In-Game Coins
In-game coins are a staple of many web2 and web3 game designs. However in web3, you have the choice of using on-chain tokens (ERC-20 or ERC-1155) to be this in-game coins (traditional assets stored in the game's backend database).
In web3, you have the option to use on-chain tokens as your in-game coins. While there are pros and cons to this approach, Immutable's product stack supports both on-chain and off-chain game design workflows, allowing you to choose the best fit for your game.
Choosing the right token type for your in-game coins - ERC-20 or ERC-1155
ERC-20:
- Eligible to be listed on Centralized Crypto Exchanges (CEX). Can be purchased with fiat or other ERC20 tokens.
- Can be used to buy other NFTs on NFT marketplaces.
- Commonly used for raising funds for your game.
ERC-1155:
- Eligible to be listed on a NFT marketplace. Can be purchased with fiat or other ERC20 tokens.
- A single collection can contain multiple in-game currencies.
- More gas-efficient for crafting.
- In-game coins can have metadata associated with it
Our philosophy
On-chain in-game coins promotes true asset ownership, a key differentiator in web3 games. On-chain assets can participate in transparent, engaging game economies driven by smart contracts. While using an on-chain token (such as ERC-20 or ERC-1155) for your in-game coins adds complexity, the potential benefits may outweigh the additional effort required. Immutable recommends considering at least one on-chain coins for your game, provided your team has the right capabilities, including expertise in economic management and consumer marketing.
The benefits of using an on-chain token as your in-game coins include:
- Automated Balance Management: Balances are handled automatically, requiring no additional effort.
- True Asset Ownership: Players fully own the asset both inside and outside of the game.
- Reduced Double-Spending Risk: All transactions are immutable, reducing the risk of double spending.
- Guaranteed Transactions: Transactions are atomic, meaning if any part of the transaction fails, the entire transaction is halted.
- Incentivize Development: Tokens can be used to incentivize developers and creators to build on top of your game.
By leveraging on-chain tokens, you can create a more robust and engaging game economy, but it's essential to weigh these benefits against the added complexity they introduce.
Relevant Immutable products and features
At Immutable, we've build the following features for your on-chain token (ERC-20 or ERC-1155):
Deploy Contracts via Developer Hub: The easiest way to launch your token, with a simple, clickable journey through the Immutable Developer Hub interface.
Bridging Services: A set of cross-chain bridges that activate your existing token for use within the Immutable zkEVM product stack.
Listing and Liquidity Services (Coming Soon): Tools and partners (including launchpads) to help publicize your token and make it available to your users.
Global Orderbook and Marketplace Ecosystem: Enables players to exchange your in-game coins (ERC-20) for purpose NFTs (ERC-721 and ERC-1155).
Crafting Contracts (Coming Soon): Allows you to burn/transfer ERC-20 and ERC-1155 in-game currencies with other assets to create more valuable and powerful items.
Core benefits
Some key benefits of utilising our ERC-20 and ERC-1155 solutions include:
Cross-Chain Bridging: Manage currencies across multiple blockchains in a synchronized, uniform way, reducing management costs.
Atomic Transactions: For primary sales, secondary sales, and crafting activities.
Instant Integration: Once your token is set up on Immutable zkEVM, it becomes automatically available across the entire stack of Immutable products you've enabled, including Checkout, Blockchain Data APIs, and Passport.
Swaps, Bridging, and Purchase Support: With Immutable's Checkout widgets for ERC-20 in-game coins