Founder Fridays: Storyteller Builds His Dream Game

David Johansson shares all about the journey behind BLOCKLORDS.

Can you tell us about BLOCKLORDS for those who aren’t familiar?

The idea of BLOCKLORDS was born from the fundamental misalignment in incentives for traditional free-to-play games where most of the effort targeted the small minority of paying players while the main player base was neglected.

We sought to create a game with a more balanced player economy, where new players could value add to more experienced players. Combine that with my love for strategy games, think: Total War, Age of Empires, and you get BLOCKLORDS: a medieval fantasy world with strategy game mechanics and a variety of roles for players, from humble farmers to powerful rulers.

Your background is in film making, what led you to Web3 gaming?

After finishing my studies in Film, I worked in Hollywood for a couple of years, where I learned the art of creative film packaging and honed my storytelling skills. My entry into gaming came about a decade ago when I took a leap of faith to China, taking on several production and creative roles in games such as Crusader Kings, Liberators, and League of Angels, which allowed me to develop a deep understanding of what players wanted, and how to create engaging experiences for them.

The Web3 element came much later in 2017, when I discovered crypto and the potential of Web3 technologies. Putting that together with my gaming experience, I went all-in on BLOCKLORDS in 2018.

Culture is key to a startup. What’s that like at BLOCKLORDS?

My leadership style can be described as a combination of determination and collaboration. I fully understand the challenges and difficulties of bringing a game to life, particularly one that pushes boundaries. It took a great deal of convincing to get everyone on board with the vision, but I was persistent and passionate about the future of the space and the game.

I think that by emphasising the importance of collaboration and fostering an environment that encourages innovation, we’ve built a strong foundation for our project. This enabled us to tackle challenges head-on and create an engaging gaming experience that resonates with our players. The determined and collaborative nature of our leadership has been instrumental in shaping BLOCKLORDS into the successful project it is today, and it’s something we continue to lean on as we push the limits of what’s possible in the world of Web3 gaming.

What are the next 6 months gonna look like for BLOCKLORDS?

Right now, we’re actually in our community beta, which is open for 30 days, ending June 10th. Players can join our beta by acquiring a hero NFT on our marketplace. After the beta closes, we will be fine-tuning the game with the valuable feedback from our players.

On the roadmap, players can expect novel battle mechanics to be incorporated into the game, which adds a new layer of strategy to the gameplay. An even larger upcoming addition will be the large-scale conflicts in the game, which are part of the Kingdom and Nation Wars system as players fight for dominance in BLOCKLORDS. Super exciting additions ahead!

Web3 Gaming has its fair share of skeptics. What do you have to say to new founders in the space?

As a founder venturing into the world of Web3, my advice would be to remain patient and focused on the long term. It took us five years to get where we are today, and it’s important to remember that success doesn’t happen overnight.

Instead of following the crowd and doing what everyone else is doing, look for opportunities that you are uniquely suited for, and focus on what you believe will be popular in the future. This may mean pursuing a vision that’s still years away from being realised, but it’s crucial to stay true to your passion and convictions.

Additionally, I believe it’s key to prioritise building a strong community, especially in the gaming space. The success of your startup often depends on the support and engagement of your user base. Be transparent, communicate with your community, and address their concerns and feedback.

With dedication and hard work, you can make a lasting impact in this exciting space.

Interested to try out BLOCKLORDS’ beta? Head over to BLOCKLORDS.COM or to their Discord for any questions!