![]() ![]() They wanted to build the game in a way that would allow everyone to be able to check that “the mathematical protocol underlying the game is being followed correctly,” says Gubsheep. Shortly thereafter, he convinced two friends to help him build it.Įventually, Dark Forest’s creators decided that to make it work they’d need to use a blockchain. When he got home, he stayed up all night sketching out the idea. Gubsheep began to imagine a “cryptographic Dark Forest” in which opposing players would be like civilizations “tiptoeing” through a universe filled with potentially hostile counterparts-hidden from view thanks to zero-knowledge proofs. The most prominent example is Zcash, a Bitcoin-like cryptocurrency that uses a class of zero-knowledge proofs called zk-SNARKs-the same kind Dark Forest uses-to hide transaction data so that users can deal anonymously, almost as if they were using a digital form of cash. In fact, MIT Technology Reviewnotes that the game might even be seen as a revolutionary step towards constructing and hosting rich new, shared decentralized metaverses that no one owns, and no one can stop.The idea behind zero-knowledge proofs dates back to the 1980s, but some of the first practical applications have appeared recently in blockchain systems. ![]() Dark Forest is a prime example of this, which unlike other online strategy games that rely on a server, runs on a decentralized blockchain where players have no control over the results of their actions, and no knowledge about other users.įurther, Gubsheep’s innovative use of blockchains and advanced cryptography not only makes for a more interesting and complex gaming experience, but also diversifies the ways in which these technologies can be used beyond their current, common financial functions. However, with advanced applications of zk-SNARKs on Ethereum, recently the transparency of blockchain has begun its transformation. Up until recently, incomplete information on blockchains was a nearly impossible feat as information about every transaction and party remained visible in the public realm. Players embark on a mission to capture hidden planets and grow their territoriesĭark forest: paving the way for autonomous metaverses Each move is recorded on the blockchain and validated, though their coordinates in the universe remain hidden from opponents. However, they have no idea of how their conquest strategies will play out. Meanwhile the rest of the map as well as locations, movements, and planets of opponents are concealed behind a cryptographic fog of war (no vision).Īs they navigate the unknown void to capture more planets with random outcomes, more of the universe gradually becomes visible to them. To begin with, players only have vision over a small portion of their map. Their mission is to explore the infinite universe, competing with hidden opponents to discover and capture other planets and resources while completing round-based competitive tasks to grow their empire. Players begin their journey by spawning on to their own home planet. Built on Ethereum with zkSNARKS - a powerful cryptographic tool that validates each player’s moves on the blockchain without revealing that information to other players - the real-time space conquest strategy game is set amid a procedurally-generated universe filled with millions of hidden planets. The world’s first decentralized incomplete info game | all images © Gubsheep & Dark ForestĬonquering a cryptographic universe with hidden informationĭark Forest is one of the first incomplete-information games ever built on a decentralized system. A recent article by MIT Technology Review further poses that Dark Forest’s impact and innovations extend far beyond its unique gaming experience, to point towards a ‘new vision for the metaverse‘, wherein these technological innovations can foster a transparent blockchain and host autonomous decentralized digital worlds. Redefining the possibilities of what can be achieved in the sphere of Web3, the sci-fi game applies cutting edge technologies such as zk-SNARKs - zero-knowledge cryptography - in ways we haven’t seen them used before. A unique intersection between gaming and cryptography, Dark Forest takes players on an unpredictable quest to explore a vast blockchain-supported universe and conquer hidden surrounding planets while staying safe from attacks from lurking opponents. Integrating gaming and innovative web3 technologiesĭeveloped by MIT graduate Brian Gu under the pseudonym Gubsheep, Dark Forest is the world’s first decentralized incomplete-information game, and possibly the most complex app on the blockchain. ![]()
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