2021 is nearly over (and I recommend our article on why 2022 will be an important year for blockchain gaming) but there are still a couple of things to look forward to. One is a new Play to Earn (P2E) game called NOA on the WAX blockchain which enters beta testing on 22nd December 2021.
What is NOA?
NOA is a trading card game, but not like others in the space. In fact, it falls deep within the DeFi sub-genre that brought blockchain gaming into the limelight. That is, it’s less “gaming” in the traditional sense, and more a new breed of DeFi activity, albeit an oddly satisfying and enjoyable one. The NOA devs refer to the game as an “idle card game” that is like mining, but with cards.
The premise of the game is simple, you build decks with a hero and support cards, and then you enter dungeons to fight. You earn loot in the form of NOA tokens and NFTs as you upgrade your arsenal. NOA’s summary of gameplay is:
“Build a deck of 16 hero cards and 10 support cards. When the game starts, 4 random hero cards are placed on the battlefield along with 2 random support cards. Your heroes will battle the enemy cards and every time a hero goes to 0HP, a new one emerges from the draw pile until all 16 are destroyed. The player that still has at least 1 hero card on the battlefield wins. You will receive NOA token as reward and if you are lucky, you will get some rare loot such as shards to upgrade your cards, in-game exclusive heroes, charms, boosters and more, a lot more!” — NOA

NOA is the essence of a Play to Earn, DeFi and blockchain gaming hybrid; some would call it GameFi, but this sub-genre that has put blockchain gaming on the map ought to have its own title. Games like NOA are feeling out the place blockchain games will have in the global economy by creating purpose-built games centered around earning. A new way to generate income through an imaginary job you enjoy. What a time to be alive, eh?
The beta launches this week and you can learn more about the game on the NOA website, their Twitter, or their Medium.