What is Treasure and MAGIC?

Treasure is a decentralized video game publisher ecosystem on Arbitrum that uses its token MAGIC and shared resources to create an infrastructure that connects games and communities. 

What is TreasureDAO?

Source: https://twitter.com/Treasure_DAO/status/1638196144865181696/photo/1 

Treasure was founded on 5 September 2021, and was originally created as a Loot metaverse derivative, on Ethereum Layer 1. Treasure changed course and has since migrated to Arbitrum Layer 2, leading to lower transaction fees. 

The goal of Treasure is to allow communities to bootstrap new, decentralized metaverses. We believe that metaverses are community-written stories, and resources are threads by which the fabric of the metaverse is sewn.. The goal of Treasure is to allow communities to bootstrap new, decentralized metaverses. We believe that metaverses are community-written stories, and resources are threads by which the fabric of the metaverse is sewn.

Rather than players playing the games passively, NFTs would allow the community to create the IP and franchises to create immutable economies and stories. 

According to TreasureDAO, Treasure is the #1 gaming destination on Arbitrum with >$265M processed volume, 20+ games and >80k MAGIC holders.

Source: https://docs.treasure.lol/games/game-builders-program (as at 14 April 2023)

TreasureDAO comprises three key layers, (1) Cartridges, (2) Community, and (3) Infrastructure: 

1. The cartridges are the games (“metaverses”) on which players can play, adventure and explore in. 

2. The communities are the players who use MAGIC tokens to influence the direction of the ecosystem, game lore, utilization of resources, creation of resources and stories etc. 

3. The infrastructure is the ‘shared economic engine’, a dual resource model, behind the entire TreasureDAO ecosystem, where ‘MAGIC powers everything and Treasure serves as the composable resources that connects it all together’. 

Games on TreasureDAO are linked-narratively and economically via MAGIC, the native token of Treasure, and the TreasureDAO community would use MAGIC to vote on which games to onboard, on MAGIC distribution, and on revenue sharing agreements for the marketplace. 

Source: https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/magic 

Notably, MAGIC will have a limited supply of ~350 million tokens, and it adopts Bitcoin’s halving mechanism, with MAGIC halvings occurring yearly. In September 2022, TreasureDAO closed $3.5M MAGIC token sales at a fully diluted valuation of $80M. TreasureDAO will utilize the funds raised to grow its team, build better infrastructure and expand its portfolio. 

TreasureDAO is a community-driven project; proposals are discussed on the Forum and decisions are made via Snapshot voting by MAGIC holders. Treasure is open source and has a Game Builders Program to incentivize builders to build alongside the team to expand the ecosystem (e.g. lore, tooling, quests etc.) by providing rewards in MAGIC. 

TreasureDAO also launched their own “gamified” marketplace, Trove – https://trove.treasure.lol/. The Trove marketplace is not just limited to trading with MAGIC and NFTs of games powered by MAGIC; collectors can also purchase a “wider range of NFTs, including art, photography, profile pictures, music, and more” with ETH.

Source: https://medium.com/@Treasure_DAO/meet-trove-treasures-new-gamified-nft-marketplace-on-arbitrum-d6a678de863a

TreasureDAO Games Powered by MAGIC

Currently there are 12 games powered by Treasure on the TreasureDAO website, of which I have tried 3 games – (1) The Beacon, (2) Bitmates, and (3) Smolverse. 

Source: https://treasure.lol/

(1) Youtube Review: The Beason by Dion Rogers
(2) Youtube Review: Your First Week on Tales of Elleria by drthps
(3) Youtube Review: ToadStoolz Explained by bfresh
(4) YouTube Video: The Lost Donkets x Arbitrum Launch AMA

Bridgeworld

Bridgeworld is the central metaverse in Treasure, which is a strategic resource allocation game. Travelers journey into Bridgeworld searching for ways to earn MAGIC coins and Treasure NFTs. 

Source: https://twitter.com/playbridgeworld/status/1603796404794560513/photo/1 

Bridgeworld features fantasy handpainted-esque graphics – visually captivating and with a hint of mystery.

In Bridgeworld, users can earn MAGIC. There are multiple ways to play the game on Bridgeworld; users can choose to passively stake their legions to earn MAGIC. Or players can send their legions on quests to find/earn treasures, or focus on crafting and staking consumables and Treasure. Or staking their legions to mine MAGIC at the Atlas Mine. Or they can even join a guild to be part of a bigger storyline.

However, before users can access Legions, Treasures and Consumables, mining modifiers, they must deposit MAGIC into the Atlas Mine. 

You can see how this plays out in the Bridgeworld Game Paths shared in the game’s whitepaper.

Play this if you like: fantasy strategy resource allocation passive adventure games.

