Key Insights
- The introduction of the Ordinals protocol allows various types of data, including games, to run on the Bitcoin network.
- Popular titles like Pac-Man, Tetris, and Snake are playable on Bitcoin.
- Zork, a pioneering text-based adventure game, is also available on the network.
- Doom and Zork are among the first video game inscriptions on Bitcoin.
- These games offer a nostalgic experience with straightforward mechanics and can be enjoyed by literally anyone
The Bitcoin network became more than just a transaction ledger with the introduction of the ordinals protocol in January 2023.
Now, we have everything from NFTs, documents, GIFs, music and even entire games running fully on top of the Bitcoin network.
Let’s talk about games though.
If you didn’t know about these, here are five of the top-rated games currently hosted on the Bitcoin network, for you to check out at your leisure:
PacMan
Pacman was one of the most popular games of the late 1900s and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon after its creation in the 1980s.
A perfect rendition of this game was recently minted under the ordinals protocol, with ID #189,058 as shown below.
Users can also play a sequel to this game called Ms. Pac-Man, along with another unofficial Cookie-Man version, inspired by Sesame Street’s icon Cookie Monster character.
Tetris
Ever since Soviet software programmer Alexey Pajitnov created the puzzle video game Tetris in 1985, the game has become a worldwide phenomenon and is now up there with the old-school classics.
Tetris is simple, yet strategic, and can be addictive at times.
A version of this game has been minted as a Bitcoin Ordinal under ID #35,043,603 and can be enjoyed by anyone.
The controls of this game might be hard to get around for the average user, but its fundamentals remain the same regardless.
The game features a plain field where blocks called tetrominoes fall from the top.
Players attempt to control the falling tetrominoes by moving them around, so that complete horizontal lines disappear, and the player gets rewarded with points.
Zork
Zork was one of the earliest attempts at inscribing a video game onto Bitcoin, hence the Ordinals ID, #146.
Zork was released in 1977 by a team at MIT, and unlike the others, is a text-based adventure game.
This game is considered one of the earliest and most successful text-based games of its kind, paving the way for more modern text-based games like the Dreamhold, Spider and the Web, and Aisle.
Doom
Doom is a first-person shooter (also called an FPS) video game that was released in the 1900s by ID Software.
Doom, is also considered to be one of the most influential games in video game history and likely laid the foundation for more modern shooter games like Call of Duty and PUBG.
This game has been minted under the Ordinals inscription #466, and like Zork, is one of the earliest forms of video game inscriptions on the Bitcoin network.
As an FPS, players engage with the game through the perspective of the protagonist, typically a space marine known as “Doomguy” (or “Doom Slayer” in later versions of the game).
Some of the key principles of the game involve intense, fast-paced combat against hordes of demons and other creatures.
Snake
This is likely one of the OGs of old-school gaming.
Snake is simple, addictive and relevant, even today. Some of the origins of the Snake game can be traced back to the early days of arcade gaming, and has even appeared on several consoles, from regular arcade consoles to handheld ones, to mobile phones in the early days of the Nokia 3310.
Like Zork and Doom, Snake was one of the first forms of game inscriptions on the Bitcoin network.
It has an ID of #142 and can be found/played here.
Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be construed as financial advice. Investing in cryptocurrencies involves substantial risk, including the possible loss of your capital. Readers are encouraged to perform their own research and seek guidance from a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Voice of Crypto does not endorse or promote any specific cryptocurrency, investment product, or trading strategy mentioned in this article.
