Bitcoin Puzzle Artist's Crypto Gaming Startup Now Valued at $13 Million

One of the bitcoin community's best-known artists is gearing up to launch a blockchain-powered video game aimed at mainstream audiences.

Revealed exclusively to CoinDesk, Marguerite deCourcelle's startup Blockade Games Inc. raised a $833,000 seed equity round the first week of November from investors including BlockTower Capital Partners and Horizon Digital, to put towards its flagship game, "Neon District."

With the raise, Blockade Games has garnered a $13 million valuation.

"There are tremendous economic incentives for game developers to integrate cryptocurrency and for game players to want them to," Paul said, adding that new crypto assets dubbed non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, can also strengthen network effects across gaming communities.

Although deCourcelle didn't commit to cryptocurrencies being hidden throughout the new game, she did say, it might very well include some of her trademark puzzles with bitcoin rewards donated by the Pineapple Fund.

With an advisor like "Age of Rust" creator Chris Loverme, who made one of the world's first games with bitcoin rewards, winning the original cryptocurrency is looking more and more likely within the new game.

According to deCourcelle, Loverme is helping create bridges between external games and Neon District, a cypherpunk roleplaying game, which will launch publically in May 2019.

The design is also an important part of the game - it progresses the concept popularized by the virtual pets collectibles Crypto Kitties by allowing blockchain-based characters to accrue scars, skills, weaponry and other unique distinctions while enhancing storylines and squad-based gameplay.

While many of those people are perhaps crypto enthusiasts, the game is architected so that even those not familiar with cryptocurrency can play - and get their first experience with crypto.

"Let's say I'm playing the game, and I don't even know it's crypto related, and I earn some item or reward," Paul told CoinDesk.