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Enhancing User Experience in Fully On-Chain Games: Trends, Challenges, and Solutions

Catherine Baer
UX Bonfire
Published in
8 min readJun 5, 2024

Introduction

Fully On-Chain Games (FOCGs) represent a groundbreaking shift in the gaming industry, leveraging blockchain technology to create decentralized gaming experiences that offer unparalleled transparency, security, and user autonomy. Unlike traditional games or even hybrid GameFi models that tokenize certain assets, FOCGs store all game logic, data, and assets on the blockchain. This article aims to guide UX experts into the realm of FOCGs, exploring their unique characteristics, current UI/UX trends, and the technical limitations that shape the user experience.

What Are Fully On-Chain Games?

FOCGs stand out by placing every aspect of the game — assets, logic, state, and storage — on the blockchain. This complete decentralization sets them apart from traditional and hybrid games. Here’s a closer look at how FOCGs differ from these other gaming models:

Fully On-Chain Games

  • Complete Decentralization: All game elements are stored and executed on the blockchain.
  • Transparency: All actions are verifiable on-chain, minimizing cheating.
  • Community Governance: Many FOCGs use Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) to allow community-driven development.
  • Sustainability: Games remain operational as long as the blockchain exists.

Hybrid On-Chain Games

  • Partial Decentralization: Only select parts (e.g., assets, governance tokens) are on-chain.
  • Ease of Development: Maintains off-chain elements for easier design and scalability.
  • Limited Benefits: Sacrifices some decentralization benefits for convenience.

Traditional Games

  • Centralized Servers: All game logic and data are managed by central servers.
  • Closed Ecosystems: Limited user control over assets and lack of transparency.

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UI/UX Trends in Fully On-Chain Games

FOCGs are rapidly evolving, with their UI/UX trends reflecting the unique challenges and opportunities of integrating blockchain technology into gaming. This section explores how these trends shape the user experience and what designers need to consider when creating interfaces for FOCGs.

Common Layout Trends

  • Wallet Integration: Seamless wallet connectivity is crucial. Successful FOCGs offer intuitive wallet integration, allowing users to connect, transact, and manage their assets effortlessly.
  • Transaction Feedback: Clear feedback on transaction status is essential. Players need to understand the progression and confirmation of their actions on the blockchain.
  • Asset Management: Interfaces must facilitate easy viewing, trading, and managing on-chain assets, ensuring transparency and control.

Good UI/UX Practices

  • Intuitive Design: Simplified interfaces that reduce cognitive load enhance user engagement, as seen in Dark Forest with its intuitive map exploration and clear transaction feedback.
  • Distinctive Visual Style: Unique visual designs create a memorable user experience; Wolf Game achieves this with its pixel art characters and environments, making it visually appealing and unforgettable.
  • Accessible Demos: Offering playable demos or video previews engages users by allowing them to experience the game mechanics before committing. For instance, Loot Survivor provides a demo version on StarkNet, enabling players to explore the game and understand its mechanics before investing.

Bad UI/UX Practices

  • Complex Onboarding: Lengthy and complicated onboarding processes deter new users. Early versions of Axie Infinity, which required extensive steps to set up wallets and understand the game mechanics, serve as a case in point.
  • Poor Instruction: Games lacking clear tutorials or instructions lead to user confusion and frustration, a common issue in some FOCGs where insufficient guidance on interacting with blockchain elements leaves users struggling.
  • Overwhelming UI: Interfaces overloaded with information can overwhelm users, detracting from the gaming experience. Some blockchain games present too many options and data points on the screen simultaneously, making it hard for players to focus on gameplay.

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Technical Limitations and Challenges

Speed and Scalability

Blockchain transactions can be slow and expensive, which impacts the real-time gaming experience by causing delays and increased costs for players. For instance, in fast-paced games, any delay in processing transactions can disrupt the game flow, leading to a frustrating experience for players accustomed to immediate responses. This lag can make actions such as moving characters, executing commands, or interacting with game elements feel sluggish and unresponsive. Additionally, the cost of transactions can add up, especially in games that require frequent interactions, making it less appealing for players who might be deterred by the high fees.

Current solutions, like Layer 2 scaling (e.g., Optimism, Arbitrum), aim to address these issues by processing transactions off the main blockchain and then batching them together to be recorded on the main chain. This approach significantly reduces the time and cost of each transaction, improving the overall user experience. However, challenges remain, particularly for high-speed, real-time games, where even minor delays can be critical. Despite these improvements, ensuring seamless and cost-effective interactions in such fast-paced environments remains a key area of focus for developers.

Racing cars speeding up an arrow to symbolize increased capacity and speed in blockchain scaling. Image created by author using DALL-E.
Racing cars speeding up an arrow to symbolize increased capacity and speed in blockchain scaling. Image created by author using DALL-E.

Storage Limitations

Storing large amounts of data on-chain is costly and inefficient. This limitation restricts Fully On-Chain Games' complexity and graphical fidelity, directly impacting the user experience. Due to the high costs and inefficiencies associated with on-chain storage, developers are forced to simplify game graphics and mechanics to fit within the constraints. This often results in less detailed visuals and reduced game functionality, making FOCGs more suitable for simpler game genres, such as turn-based strategy or card games.

