How To Estimate The Blockchain Game Development Cost?

Last Updated on: June 27, 2023

Blockchain game development cost has become a pivotal factor in the rapidly evolving landscape of web3 game development, where decentralisation and ownership are paramount. By leveraging blockchain, developers can create immersive experiences and innovative gameplay mechanics. 

As per a DappRadar Q1 2023 report, the investments in blockchain gaming & metaverse projects have risen by 12.95% to reach $739 million. This growth validates why there is a surge in blockchain game development in 2023 when compared to 2022. 

In this blog, we explore the fascinating realm of blockchain game development cost, uncovering the key factors and financial considerations that aspiring developers need to be aware of when venturing into this exciting domain.

We will go through the following aspects of the blockchain game development cost:

• Breaking Down The Blockchain Game Development Cost
• What Are The Benefits Of Blockchain Game Development?
• Infrastructural Components Defining The Blockchain Game Development Cost
• Blockchain Game Development Cost Based On Gaming Architectures
• Discovery Process In Blockchain Game Development Cost Estimation
• Systango As A Blockchain Game Development Company

Breaking Down The Blockchain Game Development Cost

The cost of developing a blockchain game can vary greatly depending on several factors, including the game’s complexity, development platform, the team’s expertise, and the specific features and functionalities required. 

Game Design

The first step in developing a blockchain game is to design the game. It includes the concept, story, characters, and gameplay mechanics. The cost of game design varies depending on the game’s complexity and the designer’s skills.  

Development

Game development includes coding, creating graphics, and adding sound effects. The development cost will vary depending on the complexity of the game, the programming language used, and the number of developers involved.

Testing

Testing ensures that it is free of bugs and works as intended. The cost of testing will vary depending on the complexity of the game and the number of testers involved.

Marketing

Game marketing includes creating a website, running ads, and attending gaming conventions. The marketing costs will vary depending on the size of the marketing campaign and the target audience.

In addition to these general costs, there may be other costs associated with developing a blockchain game, such as:

• Legal fees for filing patents or trademarks
• Cost of servers to host the game
• The worth of cryptocurrencies to reward players

If you are considering developing a blockchain game, you must understand all the blockchain game-building costs involved and ensure a clear monetisation plan.

What Are The Benefits Of Blockchain Game Development?

If you have a knack for gaming and are planning to get a blockchain game built, you can leverage the following benefits of blockchain game development: 

1. Transparency and immutability for trust and anti-fraud measures.
2. Ownership and control of valuable digital assets through NFTs.
3. Interoperability for cross-game interactions and collaborations.
4. Play-to-earn opportunities with real-world value for player rewards.
5. Community governance allows players to influence game development.
6. Enhanced security and anti-fraud measures compared to centralised systems.
7. Monetisation opportunities for developers through asset sales and transactions.
8. Increased player engagement and retention through ownership incentives.

As a blockchain game development company, we specialise in integrating gaming architectures. These architectures include the NFT marketplace, blockchain protocol, DAO, wallet, etc. 

Contact us today to get your custom quote for blockchain game development costs.

Infrastructural Components Defining The Blockchain Game Development Cost

It is essential to understand all the basic infrastructure components that make up a blockchain game. The infrastructure components collectively define the scope, complexity and resource requirements of blockchain game development.

The specific choices made for each component can affect the development expenses associated with building a successful blockchain game. Following are the blockchain game development infrastructural components: 

Blockchain Platform

Blockchain platforms have varying fee structures, gas costs, and development complexities. Choosing a specific blockchain platform ascertains the development cost due to differences in transaction fees and development resources required for integration.

Smart Contracts

Achieve streamlined workflows and secure asset ownership in-game by developing smart contracts for blockchain games. More intricate & extensible smart contracts with advanced features, such as complex game mechanics, interactions with objects or sophisticated rules, require additional development time and expertise, which impacts costs.

Smart contract development enables seamless launches of P2E platforms, metaverse games, and other decentralised applications (dApps) for enterprises.

Wallet Integration

Detailed crypto wallet customisation and integration services also define the blockchain game development cost. A blockchain game development company comprehends your project needs. They tailor features and UI design of crypto wallets to facilitate storing, sending, and receiving crypto tokens and trading in-game assets represented as NFTs.

NFT Marketplace

The cost of integrating NFT marketplaces depends on factors such as the number and complexity of NFT types, the creation of artwork, the implementation of metadata and the associated development of smart contracts.

Backend Infrastructure

The complexity and scalability requirements of the backend infrastructure can have an impact on costs. Higher scalability requirements require additional servers, databases and API integration. This also increases infrastructure costs.

Frontend Development

The complexity of the user interface design (UI) and the user experience (UX) can affect the cost. Games with more complicated and visually appealing user interfaces, multiple screens and advanced interactive elements may require more development resources, resulting in higher costs.

Game Design and Artwork

The complexity and quality of game design and artwork can influence costs. Highly detailed and visually captivating 2D/3D graphics, animations, sound effects, and music compositions may require additional resources or specialised skills, affecting the overall development cost.

