In the summer of 2022, the name” My Neighbor Alice” began to appear frequently in the crypto gaming industry. So I decided to open up the laptop, play the game for a while, and then write a review about it – the one you’re reading right now.
My Neighbor Alice is, first and foremost, an RPG-based farming game. Players in the game, which is introduced with Animal Crossing comparisons, have the opportunity to invest and live a real farm-town life, including owning their own land and property.
Everything starting, from agricultural materials to the house you live in, can be sold using NFT in the game.
Seriously – the plants you grow in your virtual garden, as well as the animals, and even the fences, can be sold as NFTs.
The game’s developer, the Swiss company “Antler Interactive,” designed and developed “Alice” on the Chromia blockchain.
Although CHR (aka “Chroma”) is being developed on the blockchain, it’s important to remember that My Neighbor Alice is compatible with the ERC-20 standard.
Anyway, I decided to research the My Neighbor Alice crypto game in depth after considering all the game’s aspects.
My review covers a variety of subjects – not only the ones that concern crypto investors. Remember that my goal is to give you, our readers, a comprehensive, objective review of the gameplay, design, and the overall experience of the game as a game.
Now that everyone’s ready, let’s begin!.
Graphics & Design (6.5)
We must first take a look at the game’s graphic design because this is what most people see when they first play it, or any other game for that matter.
Whether you know it or not, My Neighbor Alice’s development began in January 2021 and was first released on Steam.
Long story short, the game has been in development for a year based on the process we are aware of.
There were significant differences between the initial gameplay when it was first introduced and the alpha released in the fall of 2022.
Just take a look at this first video that was made at the time of the release:
We can really see how far the game had come in just one year by looking back to 2022.
At first, it appears as though the muffled gloomy design has been replaced by a more colorful and vibrant world.
A pleasant atmosphere was created by using wind effects, the beach design, the town’s roadways, and the houses.
The background music in the game portrays the spirit of My Neighbor Alice and helps you relax as you play and immerse yourself in the atmosphere.
Objectively speaking, nobody expected a high level of graphic design from this game. After all, it is not a big-budget and “hardcore” production like Illuvium or Star Atlas.
In any case, it doesn’t require high-quality graphics because of the game’s mechanics and subject.
What if we consider Alice as a genuine video game rather than a crypto game? My Neighbor Alice is, to be completely honest, far behind the games that we could consider as its equivalents.
Even though they claimed Animal Crossing was their inspiration, I actually expected better graphics, although not as good as its equivalents.
Let’s just say that there were financial and technical limitations that prevented the developers from creating a game on the level of a Nintendo game.
To criticize My Neighbor Alice’s creators in this regard would be unfair. However, there is a significant” but” in this situation.
Have you heard of the independent game studio Pathea Games, which developed a game similar to Alice? One of the best-selling farm games on Steam, called “My Time At Portia,” was created by Pathea Games.
Additionally, the design and graphics are almost as good as in Animal Crossing. The gameplay has also developed from a fantastic combination of Stardew Valley and Minecraft.
To sum it up, My Neighbor Alice has made significant developmental progress in the last year.
Nevertheless, there are still deficiencies with the graphics and design.
I really hope they can give the gameplay part the attention it deserves while developing the NFT and Crypto bases of the game.
Gameplay (7.5)
Now that we talked about the graphics of My Neighbor Alice, let’s take a look at the gameplay experience.
To better understand the factors that affect Alice’s gameplay, let’s first create a short list:
- We can control the characters in My Neighbor Alice using RPG gameplay.
- In the game, there are lands that anyone can purchase. These locations are reachable on foot. Additionally, you can sell these lands as NFTs along with the houses you built on them and any other goods you can think of, including seeds, plants, and animals.
- Since you can personalize your character, you have the opportunity to create a unique avatar. Again – these are typical RPG elements.
- There are currently 6 virtual big islands in the game’s world. The gaming community’s center, “Lummested,” is located on one of these islands.
- As I said, from these 6 islands, players can buy their own plots. They can also interact with each other by exploring the islands. Of course, they can also socialize while playing the game and trade among themselves.
- There are numerous activities available in My Neighbor Alice for those who prefer to spend their time alone. You could, for example, feed your animals, water your plants, or take a break by going fishing. Additionally, you can trade everything you receive from the game for Alice Tokens.
When we consider all these gameplay details, it actually seems like a lot of fun. However, one significant deficiency of some games with RPG elements is the absence of enemies or other things we can fight.
And, of course, we can only actively do fishing from the above-mentioned gameplay features. Other features are currently unavailable.
Even so, I have high hopes for My Neighbor Alice because I don’t think a peaceful and fun game atmosphere is such a bad idea, and it’s actually quite refreshing.
Game-Story Review (2)
There should always be a story in video games, in my opinion.
