gaming
‘Greed and Stupidity’ Are Killing Crypto Games, Says ‘Mystery Society’ CEO
Published
2 months agoon
By
admin

The Mystery Society, a Web3 game that pairs the casual-friendly gameplay of Among Us with a murder mystery vibe, has suspended development after developer Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow said it struggled to find funding to continue supporting the game.
The web-based game debuted in early 2024 as the studio raised $3 million in a funding round led by Shima Capital. Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow was founded by game industry veterans and led by CEO Chris Heatherly, who previously oversaw Disney’s Club Penguin gaming platforms and later NBCUniversal’s gaming division.
Mystery Society initially launched on Ethereum scaling network Polygon and then migrated to Immutable late last year, with plans to launch a MYSTRY token around the game. But now the token is on hold following Monday’s announcement.
We are very sad to announce that The Mystery Society unfortunately will be suspending development.
We built an S-tier team, shipped and live operated an actually fun game with promising metrics, and built a passionate community, but unfortunately, the state of web3 gaming is… pic.twitter.com/PqMv355KGd
— The Mystery Society (@InviteToMystery) February 24, 2025
“We will keep the game live for as long as we can while we look for a new home,” the team’s X post read. “We are considering a relaunch without the Web3 elements on Steam. And we are open to shifting the game to a publisher—either in Web2 or Web3—if there are any willing to take it forward.”
The post briefly pointed to issues securing funding to continue development on the game, and when reached for comment, Heatherly didn’t mince words about the current state of play.
“It’s the mother of all clusterfucks for Web3 gaming right now—the crypto market’s crashing, VCs are tapped out, and a poor track record of game token [generation events, or TGEs],” he told Decrypt. “Most of the dry powder was deployed months ago, and many VCs have been forced into liquid trading of alts and memes to try to show returns to LPs so they can raise new funds. The risk appetite is non-existent.”
Indeed, crypto prices have been battered of late. While Bitcoin and other assets surged in the wake of President Trump’s November election win, with some reaching new all-time peaks, many top coins have already shed most of those gains. Bitcoin traded below $83,000 on Thursday, barely a month after peaking above $108,000.
Gaming tokens have taken some of the hardest hits, trading much like meme coins with their volatile swings. And as of this writing, only two gaming tokens remain in the top 100 coins by market cap, with several falling from the list in recent months. Most of last year’s biggest new gaming tokens have since cratered in value.
In his comments to Decrypt, Heatherly pointed the finger at a desire from investors and traders for quick returns on a token, all while recent momentum around meme coins crashes.
“Meme coins have really fucked the space more than people want to admit,” he said. “It lured people into magical ‘ponzinomic’ thinking that you don’t need a real product, you just need hype, and you can just rotate from token to token, narrative to narrative by chasing alpha.”
Heatherly said this is why many crypto game creators are launching things like dedicated layer-2 networks, Telegram spinoff games, and AI agents in an effort to keep the hype alive.
“It’s not that some of this isn’t potentially worth doing,” he clarified, “but it’s being done to court investment or hype a token, not in a principled or long-term way.”
Heatherly still thinks Web3 gaming has a future. A model in which players can sell their NFTs or tokens for some level of return when they stop playing a digital game could help boost Web3 adoption, he believes. But that only works when expectations are kept in check, and players don’t demand a massive token reward just for trying out a game.
The Mystery Society was developed while considering the performance of comparable “Web2” games like Among Us and Stumble Guys, which Heatherly said have each earned hundreds of millions of dollars without crypto economics. He believes the free-to-play industry would rapidly shift on-chain if such a model was proven out, but that requires moving past the “get-rich-quick fantasy” that remains pervasive in the space.
“Greed and stupidity from just about all players is killing the space before it can prove itself,” Heatherly added. “We need to be focused on building healthy on-chain businesses first, and end this TGE-to-nowhere ponzinomic fallacy. Every Web3 gaming founder I know is frustrated, burned out, and just doing what they are doing to try to survive—but with true conviction evaporating by the day.”
But there may be light at the end of the tunnel. On Wednesday, Heatherly wrote that he’s received outreach from various chains and creators in the space, and is considering an idea to “tokenize the IP” for The Mystery Society or pursue another path forward.
