The great thing about blockchain and DLT tech is that it can be implemented for a wide range of use cases. From supply chain, to logistics, to pure finance, the possibilities for blockchain are nearly endless. One of my favorite uses of blockchain is for gaming, and you can’t talk about blockchain gaming without talking about Gods Unchained. So what is Gods Unchained and what makes it so great? Read on to find out.
What is Gods Unchained?
Gods Unchained (aka “GU”) is a digital collectible trading card game run on the Ethereum blockchain. What makes GU different from other digital TCGs is that the cards are ERC-721 non-fungible assets. ERC? Non-fungible whatnow? Now I won’t bore you with the tech talk, I’ll simplify: you own your GU cards! Use them to play games, sell them, trade them, whatever! You own them! In other digital TCGs like Hearthstone, your cards are linked to your game account, and you have little say in what you can do with them.
Things I like about Gods Unchained:
It’s a trading card game. As an avid Magic the Gathering player, this kind of game is right up my alley. I’ve always loved building unique and interesting decks, and testing them against others. I also love the ever evolving metagame that develops in TCGs. Plus opening booster packs is always fun. You never know what you’re going to pull! Hope I get some more Epic and Legendary cards.
Gods Unchained is a digital card game. This means I can play from the comfort of my own home. No need for me to make a trip out to my local game store and be surrounded by smelly neckbeards with no manners. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional Friday Night Magic or release tournament, but sometimes I just don’t want to wait for an event or try to organize a time to play.
Being a digital game offers the benefits of being able to do really cool things that you can’t do with a physical card game. As an example, here are a few cards that allow the game devs to play around with the game in ways that would be impossible in a game like Magic the Gathering:
- Mimicus: This is a card that, while in your hand, transforms into cards in your opponent’s hand. You can keep it in your hand the entire game to essentially spy on your opponent and gather information, or use it to copy one of their best cards. I’d most likely hold it for the entire game. Remember, information is a resource.
- Aether Chest: When this card is destroyed, each player adds two random cards to their hand. Now this effect can technically be done with a physical card game, but it would be a huge pain in the ass and take a long time to do, holding up your game. Since GU is digital, it can be done in an instant, wasting no time. Game on!
- Mimicus: This is a card that, while in your hand, transforms into cards in your opponent’s hand. You can keep it in your hand the entire game to essentially spy on your opponent and gather information, or use it to copy one of their best cards. I’d most likely hold it for the entire game. Remember, information is a resource.
The designspace in digital card games is wide open and not limited by the physical world. I can’t wait to see other cool and bizarre card effects.
4, Another benefit of being a digital card game is that the game developers can fix issues with the game (through nerfs and buffs), without needing to force weird errata that people need to remember, or ban cards outright. You can see that they’ve changed some cards multiple times for balancing purposes. I know nerfs are a point of contention with many card game players, but I’m okay with anything that will ensure a healthy meta.
5, Best of all, it’s on the blockchain! We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t love blockchain!
These are just a few of the things I like about Gods Unchained, and this post is getting a bit lengthy, so I’ll probably do a follow up post later on. I’m looking forward to getting to play more. Hit me up if you want to throw down sometime. I’m always up for a challenge!
(Find out how to get started at https://godsunchained.com/)