But the absence of a compelling story in the games that have emerged alongside the growth of the crypto gaming industry in recent years has become very noticeable.
I didn’t come across a seamless story in my research and gameplay. My Neighbor Alice, as far as I can tell, has no story.
The game’s goal is to use the NFT-based market for trading while completing some tasks by working with NPCs.
For example, when Animal Crossing first came out, there was no storyline. However, the most recent “Animal Crossing: New Horizon” has a nice story. It gives the players a reason to play the game by providing them with new perspectives.
Why there is no story in a game with an RPG tag is beyond my understanding. Of course, nobody expects a Steven Spielberg-level story. Still, writing an interesting story that focuses on Alice shouldn’t be so challenging.
I just can’t accept the depth of a game without a story.
All of this makes me think about one question: “Is My Neighbor Alice just a game to play for investing?” Or does it also want to draw in casual players who want to relax and have fun?”
Actually, perhaps it’s too early to answer these questions. Maybe as the development process continues, a storyline will be added. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Music Review (9)
There were books and stories that everyone read as a child. I read Ferenc Molnár’s children’s book “The Paul Street Boys” when I was in elementary school.
And if you’re wondering why I’m sharing this information with you, well, it’s because I enjoyed some of My Neighbor Alice’s music, and I was able to relate to that book while playing the game because of the background music and sounds.
It reminded me of the cool spring days of May.
I want to add that the game brought back memories from my childhood, accompanied by the scent of flowers and the faint rustling of the sea waves.
This is the bond a successful game should form with its players, regardless of whether it’s a crypto game.
I can only listen to My Neighbor Alice’s songs and take in its atmosphere to relax after a long day. Around the time of the game’s official release, new music and effects will likely be added.
My Neighbor Alice Tokenomics (7)
Now let’s finally get to the part that many of you have been waiting for: the game’s economy.
The “Alice Token” is the currency in My Neighbor Alice, and it’s used in all trades and transactions of the game.
The game, developed on the Chromia (CHR) blockchain, uses NFT technology based on the typical play-2-earn model.
All the items in Alice, including virtual lands and character avatars, can be traded with NFTs, just like in many other metaverse games.
For example, players who buy land from one of the islands must spend their Alice Coins to purchase the supplies they’ll need to start their own farm. For this, there’s a My Neighbor Alice marketplace (NFT) in the game.
Buildings, plants, trees, flowers, fences, animals, and decorations for your land can also be sold through NFTs.
Especially for people who like to go wild with their creativity, in-game tools such as Game Builder and NFT creator will be available in Alice.
In addition to all these trading transactions, the Alice Token can be used within the administration.
The game’s future will be decided by community members who have Alice Tokens. In conclusion, having control over Alice Tokens while using them as an investment tool is excellent.
You can vote on all decisions affecting the ecosystem’s future through the community council. Another crucial point is that game events can be used to gain the Alice Token.
By completing tasks or taking part in events that are available on specific days, you have the opportunity to earn more Alice Tokens.
In addition to all these, I would like to point out as a footnote that you can also earn staking rewards by staking Alice Tokens.
My Neighbor Alice Tokenomics Statistics
The total maximum supply amount has been set to 100,000,000 tokens in order to manage the My Neighbor Alice ecosystem and use it in the game.
The list below shows the distribution in more detail:
- 21% Token sale.
- 20% reserved for distribution of staking rewards.
- 16% Supporting the ecosystem.
- 15% Community support and marketing.
- 15% Team members.
- 8% In-game rewards.
- 5% Reserve for user incentives.
My Neighbor Alice aims to attract users from all walks of life, both as a token and as a game.
I believe that this production is excellent for conveying cryptocurrency gaming content, especially to new players.
If the game’s development team can manage the economic process well and protect the Alice Token from speculative movements, in that case, I’d say that they have a potentially bright future.
Community (6)
The community is crucial to the crypto industry, whether it be for games or other projects. Users’ suggestions help the project’s advancement.
As we might expect, My Neighbor Alice doesn’t have a large community yet. However, it has active followers, especially on Twitter and YouTube.
In addition, it has also gained a lot of attention in the telegram and crypto community.
However, the number of people who have heard of My Neighbor Alice is relatively low among casual players.
However, there is now an important accomplishment for the game’s development team to admit: And that is to allow Alice Token holders to have a say in the management of the game.
Because of this, the game will soon be available on Steam. They will be able to directly reach the casual player base if they are successful in getting it published on Steam.
Investors are the majority in Alice’s community today. After the initial investors finish investing and earning the desired profit, there must be new players who will keep this community alive and growing. I believe they can do this by actively marketing the game on YouTube, TikTik, and Steam.
Also, it’s important to take into account Alice’s decentralized management system. Because it’s actually managed by a decentralized organization called “The Alice Community Council,” which is made up of real users.