So many people have reached out and offered support after our announcement of the suspension of development on @InviteToMystery
I’ve had a lot of good conversations on how to keep this going.
Some of the opportunities:
– A podcaster reached out to see if he can make podcast…
— Chris Heatherly (@chrisheatherly) February 27, 2025
“I got into this because I missed Club Penguin and I wanted to do Club Penguin for adults,” he wrote on X. “And somehow, all the people I got introduced to just wanted to extract, and it just felt soulless and so disconnected from what I want to do and am good at.”
“But the last few days, you’ve let me know that you may still be out there,” Heatherly continued. “You may still care. You may want to build something together that’s more than a pump and dump. You may want to build a real clubhouse for Web3. If you are still out there and you want to figure this out, I think I see a way.”
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gaming
This Week in Crypto Games: Ubisoft’s ‘Might & Magic’, ‘Peaky Blinders’ in Development
Published
11 hours agoon
April 27, 2025By
admin

The crypto gaming space is ever expanding, and with prominent games releasing, token airdrops piling up, and the constant shifting of the markets around them all, it’s a lot to take in.
Luckily, we’re all over it here at Decrypt‘s GG. And if you’re looking to keep tabs on the latest happenings around crypto video games, this weekly roundup gives you a quick overview of the biggest stories we covered over the past week, along with a smattering of other interesting tidbits from around the space.
Top stories
Ubisoft’s new crypto game: Ubisoft—the gaming giant behind Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry—is working with blockchain gaming company Immutable to develop Might & Magic: Fates, a free-to-play strategy card game for iOS and Android based on the iconic Might & Magic franchise. Players will collect and trade hundreds of cards featuring creatures and heroes from the series, using faction-specific mechanics to develop personalized strategies. It’s due out later this year.
Immutable operates the Ethereum-based gaming networks Immutable X and Immutable zkEVM, which will be merged together later this year. Ubisoft has been particularly active in the blockchain space, launching two games in late 2024 and making various investments alongside other collaborations. The Immutable alliance was initially announced in November 2023.
Peaky Blinders game: Anonymous Labs and Banijay Rights are developing a blockchain-based video game inspired by the hit TV series “Peaky Blinders,” scheduled for release in 2026. The game will feature post-World War I Birmingham settings, interactive experiences, and tokenized in-game currency.
The crime drama aired on BBC from 2013-2022, starring Cillian Murphy among others, and is available on Netflix. Anonymous Labs previously launched the “Simon’s Cat” meme coin on BNB Chain, based on the web cartoon of the same name. No details about the game’s blockchain network or economic design have been released yet.
CryptoKitties “Meowcoins”: Dapper Labs launched several “Meowcoins” on the Flow blockchain tied to its CryptoKitties: All The Zen game on Telegram. Seeking to avoid the trend of Telegram gaming tokens crashing in value after launch, Dapper’s approach creates an interconnected token ecosystem designed for sustainability.
The system includes three token types: Fancy Coins, Beancoins, and Family Coins. Players earn these through gameplay, with Family Coins representing achievement badges created by burning the other tokens. The ecosystem incorporates crypto-native concepts like prediction markets (the “Rumor Mill”) and future staking opportunities.
Players from previous seasons received airdrops last week. VP Arthur Camara told Decrypt that Dapper’s focus was on creating “a fun experience that is sustainable.”
ICYMI
- KAI: Battle of the Three Kingdoms, an Oasys blockchain game based on licensed Sega IP, is launching on April 30.
- The creators of the upcoming Goblintown: Really Hard Driving Game offered $10K to anyone who could beat the game during an NYC pop-up. Everyone failed.
Key strategic changes in Pixels moving forward…
Focusing on quality DAU rather than DAA
Gating more core game features & earnings behind VIP (requires a purchase) in the short-term
In-game earnings will be further targeted towards people interested in holding or…
— Luke Barwikowski
(@whatslukedoing) April 20, 2025
- GoMining’s Bitcoin mining game, Miner Wars, added new features for beginners and competitive players alike.
- Fantasy.Top, the X influencer-based crypto game, launched a new “clout” system.
- Axie Infinity maker Sky Mavis has invested into Fishing Frenzy studio Uncharted as the mobile fishing game gains steam on Ronin.
