I have written on numerous occasions about why TCG (Trading Card Games) are so prominent in the blockchain gaming space; they are a perfect use-case for NFTs within games and a Play to Earn (P2E) model. We have seen the likes of Splinterlands and Gods Unchained build strong playerbases, but one TCG has been in the background, quietly building and growing into something quite special: Dark Country.
What is Dark Country? For a brief overview, take a look at our post from the 24th January which covered the new roadmap and includes a number of alluring features. What the Dark Country devs are building shows it’s far from a meek attempt to cash in on the surge of P2E popularity. As I wrote in the above article, “The next six months will set the trajectory for Dark Country’s future, and should they meet the markers they have set themselves, it’s difficult to imagine they aren’t in the conversation of the best blockchain games available.”
WAX Mainnet Landsplay Launched on 31st January 2022
Monday marked an important milestone for Dark Country and its players. The ability to finally use your WAX assets — lands, heroes, and cards — means you can put you can now tap into the utility of those Dark Country NFTs in your wallet.
While the implementation of your WAX heroes and cards is great news for players, it’s the land that will steal the limelight for many. Land in blockchain games has proven tremendously popular, particularly in metaverse titles, adding a new dimension to gameplay and another P2E mechanic.
There are many benefits to owning land in Dark Country, and I’d recommend reading the developers’ full breakdown from last year. While currently only available to test for a dummy currency, it will give you a sense of why you might want to be a Dark Country land baron.
In each of the four categories shown in the image above, I’ll pick my favorite feature:
In “Own, Rent, & Earn” I particularly like the concept of being able to “farm NFTs“. From “Build” I can’t look past the “Black Market” where you can buy and sell items and the owner gets a commission. The “Explore” side is the element with the most scope for the future to me, and running adventures has my attention. Finally, in “Create” you can “summon minions” — I don’t know what that means in this context, but I’m on board.
We have been following Dark Country’s progress for some time and in my completely unaffected opinion (they have not paid me a penny), Dark Country has the potential to be the best WAX game of the year.
Key Takeaways
- WAX Dark Country assets (land, heroes, and cards) now usable.
- Land will be in Test Mode on WAX mainnet, using the temporary TDM token, which is not a blockchain token, will be wiped at the end of the test, and replaced by the true Shadow Dime ($SDM) token.
- Land opens a sea of gameplay elements and P2E functionality.
