A deep dive into the expanding world of Etherlink-powered mobile gaming offering BattleTabs

The road toward blockchain-powered gaming adoption has been a long and winding one. However, in spite of the many fits and starts we’ve seen in the larger blockchain gaming space over the years, the brightest minds in the blockchain industry remain laser-focused on exploring this fascinating use case for its technology to the fullest. And for good reason.

The global gaming market is absolutely massive. Statista estimates that the gaming industry generated more than a whopping $450 billion worldwide in 2024. On top of this, gaming offers an intriguing and promising low-friction entry point to bring new users to the blockchain/crypto space. That’s why finding a pathway into the gaming space is, and long has been, a hugely important priority for those building in the blockchain arena.

While the PC and console gaming spaces can be quite complex to break into, mobile gaming presents a very interesting and much more frictionless opportunity. Build a game, get it on the App Store and Google Play, and you’ve got a direct line to the world’s 3.2 billion (Udonis estimates) active mobile gaming players.

Enter: BattleTabs. Developed by GangBusters Ltd — a UK-based startup focused on developing community-driven blockchain-based social games — Battletabs may just be one of the simplest, friendliest blockchain-powered gaming on-ramps released to date. With 3M+ players across platforms (according to the BattleTabs website) and 20,000+ members in its thriving Discord community, BattleTabs is more than just a proof of concept for blockchain’s promise in the mobile gaming arena — it’s a living, breathing example of what an accessible, user-focused blockchain gaming experience can be.

Exceedingly simple on its surface and fun to play (with a healthy dose of nostalgia within), BattleTabs is stripping blockchain-based gaming down to its purest user-friendly form, and players just can’t seem to get enough.

Let’s take a look at why…

The Game

It may seem overly obvious to state that BattleTabs is reminiscent of the classic board game Battleship (I’m certainly not the first to point it out), but for those who’ve played them both, the similarities are far too striking to miss. While the ships in BattleTabs are much cuter and more interesting than those in Battleship, the fundamentals of the two gameplay experiences are almost identical — even if one is entirely analog and the other entirely digital.

A BattleTabs battle can take place in 3–8 minutes from start to finish. This, coupled with its conceptually simple front-end gameplay, makes BattleTabs an ideal fit for mobile gaming.

It’s what lurks beneath that conceptually simple front-end gameplay, however, that really gives BattleTabs an opportunity to shine. Let’s dive a little deeper and explore the BattleTabs gaming experience more thoroughly…

Gameplay

BattleTabs offers two distinct “turn length” game modes: “Normal”, which provides players with 30 seconds to complete their turns, and “Long”, which allows players a full 24 hours per turn, turning a quick 3–8 minute game into a 2–3 day long epoch.

Once you’ve selected your game mode, BattleTabs finds you an opponent, and the stage is set for your battle. You are then offered the opportunity to make adjustments to your fleet of ships and place them in strategic positions around the board. Once both players have done this, the battle can begin.

Battles consist of targeting squares on your opponent’s board to locate, attack, and sink their ships while they attempt to do the same to yours. While your own ships are fully visible to you throughout the game, your opponent’s ships remain invisible (until they are sunk). Whichever player sinks all of their opponent’s ships first, wins!

Different types of ships are able to target/attack different numbers/layouts of squares, and each ship has its own “cooldown” period once it’s been used to attack, which renders it incapable of attacking again until its cooldown period is complete.

The graphics are clean, cute, and engaging. The gameplay is intuitive, easy to navigate, and fun. Once you finish your first battle and claim your first reward, however, the real fun begins…

Rewards

The BattleTabs reward system is built entirely around in-game assets. Gold coins, gems, and research points drive the BattleTabs in-game economy, but the game’s progressive reward system goes significantly deeper than that. Everything from additional ships for your fleet (each with its own unique in-game battle functionality) to cosmetic assets like custom skins and accessories for your characters can be earned as you progress along in your BattleTabs journey.

Rewards can be earned in several ways. “Daily rewards” are available to claim each day when you log in to the game. Additional freebies appear periodically to be claimed as you explore different sections of the BattleTabs user interface. Participating in battles earns you rewards, winning battles earns you rewards, and the “challenges” tab offers you the opportunity to complete specific in-game tasks and earn additional rewards still.

As rewards accumulate, they open up a whole other layer of the BattleTabs onion. Gold coins can be spent on upgrades and other in-game items. Research points, meanwhile suck you a little further into the BattleTabs universe as you begin to explore the “Research” tab…

Research

The BattleTabs “research” tree is extensive. With 60+ stages, each requiring you to accumulate additional gold coins and research points to complete them, the research tab is where the BattleTabs rabbit hole really begins to make itself known.

New ships, each with their own unique in-game attributes, can be obtained and added to your customized fleet as you progress down the left-hand side of the BattleTabs research tree. The kicker is, while it’s locked when you first enter the research tab, the right-hand side of the research tree can also be unlocked with a “season pass” — available for the low, low price of 145 gems (which can be earned in-game without too much trouble).

The further down the research tree you go, the richer your BattleTabs experience becomes. Customizing your fleet to incorporate additional ships and customizing your player avatar help personalize the BattleTabs gameplay experience and draw you further and further into the fascinating BattleTabs universe.

Community

For such a seemingly simple game, BattleTabs offers a startling level of community engagement. The BattleTabs Discord has over 20,000 members and is filled to bursting with tips, tournament info, memes, bounties, and even opportunities for players to make suggestions about the BattleTabs gameplay and design items like new ships that will be added to the actual game via community feedback and contributions.

BattleTabs has managed to foster a vibrant community filled with lively chats, support, and direct interactions with the game’s decision-makers. All of this adds up to a very robust overall gaming experience, and goes a long way toward explaining BattleTabs’ ongoing success in the marketplace.

To truly wrap your head around the BattleTabs universe, however, you’ll need to play it for yourself…

Getting Started

Play on mobile (App Store or Google Play), on desktop via the Chrome Web Store, or play directly on your browser at battletabs.io.

It’s not complicated. Just jump in, start a battle, and enjoy!

All Hands On Deck! Let’s Play BattleTabs was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.