FOCGERS

FOCGERS
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  • VIDEO GAMES

FOCGERS is where onchain games talk back. Get the raw stories, strategies, and narratives from the builders and operators shaping the fully onchain movement. Get your news straight from the source.

Episodes

  1. 12/03/2025

    so Cambria pulled a fresh investment and minted out their Island NFTs in minutes?!

    In this episode BENZZZ, founder of the risk-heavy MMO, shares how they secured a top-up investment led by Bitkraft / Sky Mavis and sold out its Island Land NFT mint in minutes while most of crypto gaming struggles to raise. We dig into why investors chose to double down on Cambria based on real in-game signal from janky early builds and Season 1 → Season 2 progression, how designing around real loss, frustration, social bonds, and drama creates emotions web2 MMOs can’t, and what actually happened behind the scenes of the Island mint—over-allocation, priority vs FCFS, second-chance allocations, and the tension between rewarding day-ones vs bringing in new holders. Ben breaks down Island NFTs and their “islands + islets” model as a social landlord–tenant economy and another risk-to-earn game mode rather than passive yield, walks through their approach to sinks, rotting resources, seasonal resets, and Royal Favor to avoid DeFi-fication, and explains why top-tier islands are more about status and social gravity than raw multipliers. We go deep on inspirations from RuneScape Construction and Club Penguin igloos—player housing as social space, flex zone, and utility hub for prep, pets, trophies, and hosting—and finish with a candid look at what it feels like to be a crypto game founder in 2025: building in a shrinking ecosystem, separating core game and progression from pure token speculation, and still being obsessed with shipping weird, social, onchain-first systems even when the tide is out. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:47 – Why investors doubled down on Cambria (top-up raise in a down market) 04:29 – Behind the scenes of the Island NFT mint: surprises, missteps, and second chances 10:30 – Island NFTs 101: islands, islets, tenants, and value accrual 17:47 – RuneScape Construction, Club Penguin igloos, and why social housing matters Later – Sinks vs inflation, rotting resources, alliances and betrayal between islands, and the mental load of founding in crypto gaming Links: https://x.com/FOCGERS https://x.com/playcambria https://x.com/cyberpunk

    30 min

  2. 10/17/2025

    Meet the FOCGER: Red, Ponziland

    00:24 path to @ponzidotland 02:52 creating Modrinth, 2nd biggest OS platform for Minecraft content (+ how they unlocked monetization via ads) 10:06 why build a crypto game 21:26 bots / automatization in Ponziland 24:20 perks of being fully onchain 28:32 biggest challenges in the onchain game space 35:24 sources of inspiration in crypto gaming (GLHF 🫡) In this episode of Meet the FOCGER, I chat with Red (@knownas_red), co-founder of RuneLabs and builder of Ponziland — the degen land-grabbing simulation where players buy, nuke, and tax each other in a fully onchain economy. Before diving into crypto gaming, Red helped shape the Minecraft modding era by building Modrinth, now the second biggest open-source platform for Minecraft content (70k+ mods!). We talk about how that open-source, player-driven spirit translates into FOCG design, what it means to “roleplay as a Ponzi operator,” and how fully onchain tech like account abstraction and paymasters makes fast, frictionless gameplay possible. Red also shares deep thoughts on automation in games, why many FOCGs still feel like tech demos, and why failure is the most important contribution to the onchain builder community. Links: https://x.com/@focgers https://x.com/@knownas_red https://x.com/@ponzidotland https://x.com/@RuneLabs_ https://x.com/@Starknet https://x.com/@ohayo_dojo https://x.com/@cartridge_gg

