Decrypt's Art, Fashion, and Entertainment Hub

Dogecoin will see a slew of hypercasual mini-games released throughout the rests of the year via the DogeOS application layer, utilizing the DOGE network for the games’ reward system and more.

Announced today, PlaysOut will publish around 15 Doge-themed games spanning various genres by the end of the year, with the first title expected in August. The casual mini-games will be playable via the MyDoge wallet and PlaysOut mobile app, and the hope is that the games will find their way onto other platforms.

The games are expected to utilize the Dogecoin blockchain, with leaderboards, quests, and competitions likely to reward gamers with DOGE token airdrops. Plus, in-game items and skins are set to be tradiable as Dogecoin NFTs, otherwise known as Doginals. PlaysOut said this will open the door to interoperability between the mini-games.

"I think this is a big, big showcase for DogeOS as an infrastructure," Jassem Osseiran, co-founder and chief strategy officer at PlaysOut, told Decrypt. "[It is] allowing us to bring a community and the technology [together] to create a real-world use case for it."

DogeOS is an application layer built on top of the Dogecoin blockchain, allowing developers to create and deploy apps and games using the O.G. meme coin's network. The EVM-compatible layer-2 network is currently in the testnet phase.

The upcoming games are designed to be approachable and easy to pick up, spanning a wide range of genres from life simulators to puzzle and role-playing games. PlaysOut currently plans to launch 15 games, track player reactions, and then optimize its strategy based on the results.

As a result of the partnership, PlaysOut hopes to introduce beloved global IP—such as cartoon characters—into the Dogecoin mini-game ecosystem via licensing agreements. The team told Decrypt that "a few" deals are in the works, and "a few" deals have also been signed. The first IP announcement is targeted for Q3 of this year.

"Today, the only way that an IP sits with you is when you actually interact with it in one way, shape, or form," Osseiran said. "I think Doge ‘til today has just been purely a Web3 meme. It's a Web3 community, but it hasn't translated into anything meaningful beyond that. Through gaming, we can show a huge use case of how something can be distributed globally and be an IP for everybody."

Osseiran hopes that by creating games that use the Dogecoin IP and blockchain, across a comprehensive list of genres, a diverse group of gamers will be able to connect with the meme.

“Gaming has always centered around fun and community, which perfectly aligns with Doge culture,' said Jordan Jefferson, CEO of DogeOS. “DogeOS is excited to provide the infrastructure that enables PlaysOut to offer the Doge community meaningful ways to utilize their DOGE beyond just holding it.”

PlaysOut is a mini-game publisher that works with game developers who have been successful on the Chinese superapp WeChat, bringing their games to the Western world. By sharing revenue with PlaysOut, the publisher will translate the game from Chinese to English, “reskin” the assets, and deal with distribution.

In this case, the reskinning of assets will include adding the Doge meme, which is based on the late Shiba Inu dog Kabosu, into the games. PlaysOut publishes across various apps around the world, including Telegram, World Network, Line Hong Kong’s Viu, and India’s Eros Now. The firm said it’s gearing up to launch its first games without the Doge IP.

“We're working with partners to layer familiar IP—think sports icons, internet culture, and nostalgic game vibes—on top of proven game formats like endless runners, simulators, and tower defense,” Osseiran said.

Edited by Andrew Hayward