, offering a dynamic gaming experience. You can choose between the versatile assault ship or the more heavily armored buster, each with its own strengths.

You are assigned missions and quests by NPCs on the space stations. Some of these are storyline quests and others are daily quests.

As a pilot, your HUD is crucial. It displays essential information like health, shield status, and a heat meter, which is a key element to monitor. The heat meter increases with boosting or using certain abilities in mech mode. Overheating causes damage, adding a strategic layer to combat. Additionally, keep an eye on your ammo and weapon cooldowns to stay combat-ready.

The game offers a diverse arsenal, with the machine gun as your primary weapon, supplemented by missiles and special abilities unique to each ship type. For instance, the assault ship features an attack drone as its special. Transforming into mech mode, you gain access to a melee attack with plasma swords, enhancing your combat options.

Exploration is a significant aspect of "Phantom Galaxies." As you venture farther from your base, you'll use jump gates to travel between different systems and planets. Some missions even take you to planetary surfaces, where you pilot your mech in ground combat.

Progress in the game is marked by upgrades to your ship and gear, funded by completing daily side quests for in-game currency.

Game feel

The dog fights were challenging and did feel like a test of skill. I found playing with the controller easier than with the keyboard, which is unusual for me. The variety of weapons kept it interesting. The limited ammo makes sense but did leave me floating with nothing to do when battling a large ship. Skill issue?

The space station interactions were okay if a little janky at times. It was interesting working around and interacting with different NPC. They didn’t have that much substance currently, but I can see that fleshing out into a more immersive experience.

Mech combat planetside was a nice change of pace, but some of the AI enemies weren't very smart. I spent a lot of time trying to find the enemies I was meant to kill, as they’d got stuck in a corner.

I enjoyed the hacking mini-games. Having missions that weren't just “kill this” was immersive. However, most ended up being a variation on fetch quests.

Aside from some visual bugs, the game looked decent.

Nothing particularly genre-defining but a solid entry.

Rating

If we separate the connection issues and bugs from the gameplay, I actually really enjoyed it. I played a few hours and I barely scratched the surface, it feels like it will have plenty of single-player content.

The variety of styles of gameplay was fun and engaging. I'd like to see more variety in quests, as most are just different variations of fetch quests.

Overall I would recommend the game, but with a massive caveat of expect to have issues so only play if you are willing to have patience. Otherwise, just wait for future updates before jumping in.

For more information follow their Twitter to keep up to date.

Goon Wars

TDLR

A comical yet tactical card game. Plenty of unique and interesting cards to get to grips with. No energy consideration, rather you balance how and when you play your cards. Free decks struggle vs paid decks, however, cards are reasonably priced. Currently with a limited player base and lack of MMR.

How to access

The game is currently free to play in a browser using the free-generated deck. All great factors for getting people in the door before they need to spend money or interact with any web3 elements.

Game loop

The first time you load into the game you get to create an avatar and pick your team. The teams are the Bulls vs Bears. Which team you are part of has an impact on a community-wide leaderboard. Your avatar is your representation during the battle.

Next, you have to build your deck. The cards have different attack, defense, specials, rarities, and types. Your deck is 30 cards. It is interesting to note that they don’t have an energy cost like you’d find in other TCGs.

Now you are ready for battle, you search for an opponent.

In round 1 you can only place 1 card on the board as the first player. This is a creature card limit, you can play as many special cards as you want. To counter the first player advantage the 2nd player gets to play 2 creature cards.

As the rounds progress you get more slots on the board and draw a card per round. Each slot also “takes on” the type of card that was played on it. Some card specials rely on this.

Along the side, it shows the history of cards played. There are also “mystery” gems next to your avatars.

The overall aim is to reduce the opponent’s avatar to 0 health, this doesn’t require you to destroy the creature cards unless they have a special.

Your win or loss is recorded and added to the leaderboard.

Game feel

Firstly I really enjoy the card names and art. It is something that sets them apart from other TCGs I have played. It has meme adult humor, without being specific to crypto, which is a risk I have seen with others.

Understanding the specials and the spells is relatively easy and the cards are very well described.

Having card limits rather than using energy is interesting, my problem (which could be a skill issue) is you can quickly run out of cards. Not having anything to play isn’t very enjoyable.

The player base is relatively small. Whilst I was able to find games quickly, I was only playing the same person.

The lack of any MMR or card rating can make it challenging for a new player to get started without being demoralized by a lot of losses.

The speed of the game is pretty well-balanced. It isn’t overly pressured yet you don’t find yourself just sitting around waiting.

I used the free deck, which got crushed. You can buy cards in packs or singles. The price is in line with the standard TCGs you see in the real world.

I like the leaderboard and the community teams, as a good way to add competition and bring the community together.

Rating

I struggled with rating this one. I did just get crushed most games which felt like it was due to the difference between a free and paid deck. However, this is standard in all TCGs including in real-life versions. The lack of a player base meant I spent one night just playing against the same person, who ruined me easily.

But I do enjoy the range and type of cards. The art is very engaging and I see it having good potential. At the current stage, I don’t think it is replacing your favorite TCG, however, if you are a TCG enjoyer it is worth taking a look.