    44 min

  3. 10/13/2025

    Meet the FOCGER: POW! fully onchain game is breaking UOPS records

    02:52 roleplaying as a blockchain operator 05:36 grinding @POW_sn until 4 AM 13:41 how @Starknet handles POW!’s 273 UOPS 16:51 endgame for POW! (+ prestige mode) 26:14 future ideas (app that uses Bitcoin 👀) In this episode of Meet the FOCGER, I sit down again with Brandon (@BrandonR505) — the builder behind POW! and Art / Peace, two of the most important experiments in Starknet’s history. POW! isn’t just another clicker game; it’s a meta blockchain simulator where you roleplay as an L1 + L2 operator, mining blocks, building dApps, and literally learning how crypto works while you play. We talk about the insane onchain numbers (273 user ops per second 🤯), how Starknet’s batching and paymaster system make it all possible, and why this “idle miner” ended up breaking records for crypto gaming. Brandon also shares thoughts on the upcoming prestige mode, community feedback that shaped POW!, and teases the team’s next move, a mysterious app that uses Bitcoin 👀 Links: https://x.com/@focgers https://x.com/@POW_sn https://x.com/@BrandonR505 https://x.com/@art_peace_sn https://x.com/@Starknet https://x.com/@StarkWareLtd

    28 min

  4. 10/09/2025

    Meet the FOCGER: Jokers of Neon fully onchain game

    01:26 path to onchain gaming 05:45 why build a crypto game 11:50 perks & constraints of onchain 14:57 game economy 16:40 @Starknet / @cartridge_gg / @ohayo_dojo tech stack 23:50 go to market approach In this episode of Meet the FOCGER, I sit down with Santiago and Nico, co-founders of Caravana Game Studio, the team behind Jokers of Neon — a roguelike card battler often dubbed “Balatro onchain.” We dive into their journey from Starknet dev projects like Starklings.app to building one of the most playable fully onchain games live today. They share how @Starknet’s speed and @cartridge_gg’s Dojo engine made it possible to go fully onchain, the vision behind permissionless modding, and how NFT cards + tournaments will shape the mainnet launch. We also talk about Eternum, Gigaverse, and the rising wave of FOCG builders defining Starknet’s gaming scene. Links: https://x.com/@focgers https://x.com/@jokers_of_neon https://x.com/@caravanastudio https://x.com/@Starknet https://x.com/@cartridge_gg https://x.com/@ohayo_dojo

    31 min

  5. 10/03/2025

    He ships some of the most experimental games on Starknet?! Meet Brandon of Art/Peace and POW!

    00:58 discovering crypto / @StarkWareLtd  02:53 why build on @Starknet / @ohayo_dojo  07:57 teasing @POW_sn clicker game ➕ @focfun app engine In this episode of Meet the FOCGERS, I sit down with Brandon (@art_peace_sn / @BrandonR505), the mind behind Art/Peace, Starknet’s living graffiti wall turned cultural phenomenon. We talk about his journey from Coinbase infra work to StarkWare, why Starknet’s dev tooling + community makes it the best place for fully onchain games, and how Art/Peace brings projects like Eternum and Ponziland onto the same canvas. Brandon also teases his upcoming POW clicker game and foc.fun app engine, designed to make building casual onchain apps fast and fun. From the challenges of onboarding players to the alpha hidden in pixel art wars, this convo shows why he’s one of the most experimental builders in the Starknet gaming scene. Links: https://x.com/@focgers https://x.com/@BrandonR505 https://x.com/@art_peace_sn  https://x.com/@POW_sn https://x.com/@art_peace_sn https://x.com/@focfun https://x.com/@starkware @starknet

    21 min

  6. 09/29/2025

    Interactive Stories That NEVER Die?! Meet The O’ruggin Trail

    01:00 what is @OrugginTrail 16:09 @ArchetypalTech journey w/ @ohayo_dojo , Starknet, World Engine, Celestia, MUD  28:57 save games🟰ERC721 34:53 blockchain🤝narrative design In this FOCGERS episode, Awtnmy (founder) and Jaymo (product manager) from Archetypal Game Studio join us to talk about the upcoming The O’ruggin Trail - a fully onchain text adventure that reimagines the classic Oregon Trail as a darkly satirical journey and experimental fiction machine. We explore how the game blends nostalgia with innovation through mechanics like tokenized save files, a built-in editor that lets players remix and extend each other’s worlds, and the enduring power of interactive fiction as a design space. From inspirations like Zork and Counterfeit Monkey to the philosophy of turning words into composable worlds, the conversation highlights why imagination-driven play remains one of the most flexible and exciting frontiers in game design. Links: https://x.com/FOCGERS https://x.com/OrugginTrail https://x.com/ArchetypalTech https://x.com/awtnmy https://x.com/thejaymo

