Splinterlands

Trading Card Game – Strategy – Auto-  battler – Card Collection

 🖥️  Optimized for Web browser, Android, iOS       

 👥  400,000+ Active Players     

 🗓️  Released May 2018 / Splinterlands

DESCRIPTION

Splinterlands is a unique digital trading card game that allows players to truly own their cards and other in-game assets. Powered by the HIVE blockchain, each card in Splinterlands is a non-fungible token owned by a player. 

LEARN TO PLAY

Borrow or buy a pre-compiled deck through NFTy Arcade. See the walkthrough on how to do this in our user guide.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

🖥️  Browser-based

📱  iOS and Android

The game is best on mobile when played on HIVE engine’s browser.

Download the HIVE app here:

     ▶️  Download for Android

        Download for Apple

PLAYER INFORMATION
  • Single-player
  • Online Play
  • Player vs. Player
  • Simulation-based
  • Trading Card Game
  • Collectible NFTs

Play Splinterlands Now!

CREATE ACCOUNTGateway MARKETPLACE

Splinterlands: A Beginner’s Guide to the Game & Economy

Introduction

Splinterlands is a strategist’s dream. Since launching officially in May of 2018, Splinterlands quickly developed one of the most loyal, and largest fan bases of any play-to-earn gaming title. 

Splinterlands features fast-paced collectible trading card gameplay (TCG) powered by blockchain technology. Each card is a non-fungible token (NFT) that you own, just like a physical card. Gameplay is fast and truly addicting, with most matches taking only a few minutes.

With hundreds of unique cards, you can spend as much (or as little) time as you want crafting your perfect deck, then go to battle against other players. And since Splinterlands has been translated into almost a dozen languages, and is played in over 100 countries, you’ll always find someone to match up with.

Every single day, millions of transactions take place for real-world dollars in this decentralized card battler as players compete for rewards, hold rare cards as collectibles, and trade on peer-to-peer marketplaces.

Cards can even be combined to level up, or burned to obtain powerful Dark Energy Crystals, the official in-game cryptocurrency of Splinterlands.

If you love TCG like Magic: the Gathering, Pokémon, or Yu-Gi-Oh, Splinterlands is definitely worth your time as one of the top P2E games out there.

In this deep dive, we’ll explore the world of Splinterlands, and the team behind the game. We’ll take a look at the economy of the game, and how to earn and acquire the NFTs that make up each player’s deck. Finally, we’ll share our thoughts on the game, and opportunities to invest in this global phenomenon.

Ready to collect them all?

Background

Splinterlands (formerly known asSteem Monstersin 2019), is a fast-paced, decentralized trading card game. Free to try and free to play, players can also trade and collect unique NFT cards tied to the HIVE blockchain. Players then battle their decks against each other in a rapid-fire deck drafting style, resulting in quick matches that only usually require a few minutes to complete. The Monster Market,Peak Monsters, and Card Auctionz are all supported marketplaces.

Lore

Once, the world was whole. Then, in the time of the Splintering, The Ancient Ones warred for control and fractured the world into six Splinters, each shaped in their own image. Now locked in endless battle, shifting alliances, and occasional peace, the Splinters continue their ancient struggle for dominance.

You will play the part of a Summoner, a powerful wielder of your Spellbook. Through this book, you will summon up to six mighty monsters to fight your rivals. As your skill grows, so will your access to ever more powerful minions to do your bidding. Join a Guild, fight in tournaments, and become the most powerful Summoner in all the Splinterlands!

Gameplay

Splinterlands is easy to jump into and start playing, and many thousands of players do just that. However, the opportunity for strategy is nearly endless. We appreciate that this play and earn crypto game can continue to challenge even experienced players, keeping us coming back for unique game after unique game.

You can try out the playable tutorial right on the Splinterlands website to learn basic gameplay.

One of the best ways to see strategy in action is to watch battles as they unfold. Watching a few of the top Splinterlands battles is a great (and FREE!) way to get a feel for the game from experienced players.

