Nounish Playground - The Game
TL;DR:
We're proposing to build a mobile platformer game with 700 levels in which we introduce players to nounish concepts and educate them on Nouns DAO and adjacent extensions while playing through fun and engaging maps. While the total budget required to complete the game development is $200,000, we are seeking funding of $90,000 for the alpha version, which will include an early access release. The alpha version is expected to take 6 months to complete, followed by an additional 6 months until the final release. Once the alpha version is released, we will require the remaining budget to complete the development of the game.
Description
Click on the image to view the proposed game design.
The game is divided into two parts:
- Single Player
- Multiplayer
Single Player
The single-player mode is a platformer game.
In this mode the player controls their noun to reach its destination - to be minted and sent to auction at Nouns DAO.
There is a unique level for each noun minted, designed with various obstacles and challenges.
We as a nounish family are waiting every day to see what the next noun will look like and how much the winning bid is at the auction for the previous noun, but we don't know anything about each noun’s background story. We don't know what a noun has been through before it gets minted! This concept was the inspiration for this game.
Getting to know Nounish culture
Some stages of the game are designed to indirectly teach players about the Nounish culture and the NounsDAO mechanism. Players will be enticed to go through these stages in order to obtain valuable rewards, and in the process, they will come across learning opportunities to grasp these concepts. We believe that direct teaching of these concepts might not be engaging for players, so we aim to make the learning experience more fun and interactive through gameplay.
Click on the picture below to see the video👇
Gameplay
The player controls their noun throughout each level in a 3D playground. Nouns can run, jump, grab, climb, dive + more to overcome the obstacles until the final point is reached and the noun goes through the gate to get minted.
There is ether on the path that the player must collect to meet the goal. The goal amount of ether is set based on how much that noun sold for at auction.
After completing each level, the player is awarded three stars. The first star is just for completing the level and the second one is awarded if the count of collected ether has reached the winning bid amount and the last star is awarded based on the time spent completing the level.
For example: The first level is about Noun 1 being minted and the player will have to guide the noun through the course while collecting enough ether to meet the winning bid on that noun, while trying to do it in the fastest time possible.
Click on the pictures below to watch an example of the Noun 1 & 2 levels of the game 👇
Multiplayer
In this mode of the game, players enter a battle royal like Fall Guys and compete with one another.
Each session starts with 40 players and three matches are held in each session. At the end of each match, only half of the players walk it through, then at the end of the third match, the final player wins the match.
The game and environment design is nounish and each level/match has its own unique theme based on nounish extensions such as lil nouns, Gnars DAO, Alps DAO, and many others where spectators are members of these communities.
In multiplayer mode, we’ll hold monthly in-game events relevant to DAO news, events, and popular holidays.
We aim to differentiate our game from competitors by improving the user experience and providing creative ideas, attractive maps, and Nouns that engage players in exciting challenges. Ultimately, our focus is on delivering a flawless and engaging game experience, and continuously improving it to create a supportive and enjoyable experience for players. After the full release of the game, we plan to hold various competitions, ranging from seasonal events to in-game events and those related to important events in the NounsDAO community. By offering special Nouns-related prizes, our goal is to create more challenges for players and familiarize them with DAOs and NFTs. Additionally, we can hold custom events upon the request of NounsDAO. We aim to reach 25,000 downloads in the first month after the game's release, and strive to achieve a steady growth rate of 5% in monthly downloads. We intend to encourage players to engage in the single-player mode and invite their friends to play the multiplayer mode. We incentivize players to invite their friends to play the game by offering rewards. Additionally, we create private clones for players to have a space to discuss the game.
Why a Mobile Game?
Mobile games are easily available to everyone with a smartphone these days and have a wide audience range.
Nouns DAO community?
Given the importance of the Nouns DAO community to our game, we have decided to leverage the collaboration with its members by inviting them to contribute ideas, feedback, and even resources to the game. This action will help foster a sense of ownership and strengthen the connection between our game and the community, ultimately ensuring its success. In addition to inviting Nouns DAO members to collaborate on the game, we have decided to launch a Discord channel to share the game's production stages with the Nouns community. This channel will serve as a communication space for receiving ideas, feedback, and criticism from Nouns community members, as well as a place to showcase the game's development stages and updates to them. By doing so, we can listen to user feedback more effectively and make the best decisions for the game in sync with the community.
How Long Will It Take To Produce?
The early access version will be released after 6 months and then it will take 6 months more until the final release.
You've seen and love our work with the nounish music videos we've created, let's make a game with even more impact!
Marketing
- App Store Optimization (ASO): This gives maximum exposure to our game in the store by lowering our cost per install (CPI) and filtering high-value users. It all needs to have localized content (Keywords, Categories, Screenshots, and Video Trailers) per region and culture. This is a full-time job of a user acquisition manager excluding producing visual content.
