Overview
The gaming industry is evolving at a rapid pace. The global market value was $184.4 billion at the end of 2022, according to a market report from Newzoo. And Mordor Intelligence predicts there will be a 70.5% increase by 2026, with the market value topping $314 billion.
With the rise of blockchain and Web3 technology, decentralized games are now becoming a major source of revenue for companies across the world. Now is the time to get in on the action. Developing a blockchain game is a complex process, and it’s essential to know that the cost can vary depending on the scale of the project. We follow an end-to-end game development approach, offering design, coding, testing, and deployment services — helping you become relevant to a broad user base.
This guide will cover the blockchain game development process, cost, and key factors to look out for, including our hybrid design approach which enables us to design blockchain games with smaller budgets and shorter timelines.
Turn your ideas into reality and get your users hooked. Let the blockchain games begin!
What Are Blockchain or Web3 Games?
Unlike traditional games where the publisher controls all items, currency, and collectibles distribution — blockchain games are decentralized, with assets dispersed among players. These games reward players with assets (like cryptocurrency and NFTs) that have real-world value. These items can be earned through playing the game (play-to-earn) or by making an upfront purchase (pay-to-earn). They can also increase in value over time, allowing players to make strategic decisions to gain the most profit.
Other terms in the blockchain gaming landscape include GameFi, which refers to the intersection of gaming and decentralized finance (DeFi), and Metaverse Gaming, which refers to games based in the metaverse. Certain people and media outlets consider all blockchain-based things to be a part of the metaverse, so the terms blockchain games and metaverse games are often interchangeable.
Requirements for Building a Blockchain Game
Web3 game development process is extensive and requires a team of experts, a solid tech stack, and a robust understanding of the infrastructure.
Our experience in the corporate finance industry and gaming expertise make Restack.AI the reliable choice for blockchain game development services. We seek projects that will aid the mainstream adoption of blockchain technology and aim to deliver immersive, interactive decentralized games along with a community experience.
To shed light on the back-end requirements of developing a blockchain game, we have divided the process into eight parts:
1. Blockchain Infrastructure
Anyone getting involved with blockchain gaming should have a general understanding of the blockchain, its application, integration, benefits, and challenges/limitations. Blockchain game developers must analyze blockchain consensus, hash functions, and distributed ledger technology. Furthermore, it is important to understand different blockchains and how they differ, such as Ethereum, Bitcoin, Neo, and Hyperledger.
2. Different Data Structures and Databases
The blockchain network must be structured according to user demands and requirements. This means they must also know and understand the various types of databases available for the target network.
3. Smart Contract Development
Smart contracts must be developed according to needs — we have several in-house smart contract experts (knowledgeable in Solidity, Sway, Kotlin, Rust, etc.) to ensure the process runs smoothly.
4. Decentralized Applications in the Blockchain
Decentralized applications (dApps) are digital applications that run on a decentralized network, rather than a single server. These apps use cryptocurrency as a means of exchange and thus, have different protocols and procedures. We are currently in the process of developing several dApps, including Sol-Swap, which facilitates the bartering of NFTs across multiple platforms.
5. Cryptography
Cryptography and digital ledger are the fundamental building blocks of blockchain operations. We understand all the algorithms that apply in cryptography, and which types of algorithms work best for various types of blockchain networks.
6. Tokenomics
Tokenomics is the economics of cryptocurrency and the study/design of distributed ledger technology (DLT) tokens — which are both necessary in understanding the blockchain game development process. It’s important to know the factors that affect tokenomics and related monetary policies. With our extensive experience in the corporate finance industry, we’re able to bring the benefits of blockchain to real-world business.
7. Computer Coding
While computer coding is needed for the development of any game, it’s essential for dApps and blockchain gaming — specifically due to the robust integrations with crypto wallets and in-game tokens. Three of our five team members have programming and coding experience, specifically within the gaming industry.
8. Marketing
Marketing is essential to the overall success of the blockchain game. The marketing process varies depending on the scope and sub-genre of each individual project but requires a certain level of digital marketing, graphic design, and content writing skills for aspects such as landing pages, email collection, Discord servers, press releases, and storylines — something we help facilitate at every stage.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Blockchain Game?
Simply put, there’s no right answer to this question.
The cost to develop a Web3 game is proportional to every feature and factor within the development process. The final cost can vary depending on the design, features, location, platform, target audience, technologies, and tools.
Blockchain game development costs will be higher in North America and Europe, due to their competitive markets. Additionally, the intricacy of the game design will play a significant role in determining the cost. This is particularly evident in games that involve real-time player interactions, which necessitate a robust infrastructure to accommodate the concurrency requirements.
Budget Breaker: Real-Time Play Solutions Vs. Game Simulators
Real-time gameplay can take upwards of two years to design, resulting in a considerable portion of the overall blockchain game development cost. By designing a game without a real-time requirement, you can avoid unnecessary costs. We say unnecessary because there’s an alternate solution to real-time interactions: game simulators.
Game simulators provide you with more flexibility as you can customize the amount of real-time interaction within the game. In a combat game, for example, the combat itself can be automated and the interaction between rounds can be real-time.
This approach is the secret sauce to developing a blockchain game on a smaller budget and shorter time frame. And it doesn’t compromise on overall quality. There are many examples of automated combat games on the market today, including Hearthstone Battlegrounds.
Cost Difference Between Blockchain Games and Regular Games
Most blockchain games fall in the “indie game” category, which are games made by smaller development teams whereas big-name games like Call of Duty and Tomb Raider, fall in the “AAA game” category.
The costs associated with AAA games are quite often in the millions. According to an article from The Gamer, the fifteen most expensive games ever created range from $80-$265 million — with the top spot going to Grand Theft Auto V (which made over $6 billion in revenue).
Indie Games are considerably less expensive. For a small-sized team (like Restack.AI), the price range to develop a blockchain game is between $50,000 to $500,000. Other sources have similar estimates, including this article from Auroch Digital, which states that it can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $750,000 depending on testing and marketing.
How Can Restack.AI Help Develop Your Blockchain Game?
If you’re interested in developing a sophisticated blockchain game, you’ve come to the right place. Restack.AI specializes in building 2D blockchain-based games with a focus on the algorithm to make gameplay more compelling.
We’ve got you covered on all fronts, from concept to implementation, to offering the most competitive blockchain game development cost. Our small but highly specialized team has hands-on experience using advanced blockchain game development tools and a portfolio to back it up — check out what Yahoo Finance had to say about one of our latest games.
We provide end-to-end development support, seamlessly materializing your game idea into a ready-to-deploy product, focusing on every fine detail. Our Extreme Agile approach enables us to build highly refined gaming solutions in a short time frame, without compromising on quality.
Start a conversation. Contact us to schedule a consultation and receive your cost estimate. Let’s kick-start your project.
