Gods Unchained

The NFT game scene is filled with developers racing to be the first to establish their games in a specific genre. The past few years have seen a rise in the digital trading card game genre, with titles like Hearthstone, Gwent, Magic: The Gathering and The Elder Scrolls Legends all vying for the top spot. These games’ popularity has seen digital card games bring in over $2 billion in 2020. Given this huge appeal, Immutable decided to join the fray, with Gods Unchained, their very own NFT digital card game.

With former Magic: The Gathering executive Chris Clay serving as the game’s director, Gods Unchained seeks to become the next big thing in the sector. The main difference between Gods Unchained and its competitors is the fact that in this case, all the game’s cards are NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. This gives the cards tangible value based on their rarity, allowing players to buy and sell them accordingly on the Gods Unchained NFT Marketplace. This process forms part of the play-to-earn model that the game adopts, giving players the opportunity to make some money by playing the game. Gods Unchained quotes the $74 billion that players spent on in-game items in 2020 alone. All those funds went to giant game companies, with none of the money being pocketed by players. The game aims to change this through its innovative model, giving you the player more agency in the process. While other NFT games also claim to offer a play-to-earn model, Gods Unchained goes a step further through a free-to-play structure. This means that players can simply start playing (and making some money) on Gods Unchained without putting any personal funds on the line.

But how does this all come together? Does Gods Unchained manage to redefine the genre, pushing it to the next level? Or does it crumble under the weight of its own expectations? In our in-depth review, we analyse very facet of the game, giving you a detailed look at all you can expect from Gods Unchained.

Deposits and Withdrawals

As a cryptocurrency game, Gods Unchained does not allow players to simply purchase items using regular currency. Instead, it asks you to add Ethereum to Immutable X wallet. 

First of all, you will need to make sure that your wallet is linked to Immutable X. Your wallet must also contain Ethereum currency. To deposit the Ethereum into your immutable X wallet, simply browse to the Immutable X Inventory Page, hit the Deposit button, and select Deposit ETH. The process is pretty straightforward but bear in mind that gas fees do apply. This is a transaction fee that Ethereum imposes on all the transactions that happen across its network. Gas fees fluctuate accordingly, so it helps to check what the market looks like before paying the fee. Fees are charged per transaction, so its always a good idea to make one big transfer, rather than a series of smaller ones. You will always pay the full fee, no matter what amount you process. No gas fees will apply to any transaction that you make in-game through Ethereum has been successfully moved into your Immutable X wallet.

Although funds do need to be deposited to purchase new cards, the most satisfying feeling comes from finally withdrawing some winnings. Withdrawals on Gods Unchained are very simple to follow through. Players must start by claiming any GODS tokens that they would have won. This can be done by simply clicking on the $GODS Token icon at the top of the screen and selecting CLAIM. Pick the wallet you would like to select, and your tokens will be claimed into your Immutable x Wallet. Next, you’ll have to login to your Immutable X wallet on your browser and connect your metamask to Ethereum Mainnet Immutable X. You can then select the desired number of GODS that you would like to withdraw and complete the process. These transactions take up to a maximum of 24 hours to complete. A gas fee applies here as well, so make sure the transaction is one worth making.

How The Game Works

Players can get started on Gods Unchained by creating their very own account for free. After completing a mandatory tutorial, you are presented with 3 card packs. Card packs are a great way to obtain cards in Gods Unchained. There are four levels of card rarity: Rare, Epic, Legendary and Shiny. Every pack comes with 5 cards, one of which is guaranteed to be of the same rarity as the pack itself. The rest of the cards might be of a higher or lower rarity. The Rare pack is the cheapest of the lot and is bought for $2.49. On the other hand, the priciest, Shiny pack will you set you back $149.99. Of course, these initial 3 packs are given for free. They might even have some rarer card inside, but this rarely tends to be the case. 

Now that you have your cards, its time to set up your deck. There are 6 Gods in Gods Unchained, each with their own category of cards. These include:

• Elyrian the God of Magic
• Malissus the Goddess of Death
• Auros the God of War
• Aeona the Goddess of Nature
• Ludia the Goddess of Deception
• Thariel the God of Light

The Gods all come with different special abilities, so it will take some strategizing to decide which God you’d like to select and why. You can choose a different god for every game, so players can test out all these different iterations to find out which one works best for them. No matter what choice you make, you’ll be given an additional 70 starter cards on top of the 15 you got from the packs. These cards must be used to assemble a competing deck of 30 cards. Players can field their decks to compete in normal or ranked game modes. Both game modes reward players with experience points to level up. Each new level grants players a free pack. But experience points aren’t the only reward you’ll obtain.

Any victories you manage to sustain will earn you GODS tokens. Although they are the game’s local currency, they also carry a real monetary value and can be withdrawn and exchanged for real money. This currency can be used to forge new cards or even buy new packs and chests. Its value means that earning GODS tokens will eventually translate into real money. 

Players can also make money by selling their rare collection of cards. Some rare cards can fetch thousands of dollars. This is all facilitated through the Gods Unchained Marketplace, where players can also buy individual cards. Some cards have been sold for $60,000 and more. A staking mechanic also allows players to stake their GODS tokens, creating an opportunity to double down on their value.

Card duels with other players pit your deck against another. Players will need to strategize according to their own cards as well as their opponent’s line-up. The aim is to deal damage to your opponent’s overall health, reducing it to zero to win. If your health bar depletes first, you lose. New cards bring in new strategies to master and overcome, so players are always kept on their toes. You’ll need to continuously hone your skills and adapt your tactics to survive the latest updates and additions.