Web 3 integration

The project offers pfps represented as the bulls and the bears.

The cards and card packs are also fully on chain. The price to buy individual cards is very reasonable, I looked up a card that I found to be very powerful to face against and it was under $1. A full deck is 30 cards, so $30 for a full deck is reasonable in TCG terms.

61,104 packs have been sold!

For more information follow their Twitter to keep up to date.

What’s on the timeline

Community incentivization

I have seen several projects trying different methods to incentivize their community members. This has always been something I’ve considered for WYG?. My main concern is always, “Am I just paying for numbers”. The counter-argument is without my community there would be no sponsorships for my content.

Web3 games have always been about sharing back with the community, and the creator model fits this just as well. So I decided to take the plunge and launch a Zealy weekly quest for the next 4 weeks as a test. I did consider other tools, with a few web3 implementations looking interesting, however, Zealy was the easiest to set up.

I want to keep it gaming-focused, making the quest with the most XP being a screenshot of a game I want everyone in the community to play. This week we are playing Wild Forest.

I’ll report back on how the trials go.

Secret Phrase: Sniperwolf

What's Your Gam3?: Gam3s

Catch up on all previous episodes on YouTube.

Introduction and Overview

This week I spoke with OG and San from Gam3s!

Gam3 and Web3 Gaming

• San, a community designer at Gam3s, discusses their role in creating events and engagement points for the community.

• The platform's focus is on being a comprehensive source for Web3 gaming - offering news, reviews, guides, and recently, gaming quests.

• They emphasize their upcoming Game Awards on December 14th, highlighting their excitement about the growth of games and the community.

The Quest System and Game Awards

• San explains the quest system, which includes current quests for content creators and the People's Choice for Best Game.

• There are prizes like PlayStation 5 and mystery boxes with NFTs.

• Omar, the co-founder of Gam3s, talks about the motivation behind the awards - to create a positive narrative in Web3 gaming and recognize games that deserve attention.

• The aim is to eventually integrate Web3 games into mainstream gaming awards.

User Experience and Review System

• San discusses the "Play Now" button feature on their website, which allows users to play games directly.

• The review system on the site is elaborated upon, emphasizing honest and critical reviews of games.

• OG emphasizes the importance of unbiased reviews in building trust and credibility in the Web3 gaming space.

Game Awards Details and Expectations

• The Game Awards will feature 19 categories, with 17 going to final voting rounds.

• The awards aim to celebrate all games in the Web3 space and the content creators contributing to it.

• OG mentions the growth in the number and quality of games since last year and the increased participation of well-known industry names as jurors.

• Vote now: https://gam3s.gg/gam3awards/

• Awards announced: 14th December

Final Thoughts

• Both speakers reflect on the growth of Gam3s and the Web3 gaming industry.

• They reiterate their commitment to promoting a fun and engaging gaming community, highlighting the role of technology in this evolution.

Don’t forget to join us next week!

WYG?: Gam3 Changers - Animositas CEO of EthLizards - Live on Spotify!

Catch up on all previous episodes on Spotify.

Introduction and Background

• Ani Discovered Web3 projects like Alluvium and Star Atlas in 2021.

• Became deeply involved in Web3 gaming, recognizing its potential in the blockchain technology space.

Ani's Gaming Background and Web3 Involvement

• Lifelong Gaming Experience:

• Grew up gaming, influenced by his family.

Web3 and Gaming Industry

• Explored investment opportunities in Web3.

• Worked with Illuvium and ETH Lizards, eventually becoming CEO of ETH Lizards.

Professional Background

• Software developer and computer engineer by training.

• Held various management roles across sectors, primarily in manufacturing.

Current Projects and Future Plans

• ETH Lizards' Evolution:

  • Started with Web3 game investing, now building interconnected gaming experiences.

  • Focus on supporting studios with sustainable game loops and creating sticky player experiences.

• Ani's Focus:

  • Enhancing game experiences, like turning single-player into multiplayer experiences.

  • Currently working on a seed raise to scale up project development.

Challenges in Web3 Gaming:

• Difficulty in building high-quality games that attract and retain players.

• Importance of funding and creating sustainable economic structures in games.

Key Considerations for Game Development

• Emphasizes the importance of a competent team, clear use of Web3 tech, unique game propositions, and financial sustainability.

Advice for Transitioning to Web3

• Encourages identifying transferable skills and understanding potential roles in Web3.

• Recommends starting with content creation or volunteer work to gain visibility and experience.

Ani's most-played game

• Extensive experience playing World of Warcraft.

Future Expectations:

• Excited about the potential of top-tier gaming titles in Web3.

• Believes that quality games will change the current perception of Web3 gaming.

Advice for Aspiring Web3 Professionals:

• Stresses the importance of understanding one's skills and how they can be applied in Web3.

• Recommends networking and being proactive in the community.

Thanks for making it to the end, that is all the new games for this week. Do you know any you’d want to hear more about? Let me know.

Remember to tell your friends about What’s Your Gam3? Otherwise, they’ll hate you for letting them miss out on all the new games.

Remember to play games you enjoy!