As someone who hasn’t dipped a toe into the crypto world, Pixels, an Ethereum-based farming game, presented an interesting challenge. The comparison to Stardew Valley, a beloved indie game, intrigued me, and I decided to explore how the crypto element might affect the experience. Despite being marketed as a farming game for a blockchain-based future, Pixels fell short of offering the engaging, heartwarming atmosphere of its indie counterpart. For those, like me, who are not interested in crypto, it’s hard to see what Pixels brings to the table that would inspire anyone to cross into the world of NFTs or crypto tokens.
First Impressions
Starting Pixels was easy enough, though it was clear from the outset that the game is built with blockchain technology at its core. All you need is an email address or phone number to get started, and for now, there’s no need to connect a crypto wallet. But the mention of a required Ronin wallet in the future felt like a warning for those who prefer to steer clear of crypto. That said, I dove into the game to see what it had to offer.
The initial tutorial walks you through the basics of farming, using tools, and collecting resources. The game introduces various currencies: popberries, gems, coins, and the on-chain PIXEL token, which has real-world value. The idea that some in-game currencies could translate into actual money gave the experience a different feel. However, for someone like me, who isn’t invested in that aspect, it was more of a distraction than an enhancement.
Familiar but Hollow
The comparison to Stardew Valley is unavoidable. The farming tools, the pixelated aesthetic, and even the names of the items—like the “rusty watering can”—all scream Stardew Valley. But what stood out immediately was that, beyond the surface, Pixels lacks the warmth and depth that makes Stardew Valley such a delight to play.
In Pixels, there’s no real-world dynamic—no seasons, no day and night cycle, no changing weather. While Stardew Valley gives you a sense of time passing, with daily tasks and a life you build through relationships, Pixels feels frozen. The NPCs serve only a functional purpose, standing in for menus where you buy things. They don’t have personalities or add to the world in any meaningful way. And with no sense of time, the game quickly starts to feel like a monotonous loop.
The lack of relationships is a glaring omission. In Stardew Valley, much of the joy comes from building connections with other characters, learning their stories, and helping the community grow. In Pixels, it’s all about grinding resources, planting crops, and making things. The interaction stops at functional tasks. As a result, Pixels feels sterile. It’s a game without a soul, and that’s a shame, considering how much effort clearly went into making it look good on the surface.
Where Crypto Dominates
It doesn’t take long to realise that the crypto element is not just an afterthought in Pixels. It’s deeply embedded in the gameplay. The timers, the items you can craft, and the entire structure of the game seem designed to push you towards interacting with the crypto side of things. It’s not just a farming game with an option to dabble in cryptocurrency; the whole system revolves around it.
Early on, the game introduces different crafting stations like stoneworking, woodworking, and metalworking benches. But the crafting process is slow and feels more like a time-management task than anything truly enjoyable. The idea of sitting and waiting for items to complete crafting is frustrating, and when you combine that with the fact that any meaningful progress seems locked behind purchasing gems, it becomes clear that Pixels prioritises its economic model over its gameplay.
This is where Pixels lost me. Unlike Stardew Valley, which allows you to build a life and a farm through in-game effort and creativity, Pixels seems intent on driving you towards spending money. Gems, which you can purchase with real money, are necessary for cosmetics and upgrades, and the game makes it very difficult to earn them through regular play. For someone uninterested in cryptocurrency or NFTs, it’s hard to ignore how this monetisation structure takes over the entire experience.
The Endgame
The biggest issue with Pixels is that, for non-crypto gamers like me, there’s no clear reason to keep playing. Sure, the game looks pretty, and there’s an appeal in the simplicity of clicking away to plant crops and harvest resources. But without the heart of a community or a dynamic world, there’s little to engage with beyond the surface level.
At its core, Pixels is designed for people who want to engage with the crypto elements. If you’re not interested in the blockchain side of things, the game quickly becomes repetitive and, ultimately, shallow. There’s no storyline to follow, no characters to invest in, and no real sense of accomplishment. The game’s mechanics are fine, but they lack the depth and emotional connection that make Stardew Valley such a standout experience.
The fact that Pixels is online-only also detracts from the experience. Seeing other players zipping around in their NFT avatars or dressed in bizarre costumes bought with gems only serves to highlight the game’s focus on money and transactions. It makes the world feel even less like a farm and more like a marketplace.
Final Thoughts
In the end, Pixels left me feeling like I’d spent time in a place that was trying too hard to get me to invest in something I didn’t care about. The game may have a charming veneer, but without the rich storytelling and community-building of Stardew Valley, it feels empty. And the heavy reliance on crypto elements only reinforces that feeling.
If you’re into cryptocurrency and want to see how it can integrate with gaming, Pixels might be worth a look. But if you’re like me and have no interest in crypto, there’s no compelling reason to play. Stardew Valley offers a similar experience but with so much more heart and satisfaction.
For now, my foray into crypto gaming hasn’t converted me. It hasn’t made me want to open a wallet or start trading NFTs. What it has done is reaffirm my love for games that put fun, community, and creativity at the forefront—games like Stardew Valley, which don’t need blockchain technology to make farming feel rewarding.