Testing and Security

Rigorous testing and security measures are essential for blockchain games. The extent of testing, including functional testing, performance testing, security audits and vulnerability assessments, can impact costs. Thorough testing and security measures often require additional resources and specialised expertise, resulting in higher development costs.

Maintenance and Updates

Ongoing maintenance, bug fixes, updates, and feature enhancements post-launch contribute to the overall cost. Long-term expenses associated with maintaining and evolving the game depend on the frequency and complexity of updates.

Regulatory and Legal Compliance

Ensuring compliance with regulations may incur additional costs, such as legal consultations, implementing necessary KYC procedures, or addressing jurisdiction-specific requirements. Compliance-related efforts can impact the overall development cost.

At Systango, we have expert blockchain gaming developers who specialise in creating a range of blockchain gaming architectures like monolithic, layered and hybrid. 

Connect with us today to integrate robust blockchain gaming architectures and get your customised blockchain game development cost!

Blockchain Game Development Cost Based On Gaming Architectures

There are three aspects of game architecture in blockchain game development. Each angle has a variation to form a variety of game ecosystems. The variations within each category come from using different blockchains as a base.

For example, chains that support smart contracts can be differentiated from simple chains that do not have smart contract functionalities. 

However, the functionalities of smart contracts can be integrated into the node software itself, which is often referred to as “precompiled” Simpler chains do not have the broad applicability of smart contract chains. When comparing architectures, two different chains can have functional symmetry.

The three broad categories of gaming architectures are as the following: 

Monolithic Gaming Architecture

A monolithic architecture refers to a design where all the game components, such as game logic, user interface, backend services, and data storage, are tightly integrated into a single, unified structure. Examples of monolithic architectures are Huntercoin and Nine Chronicles. 

Choosing a monolithic gaming architecture can impact game development costs. While it simplifies initial development, making changes or updates to individual components becomes more challenging and time-consuming. 

Monolithic architecture, thus, lacks scalability & increases modification costs as more resources are required.

Layered Gaming Architecture

Layered blockchain gaming architecture refers to a design approach where the various components and functionalities of a blockchain game are organised into distinct layers or tiers. Each layer has distinct responsibilities and interacts with the layers above and below it to facilitate game operations. A layered blockchain game architecture consists of the following layers:

1. Presentation layer (UI & UX)
2. Application layer (game logic & rules)
3. Smart contract layer (predefined codes for game execution)
4. Blockchain layer (Storage & validation of game data)

A layered gaming architecture affects blockchain game development cost by increasing complexity and skill requirements but offers long-term cost benefits through modularity, scalability, and easier feature integration. 

Hybrid Gaming Architecture 

Hybrid architecture is similar to the layered approach except that the upper layers are separated. Splitting helps separate the decentralised stack from the centralised one. Splitting the stack helps with scalability. Hybrid gaming architecture is split into two fundamental types:

1. Simple hybrid (Minimal gaming on-chain data)
2. Advanced hybrid ( fully decentralised with optional centralisation)

One of the well-known examples of hybrid gaming architecture is Decentraland. A hybrid approach offers cost-saving opportunities. By using a centralised infrastructure for certain non-blockchain functions, developers can leverage existing technologies and frameworks, potentially reducing development time and cost.

Moreover, a hybrid architecture allows for scalability, as blockchain elements can handle specific decentralised features while centralised components handle high-frequency, low-latency processes more efficiently.

As a dedicated Web3 development company, we offer skilled blockchain gaming developers to customise & build immersive blockchain games based on your choice of gaming architecture.

Discovery Process In Blockchain Game Development Cost Estimation

The discovery process is a vital step in determining the blockchain game development cost. By using a centralised infrastructure for certain non-blockchain functions, developers can leverage existing technologies and frameworks, potentially reducing development time and costs.

Factors such as research, planning, documentation efforts, customisation & unique features influence the cost. The development team’s expertise, project timeline, and budget allocation also play a role. The discovery process ensures a comprehensive understanding of requirements, complexity, and resources, allowing for transparent pricing and alignment between the development team and the client in estimating the blockchain game development cost.

Systango As A Blockchain Game Development Company

As a blockchain game development company, Systango specialises in integrating innovative and decentralised components into gaming platforms. Our team of blockchain gaming developers combine deep knowledge of blockchain technology with extensive experience in game development to deliver high-quality solutions. 

We offer competitive pricing & hourly rates ranging from $30 to $35 for our skilled game developers, ensuring cost-effectiveness without compromising quality. 

For technicalities of blockchain game development cost, we consider factors such as the complexity of smart contracts, integration of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), backend infrastructure requirements, frontend design, testing, and security measures. 

Based on the complexity of gaming architectures & integrations, a full blockchain game development can start from a minimum of $50,000 and goes up to approximately $100,000+. 

Our transparent pricing structure & precise discovery phase revolve around the specific needs of each project. We offer comprehensive solutions that align with budgetary considerations & we also focus on delivering cutting-edge blockchain games that captivate and engage players.

Connect with us now and see your dream blockchain game transform into real immersive & captivating gameplay!