ZkNoid — the gaming platform powered by zero knowledge proof technology based on MINA protocol.
The developers of the ZkNoid gaming platform at Mina Ecosystem not only create games using zk technology, but they also provide the opportunity for external developers to use their technology to simplify the process of creating such games. Since the launch of the platform, the team has already received several proposals for collaboration using our SDK.
The first game embedded in our platform was TileVille (ex Minapolis) strategic city-builder game. Now, the game is firmly established in the Mina ecosystem and is actively attracting users. Our team has decided to learn more about the experience of using the ZkNoid SDK directly from developers. Check out the TileVille game developer interview below.
Interview with TileVille game developer
ZkNoid: Hello, Satyam Bansal, you and your team the first developers to use our SDK, we would appreciate it if you could answer a few questions about your experience during our collaboration.
Please give some introduction about your background and developer experience before you started development on Mina Protocol?
Satyam Bansal: I’m Satyam Bansal, based in New Delhi, India. With about 8 years of experience in software development, primarily in mobile and web frontend.
My blockchain journey kicked off back in 2020 when I fell down the rabbit hole of crypto podcasts and dove into the Ethereum book. I joined the Kernel community (those awesome folks behind Gitcoin) and after that got to be a founding engineer at Passage protocol, where we cooked up some cool stuff with dynamic membership NFTs.
Interested in scalability solutions, I contributed to the Cairo language and participated in Dojo game jams, which led me to explore zk technology.
ZkNoid: Did you develop products using zk proofs before your start creating the TileVille game?
Satyam Bansal: While I hadn’t developed any major zk products, I did implement a version of Uniswap v2 using Noir to explore the concept of private decentralized exchanges. This project helped me understand the practical applications of zero-knowledge proofs in DeFi.
ZkNoid: Why did you choose Mina protocol ecosystem for development?
Satyam Bansal: Initially, I created TileVille (then called Castle Hexapolis) using Dojo and Cairo. However, I realized that frequent blockchain interactions were significantly impacting the gameplay experience. I was searching for a solution that would minimize transactions throughout the gameplay, essentially looking for recursive ZK proofs. A colleague introduced me to O1JS’s capabilities, which led me to the Mina Ecosystem.
ZkNoid: What prompted you to use ZkNoid SDK?
Satyam Bansal: While exploring O1JS for smart contract development, I discovered ZkNoid through the community Discord. Upon examining their GitHub repository, I realized that much of the functionality I intended to create for TileVille was already provided by the ZkNoid SDK. The team’s active presence on GitHub and Discord was also a positive factor.
ZkNoid: Describe the positive and negative sides of provided SDK? What would you advise us to improve?
Satyam Bansal: The ZkNoid SDK provides modules for common functionalities like competition management, reward distribution, and random number generation. This allows developers to focus on core gameplay logic. However, like any framework, it has a learning curve.
ZkNoid: What features and technologies have you used from our framework? Describe the and explain why your team decided to use it instead of developing from scratch?
Satyam Bansal: We’ve primarily utilized the GameHub module, which handles competition creation, player joining, and random number generation. This saved us significant time and effort in developing these fundamental elements, allowing us to concentrate on TileVille’s core gameplay features.
ZkNoid: Have you found working with our team convenient and productive?
Satyam Bansal: Working with the ZkNoid team has been an absolute blast! They’re not just knowledgeable, they’re also super approachable. Whenever we’ve hit a snag or had a question, they’ve been there with answers and support. Big thumbs up from me!
ZkNoid: Recently, your game appeared on the zkNoid platform, by what criteria did you decide that it was interesting for you to list on our platform?
Satyam Bansal: Listing TileVille on the ZkNoid platform was a no-brainer for us. First off, their SDK had already been such a huge help in development, so it felt like a natural next step. But more than that, we were drawn to the community they’ve built. It’s a space where innovative ZK games are celebrated, and we wanted to be part of that ecosystem. Plus, the exposure to other ZK enthusiasts and potential players was too good to pass up. It’s like finding the perfect neighborhood for your new home, you know?
ZkNoid: Could you please tell us your plans for the further development of your game?
Satyam Bansal: We’ve got so many ideas brewing! We’re looking at expanding TileVille with more maps and game modes. We’re also exploring ways to deepen the strategic elements of the game, maybe introduce some new tile types or player abilities. One exciting idea we’re tossing around is creating a DAO to get our awesome community involved in developing new levels and maps. How cool would that be? And of course, we’re always working on optimizing performance and enhancing the user experience. Long-term, we’re dreaming about a fully-fledged TileVille metaverse.
ZkNoid: What features are you waiting from our platform the most?
Satyam Bansal: We’re really excited to see how ZkNoid continues to evolve. We’d love to see more tools for cross-game interactions, maybe some kind of shared economy or player identity system across different ZK games. Also, any advancements in scaling or performance would be fantastic.
