Blocklords is a recently launched addition to the web3 gaming universe in the Epic Games Store. In 3 days over 5000 unique players with a 50% retention rate enjoyed playing Blocklords, with the average player playing for over 1 hour. It is a game that seamlessly blends the high-quality cinematics of AAA titles with the strategic depth of beloved classics like “Crusader Kings.” Blocklords is exactly that—a massively multiplayer grand strategy game that grants the power to shape its destiny to the players.
The game is free to play and no web3 wallet or knowledge is needed. Blocklords did however launch initially on IMX. Later on Polygon. And now you can swap your units between IMX and Polygon when using the game as a bridge.
But what sets Blocklords apart is its versatility. As a player, you can choose from four distinct playstyles: become a resource-gathering farmer, a formidable Ruler, a valiant Knight on the battlefield, or a Lord or Lady constructing cities. This game melds elements from various gaming realms, and it was only possible thanks to the award-winning masterminds at Metaking Studios.
Gameplay – The 4 Playstyles
As mentioned before there are 4 different styles you can play Blocklords. Farming, Battling, Ruling and Conquering. Dive into this open world game where every region can be owned by a Lord or Lady, and other players can live there, pay taxes to their ruler, and help defend the realm from threats! PvP battles are a major part of Blocklords but PvE is going to be integrated as well. The game will have a surge of story pop-ups. This means there will be an involvement of decision making and other unforeseen events, making each and everyone’s journey unique.
Farming
You will start out as a Farmer if you do not own a character although you can purchase more Farmers and place them in your village. You will be handed the whole map to decide from where you want to start out. As a Farmer you will be responsible for gathering, mining, processing and using your skills of crafting to refine materials and turn them into currency. Additionally, you’ll be working and constructing to house Heroes – who are another vital element of the game. You’ll never feel lonely as Farmer NPCs will fill the gaps in your farm with their hard work. You will have to put food on the table for them though, so keep that in mind.
The region you choose to settle down is controlled by a Lord/Lady. These Lords/Ladies form groups and engage in fights. Ultimately fighting to secure the throne as King or Queen.
In the farming part of the game, there are lots of ways to create revenue and reap rewards. You can take care of animals, trade things at markets, and make awesome items. Plus, if you team up with other players, you can get even more rewards!
Resources
The game includes a variety of resources:
- Wood
- Stone
- Wheat
- Grain
- Food
- Meat
- Milk
- Bread
- Gold
Fight
Now, when one has gathered enough resources as a Farmer, they can continue living the peaceful life of a Farmer or they can leave their farm behind to assemble an army of brutes. Now if you choose to go down that path, you will have two additional choices once you choose this life. To become a Raider or to become a Knight.
Raider
Think of Raiders as game freelancers who can attack Farmers whenever they want. They swoop in, grab stuff from villages, and swipe resources from Lords. They can’t hang around forever, but if you play it smart, you can score some fantastic rewards. The key is timing.
Knight
Knights are a bit different, quite the opposite actually. They work for a Lord and get paid regularly. Their job is clear: Guard the Farmers and villages, and take down any Raiders they find! When Knights defeat Raiders and protect Farmers, they can make good money and move up in the game. And if they save up enough, they might even get the chance to switch to a new role!
Rule
If you’re really good at playing Blocklords and move up, you might get to be in charge! There’s a special kind of ruling role called Lords and Ladies, and they have their own important jobs and duties.
Lords and Ladies are like the big bosses of whole areas, and they have a ton of power. When you’re in this role, what you do really matters, and it affects the whole game and the other players a lot. Lords have to do stuff like collect taxes and things from Farmers (that includes other players), pay Knights, and take care of cities and buildings.
Although playing any role in this game has an impact whatsoever, as a Lord/Lady, the impact is on a higher scale.
Being a Lord or Lady has its advantages! You’ll get a share of everything that goes on in your territory. If you’re smart about using the stuff you collect, you can make your cities super busy and successful, plus keep your folks safe. But remember, don’t be too greedy with taxes, or your citizens might get upset and rebel against you!