The Beacon

Source: https://lbank-exchange.medium.com/the-beacon-gamefis-future-78a5b487b953

Beacon features pixel graphics with medieval-adventure music and dungeon combat sounds – the concept is simple, but the roguelite twist keeps the game interesting.

Based in the City of Altaris, players can participate in the game by either using the Free-to-Play starter avatar or their own NFT character. 

The character’s main gameplay involves running through the dungeons, encountering enemies and discovering loot, in the form of NFTs. Beacon keeps the game fresh by releasing four new dungeons every week – players have up to Sunday to explore them all. This keeps the game fresh, especially with its roguelite elements like procedurally generated maps and permadeath (I personally kept dying during my dungeon runs). For tips, you can join the Discord group to get tips and strategies on the best way to navigate through the dungeon. 

Players can also meet the NPCs at the Tavern, and win rewards by answering the daily Tavern Quiz given by Igor – you can get answers from talking to the NPCs. As a reward for your efforts, you’ll receive rewards in the form of treasure chests. 

Source: https://shell-whip-bf9.notion.site/Welcome-to-The-Beacon-4446f052e4c64edf857539be69caaa27

Players can not only customize their character’s hairstyle, weapons and equipment, but also customize their house with items earned in the game. Players can also have Beacon Pets by purchasing Beacon Pet NFTs.

Even though The Beacon has a Free-to-Play starter available, paid characters come with abilities and equipment. Do note that the game doesn’t have in-game instructions on the controls, although you can find them on the Discord channel. 

The game currently has only single player mode, however the team plans to release multiplayer modes in the future Alpha Version.

Play this if you like: dungeons and maze runner! 

Bitmates

Source: https://medium.com/@Bitmates/bitmates-540fecddc248 

Bitmate features adorable slightly pixelated-2D art graphics which allows players to experience their own planets of the apes story.

Bitmates is a Massively Multiplayer Online game (MM) which allows players to drop by CastAway Cove and explore its beaches, forests, caves, dungeon and town using the Free-to-Play ape or the collectible NFT. Note, even though there is a Free-to-Play option, they require a minimum requirement of ETH in your wallet.

Skills available to work on include mining ores, chopping wood, fishing fish, cooking foods, masonry, short range sword fighting, long range shooting, long range magic spell casting. Players can compete on the leaderboard by gaining points through leveling up their skills to access new resources, items and rewards. Points can be earned through crafting items, completing the daily quests, fighting baddies and bosses. 

Players can also make friends with other players trade items, fight enemies and bosses together, as well as, join tribes, become Tribe elders and/or recruit players to their Tribes. 

Source: https://medium.com/@Bitmates/bitmates-april-devlog-192af1c7b15

The game developers are constantly improving the game, with monthly Development Logs, which gives a leaderboard round up for the month, changes and/or improvements made as well as sneak previews on future new gameplay that are underdevelopment – such as new bosses, new regions, new items, increased level caps and more. 

There is a Free-to-Play option, however, players who own the NFT primates would get exclusive benefits like early access and virtual airdrops. 

Play this if you like: Monkeys, Planet of the Apes and Idle Farming Games.

Smolverse

Smolverse was the first proof of concept NFT project built on the Treasure ecosystem. Smolverse features simple bold pixelated art and very chill music – where players send their Smol NFTs to evolve.

Source: https://trove.treasure.lol/games/smolverse

NFT holders stake their Smol(s) or Swol(s) NFT(s) to grow IQ (i.e. brains) at the school or plates (i.e. muscles) at the gym. By doing so, it will unlock art upgrades, as well as allow for utilization of them as currency to purchase add-on items in the Smol Land. 

Source: https://medium.com/@Smolverse/smol-brains-a-beginners-guide-268e1b24aab8

Players can customize the Smol Wardrobe, mix and match Smol traits, as well as shop at the  Chop Shop – this includes, but is not limited to, purchasing and upgrading vehicle skins or redeeming MAGIC. 

The Smolverse also has most Smol NFTs which includes (1) Smol Pets, (2) Smol Cars, (3) Swolercycles, and (4) Smol Treasures. 

Play this if you like: Evolution and evolving monkeys.

Kuroro

The Kuroro Beasts Team is a gaming studio that plans to host multiple games under the Kuroro Lore. Players will be able to take their NFTs and in-game assets to any game under Kuroro’s studio. The team transitioned from Polygon to Arbitrum. 

Source: https://www.kuroro.com/news/kuroro-2 

Currently it has two games under development, Beast Brawl and Kuroro Wilds: Call of the Islands.

Of Kuroro’s current games, Kuroro Wilds features a pixelated art style, while Beast Brawl features a 2D cartoon  art style. 

Beast Brawl

Kuroro Beasts aims to be a new and improved ‘Pokemon fights’ game, where players can choose their team of beasts to take into the battle arena. In the arena, players can battle two Beasts at a time – rather than the Pokemon 1v1. 