    45 min

  7. 09/23/2025

    FOCGing Chat: Dark Forest Community Round x Adventure Layer ($AGLD)

    In this episode, Hill Tan, steward of Adventure Gold ($AGLD) and organizer of the latest Dark Forest Community Round, shares how the OG fully onchain game is being remixed for 2025. We dive into Dark Forest’s core game loop, how $AGLD rewards and staking silver reshape player incentives, and why UBI-style taxation is boosting competition. Hill also unpacks player reception, the role of bots and AI agents, and Adventure Layer’s broader vision as an L2 for AI-native onchain games. Links: https://x.com/FOCGERS https://x.com/adventure_layer

    45 min

  8. 09/16/2025

    Meet the FOCGER: Lakkhhe, Vendetta

    In this episode, Lucky (@lakhhe108) — founder of Vendetta, the first fully onchain gangster RPG on Sui L1 with Walrus DA — breaks down how his team went from dynamic NFTs to building an entire “forever game” where players truly own every asset. We cover Vendetta’s design journey across four iterations, why Sui’s object-centric model and Walrus storage made sense, and how features like social login, sponsored transactions, and DVD NFTs (that hold full game states) power the experience. Lucky shares insights on building sustainable tokenomics ($V), handling bots, launching comics and lore, and why he believes fully onchain gaming is still in its earliest innings. Links: https://x.com/FOCGERS https://x.com/TheVendettaGame https://x.com/lakhhe108 00:43 path to onchain gaming 03:50 GangstaVerse 🤝 Vendetta FOCG on SUI L1 07:32 embracing FULLY onchain 08:06  game design 🎮 10:44 Sui L1 + Walrus DA (what support is offered to game teams?) 16:11 6500 players / 350 DAU 🫂 18:07 player reception ❓ 19:10 crypto abstraction  21:59 main challenges  23:28 economy ($V, DVD NFTs) 💸 31:07 onchain gaming in 2025 32:55 game inspiration 💡 35:51 dealing with bots 38:21 alpha 👀

    43 min

  9. 09/15/2025

    FOCGing chat: Starknet Grinta Sprint Hackathon

    In this FOCGERS episode, Starkience, Ecosystem Manager at StarkWare and organizer of the Grinta Sprint Hackathon, unpacks what makes Grinta different from a typical hackathon. We dive into the Grinta mentality (ship first, ask later), why this sprint is designed for real users rather than just GitHub repos, and how a dedicated tester group of 15 absolute degens is shaping outcomes. Starkience also shares his vision for the ideal crypto game, advice for teams on standing out, and why now, with paymasters, pre-confirmations, and social logins live, is the perfect moment to build consumer apps on Starknet. Links: https://x.com/FOCGERS https://x.com/starkience https://x.com/Starknet https://luma.com/9myxhaic

    23 min

  10. 09/10/2025

    Meet the FOCGER: BirthdayBoi, TOP Kamigotchi player

    In this episode, BirthdayBoi, one of the most hardcore player duos in Kamigotchi fully onchain game, shares the journey from casual Tamagotchi nostalgia to becoming the #1 predator on testnet. We dive into what it really means to liquidate other players, how automation tools have changed the grind, and why $ONYX has become one of the strongest tokens in the gaming space. BirthdayBoi also breaks down predator vs. harvester strategies, tips for new players, and why the Initia ecosystem and Kamigotchi’s tight-knit community feel so different from other crypto games. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to thrive in this brutal yet adorable onchain world, this is the deep dive. Links: https://x.com/FOCGERS https://x.com/kamigotchiworld https://x.com/BirthdayBoiON

    39 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

FOCGERS is where onchain games talk back. Get the raw stories, strategies, and narratives from the builders and operators shaping the fully onchain movement. Get your news straight from the source.

Information

  • Creator
    FOCGERS
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026
  • Show Website
    FOCGERS