From a UX perspective, these limitations mean players might experience games with lower-quality graphics and simpler interactions than traditional off-chain games. For instance, instead of immersive 3D environments with high-resolution textures and intricate animations, FOCGs might feature basic 2D graphics and minimal animations. This can affect the overall engagement and enjoyment of the game, as players who are used to rich, visually appealing game worlds may find the simplified aesthetics and mechanics less satisfying. Additionally, the need to keep data storage efficient might lead to fewer game features and less complex gameplay, further impacting the depth and replayability of FOCGs.

User Accessibility

The necessity of using crypto wallets and understanding blockchain concepts can be a significant barrier to entry, particularly for new users. To address this, new features are being developed to make blockchain interactions more user-friendly.

One such feature is Account Abstraction (AA), which transforms traditional crypto wallets into more flexible, programmable accounts. This innovation allows users to set up customized rules for transactions, such as daily limits or multi-signature requirements, making interactions with the blockchain simpler and more intuitive. For example, users could configure their accounts to require multiple approvals for large transactions, enhancing security while maintaining ease of use. This flexibility helps reduce the complexity of managing blockchain assets, making the technology more approachable for non-experts.

Additionally, social recovery methods are being introduced, which let users regain access to their accounts through trusted contacts if they lose their private keys. This process works similarly to how one might recover a lost password using friends or family members as recovery agents. This feature significantly simplifies the recovery process, alleviating the fear of permanently losing access to one’s assets, and makes blockchain technology more accessible and less intimidating to newcomers.

Transition to Future Outlook

Addressing these technical limitations and user accessibility issues is crucial for the success and wider adoption of FOCGs. By implementing innovative solutions, developers can enhance the overall user experience and attract a broader audience.

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Future Outlook and Recommendations

An image of an excited user playing a game on a console, with elements representing advanced blockchain technologies and improved user experience. Image created by author using DALL-E.
An image of an excited user playing a game on a console, with elements representing advanced blockchain technologies and improved user experience. Image created by author using DALL-E.

As Fully On-Chain Games (FOCGs) continue to evolve, integrating advanced blockchain technologies and improving user experience will be crucial for their success. Here are some recommendations for enhancing UI/UX in FOCGs:

Grouped Recommendations

  • Leverage Middleware Solutions: Implement technologies like Account Abstraction (AA) and zero-knowledge proofs to simplify user interactions and enhance security. As mentioned above, AA allows for customizable and programmable wallets, making it easier for users to manage their assets and transactions. Zero-knowledge proofs can provide privacy and security by enabling users to prove certain facts without revealing sensitive information, thereby creating a smoother and safer gaming experience.
  • Focus on Education: Provide comprehensive tutorials and in-game guides to help users understand blockchain mechanics. Educating users about how the blockchain components of the game work can reduce confusion and make the gaming experience more enjoyable. This includes step-by-step guides for setting up wallets, executing transactions, and understanding the benefits of on-chain gaming.
  • Enhance Visuals: Invest in distinctive and appealing visual designs to attract and retain players. High-quality graphics and unique visual styles can make a game more engaging and memorable. By focusing on visual appeal, FOCGs can compete with traditional games regarding aesthetic quality, which is crucial for player retention and satisfaction.
  • Simplify Onboarding: Streamline the onboarding process to lower the barrier to entry for new users. Simplifying steps such as wallet setup, account creation, and initial game navigation can make the game more accessible to a wider audience. Features like embedded wallets and social recovery methods can further ease the onboarding process, making it more user-friendly and less intimidating for newcomers.
  • Smart Accounts: Implement programmable accounts that are easier to manage. Smart accounts enable users to set up transaction rules, such as spending limits or transaction approvals, making account management more intuitive and reducing the risk of errors or unauthorized transactions.
  • Embedded Wallets: Integrate wallets directly into the applications for smoother onboarding. Embedded wallets eliminate the need for users to set up external wallets, simplifying the initial setup process and reducing friction for new users. This integration helps create a seamless entry point into the game.
  • Multi-Party Computation (MPC): Enhance security by allowing multiple parties to jointly manage transactions without one party holding complete control. This means users can trust that their transactions are secure and private, even when multiple entities are involved, without needing to share their private keys with others.
  • Advanced Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Endpoints: Improve the responsiveness and interactivity of the game by using advanced RPC endpoints. These endpoints can quickly process user actions and requests, ensuring that the game adapts smoothly to user interactions and provides a more dynamic and engaging experience.

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Conclusion

Fully On-Chain Games (FOCGs) represent a groundbreaking shift in the gaming industry by offering unprecedented transparency, security, and player autonomy through blockchain technology. Significant UX challenges remain despite these advancements, particularly in simplifying user interactions and managing technical limitations. By focusing on innovative solutions like Account Abstraction (AA), social recovery methods, and enhancing visual appeal, UX designers can bridge the gap between traditional and decentralized gaming. This integration not only attracts new users but ensures a seamless and enjoyable gaming experience. As the Web3 gaming ecosystem evolves, the role of UX design will be pivotal in driving adoption and shaping the future of immersive blockchain-based gaming experiences. UX designers are encouraged to engage actively with these innovations, helping to create the next generation of decentralized games.

User Experience
Blockchain Game
UX Design
Fully Onchain Game
Ux Challenge

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Catherine Baer
UX Bonfire

Written by Catherine Baer

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