> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://inscriptions.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://inscriptions.gitbook.io/docs/infrastructure/on-chain-games.md). # On-chain games The realm of blockchain gaming continues to push boundaries, exploring innovative approaches to create engaging and secure experiences. Within this landscape, the concept of **purely on-chain inscribed games** emerges, presenting a unique game design and interaction paradigm. ### **Core Concept** * **Inscribed Gameplay:** These games leverage the power of **inscriptions**, where game logic, rules, and assets are directly embedded into the blockchain, eliminating the need for centralized servers or proprietary clients. * **Data Immutability:** All game data, including player interactions, scores, and item ownership, reside immutably on the blockchain, ensuring transparency, trust, and resistance to manipulation. * **Decentralized Operation:** No central authority controls the game, fostering player autonomy and reducing reliance on single points of failure. ### **Technical Underpinnings** * **Smart Contract Architecture:** The transactional game logic and rules can be encoded within minimal smart contracts, self-executing on the blockchain based on player interactions and pre-defined conditions. While the major computations and renderings can be done off-chain. * **Data Representation:** Game assets, characters, and items are often represented as inscriptions, enabling verifiable ownership and scarcity within the game ecosystem. * **Randomness and Fairness:** Achieving provably fair randomness in on-chain games presents a challenge. Techniques like Verifiable Random Functions (VRFs) and [on-chain oracles](https://chain.link/education/blockchain-oracles) are explored to ensure transparent and unpredictable outcomes. ### **Advantages** * **Enhanced Security:** Blockchain's inherent security protects against cheating, manipulation, and data breaches. * **Transparency and Fairness:** Immutable game data fosters trust and fair gameplay mechanisms. * **Player Ownership:** Players truly own their in-game assets, enabling real-world value and potential secondary markets. ### **Challenges** * **Limited Functionality:** Current technology constrains gameplay complexity and scalability compared to traditional games. This will evolve over time, with libraries like Unreal Engine and Unity being completely inscribed on-chain * **High Transaction Costs:** On-chain interactions can be expensive, potentially hindering player experience and affordability. This is mostly already offset by the introduction of inscriptions and multi-chain indexing. Here, multi-chain indexing ensures that the user can play the game on his favourite network while having all his item possessions still accessible on other chains for robust interoperability and trade. * **User Experience:** Onboarding and interacting with on-chain games requires technical understanding, presenting initial barriers to mainstream adoption. This is solved in some cases using embedded wallets and account-abstracted wallets so that the users can play the games normally. Though this isn't mature yet, it still holds a strong promise. ### **Conclusion** Purely on-chain inscribed games represent a bold experiment in decentralizing game design and ownership. Though technical challenges remain, their potential to offer secure, transparent, and player-centric experiences positions them as a potentially groundbreaking force in the evolution of blockchain gaming. We intend to help accelerate this by undertaking the heavy lifting of technical limitations and security concerns.