- Landing page: This is a one-page website where customers can learn more about our game. The landing page includes links to the App Store and Google Play Store, promo videos, a call-to-action, screenshots, gameplay trailers and reviews.
- Running paid Youtube and social media ads: Targeted ads on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. These platforms allow us to reach specific audiences based on factors such as demographics, interests, and behaviors.(The cost will be optimized by ASO)
- Offering incentives for referrals: Encourage existing players to share the game with their friends by offering rewards or incentives for referrals.
- Influencer marketing: Partnering with social media influencers or YouTubers who have a relevant audience can be an effective way to generate buzz and interest in the game. The budget could be used to compensate these influencers for promoting the game on their channels.
Monetization
- In-app purchases: Our game will offer a variety of ways for players to make in-app purchases to enhance their gaming experience and generate revenue for the game.
- In-Game Items: Players can purchase in-game items such as currency, power-ups, and other bonuses to improve their gameplay.
- Battle Passes: Players can purchase a Battle Pass to unlock new game modes, competitions, and exclusive rewards for a limited time. This popular monetization strategy creates a sense of urgency and excitement for players, increasing engagement and revenue for the game.
- (By offering these in-app purchases, we can provide players with new and exciting ways to engage with the game while generating revenue for the project.)
- Sponsorship or Brand Partnerships: Collaborating with a brand to promote their product or service within the game. This can generate revenue without relying solely on in-app purchases.
- Crowdfunding: As part of our monetization plan, we will be leveraging the power of NFTs to offer a unique crowdfunding option for our game. By purchasing an NFT from us, supporters will not only be helping to fund the development of our game, but they will also receive exclusive in-game items and benefits.
The NFTs purchased through our crowdfunding campaign will be useable within the game as character skins, attachments, and other in-game items. This provides a unique and exciting opportunity for our supporters to be part of the game's development and to have a tangible stake in its success.
Additionally, these NFTs can be traded on secondary markets, creating a potential revenue stream for our supporters and adding to the game's overall ecosystem. We believe that this innovative use of NFTs in crowdfunding will not only benefit our game's development, but also provide a new way for people to support and engage with the project.
Who Are We?
The Genius Slackers team is an independent producer of video games. The company was founded in 2016 by Arash Negahban and Saeed Abbasi.
We're an experienced video game development team that created the psychological horror game "What Happened," which won the Chainsaw Award for its fantastic story. Following that success, we worked on various outsource projects.
Now, we are proud to announce our second in-house game project, Nounish Playground. This project is a testament to our determination and our commitment to creating exceptional games. We are confident that Nounish Playground will be a success for us.
You've seen and love our work with the nounish music videos we've created, let's make a game with even more impact!
Click on the picture below to see the music video👇
Production Team Areas of Expertise
- Programming
- Art direction
- Game design
- Level design
- Environment Art
- Animation
- Character design
- UI design
- Lighting
- Technical art
- Music
- Sound Design
Budget and Cost Breakdown
This budget covers 12 months of production to deliver a game with 700 levels plus a solid marketing plan.
To make this game economically viable, we will use some existing assets created by the community by directing all technical designs to be compatible with the Nouns 3D project and implementing audio made with the Noun Sounds PLAYground, ultimately saving a lot on costs for a game like this.
Budget
- Programming Team: $42,000
- Art production: $54,000
- Game design & Level design: $54,000
- Sound & composition: $10,000
- Marketing: $40,000
- Total Budget: $200,000
The budget required for the early access release is $90,000. Once the early access is released after 6 months, we will require the remaining budget to complete the development of the game.
Why Should You Vote For This Game?
In the proposal, we outline a unique approach to game development that incorporates cutting-edge technologies such as NFTs and influencer marketing to generate buzz and revenue. By leveraging these strategies, our game will not only provide players with a fun and engaging experience, but it will also introduce them to the exciting world of Nouns DAO and cryptocurrency.
Through our ASO, paid ads, and referral incentives, we aim to reach a wide audience and drive downloads. Our monetization plan includes in-app purchases, battle passes, brand partnerships, and innovative NFT-based crowdfunding that will allow supporters to contribute to the game's development while receiving exclusive in-game items and benefits.
With all of the game's content being open-source and available to the public, we are committed to continually updating and expanding the game over time. By voting for our proposal, you are supporting a game that is not only entertaining and engaging but also pushing the boundaries of gaming and crypto.
Game Engine
With Unreal Engine 5, we have access to a variety of powerful web3 plugins that enable us to seamlessly integrate blockchain and NFT features into our upcoming mobile platformer game. We're excited to leverage the engine's capabilities to create an immersive and innovative gaming experience for our players.
Measuring Success
We will be able to measure success in a number of ways including, but not limited to:
- analytics on game installs/downloads
- daily active users
- call to action clicks
- landing page metrics
- social media engagement and analytics