Since the rise of NFT projects in 2021, a category of projects has emerged that explores storytelling across different mediums. These projects have built comics, animation, video games, film, and written stories.

While they have previously been referred to as storytelling NFTs, in this article, we will explore the case for a new way to categorize them and explain why it is useful and necessary.

Introducing: Lore NFTs

What do all of these projects across various mediums have in common? They are all centered around stories. Worlds, characters, and events all play a crucial role in the Intellectual Property being developed around these NFT collections since their launch.

But the problem with calling them storytelling NFTs is that nowadays most projects will point out that they include storytelling, some way or another. There is a role story plays on the project, but it won’t be at the core of their activities.

The truth is that a project focusing on the development of their story itself as a critical element of their core value proposition will behave differently than a project that has storytelling only as a way to build brand or as an add-on for some community members to experience.

Story-centric projects will create their community around the development of their world, their characters and their adventures. People join these projects because they are attracted to the potential for shaping the story through their participation, and they invest in these projects because they believe in the potential for a brand around it.

These projects focus on building their lore along their community, no matter which medium they will explore with it. So let’s define Storytelling and Lore NFTs so we can differentiate the two of them.

**Storytelling NFTs **can be described as any project that develops some kind of backstory for the project, or involves stories as a way to expand their IP. Story is part of what they build, but it is not at the center on how the project relates to their community.

**Lore NFTs **prioritize building stories with their community as a core activity within their projects. If a project actively involves their community through well-defined and recurrent activities to influence their stories being crafted, and aligns all its offerings with those narratives, then we are talking about Lore NFTs.

Case studies across mediums

Lore NFTs will build comics, video games, short films or full fledged movies all around the world that their audience contributes to. Some will launch with a clear medium to focus on at first, but most will explore more than one as they craft their core releases. 

Let’s explore some of these projects and what they have achieved so far.

Comics NFTs  

Many projects claim that they are building "Marvel in Web3", but very few have done as much already to be close to that as** Macroverse.**

Founded by Hollywood and industry veterans, Macroverse creates their own IP, partners with existing NFT Collections with a compelling world, or downright acquire dead collections to give them a new life through comic books. 

They already have an app for consuming their comics, with users in the thousands. Their community has been involved with the process of a handful of them, specially when collaborations insue, just like in the case with Wanderers, another Lore NFT we will describe later on.

Film3 

**The Fringe **is one of those massive projects that don't really sound real until you see what has already been done by their core team and their community alike.

Started by a team that have previously made a film with Pedro Pascal, The Fringe is probably best described as a worldbuilding project. While their feature film is their main goal, community members are encouraged to expand on the lore of the planets, cities, factions, culture, and even the food (yes, there's a whole lot of content around food) that will serve as background for that story.

As with many of Lore NFTs projects, you won't need to own one in order to join and contribute to the story. Just navigate the forum and see if there's something you would like to help imagine about life on their planets!

Video game NFTs 

**PlanetQuest **has been involving their community on how the main story takes shape for when the core game releases.

Each chapter has included pools that invite gamers to vote on the path their characters take. Then, the team expands on the story taking the community's decision into consideration. 

Lore NFTs don't necessarily implies a strong decentralization on how stories are made, and PlanetQuest is a perfect example on how community engagement can happen alongside creative control from a core team.

Transmedia NFTs

**Wanderers **was the first generative animated NFT collection. Released with a short film telling the Genesis moment for the journey of the Wanderers, this transmedia project has played with animation, music, voice acting in their Transcriptions, an upcoming video game that they are building after raising funds with Animoca Brands, and a comic series they are launching in collaboration with Macroverse.

Holders can have ships, planets, and wanderers themselves, and they are going to be part of the expansion of the lore with a series of workshops and contests managed by Macroverse. So a holder's character may appear (or even star!) in a comic, and then form part of the videogame Wanderers will release. 

Worldbuilding NFTs

There is a channel in Discord for** Animeta holders to share new entries for the lore of Natum, the planet that Animetas inhabit. There’s a whole Notion **where you will find details on the timeline, places on Natum, and the origins and traditions of some of the factions that populate this world.

Similarly to The Fringe, there’s even details about some of the food Animetas make, courtesy of one of the members of the community.

While the project is planning on launching a game, the core activity of the community so far has been building and making sense of the world where Animetas live. Some Lore NFTs won’t launch with a specific format in mind, or explore multiple from the beginning (as is the case of Wanderers), but rather will focus on worldbuilding with their community. People who join enjoy the already existing art, stories, lore, and the concept that got the world started in the first place.

There are tons of projects launching and building Lore NFTs, and this is just a glimpse to what exists out there. You can find more in** my compendium of projects, **including platforms and tooling that enable Lore NFTs to be developed. If you would like to include another project, hit me up on Twitter!

Why a new name can help us

In this article, we have explored how lore plays a central role in a certain category of NFT projects. Their business models might change depending on the formats they pursue, but community engagement will always share a focus on building a story together through the expansion of the lore of the collection.

Why name this category? By having a recognizable way to address these new emerging IPs we can share best practices and experience on how we can build these types of projects. Having a single meme of production that can rally all storytellers under this shared concept can help us share and learn from each other, as we navigate the frontier on how we can tell stories using the new tools that web3 put at our disposal.

The future for how stories are crafted is already taking place, and it is built by Lore NFTs.

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