Source: https://beast-brawl-handbook.super.site/ 

Kuroro Wilds: Call of the Islands

Join Professor Otium and Agent X in Kuroro Wilds: Call of the Islands and land on the Island of Kuroro, where Beasts with elements powers roam free, to come explore the mysterious Kuroro Islands in the ever growing world, collect Beasts, craft, battle and master the elements. 

Source: https://twitter.com/Treasure_DAO/status/1606418523437285376/photo/2

Currently Kuroro Wids has two sub-games available, Episode 1: A Strange Signal (Now Closed) and the mini game Egg Escape. As the game develops, Kuroro Beasts team will release more episodes and minigames for the community.

Play this if you like: Exploration adventure games, collecting Beasts and battline in PVP battle games such as Pokemon.

Tales of Elleria

Source: https://docs.talesofelleria.com/welcome-to-elleria/tales-of-elleria 

Tales of Elleria features 3D Low Poly art styles to bring to life their Medieval fantasy, with a racing track world. 

Based on the lore, Citizens have to summon their heroes, forge weapons to fight monsters and to prepare to slay the red dragon that was defeated twenty years ago. As the prophecy, sightings of Monsters would mean the fire dragon, Ignacio would awaken once again. 

A 3D RPG where players can send their heroes to go on assignments and/or quests, explore regions in the metaverse, obtain $ELM and relics, purchase and consume consumables and fight enemies, such as goblins. To play Tales of Elleria, players are required to have at least one hero, however, the more heroes players have, the more rewards they can accrue. 

Source: https://twitter.com/TalesofElleria/status/1566403471460294656/photo/1

The Team of Tales of Elleria are also developing Ellerian Races, a Three-Dimensional Racer Mobile Game.

Play this if you like: Runescape, Legends of Zelda and Mario Kart Racing (for Ellerian Races).

BattleFly

Battlefly features 3D futuristic art styles to bring to life their dystopian world of tomorrow, where humans are long gone, but their AI technologies remain. 

Source: https://docs.battlefly.game/overview/what-is-battlefly 

BattelyFly is a deck building game auto battler game, where players hatch NFT BattleFlys to compete with other BattleFlys in the Hyperdome. The strongest BattleFly would be more likely to win and rank higher on the Leaderboard, in turn winning better rewards. Hence players would be incentivized to equip their BattleFlys with the best modifications, such as weapons, shields, other utility items etc. 

Players can choose to stake their BattleFly to earn better modifications and/or send their BattleFly for a passive battle and/or race it against other Butterflies in BattleFlies Racers for a chance to earn MAGIC, nectar and rewards to buy new mods. 

Players will need to stake their BattleFlys in the Hyperfine with MAGIC, and will be rewarded for winning or surviving.  

Play this if you like: dystopian futures, deck building-modifications and drone racing.

Realm

Realm is a World Building resource allocation, strategic management game. 

Source: https://realmverse.medium.com/realmverse-two-paths-one-story-60ebe5b9972e 

Realmverse features a mixture of art styles, from picturesque hand-drawn-esque sceneries, to 2D vector artwork to the items and 2D anime cartoons for their NFT Adventurers. 

Control your own story’s narrative, by choosing to be a Realmer and/or Adventurer to explore and/or build in the Realmverse to compete on the leaderboard and earn MAGIC rewards.

Players can choose to focus their efforts on developing their realm by building NFT structures, producing NFT collectibles. By investing into your Realm you can attract adventurers to come visit to engage in commerce with other Realmers.

Source: https://docs.rlm.land/getting-started/starter-guide

Alternatively, players can choose to adventure to other realms, as well as engage in training their adventurers for battles, and to battle to win rewards.

Source: https://docs.rlm.land/adventurer-of-the-void/core-assets/adventurers-of-the-void

Play this if you like: World building resource allocation strategy games, exploration and/or battle games. 

Toadstoolz

Toadstoolz features the classic pixelated art and cheery toad croaking background music – which brings players to the World of Croakshire. 

Players can choose to stake their toads to hunt for BUGZ, the in-game currency which is non-transferrable between wallets. BUGZ can be used to buy items at the Croak E-Mart, fund adventures and grow NFT collections. Visit the temple to teleport to one of the Forests to harvest resources, such as logs to sell on the Treasure Marketplace. 

Play this if you like: Toads, Harvesting Idle Games, like Animal Crossing.

The Lost Donkeys

Source: https://twitter.com/TheLostDonkeys/header_photo 

The Lost Donkeys features colourful pixelated art.

Having escaped the Zonkies to The Lost Land, your Donkeys have to rebuild paradise in the form of the barn of your dreams, harvest CARROTS, and burn them for new NFTs. Players can build their barn in different regions of the Lost Land, bringing different resources and different threats to donkeys – unfortunately, it is not all safe, as regions will have naturally occurring Geo Disasters as well as Zonkies, who Donkeys will have to fight against.  

