Onchain War Games: How to Play Duper on Arbitrum
One of the most interesting things happening in the onchain games scene right now is the ramping up of Duper, a new type of social war game built on Arbitrum.
Built by the onchain gaming studio Curio, Duper just announced an $8.7 million raise and the launch of its Season 1 gameplay.
Combining elements of strategy games, card games, and stake-based games like Poker and Catan, the Duper experience is all about social prowess and strategic planning.
It has a classic and modern feel, and its Season 1 introduces new features, modes, and rewards, making it an interesting time to dive in. Let's go through all the basics below for anyone curious about getting started.
What is Duper?
Gameplay summary:
- Players: 5
- Game duration: ~40 minutes
- Core mechanics: Strategy, wagering, and social deception
Duper is set on a faraway desert planet where players build their armory, compete for territories, and forge—or destroy—alliances. The game is characterized by its social dynamics, where players can engage in bluffing and conspiracies, making each game session unique and unpredictable.
How does Duper work?
Duper’s gameplay revolves around three main resources: Gold, Cards, and Gems.
Gold is used for producing units and buildings, while Cards are utilized for advanced production and strategic actions. Gems are essential for wagering and determining game payouts.
Players deploy various units, including infantries, tanks, and planes, each with distinct strengths and movement capabilities. Buildings like capitals, forts, and research centers provide strategic advantages and unlock powerful "talents" that can turn the tide of the game.
Players strive to achieve one of three victory conditions: owning 12 tiles (adjusted based on the number of players), holding a 5-card straight flush, or being the last player standing.
That said, battles are a critical aspect of Duper, as players attack adjacent tiles owned by other players or NPCs (barbarians) to expand their territory. Battle outcomes are determined by the aggregate strengths of the attacking and defending units, along with any tile and gem buffs.
The game's social and diplomatic features are equally important, as players engage in private chats to negotiate, form alliances, and trade resources. This social aspect adds a dynamic layer of strategy, where players must constantly balance cooperation and competition.
Toward that end, the chat system in Duper is key for social maneuvering. Each player has private channels with the other four players, allowing for secret conversations. Additionally, various trade types enable players to exchange resources, like Cards and Gems, which can significantly impact player relationships.
What's new in Duper Season 1?
Season 1 lasts for six weeks (Aug. 6th-Sept. 17th, 2024) and features various rewards, special events, and a handful of new features. Some of the leading new pillars to keep in mind here:
- ✨ Sparks — Sparks are introduced as the primary in-game resource for Season 1. Players can earn Sparks by playing games, completing quests, and inviting friends. Sparks can be used to upgrade lootboxes and will have more utilities in future updates.
- ⚔️ Quests — A new quest system has been implemented, offering players various tasks to complete in exchange for rewards. This system helps players learn the game while earning Sparks.
- 🔢 Leaderboards and tournaments — Weekly leaderboards track player performance in Ranked, Casual, and Referral categories, with large reward pools of ETH and Sparks. Tournaments will offer significant prizes and recognition for top players.
- 🤝 Referral program — Players can invite friends to join Duper and earn rewards based on their referrals' gameplay activity. The top referrers each season receive a "Super Duper Host" badge, granting special privileges.
- 💎 Lootboxes and Emblems — Emblems, the first tradable utility asset in Duper, are introduced in Season 1. There are four tiers of Emblems: Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Legendary. Players can level up their lootboxes to earn higher-tier Emblems.
- 🎴 Season 1 Pass — The Season 1 pass, available for 0.05 ETH, allows players to earn ETH and Sparks by achieving milestones in both ranked and casual games. Completing all milestones grants a special "Pass Perfectionist" badge and a guaranteed discount for the next season's pass.
How to get started with Duper?
To start your Duper journey, you would create an account and set up a Privy wallet on the game website.
Note, you won't need any ETH to try the more casual game modes, but you will need to transfer some Arbitrum ETH to your Privy wallet if you want to start playing for stakes in Ranked matches.
Ranked games, currently held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 10AM PT, are the main competitive mode where players stake real money (0.005 ETH entry fee) and compete for rewards.
For those new to the game or looking to practice without financial risk, Casual games are available daily at 9AM and 6PM PT. These games use Sparks, the virtual in-game currency, instead of ETH, making them a more beginner-friendly option.
Lastly, Playground mode, which is always open, allows players to freely practice against an AI opponent. I recommend starting here to learn all the basic mechanics and strategies!
Why Duper?
"We do believe that, in the 21st century, as awesome and immersive video games as a medium has gotten, there ought to be a great video game that is also a fun wagering game like Poker. A game which you can play casually with friends for a few dollars, or in a dazzling tournament with millions on the line." — Curio cofounder Yijia Chen
Duper is an ambitious title that has created an entirely new format in the wagering genre. It has the same social intrigues that make Poker a hit, but it's fully onchain for its financial rails and wrapped up in the heart of a slick modern strategy game that can appeal to competitive and casual players alike.
Another interesting wrinkle is how Duper is built on Keystone, Curio's bespoke toolkit for building performant onchain games. Duper's rise validates the Keystone approach's promise and can inspire a wave of new games that embrace this compelling toolkit.
Of course, the Arbitrum community has also been working to grow its gaming scene lately, so Duper revving up gives that scene a new gem to rally to and take inspiration from. If Duper can continue to gain traction, then that bodes well for Arbitrum's gaming ecosystem in kind.