A visionary Lord/Lady knows that Farmers and Knights play pivotal roles in success. Now since Raiders are a constant threat for any Lord/Lady, they must come up with defensive tactics to take care of their cities and citizens.
Additionally, Lords and Ladies can team up and make alliances. If you have at least three other Lords and Ladies backing you up, you might be able to become the most powerful ruler of them all!
Conquer
The highest rank achievable in Blocklords – the King or Queen. A lot is sacrificed for one to become King/Queen. To reach this high a rank is no simple feat, so the choice will be up to you. How lenient will you be towards your kingdom?
As a King or Queen in Blocklords, you’re the big decision-maker for your kingdom, the largest type of territory. You handle money, policies, diplomacy, trade deals, and research for your armies. You can even start epic wars that reshape the game world. The map changes as wars happen, and your choices affect your kingdom and everyone in it. Sometimes, war is the only option when diplomacy fails. But war isn’t cheap; you need resources and well-trained troops. Heroes’ lives are at stake, and territories can be lost. Winning wars rewards you and your subjects, but the cost can be high. Although, the players that will be under your rule will also reap rewards from the victory of waging wars.
Heroes
In Blocklords, you kick off with your very own one-of-a-kind Hero. These digital assets have unique stats and traits, and they’re all yours from the start. If you don’t have one, you’ll begin with a basic Farmer Hero who comes with random stats and traits. As you play, you make choices that shape your Hero’s path and role, whether it’s gathering resources, raiding, ruling, or even becoming a King or Queen. Your Hero’s value depends on how well you play, thanks to the web3 tech-powered player-owned economy.
Dynasty
Blocklords introduces us with a Dynasty system. Heroes have a limited lifespan, and you can keep their unique traits going by passing them down thanks to this system. This means your favorite Hero’s legacy can live on and get even stronger over generations. Your descendants are also Heroes, and you can use them in various ways, like marrying them, hiring them as mercenaries, or sharing them with other leaders. Plus, you can trade these Heroes to get some really cool characters. Your legacy is your own in Blocklords, and you get to decide how to carry it forward.
Trading & Monetization
Blocklords is designed for serious gamers looking for an immersive shared universe experience. What’s unique is that you can actually make money while playing, and the excitement is off the charts.
In the game, your heroes aren’t just characters; they’re valuable economic assets. You earn cash by battling bandits, winning epic fights, supporting your allies, farming, and trading.
Since it’s a player-owned economy, you get rewarded no matter which role you pick. Heroes who excel in battles and show great leadership skills become even more valuable, and you can cash in on that.
You can sell your heroes on Immutable X, and you can even use these heroes in battles to conquer territory. With your gaming skills, you level up your heroes and then sell them on the IMX marketplace or other supported places. These heroes, which are NFTs, are incredibly versatile and valuable, making Blocklords an exciting and rewarding gaming experience.
When it comes to the token model, As the developers said: First they want to make a full-fledged good game. They don’t want to release a token until there is a real place for its use and circulation and just to put it on the market so for now no token has been introduced.
The in-game currency is Gold. You can earn it by engaging in fights, trading resources, completing events etc. Gold in the game serves multiple purposes. You can use it to export your Heroes, recruit Squads, purchase resources from the in-game shop, and even pay your taxes.
Early Access
As of now it has been decided to give the community early access for Blocklords. It is still in development so that players can be a part of shaping the game. Encountering some bugs and things that need tweaking at this stage is now a team effort. It lets us work together to make the game’s economy, events, and other cool stuff even better based on the feedback we get during these early seasons.
How To Get Started?
Simply head right over to Epic Games and you can download the game from there. It’s free to play and as mentioned earlier you’ll start off as a Farmer. An in-game tutorial will be present for you as well as you open the game. There will also be Seasonal tasks for you that will be updated regularly. You will receive in turn different kinds of rewards for completing each of them.
All you have to do is download the game and start playing. More updates on Blocklords will be posted on their Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and Discord. Better stay tuned!