Overview
Nine Chronicles is a fully decentralized, open-source MMORPG developed by Planetarium Labs, a Korean blockchain gaming studio. What makes Nine Chronicles unique in the blockchain gaming space is its commitment to full on-chain execution — every game action, from combat to crafting to inventory management, is recorded as a blockchain transaction on the game's custom blockchain (Libplanet).
This architectural decision is radical. Most "blockchain games" use blockchain only for asset ownership (NFTs) or token transfers, running actual gameplay on traditional servers. Nine Chronicles runs the entire game state on-chain, meaning the game is truly permissionless, censorship-resistant, and can run without Planetarium's servers. Anyone can run a node and contribute to the network.
The game itself is a 2D idle-RPG/MMORPG hybrid where players create characters, explore stages, craft equipment, and battle monsters. The idle mechanics are well-suited to blockchain's latency constraints — turn-based and stage-based combat doesn't require the real-time responsiveness that would be impossible on-chain.
Planetarium Labs has raised notable venture capital funding and has been developing Nine Chronicles since 2020, making it one of the longest-running fully on-chain game experiments. The Nine Chronicles Gold (NCG) token serves as the in-game currency and economic backbone.
Gameplay
Nine Chronicles offers traditional RPG gameplay: stage-based PvE combat, equipment crafting, character progression, and arena PvP. The idle-RPG format means much of the gameplay is automated — players set up their characters and watch them battle through stages. This design is intentional, accommodating the latency inherent in on-chain execution.
The game loop is competent but not exciting by traditional gaming standards. The idle mechanics, while practical for blockchain constraints, lack the engagement of action combat or strategic decision-making in real-time. For blockchain gaming enthusiasts who value decentralization, the gameplay is acceptable. For traditional gamers, it would feel slow and dated.
Technology
The technology is Nine Chronicles' strongest dimension. Planetarium built Libplanet, a custom blockchain library in C# specifically designed for gaming use cases. The entire game state — characters, inventory, combat outcomes, crafting — is verified on-chain. The open-source nature means anyone can audit, fork, or contribute to the game.
This is genuinely impressive engineering. Running a full MMORPG on-chain, even an idle one, requires solving complex problems around state management, transaction throughput, and consensus. The Libplanet framework is a contribution to the broader blockchain gaming infrastructure, regardless of Nine Chronicles' commercial success.
Economy
The game economy revolves around NCG (Nine Chronicles Gold) and in-game items. Players earn NCG through gameplay and spend it on crafting, upgrades, and marketplace purchases. The economy has experienced the typical blockchain game problem: early players accumulate advantages, new player onboarding creates selling pressure, and the balance between earning and spending is difficult to maintain.
Market activity for in-game items and NCG has been modest, reflecting the small player base. The fully on-chain economy is transparent — every transaction is visible — but transparency doesn't solve the fundamental challenge of economic sustainability with limited players.
Adoption
Nine Chronicles has a small but dedicated player base — likely in the low thousands of daily active users. The game's niche appeal (fully on-chain MMORPG) limits its audience to blockchain gaming enthusiasts and decentralization purists. The game client requires download and blockchain synchronization, which is a significant barrier compared to browser-based or mobile games. Marketing has been limited, and the game has not achieved mainstream gaming visibility.
Tokenomics
NCG has a fixed supply with emissions distributed through gameplay rewards. The token is traded on some smaller exchanges but lacks major CEX listings. Token value has been volatile and generally declining from earlier peaks. The tokenomics are simple — earn through play, spend in-game — but the limited player base constrains demand. Planetarium has also explored additional token mechanisms, but the core model remains NCG-centric.
Risk Factors
- Niche audience: Fully on-chain gaming appeals to a very small intersection of gamers and crypto users
- Gameplay limitations: On-chain constraints force idle/turn-based mechanics that limit engagement
- Small player base: Insufficient players for a vibrant MMORPG economy and community
- Technical barrier: Requires client download and blockchain sync, deterring casual players
- Token price decline: NCG has declined from earlier valuations
- Competition: Competing against both traditional MMOs and higher-profile blockchain games
- Sustainability: Long development with limited revenue raises sustainability questions
Conclusion
Nine Chronicles is the most technically honest blockchain game in existence — it doesn't just put assets on-chain while running gameplay on servers; it runs everything on-chain. This commitment to full decentralization is admirable and technically impressive, representing a genuine contribution to blockchain gaming infrastructure through the Libplanet framework.
However, technical purity comes at a cost. The gameplay is constrained by on-chain execution limits, the UX requires blockchain knowledge, and the small player base limits the MMORPG experience. The 4.2 score reflects exceptional technology and genuine innovation, weighed down by the practical reality that full on-chain gaming remains a niche proposition that most players — even crypto-native ones — aren't willing to trade gameplay quality for.