Back in 1993 when I bought my first pack of Magic the Gathering (MTG) trading cards at my local hobby shop, I remember the feeling I had whilst opening that fresh booster pack of cards and discovering a whole new way to play a Dungeons and Dragons themed game with my friends. I never realized the game would become so popular or I would’ve most likely kept my collection. It’s been a long time since I felt that feeling of joy, fantasy, and excitement from opening a pack of cards.
MTG is always going to have a place in my heart, but Gods Unchained has just taken the trading card business to a whole new level using cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. The limited edition series 380 of cards called the Genesis Season are now available in a pre-release sale. Think of these cards similar to when you first built an MTG starter deck and then bought booster packs to enhance your deck. But assuming you’ve never played MTG, I guess you could also compare it to starting a game of Warcraft or even Saint's Row, and then improving your character by leveling up.
In my opinion, being the first blockchain based eSport trading card game is pretty revolutionary and a step in the right direction for cryptocurrency.
We need tangible things to associate crypto with real life value. In this case, one of the Mythic Rares in Gods Unchained is currently in an auction and at 146 ETH or roughly $60,000. That's right folks, a digital trading card is worth more than some houses!
The game does run on Unity off-chain, so it won't be cumbersome or too technical for non-crypto people to jump in. But by having the cards available on the Ethereum blockchain, it is a much easier and faster way of trading cards around the world. Another great part of the game is that:
The rules are very similar to MTG or Hearthstone
This was a smart move for the creators of the game because most people are used to MTG and Hearthstone and so the learning curve barely exists besides having to learn that Blitz is Haste (MTG), and Frontline is Taunt (Hearthstone), along with the other abilities, spell types, characters, and the interesting addition of the titular "Gods". At the start of a game, each player has a choice of God Powers. Each God has three regular and one Ultimate Power to choose from. The Ultimate Power is a single use ability with a powerful effect. With Gods, you now have a way to make your decks that much more flexible and even be able to fool an opponent through type of God and types of cards you use that weren't necessarily intended to be used with that God. A bit of trickery is always nice.
Here's a short clip I recorded to show what it's like to open a fresh booster pack of Gods Unchained! Leave me a comment to let me know what you think of the game and if you are excited for the release!