Pixels to Incorporate Other Games in its Universe, Founder Teases Potential Telegram-Based Game Amidst Chapter 2 Overhaul

Pixels has been a prominent force in the crypto gaming world throughout the year, with its migration to the Ethereum-based Ronin gaming network in late 2023 and the launch of its token in February catapulting the social farming game into the spotlight, attracting millions of players.

Now, the developers are venturing into the creation of other games within the same universe.

In a recent interview coinciding with the launch of Pixels Chapter 2, founder Luke Barwikowski revealed that his studio is developing additional games within the Pixels universe and collaborating with external developers to expand the franchise.

This initiative is being undertaken alongside the release of the game's second chapter.

Barwikowski's team, comprising 19 full-time members, is tasked with establishing the overarching direction for these games, which are then brought to life by external studios.

He further explained that his team will integrate blockchain features and user acquisition strategies before introducing these games to the public.

Barwikowski also mentioned the potential for future games based on Telegram, describing it as an intriguing ecosystem that could be explored.

He teased:

“There's some fun stuff coming. We're looking at maybe kicking off another one on Telegram. That's maybe some alpha—but that's like a side experiment. Telegram’s an interesting ecosystem… we might dip our toes there.”

The Telegram crypto gaming ecosystem has experienced a surge in demand in recent months, notably with the tap-to-earn game Notcoin drawing in 35 million players this spring.

This game subsequently launched one of the largest gaming tokens of the year through The Open Network.

Hamster Kombat has since captured an even larger audience, reportedly over 200 million players, generating so much interest that Iranian officials expressed concerns it might distract citizens from voting in the recent presidential election.

Other Telegram games on the rise include Yescoin, Catizen, TapSwap, and PixelTap.

Pixels in a Nutshell

Pixels is a Web3 social gaming platform hosted on the Ronin Network, offering a unique blend of farming, exploration, and community building within an expansive open-world environment.

The platform features a Free-to-Play model, utilising both an off-chain currency known as Coins and an on-chain currency called PIXEL.

Adopting a community-centric approach, Pixels evolves in tandem with its player base, with the ambitious goal of becoming the leading Web3 game and reshaping the gaming industry at large.

Players can progress through the game more efficiently by participating in gameplay and accumulating in-game Coins, which can be used to purchase additional items and enhance their skills at a faster rate.

With a surplus of Coins, players can increase their chances of earning PIXEL through their task board.

Additionally, players have the option to purchase NFT Farm Land and Pixel Pet NFTs on the Mavis Marketplace, or explore OpenSea for alternative NFT acquisitions.

Pixels' Chapter 2 is Live & Playable

The recent Chapter 2 update for Pixels is strategically designed to demonstrate the viability and sustainability of the play-to-earn crypto game model in 2024, positioning Pixels as a pioneering studio in this space.

Barwikowski affirmed:

“We want to be the play-to-earn company, and this feeds into that.”

This update, which went live on 19 June, introduces new features related to land progression, resource generation, crafting mechanics, and the introduction of new industries.

According to the official update notes, a tiered system has been implemented for various aspects of the game, including farming, the cooking stove, woodworking bench, metalworking bench, stoneshaper, mines, and trees.

Additionally, certain skills from Chapter 1 have been reclassified into new categories.

For example, Ceramicist has been moved to Stoneshaping, while Beekeeping, Aviculture, Slugger, Petcare, and Fishing now fall under Animal Care.

Farming and Granger have been consolidated under the Farming skill, and Textiler, Redifferentiator, and Winemaking are now grouped under the Business skill.

The update also revamps the MOI machine with new recipes and enhances Terra Villa Central by including Tier 1 for every industry.

Industries with an advanced tiering system have been upgraded with new recipes and artwork.

Growth times and industry times have been reduced, with Otherspeck Mines upgraded to Tier 4 Mines for faster production output.

Regarding NFT Lands, industry limitations have been lifted, allowing players to place as many Tier 1 – 4 industries as their land can support, provided they meet the required level.

For instance, placing Tier 3 Trees requires a Forestry level of 40 or above.

Players can now upgrade Speck Houses twice, with each upgrade including a bed for energy recharge, a wardrobe with wearables, an Infinifunnel, and a Tier 1 Stove.

Other small NFT houses contain all the elements of Speck Houses, plus a Tier 4 Stove, a pool, and a cave basement.

Larger NFT houses encompass all the features of small NFT houses and include a Solarium for planting decorative flowers.

Players also have the ability to customize various internal aspects of their houses, such as wallpapers, bedding, flooring, and wall paintings.

Telegram Variant of Pixels? Pixels Details Roadmap for Remaining of 2024

Barwikowski expressed his enthusiasm for expanding the 'Pixels' IP, regardless of whether a Telegram-based variant materialises.

With a growing player base and an expanded in-house team, Pixels is currently developing an in-house lore bible to guide future apps and experiments, setting the stage for the franchise's continued evolution.

He explained:

“That's going to build the base for some of these other experiments that we're running around IP expansion. We're working on a few mobile apps right now, and that's going to be the next line of distribution that we're working on. We're going to try some cool stuff with incentivised downloads—like, kind of play-to-earn on iOS and Android.”

Barwikowski also detailed the plans for the rest of 2024:

“There are two things we're focusing on. One is just the growth of the game, making sure the game is getting more fun, getting more content out, making sure the players are happy. Then there's other experiments that we're doing that are those 10x improvements. I'm very optimistic about the data science stuff that we're doing and the effect it's going to have on the ecosystem. For example, if we figure out some of the user acquisition technology we're building, there's a really interesting use case for us to bring on or acquire other games or build our own games. We're already starting building out other titles now with Pixels IP but if we can start to prove out this user acquisition technology, then it's a huge competitive advantage for us. We might have tech that can scale rapidly, wildly just like this game and do like four or five other games at the same time.”