Wherever possible, it should be noted that the community is in charge of running the game. These players are even in charge of deciding how the proceeds from the sales will be invested.
Earning-Ability Review (7)
Now that we have discussed almost every aspect of My Neighbor Alice, there is only one criterion we haven’t touched on yet: What kind of gains can investors make from the game?
And we also haven’t discussed what a casual player can gain from playing this game. So now let’s talk about the P2E (Play To Earn) model of My Neighbor Alice.
In-game Item Trading
You can use Alice Tokens to buy and sell any of the dozens of different items that are available in the game.
My Neighbor Alice is primarily concerned with cosmetics, assets, and lands. When it comes to the game’s NFTs, players can even sell the items they use to decorate their land.
Alice naturally becomes a very appealing game for those who want to make a profit while playing.
Play to Earn
The task system in Alice has made earnings very flexible. You don’t have to buy anything to earn money from Alice.
Alice Tokens can also be obtained by participating in contests, events, and in-game tasks. For example, you can make money by fishing and selling the fish you catch. Or, you can earn small rewards for completing simple tasks.
Staking Rewards
There are staking rewards for those who want to support the Alice Ecosystem. Players who hold tokens to support the ecosystem’s growth are rewarded with interest.
I’d like to remind you that the management team reserves 20% of the total supply for staking rewards.
NFTs Rental
The most important detail of cryptocurrency games I have never seen before is NFTs rental. For example, in My Neighbor Alice, you can charge a certain amount to rent out something you love to someone else.
The debtor is completely prohibited from selling or destroying that item because of the smart contract.
When the rental period is over, the smart contract returns the item to its rightful owner. Honestly? This is incredible. I would simply love to have the same feature in CS:GO or DOTA 2 🙂
Questions & Answers
Is My Neighbor Alice free?
Yes, My Neighbor Alice is entirely free to play. However, you may have to pay a fee to purchase the avatar, plots, and some items in the game.
How do I make money with My Neighbor Alice?
The game My Neighbor Alice is Play-To-Earn. By taking part in certain tasks and events in the game, you can earn money by gaining Alice Tokens. You could also build your own farm and carry on making money while you play by making a small investment.
Can I play My Neighbor Alice on the phone?
No. However, “Alice’s Mysterious Seed,” an adventure version of the game, was revealed by Antler Interactive, the game’s producer company.
How do I buy land in My Neighbor Alice?
In My Neighbor Alice, there are multiple ways to purchase land. The first is to shop on the official website’s online markets. The second is to participate in the land sales lotteries organized by the game’s developers. For example, even though it is not free, if you win one of these lotteries, you can own land for as little as 50 Alice tokens.
How do I get Alice Crypto?
You can actively buy Alice Coins from the world’s largest exchanges, such as Binance and Coinbase.
Conclusion
Today we focused on the farming simulation “My Neighbor Alice.” I tried to give you an objective analysis of the game’s design, gameplay, music, and tokenomics structure.
If I have to sum it up, I’d say I feel a bit neutral about this game. I can’t say that I have much hope for the game’s future because it’s unknown what will happen in the upcoming years. I can certainly reconsider my opinions if the game’s graphics are improved and more MMO-like features are incorporated.
When I wrote this review, My Neighbor Alice was preparing for a new pre-alpha release in October 2022, so the possibility of new developments might be exciting. However, as of now, I can only say that it’s only one of the dozens of games for crypto gaming investors. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
My Neighbor Alice is a game with a lot of unfulfilled potential. It has very interesting tokenomics, and earn-ability, but at the same time it lacks in many aspects of a real game - for example its nonexistent story. I believe that if the developers focus on creating an awesome game while also working on its crypto-side, we could have a real gem in the future.
- The ability for owners of Alice Tokens to influence the game is the first benefit. Because of this, the game can have a decentralized management. As a result of being away from many speculative movements, it means that it is somewhat safe.
- Play to Earn variety is very wide at My Neighbor Alice. Even without making a deposit, there are opportunities to earn Alice Tokens through in-game tasks and events.
- It’s possible to keep the trade alive in the game by renting NFTs, because you can rent your valuable items for a specific amount of time instead of selling them.
- When it comes to graphics and design, the game seems to be developing very slowly. Other games that are similar to this one, have much more in-depth gameplay and designs.
- If I’m being completely honest, there isn't a single aspect of the game that can draw me in terms of continuity when I look at all the small details. At the moment, the game mostly has breakthroughs for crypto investors.
- Outside of the crypto investment community, the name My Neighbor Alice is not well known in the gaming community. It could even be considered Unknown. To engage many players around the world, the development team might need to make additional marketing plans.
Jason Oeynhausen
Crypto OG, entrepreneur, zen-seeker, good vibes advocate. The best investment you can make is your own education.