For quite some time, multiplayer games have been the go-to for gaming. Providing a place where you can express your skill and see how you stack up against players worldwide. However, there is still a spot for single-player adventure games that focus more on the story being told in the form of gaming, and one example is Age of Rust. Although not similar to other Play-to-earn games like Axie Infinity and the Sandbox, it aims to pack a good and intriguing mystery adventure while providing some earning opportunities.

Background

Developed by SpacePirate Games, Age of Rust takes its players on an adventure set in the year 4424, putting you in the role of a skilled hacker who wakes up from his hundred-year slumber in a time capsule to discover the events and lore of the world you are in as you progress through the game’s story.

Graphics and Gameplay

Starting out as a 2D text-based game, the developers saw the need to make the game 3D to make it more immersive as they expanded the gameplay for Age of Rust. The graphics are stunning and quite realistic although it still feels unpolished, and the gun animation looks unrefined. The characters feel emotionless despite the good voice acting as there isn’t much change in their facial animations during cutscenes where they need to talk to other characters. I think this takes away some of the emotions of the otherwise compelling story the game is trying to showcase to the players.

Gameplaywise, I truly believe this is one of the better titles for blockchain games. Proving it’s not always about the PVP and PVE modes that enable a game's play-to-earn aspect but it rewards players for completing puzzles and exploring different parts of the well-designed open world with plenty of scattered objects to interact with as you crack the real-life wallet that contains 20 BTC as its final challenge. Players who are into mysteries and puzzles will find a lot to enjoy here.

Earning Potential

Age of Rust only has one native token in the form of Rustbits, which players can earn by completing the different quests and challenges available. Rustbits can be used to purchase weapons, premium NFTs and other in-game assets. This will also be used in other games that SpacePirate Games will develop in the future. You can also win NFTs while playing and since Enjin projects are built with interoperability in mind, you’ll also profit from the items you can get in-game by listing them on Enjin’s marketplace. Finally, there are rewards for completing certain tasks and the final puzzle where the first person to crack the puzzle will be rewarded with 20 BTC.

Final Thoughts

In a market saturated with P2E games that all play around the PVP/PVE modes, I think having a story-based puzzle mystery game is a breath of fresh air. It incentivizes players not for every match they play but for progressing the story and uncovering the secrets of the world (at least inside the game). Although the game is not Free-to-play and will come at a cost, it feels like an actual game that you have to buy but you have a chance of earning back what you spent and more as you complete the missions in the game, creating a unique experience and a new way of viewing blockchain gaming.

Overall, if you are looking for a single-player-oriented game with plenty of puzzles and mysteries to solve, put your monocles on and maybe equip a weapon or two as you jump into this game of mysteries, NFTs, and bounties that is Age of Rust!