In each match, you’ll be paired with a suitable opponent. Once paired, you’ll both see a countdown screen, with the unique rules and restrictions for your match. These can be different every time, so take a quick look around.

You’ll only have until the clock runs out to make your team, so act decisively! First you’ll need to select your Summoner. Summoners can only draft monsters from their respective Splinters, along with Neutral monsters. Dragon Summoners can also select any Splinter to draft from, along with Dragon Splinter monsters.

Once you have your playable Summoner, your deck will automatically filter to cards they can draft. Make sure you fit in the Mana cap, and you’re ready for BATTLE!

Once you’ve both drafted your teams, you’ll be taken to the battle screen. Click PLAY and watch the battle begin. You can control the speed of playback, rewind to start the match over, or skip to the end to see the final result.

All battles are broadcast and can be verified on the blockchain and due to the autobattler style, the game is immediately decided once both decks are submitted (you do need to wait for the other player to submit their deck). We, however, strongly encourage watching your early matches to at least learn how gameplay flows.

Spellbook — Play and Earn Crypto Must-Have

Note that while Splinterlands is free to try and free to play, purchasing the Summoner’s Spellbook is a must for any player looking to play and earn NFTs or play and earn crypto potential.

This one-time $10 upgrade unlocks several core features of the Splinterlands gameplay experience, like earning rewards, playing in tournaments, and trading on the marketplace.

Every Spellbook account automatically creates a HIVE blockchain account tied to the player.

Card Types

Splinterlands NFT cards are separated by role,rarity, and splinter type. Understanding these criteria will help you optimize your deck, and be well-prepared to go up against just about anyone.

Role

All cards are classified as either Summoners or Monsters. Your match will require you to select one Summoner, who then decides which of your Monsters you’ll be able to draft to your team for that match, depending on the Splinter.

Summoners, like Alric here, have unique buffs, debuffs, or abilities that impact the match. As Summoners are leveled up, they are able to summon more and higher-level monster cards.

Monster cards, like the Pit Ogre, gain increases to their stats (Attack, Speed, Armor, Health) as they are leveled up, along with powerful abilities. Mixing, matching and scaling monsters is the core mechanic of this game, and there are HUNDREDS to try out!

Rarity

There are four tiers of rarity in Splinterlands NFT cards. These are Common, Rare, Epic, and Legendary.

Every player begins playing with the Starter Set. This includes every Common and Rare from the current and previous sets.

Players can then purchase additional booster packs using credits or Dark Energy Crystals (DEC), one of the game’s native cryptocurrency tokens. Every booster pack is guaranteed to include one card that is Rare or better.

Splinter Type

Summoners use their magic to summon Monsters that dwell in each of the Splinters. You can choose from Fire, Water, Earth, Life, Death, and Dragon-themed Monsters to summon. Each Splinter has specific strengths and weaknesses, and can suit different strategies.

 

Check out our guides on getting started with Fire, Water, and Death decks here—without “Splintering” your wallet!

Dragon Summoners can use the powerful magic of the Dragons to gain access to any one Splinter type at the drafting stage of their match. And all Summoners can summon any Neutral Monster, whatever Splinter the Summoner may belong to.

(Splinterlands Wiki)

 

The Splinterlands Team

Dr. Jesse Reich — CEO & Founder

From a chemistry career, to teaching inner-city students, then eventually a decade spent in software sales, Jesse has worn a lot of hats. And that’s before he and his partner Matt became blockchain experts! Together they founded a Discord community and marketing platform, before focusing on their shared love of gaming. Jesse shared he already had a trading card game in the works, which became Splinterlands, launching in 2018. He now spends most of his time raising funds and developing the thriving Splinterlands global community.

Matthew Rosen — CPO & Founder

Matthew began his programming education at just 10 years old, in order to pursue his gaming passion. As a lead developer and software engineer, he’s been making his own games for more than a decade. Together with partner Jesse, he combined his interest in gaming with blockchain adoption to create Splinterlands.

