Mines of Dalarnia (DAR): A Play-to-Earn Action Adventure Game

2021 has seen the release of an incredible variety of crypto games using a “play-to-earn” model which rewards players for their time and effort. These games, which are commonly termed GameFi, have experienced an explosion in popularity recently because of their attractive business model. The recently released Mines of Dalarnia is the latest addition to the play-to-earn crypto game pile.

In this guide, we’ll explain what exactly Mines of Dalarnia is, how the game works, DAR tokens, and the game’s full release date. 

What Is the Mines of Dalarnia Game About?

Mines of Dalarnia is a free-to-play 2D action adventure game that runs on the Chromia blockchain. Gameplay involves guiding a character through procedurally generated levels to collect rare relics and artifacts you can use to upgrade your gear and uncover the secrets of Dalarnia. By blending dungeon crawling, exploration, crafting and combat, Mines of Dalarnia delivers a fresh take on the 2D sandbox genre — but on the blockchain. 

As the name implies, mining is a huge component of the gameplay experience. Players mine for resources in different terrains, uncover secrets, and collect materials for upgrading their mining equipment and character attributes. 

The game, which was developed by Workinman Interactive and Chromia Studios, features a variety of regions for players to explore that are sorted into four core types: Ice, Darkness, Lava, and Terra. In addition to mining for minerals and resources, players also have to fight monsters to obtain rare and valuable items and advance through the game. 

Mines of Dalarnia is the first 2D game with procedurally generated levels to be developed on the blockchain. Like many GameFi projects, a big part of the appeal is its play-to-earn model, which allows players to obtain a share of the dividends collected from game development. Other crypto games that use a similar play-to-earn structure that have been released or are under development include Illuvium (ILV), My Neighbor Alice (ALICE) and Axie Infinity (AXS). Genopets (GENE), tentatively scheduled for release in 2021, uses a similar template, with players actually earning tokens by getting physically active with the assistance of a novel “move-to-earn” platform.

A recent teaser for Mines of Dalarnia 2.0 has the crypto gaming community optimistic for the game’s future. It reportedly has over 100,000 users interacting with the testnet, and so far, over 4 million transactions have been confirmed on the chain. Mines of Dalarnia is proving to be a fun game for both casual users and hardcore gamers. 

How Does Mines of Dalarnia Work?

Mines of Dalarnia is a browser-based game, which means anyone can access the game right from their browser, with no download necessary. 

The world of Dalarnia has a wide range of minerals and resources hidden underground, waiting to be discovered by brave miners. The types of resources hidden under a particular region differ, depending on the type of terrain.

All mines contain enemies that players have to fight. The enemies grow stronger as you progress in the game and go deeper into the world of Dalarnia. Enemy types vary, depending on the region, so players must learn to adapt to enemies with specific attacks and properties.

In addition to mining, players have the option to become landowners by buying parcels of blockchain real estate. The developers plan to hold regular land sales for parcels in different terrains. Players who become landowners are responsible for growing the economy and can earn a variety of rewards, including rental fees from miners, mineral airdrops, token giveaways, and more. 

What Is DAR?

Mines of Dalarnia has its own native token, DAR, which is the default currency of the world of Dalarnia. The token was launched in November 2021 as part of the Binance Smart Chain, and is available on various cryptocurrency exchanges.

The total supply of DAR is capped at 800,000,000 DAR. As of December 2021, 123.2 million DAR (15.4% of maximum token supply) was already in circulation. Another 24 million DAR (3% of the maximum supply) has been set aside for Launchpool rewards. 

What Is DAR Used For?

As the native token of the Mines of Dalarnia, DAR has the following functions.

In-Game Currency and Play-to-Earn Rewards

DAR is the default in-game currency. It can be used to buy assets on the in-game marketplace and to pay for transaction fees.

Resources in the game range from basic to exotic, depending on the region from which they’re acquired. Basic minerals can be used to perform simple equipment upgrades. More exotic resources and rare relics and artifacts can be used to perform advanced equipment and plot upgrades. 

To play the game, players must first purchase the starter pack, which includes oxygen supplies and a basic pickaxe. Different terrains require various types of equipment to keep players alive, so players must use resources to upgrade their equipment and develop mining strategies if they want to advance in the game. New items can also be crafted using minerals collected through the mining process. 

Since Mines of Dalarnia is a play-to-earn game, players can also win tokens in multiple ways: completing in-game quests, inviting friends to play, or winning competitions to acquire DAR tokens. Additionally, landowners can earn a fee by renting their properties out to miners to explore.

All items, relics and artifacts found in the game are represented by non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and can be traded on open markets. Players have the option to trade or sell items they don’t need on the in-game marketplace. Those who don’t have the patience to find specific resources can use the marketplace to buy or rent items they require to progress in the game. 

Mining Apes NFT Collection

In October 2021, the developers of Mines of Dalarnia issued a collection of 10,000 ape buddies as part of the so-called Mining Apes Collection to drum up hype for the game and capitalize on the growing popularity of NFTs. 

Each mining ape is unique: they have different skin tones, accessories, clothing, hats, tools, and more. The apes are represented by NFTs which were minted on Ethereum at 0.06 ETH per token. The ape NFTs are tradable on OpenSea and any other ERC721-compatible NFT marketplaces. 

Players who purchase Mining Apes gain the following privileges: 

• A cool on-chain ape buddy to accompany you as you explore Dalarnia. 
• Membership and early access to the game. 
• A chance to earn DAR tokens, based on the rarity of your mining ape and the amount of time you’ve held it 
• Eligibility for free NFT drops, including canary birds, starter packs, and more

Decentralized Governance

Mines of Dalarnia is a decentralized game, which basically means that it’s collectively owned by DAR token holders, who have the power to vote for things like miner policies, land economy and other aspects of the game.

Stake $DAR

DAR tokens can be staked in order to generate returns and speed up the game’s progression. There’s a unique tool set available at every level which players can obtain by either earning experience points organically or by staking DAR tokens. 

Dalarnia landowners can also stake DAR in the regions that host their land parcels. Staking in this way reduces the diminishing rate of resources for all land in that region, proportionate to the amount of DAR in the staking pool. 

Mines of Dalarnia Release Date

Mines of Dalarnia had an alpha release in Q3 2021, which was open to all on the Chromia testnet. According to the road map, the mainnet and planetary storyline won’t be released until Q1 2022. Once the mainnet is released, the developers plan to hold a player tournament and add additional gameplay to the planetary storyline. They also plan to add social features like in-game chat. A mobile release for Mines of Dalarnia is scheduled for Q3 2022. 

Chromia’s Metaverse Grant Program

Chromia announced an $80 million Metaverse Grant Program in collaboration with My Neighbor Alice in November 2021. The program is meant to expand and enrich the Dalarnia gaming universe. Grants will be available for developers who build mods and utilities for the game, and also developers who want to build standalone games that can interact with Mines of Dalarnia. 

Mines of Dalarnia is built on top of the Chromia network, and any other supported game built on the network can share assets across different game universes. As the number of gaming titles in the ecosystem grows, developers can form complex synergies between several games. The developmental team behind Mines of Dalarnia hopes the grant program will accelerate this growth and create a gaming metaverse that is immersive, robust and resilient. 

The Bottom Line

As a play-to-earn action adventure game, Mines of Dalarnia has gained traction as it continues to expand in the blockchain GameFi space. The game’s developers envision the game as a “first stop” for metaverse gaming by providing new users with a casual but streamlined gameplay experience. To learn more about GameFi projects like Mines of Dalarnia, check out our GameFi guide on Bybit.