Customer Support

To make life easier for players, Gods Unchained has amassed a huge FAQ compendium. This detailed help section will cover the most common questions and issues that arise within the game. Players can refer to it for any guides, tutorials or trouble-shooters that will help iron out the most common queries. If players are experiencing any serious issues while playing the game, they can contact the customer service directly. This is done by sending a request through Gods Unchained’s form, which is available online.

FAQ

What is Gods Unchained?

Gods Unchained is an NFT digital card game by Immutable. The game has players setting up decks of cards that follow one of 6 available gods in the game. Matches are fought in both normal and ranked modes, with players dealing damage to each other until only the winner remains. All players are awarded experience points, but winners also get to walk away with the game’s GODS token currency. This valuable token can be withdrawn for real money on the blockchain or used to forge new cards or buy additional packs. All cards within the game are represented through NFTs, meaning that they are all unique in their own right. Players have full ownership over the cards and can sell, buy or trade them accordingly.

How do I purchase Gods Unchained cards?

Gods Unchained has a variety of cards with different levels or rarity. Players can choose to buy them directly or to purchase them through card packs. Packs come in different rarity levels, including Rare, Epic, Legendary and Shiny. Each pack contains 5 cards, although only one of them is guaranteed to be of the same rarity level as the pack it came from. The rest might have a different level of rarity and in some cases can even have a higher rarity than the pack itself. A Rare card pack will set you back $2.49, while the rarest Shiny pack goes for a whopping $149.99. If players are looking to buy a specific card, they ca do so from the Gods Unchained Marketplace. Here, they can buy cards off other players, paying according to the card’s rarity. In some cases, card values have exceeded the $60,000 mark.

How do I make money playing Gods Unchained?

As a play-to-earn game, Gods Unchained allows players to earn money while they play. There is no initial fee for players to pay and so any money that you initially make will come through as a profit. The more games you manage to win, the more GODS tokens you earn, allowing you to buy better cards, though you could also withdraw them into your personal wallet. The sale of rare cards is a great way to make money off Gods Unchained too, with the most valuable cards fetching incredibly high prizes.  Players can also engage in the stake mechanic, which allows you to stake some of your GODS tokens in a bid to earn even more currency.

Pros 

• Free to Play – Whereas most NFT games ask players to purchase several items before joining the game, Gods Unchained takes a different path. Instead, players can join for free and are even given 3 card packs on the house. Sure, the card packs themselves are the most common of the lot, but there is still a chance for players to find a rarer card hidden amongst them. Once all of this is done, you can simply setup your deck and start playing. Any victories you manage to achieve will earn you additional currency which can be used to buy more cards or sold for a profit.
• Fantastic Gameplay – The scepticism surrounding most NFT games at the moment comes from players who doubt the legitimacy of this new platform. Players tend to be quite hesitant whenever micro transactions or any form of monetary elements enter video games. Will the game be worth playing? What value does it have outside of being a financial tool? Gods Unchained quells all these concerns with its incredible gameplay. It builds on the concepts of success stories like Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone. The result is a game that can easily be enjoyed even without its NFT aspects. It’s a model that other developers might want to follow, prioritising fantastic gameplay as much as the financial elements that come with it.

• Top-notch Presentation – Gods Unchained entered a populated genre, filled with instantly recognisable cards, boards and visual design. Players know the level of visual detail that they’ve come to expect from these games, with boards and characters coming to life through beautiful animations. Immutable have managed to hold their own in this regard, creating an experience that matches that built by the best in the business. Sure, the theme and art direction borrow heavily from its competitors, but Gods Unchained builds its very own experience. The cards and game arenas are a sight to behold and once the battle kicks off, magic and particle effects fly around the screen to incredible effect.

• Play-to-earn Model – One of the biggest advantages that NFT games have to offer is the ability to have players make money from playing games. Gods Unchained pairs a free-to-play structure with a play-to-earn model to achieve this. What this means is that players can simply start playing the game without forking out any personal cash. Winning matches and tournaments will yield incredible rewards through which players can make a profit. GODS tokens are given away as prizes and these have an actual monetary value. Players can use the tokens to forge new cards or to buy packs and chests. Any high value cards you find can be sold off for a profit. The tokens themselves can also be exchanged directly for money with a fluctuating price that changes accordingly.

Cons

• Only supports Ethereum – A big bar to overcome in NFT games is getting used to the way cryptocurrency works. Many potential players will have never traded or used cryptocurrencies in their life and so getting used to a whole new monetary system can be a chore. Gods Unchained doesn’t do much to help with the issue, as they only support the Ethereum blockchain, one of the more notoriously difficult blockchain technologies to master.

User Reviews

• I stumbled across Gods Unchained by accident and thought I’d give the game a go since I love digital card games. I was surprised to find the gameplay so engaging and haven’t stopped playing it since. The whole earning money thing is a plus really, as the gameplay itself already makes it a game worth playing.
• Being quite sceptical of cryptocurrency games, I approached this one with caution. But Gods Unchained puts other cryptocurrency games out there to shame. I’ve never seen an NFT game look this good. The visuals manage to hold up with similar games and the gameplay is really enjoyable. Would highly recommend.
• I love the play-to-earn model on Gods Unchained. I had been looking for a game that I can really sink my teeth into and make some money from. Sure, as with any other game; you win some, you lose some, but for the most part the experience is incredibly rewarding.

Final Thoughts

Through Gods Unchained, Immutable has forged a fantastic experience. With engaging gameplay, wonderful visuals and an innovative blockchain technology at its core, this could very well be the next step for the digital card game world. By finding the right balance between fantastic gameplay and a solid play-to-earn model, Gods Unchained can serve as an example for future games to follow.