Discover Colony, the upcoming survival simulation game by Parallel Studios built on Solana. Dive into a world where AI-driven agents navigate objectives independently. Earn PRIME token rewards with your NFT avatar. Stay tuned for the public alpha launch!
A revolutionary Ethereum NFT card-battling game, Parallel, recently initiated its open beta phase towards the end of the previous month. However, Parallel Studios is swiftly moving forward with its next venture in the realm of crypto gaming—this time, it's pivoting to Solana.
Colony, a project previously hinted at by the studio, has now been extensively outlined in a recently published whitepaper. This document, released late on Thursday, offers an in-depth exploration of a game that will extend the narrative of the Parallel universe while introducing entirely new gameplay mechanics—coupled with a shift to a different blockchain.
Described as a "survival simulation" experience, Colony relies on generative AI and features autonomous "agents" that operate beyond direct user control. Players initiate their agents by answering a series of questions to establish their foundational personality traits, which will naturally evolve over time.
These AI-driven agents possess autonomy, meaning users can merely suggest actions rather than command them outright. However, these suggestions may not always be adhered to, as agents are programmed to prioritize their own objectives.
Colony Whitepaper Now Accessible: Delve into the intricacies of our AI-powered survival simulation game, set to redefine gaming conventions. https://t.co/obTRFCXF3u pic.twitter.com/jUkKEIBomi
— Parallel (@ParallelTCG) March 15, 2024
"For instance, a user might propose to their avatar: 'Why not consider planting an apple tree to ensure a future food source?' Avatars will react to such suggestions, sometimes interpreting them within the context of their other objectives—potentially even rejecting suggestions deemed incongruent with their character or conflicting with other goals," the whitepaper elaborates.
"In such scenarios, owners might find themselves engaging in debates or negotiations with their avatars to accomplish tasks. Eventually, avatars will settle on their intended objectives—occasionally disregarding their owner's suggestions—and begin pursuing the most advantageous tasks autonomously," it further explains.
Initially, Colony will revolve around the existing Parallel Avatar NFTs, of which 11,001 are currently in circulation on Ethereum. The whitepaper proposes that PRIME token holders could vote on a governance proposal to increase this number by minting additional avatars on Solana.
This decision is fueled by the introduction of a "breeding" mechanic within the game, similar to Axie Infinity's system, to generate more agents over time. The PRIME token from Ethereum will serve as a bridged wrapped token in the game on Solana, also serving as in-game rewards for players.
To earn crypto rewards, players must possess an NFT avatar. While a "free-to-play" version will exist, users opting for this option won't be eligible for PRIME rewards, item ownership, unique NFT minting, or external item transfers. Regardless, even "free" players will need to cover the costs associated with the large language model (LLM) powering the AI.
"Users are still required to provide funds to cover the fees associated with their agent's utilization of the underlying LLMs during gameplay sessions," the whitepaper clarifies. "This mirrors the structure of the full, reward-eligible version of Colony, where players also finance their avatars' LLM calls using funds deposited into the avatar's wallet."
𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝘆
Colony is an endless game driven by AI, where all in-game items are on-chain. Paired with a @Parallel Avatar, players collaboratively navigate an ever-expanding environment, sharing on-chain resources. pic.twitter.com/YGRpuvdU4K
— Parallel (@ParallelTCG) July 22, 2023
The Parallel team anticipates launching a public alpha version of Colony either in Q4 2024 or Q1 2025. While the whitepaper provides extensive details, more insights into the game are expected to surface in the upcoming months, especially considering Parallel's recent momentum.
The announcement of Colony seems to have bolstered the price of PRIME, with the token witnessing a 22% surge over the last 24 hours, reaching a current price exceeding $21. Early Friday trading saw it climb even higher, setting a new all-time high price of $23.39, as per CoinGecko data.