Patrick Gorrell — CTO

Patrick brings years of technical experience with him to Splinterlands. His project management and solutions background helps him to guide the Splinterlands team as they rapidly introduce new features and grow gameplay around the world.

Nate Aguila — VP of Creative

With over 10 years of experience, Nate has years of experience in design and development serving blockchain technology clients. His user-friendly interfaces are everywhere in Splinterlands, and he oversees all Splinterlands creative initiatives.

You can see more of the Splinterlands team on LinkedIn here.

 

Funding & Backers

Splinterlands began with a highly-successful Kickstarter campaign, which we always love to see from a web3 gaming perspective. Crowdfunding shows that there is an active community that’s excited to play the game, and are already willing to pay to play with investment.

A private SPS (Splintershards, an upcoming cryptocurrency governance token) Initial Coin Offering (ICO) sale raised $3.6 million, with participants including Animoca Brands, Enjin and Polygon; and Onchain Capital CEO Ran Neuner. These governance tokens will be used to implement a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) via a series of smart contracts, to be published on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) platform, where holders will help make decisions about Splinterlands going forward.

It is hard to find anything to doubt with this Splinterlands team. In creating the #1 P2E game, they are poised to continue growing the active community they’ve built.

Game Economy & Tokens

The Splinterlands game economy centers around their cards. There are currently more than 500 unique card varieties to collect, and there are even more in the works.

Each card represents a unique NFT, tied to the HIVE blockchain. Each player has a HIVE wallet created for them. Cards are deflationary, and cannot be minted through mining.

In game, the main currency is Splinterlands Shards (SPS). This token can be earned through earning daily rewards and winning matches. Ranked players also gain access to additional pools of SPS daily. You can also “burn” cards or SPS to earn Dark Energy Crystals (DEC). Crystals are used within Guild contributions, and purchasing packs, cards, items, potions, and other in-game items.

Credits can also be purchased, though cannot be transferred like DEC. They have a pegged value at 1000 Credits = $1 USD.

There are many ways to participate in Splinterlands. These NFTs can be bought, sold, loaned, and traded on several platforms. There are considerable use cases for these NFTs and token staking options.

The upcoming Land expansion promises to revolutionize the world of Splinterlands. Players will be able to craft Spell and Item cards, which can only be acquired through minting, or purchased from those that have. This promises another game within the game, and yet another opportunity for P2E gamers to earn valuable cryptocurrency.

Community & Roadmap

Splinterlands has a thriving international community of players and earners. In December of 2021, more than 85,000 Discord users were recorded. From around 5,700 daily active users (DAU) in June of 2020, Splinterlands exploded in popularity since migrating to the HIVE blockchain. As many as 610,000 DAU were recorded at the peak of January 2022. Transactions hold steady at around 3.7M daily, reflecting a balance of over $1.5M.

2023 is going to be a big year for Splinterlands. While the developers are clear to call the above schedule “At best, wildly optimistic hubris,” we’re confident that Splinterlands will continue to ship updates and features as they have done. Some delays are inevitable in this space, but we’re eagerly watching for news from the Splinterlands.

New cards, new tech, and above all, the Land expansion is sure to wildly shake up this community. There is potential for some confusion as everyone adapts to the new wrinkles, but it also means there may never be a better time to get involved.

The Bottom Line

Splinterlands is a very solid game. When it comes to the “Wild West” of web3 gaming, there’s something to be said for a game that has been around for years, and remains popular with their players. It is easy to get started in this game, but you can keep coming back to play again and again, and you’re always sure to find something new to entertain.

There are so many opportunities in Splinterlands to play to earn gamers. From sales or rentals of rare cards, staking Splintershards in the near future, millions of dollars in tournament winnings already distributed, we’ve only scratched the surface of this vibrant game.

What do you think of Splinterlands? Get your deck ready, and we’ll see you at the next Battle!