Fishing Frenzy is now officially partnered with Sky Mavis!
The creators of Axie Infinity and the @Ronin_Network are backing us with investment, publishing support, and growth advisory to take the game to the next level
What does that mean for you? pic.twitter.com/3DWgfsNGlT
— Fishing Frenzy (@FishingFrenzyCo) April 23, 2025
- A Bored Ape-themed mask in Off the Grid sold for nearly $15K worth of GUN tokens on testnet—a sign that there may be sizable demand for rare items as the game’s mainnet integration nears.
- The creators of the B3 gaming network on Base are handing out Game Boy-like handhelds at the upcoming Token2049 expo in Dubai.
- Nyan Heroes logged 11 million hours in the Solana-based game during its latest playtest, the devs said.
PLAYTEST 4: SIZZLE
11M hours played. 2.2M kills. 250K wishlists.
Global chaos.
Stylish shootouts.
You made it one for the books.
Think it’s over? Think again.
Catch the recap. This is just the start. pic.twitter.com/ur9A7L7lOl
— Nyan Heroes (@nyanheroes) April 23, 2025
- Role-playing game Calamity is migrating across Ethereum scaling networks, from Base to Ronin.
- Neowiz’s Intella X gaming ecosystem is shutting down.
- Clash Royale-like mobile game Ragnarok: Monster World has expanded from Ronin to the new Cross Protocol.
- Playtron said that all 10,000 initial SuiPlay0X1 gaming handhelds have sold out, with shipping set for early summer.
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Bitcoin Mining Game ‘Miner Wars’ Expands With New Features
Published
5 days agoon
April 23, 2025By
admin

In brief
- GoMining added welcome packs and clan leagues to its Miner Wars Bitcoin mining game.
- Players can buy digital miner NFTs on four different blockchains to start playing.
- Miner Wars offers approximately 1 BTC in real crypto rewards daily to players.
GoMining’s Bitcoin mining game Miner Wars bolstered its feature suite on Tuesday with the addition of newcomer-friendly “welcome packs” and a “clan leagues” feature for competitive players, boosting the GameFi experience that’s tied into real-world Bitcoin mining.
Garnering more than 165,000 active players, GoMining says it has paid out more than 144 BTC—or over $13 million in rewards at today’s price—since Miner Wars’ September launch.
“Positioned at the intersection of digital mining and GameFi, Miner Wars has found a welcoming niche with a loyal and stable audience,” said GoMining CEO Mark Zalan in a statement. He said that the fresh features will bring about a “new level of traction and user engagement.”
The time has come! The new Miner Wars Leagues are LIVE
And for the next 7 days, every spell cast in #MinerWars earns bounty points, so you can earn even more $GOMINING
1 spell = 1 bounty point
Stack up to 10,000 points
The bounty is only for 1 WEEK, so don’t… https://t.co/I1tPb7IFLu pic.twitter.com/E2SkneT0Zo
— GoMining (@GoMining_token) April 22, 2025
The game gives individuals access to GoMining’s real Bitcoin mining infrastructure via cross-chain “miner” NFTs, which correspond to a real share of computational resources from the firm’s mining centers. Digital miners have been issued on Solana, Ethereum, BNB Chain, and The Open Network (TON) and can be traded on the GoMining marketplace or third-party platforms like Magic Eden.
Those who purchase miner NFTs essentially join a mining pool, and earn proportional rewards when the pool mines a Bitcoin block. Users can then upgrade their NFTs, potentially improving their chances at winning Bitcoin rewards in the process.
The digital miner NFTs are also used to join Miner Wars, which adds productivity boosts and multipliers while offering higher rewards than the usual compensation from mining. The game hosts around 120-150 rounds per day, offering around 1 Bitcoin in prizes alongside rewards of GOMINING, the company’s Ethereum-based token.
When joining the game, users commit the computational power of their miner NFTs—which is denominated in terahashes—to compete against other players, joining clans, or groups of other players in the process.
As of today’s updates, those clans are now being grouped into leagues to increase competitiveness with weekly promotions and demotions based on performance. Clans may be placed in lower-level leagues like the Dune League, which is designed for newer players, or pushed up to the Odyssey League—which offers bigger prizes, but is intended for more experienced and “elite” Miner Wars players.
