Are you a chess enthusiast seeking a fresh take on strategic board games? If you love exploring tactics and strategy but crave a twist in gameplay, Knights of Cathena is a turn-based tactics PvP multiplayer game set in a medieval fantasy RPG world, operating on the MultiversX blockchain.

Combining elements of chess gameplay with NFTs for item ownership and collecting, the game is free to play and currently available for download on the App Store, Google Play Store, and Epic Games Store.

Gameplay

In Knights of Cathena, players are matched with opponents of similar rank, engaging in turn-based battles on a grid-based battlefield. The objective is to strategically position a team of Warriors, Archers, Priests and more to face off against the opponent. The game focuses on exploiting weaknesses and strengths in troop composition, with a 15-second time limit per turn to formulate effective strategies. Victory is achieved by annihilating the opponent's troops.

Tokenomics and Earnings

The integral token driving the Knights of Cathena ecosystem is $CGO, representing Cathena Gold. While not yet live, $CGO is slated for use in purchasing items and weapons, as well as facilitating sales within the game. This token serves as the reward for each match, constituting the earnings for players. Earning in the game is tied to achieving high ranks and securing a position on the leaderboard, thereby gaining a higher percentage of the daily fixed prize pool in $CGO. Interestingly, both winners and losers in each match receive a portion of the prize pool.

First Thoughts

Upon downloading the game on my phone, the signup process proved a bit challenging as it redirected me to the browser for email and registration. Upon returning to the game, I had to restart the game to start. The lack of a tutorial also meant I had no choice but to navigate the game without a basic understanding of game mechanics. In my first game, I randomly clicked on elements in the battlefield and my troops.

The visuals and animation were a little rough around the edge, and the command responsiveness is slightly delayed, which impacts the overall fluidity of the game. But given that the game’s just launched a few months ago, there’s certainly potential and room to improve.

TL;DR

Knights of Cathena draws parallels to chess, offering a unique take with actual troop representations. The game showcases magical attacks and melee warrior assaults, creating a war-like scenario. I do think that players being able to earn tokens regardless of the match outcome should be eliminated.

It’s a fairly new release, and the user experience could be enhanced, particularly in terms of offering a more comprehensive tutorial and smoother experience. A chess game should provide thrilling exchanges, and refining these aspects would contribute to a more engaging player journey. While I appreciate the potential of Knights of Cathena, there's room for improvement, and with enhancements, it holds the promise of evolving into a commendable turn-based tactical web3 game.