Although Mars is commonly known as "the red planet," many people see it as something more: a mysterious and promising realm. In Million on Mars, you may buy a piece of Martian land and use it to do everything from cultivating crops and raising livestock to creating your own rovers and structures using blueprint NFTs. But first, let's check out if this game will provide a scientifically realistic interactive experience.

• Blockchain Platform: WAX and Solana Blockchain
• Developers: Million on Mars Inc.
• Genre: Strategy Game
• Available In: Browser
• Status: Live

DEVELOPERS

Million on Mars Inc. is a Delaware C-Corp with its headquarters located in Austin, Texas. The company was established on April 16, 2020. They’re a company that’s privately owned, and its investors include Capital Factory, Widus Partners, Great South Gate, among others. Million on Mars introduced its first web3 game on November 28, 202 that can be accessed through their website. Since that time, the company has maintained its position as one of the leaders in the NFT gaming sector by providing weekly NFT drops and content, the highest possible quality in terms of community management, and finally as one of the projects out there that has a stable tokenomics.

GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW

The game is inspired by the latest breakthroughs in space tech, Million on Mars aims to inspire a generation to commit to building a planet B. Million on Mars is mainly a SciFi crafting game wherein you will start as a mere worker-settlers that have only the simplest of scavenging tools and perform work for the land-owning players. With the diligent use of the work order system and the savvy use of the marketplace, you can earn tokens. Eventually as you earn you can be a landowner where you’ll be able to build up your own land plots with buildings to harvest and transform the resources of Mars to grow the Martian economy and profit in the process.

TOKENOMICS

The main token of the game is known as Dusk which will be used for high-frequency transactions between players to build up their settlements on Mars. Workers can earn Dusk from in-game loops such as performing jobs and selling scavenged materials. Meanwhile, Glitter is consumed in-game as well, but is used for the higher-value, lower frequency activities in the marketplace. Think of Glitter as the currency that is used to purchase franchises, business licenses, land, and other enduring rights to the economy.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I honestly got excited after just reading the game’s whitepaper and taking a look at this project’s website. I was expecting a lot more to the game but it fell short after I watched the actual gameplay online. Honestly, the game looked boring and it’s far from the project’s claim that it will deliver the most realistic MMO Mars city-building experience. Well, the game might offer a somewhat rich, player-driven, and owned economy but for me the game is flat. In this game, you’ll be staring at a two-dimensional map of polygons on your screen and I find it dull and boring without many 3D figures. In my opinion, this game doesn't offer as much visual simulation or immersion as other games with more advanced graphics.

Nevertheless, there may still be other gamers that enjoy games without 3D figures for its simplicity, challenge, and focus on gameplay mechanics rather than solely on graphics. Million on Mars’ straightforwardness can allow for more focus on other aspects of the project like triggering the sense of retro gaming in some players. Ultimately, the enjoyment of a game is not solely dependent on its graphics, but also on its mechanics, story, and overall design. Simple graphics can be just as enjoyable as more advanced graphics, as long as the game offers a satisfying gameplay.

Overall, personal preference plays a major role in what types of games players enjoy. Some people may prefer fast-paced, action-packed games with intense graphics, while others may enjoy slower-paced, straightforward games with more focus on city building and exploration like Million on Mars. Ultimately, while it wasn’t a game for me, if you prefer this genre then it might be worthwhile to check out this game.