After acquiring a donkey and claiming their free barn at the Holy Office, players can choose to harvest CARROTs, which can be used for upgrades and be offered up to the Holy Donkey to improve the game. 

Players can complete quests to progress in the game. There are three quests, the (1) main story quests where donkeys build defenses to fortify against attacks and battles Zonkies, (2) rebuilding quests to grow harvest and customize their barns and cities for survival, and (3) profession quests to choose a profession for your Donkey and build up its skill and expertise.

Further, players can boost their Donkey’s stats with Training Gear and rare potions found on quests. 

Source: https://twitter.com/TheLostDonkeys/status/1615788756438499346

The game developers intended for this game to be a community decision-making game. Thus players are encouraged to band together to thrive. 

Play this if you like: Donkeys, Idle harvesting games (Animal Crossing). 

LifeVerse

LifeVerse studio games features a mix of art styles, including pixel art and 2D fantasy vector art – which brings this metaverse to life. 

Source: https://twitter.com/TommyWherever/status/1653464649889660939/photo/1

LifeVerse Studios currently has 3 games under their belt: (1) Coliseum of Phanes, (2) Arcane Magic – in development, and (3) Life – pre-development. 

Coliseum of Phanes (CoP)

CoP is an auto battler, management simulation game. Manage a team of gladiators and send them into battle to climb the leaderboards at the Colosseum of Phanes. Top gladiators will win rewards at the end of each season. 

Source: https://twitter.com/LifeVerse_GG/status/1650885516932546560/photo/1 

Play this if you like: Management simulation games.

Knights of the Ether (KOTE)

KOTE’s flagship title, Brightfell, is a deck-building RPG rogue-lite game, currently only Live in Early Access.

Source: https://twitter.com/KnightsOfTheEth/status/1608251478967480320/photo/1

Brightfell features fantasy realism art mixed with hints of 2D and 3D art – nonetheless the blend of art styles gels and will transport players into the medieval age. 

Players build a deck and play from their hand of randomly selected cards to fight enemies. In Brightfell players get to keep what they kill. Naturally, players want to build a deck with the best cards utilizing attack, defense, potions and trinkets which will allow them to fight through the map and upgrade their knight’s gear.

Source: https://twitter.com/KnightsOfTheEth/status/1608251478967480320/photo/1 

KOTE is not free-to-play. Players can choose to stake their NFTs to forge, create equipment or send squires/knights to go on expeditions to fight monsters, to climb the Leaderboards to win rewards.

Play this if you like: Adventure Deck Building Card Games.

Thoughts on TreasureDAO

Having read and explored a bit about the TreasureDAO ecosystem of metaverse, I felt that this is a more sustainable model for building games upon. Treasure has created a vast ecosystem, which they call the Flywheel, which brings together creators, game builders, NFT holders, players etc. 

Source: https://docs.treasure.lol/publishing/game-builders-program 

This allows players to buy MAGIC and use it over a multitude of games, as well as NFTs that allow interchangeable usage in the TreasureDAO ecosystem. This interchangeability is more sustainable for the platform, the holders/players and even the game developers. 

• For TreasureDAO: 

  • As long as their games remain popular and/or they continue to grow their game offerings TreasureDAO’s platform will be able to extend its lifespan. 

  • The interconnectivity of the games, via MAGIC, allows cross-selling and marketing that would grow as each game attracts more players.

• For players/holders:

  • They can buy MAGIC and be able to access an array of games – rather than one token to one specific game. 

  • Additionally, if the player/holder gets ‘bored’ of the game, they can move on to other games without having to change their MAGIC to a different token. 

  • Players can also tap into Treasure’s cross-game trading, which should provide higher liquidity with more members in the Trove marketplace. 

  • Theoretically the TreasureDAO liquidity should be better than a single game-single token game. If the player wants to leave the MAGIC ecosystem, as long as there are still players on the platform, they can trade their MAGIC tokens and/or NFT / currency to a bigger pool of players/holders.

• For game developers:

  • They can cross-sell and build partnerships with other game developers – this includes cross-selling NFTs, and participating in TreasureDAO World Events. This also improves player retention and engagement.

  • Additionally, should their game ever lose its popularity (assuming the other games remain popular) the game developers can try marketing to players/holders on the TreasureDAO platform and/or they can cash in their MAGIC into a new game and/or trade out their remaining MAGIC to exit the ecosystem as (theoretically) there will be many other players/holders who would still want MAGIC to play on other games. 

As the team of Realm put it, TreasureDAO is an interstate highway system. Members of the community embark on their own adventures, road trips, where they can take various ramps to different metaverses on TreasureDAO. Treasure’s ecosystem has provided players, NFT holders and game builders a platform for an evergrowing highway to bring players on endless road trips.