The firm is also adding welcome packs that come with free boosts to help users “become familiar with the UI and mechanics of Miner Wars,” GoMining Content Marketing Manager Laila Effiong told Decrypt.
While mining, or the process of securing and verifying blocks on Bitcoin’s proof-of-work (PoW) blockchain, is a technically complex and energy-intensive process, GoMining aims to simplify it and educate more crypto users. The firm claims more than 3.5 million users worldwide, with its data centers boasting 7.5 million terahashes of computational power.
“Mining is complex, and we can’t understate that,” said Effiong, noting the difficulty of maintaining the efficiency of GoMining’s global mining operations. “But for the GoMining end users, they don’t need to feel any of that burden.”
Edited by Andrew Hayward
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This Week in Crypto Games: Solana Game Pass, ‘Ponzi’ Games Pop, SEC and CyberKongz
Published
7 days agoon
April 21, 2025By
admin

The crypto gaming space is ever expanding, and with prominent games releasing, token airdrops piling up, and the constant shifting of the markets around them all, it’s a lot to take in.
Luckily, we’re all over it here at Decrypt‘s GG. And if you’re looking to keep tabs on the latest happenings around crypto video games, this weekly roundup gives you a quick overview of the biggest stories we covered over the past week, along with a smattering of other interesting tidbits from around the space.
Top stories
Solana Game Pass: A free Solana Game Pass NFT mint launched on Magic Eden last week, designed to help boost the Solana gaming ecosystem via rewards, collaborations, and early access to upcoming games. The program’s initial “Season 0” spans four weeks with 30 partnered games, including Star Atlas, Nyan Heroes, Stepn, and BR1: Infinite.
Pass holders can complete quests on GAM3S.GG to win raffle tickets toward a $10,000+ prize pool of SOL, NFTs, and other assets. Over 33,000 passes have been minted as of this writing, with the mint remaining open throughout the four-week campaign. Future seasons promise enhanced features including in-game quests and an improved progression system.
“Ponzi” games pop: Crypto game Bigcoin recently surged in popularity before its token crashed 83%, creating a surprising reaction: players embraced its purported “Ponzinomics” and actively sought similar experiences. Bigcoin’s simple mining simulation lets players earn BIG tokens on Ethereum‘s Abstract network, with transparent reward calculations that many found refreshing compared to vague and oft-disappointing play-to-airdrop models.
The phenomenon appeared to attract crypto traders beyond typical gamers, with some seeing these self-described “Ponzi games” as more transparent alternatives to insider-dominated projects. Since BIG crashed, similar games like Minereum and Dungeons of Fortune have briefly gained attention… with similar results.
SEC drops CyberKongz case: The SEC has concluded its investigation into Ethereum NFT and gaming project CyberKongz without findings or enforcement, the project’s team said last week, adding to the list of numerous recent closed crypto investigations under the Trump administration. CyberKongz had received a Wells notice in December after two years of SEC scrutiny regarding its BANANA token, game elements, and Genesis Kongz contract migration.
Project leaders celebrated the decision as a victory after facing “unjust allegations” and “crippling legal fees,” noting that they “elected to fight this battle for the betterment of Web3.” CyberKongz joins other NFT-related companies like Bored Ape Yacht Club creator Yuga Labs and marketplace OpenSea that recently saw their SEC investigations closed.
ICYMI
Introducing Meowcoins!
Start playing CryptoKitties: ALL THE ZEN! and hatch Page’s Gang Kitties in the next few days, earn Meowcoins—and get a head start for next season!
Link to play below
This is the start of the Eggdrop. Buckle up.
pic.twitter.com/nzBigzvYJj
— CryptoKitties (@CryptoKitties) April 14, 2025
We’ve breached containment on a hazardous new Battle Pass packed with experimental drip. The ChemTech is unleashing pure, undiluted mayhem on Teardrop!
ChemTech Character Gear
Proton Drifter weapon
Flenser ChemTech weapon
“Fire and Flex” Emote
“I’m Fine” M4 weapon… pic.twitter.com/9yexEyD7EB
— Off The Grid (@playoffthegrid) April 17, 2025
GG spotlight
Here are a few of our original stories from this past week that we think are well worth a weekend read:
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