SolCypher

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  The Old Castle Game Start Screen

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  The Old Castle Puzzle Selection Screen

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  Divinity: One of the NFTs that a player may win by completing a cypher

Inspiration

We took inspiration from other puzzle games we've played, like Notpron, The Room, and a classic, Myst. And in terms of puzzle subject matter, we pull from computer science, sports, history, music, and more. Our prize pooling system (that increments as the game is played) and behavioral mechanics are a combination of Pool Together and SquidGame -- without the murder part.

What it does

We've built one of the first P2E web-based games on Solana. Players must solve puzzles aka cyphers to win, and in return, they receive a portion of the prize pool and achievement-based NFTs built on Metaplex. The starting prize pool is 10 SOL and is funded by us, the creators. The NFTs have two utilities: 1) they act as a badge of achievement, and 2) they allow players to play in a larger meta game.

Players may pay to unlock clues and answers (limited to 3 total); however they can also play for free. Purchases increment the total prize pool that all players are competing for.

How we built it

We used Python/Flask/Javascript to build the web app. The NFTs leverage Metaplex, and the prize pool amount is stored on a public key on the Solana blockchain. We interact with Solana with the solana-py library. With Metaplex, we use two type of NFTs: one is a Limited Edition, and another is a Master Edition. For the implementation, we used the python-api repo from Metaplex.

Challenges we ran into

There were some challenges handling a custom minting flow for users with Metaplex. We couldn't use a candy machine, which is where the majority of use cases and literature are built around on the Solana ecosystem today.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We built a functional game in the time of the hackathon (!), and we built a following of 400 people (and this was done organically, with only 1 NFT giveaway.)

What we learned

Learned a ton about the Solana ecosystem, Metaplex, and some of the nuances of NFTs today. It's been super exciting.

What's next for SolCypher

We will wrap up some of the additional artwork for the achievement-based NFTs. Then we will launch the first game to the public for playing. Because the prize pool is starting at 10 SOL, we expect this will attract a decent player base to try their hand at our puzzles. However, we are considering raising the starting pool amount to gain more players (we are currently accepting sponsorships).

Following the hackathon, we have additional plans to expand the game to accept additional currencies from other blockchains, and we may also alter some of the mechanics of the prize pool. We plan to launch 4 total rounds, and we will likely fundraise in December/Q1, 2022.

Built With

• flask
• javascript
• python
• solana