Thanks to Ordinals protocol, crypto users have enrolled more than 50 million bits of media on the platform Bitcoin blockchain over the past year, from artwork to profile pictures and yes, even playable video games.
The Bitcoin-based alternative to NFTs This allows users to etch games and applications into the chain, effectively preserving them for as long as the decentralized network exists. Some see this as a way to ensure classic games survive in an age where digital games have been delisted and difficult to access. Others just think it’s cool or funny.
Whether you see it as a gimmick or a godsend, the fact remains that you can play some old-school games that run on Bitcoin. None of these web-based games are officially sanctioned ports from the original developers, but there are some pretty good renditions in the mix. Here are a few worth checking out.
SuperNintendo
One of the newest and potentially most comprehensive options is a full-blown classic video game console, well, at least a digital recreation of it. A Bitcoin Ordinals project called Pizza Ninja from the team behind the Ninjalerts app announced in January 2024 that it wrote up a custom Super Nintendo emulator on Bitcoin.
People who purchase the upcoming Pizza Ninja items on Ordinals can use the emulator, which can be legally used to play public domain games or games that the user owns through digital copies called ROMs. The YouTube video above shows a quick demo of how it works.
Nintendo 64
After registering the Super Nintendo emulator, the Ninjalerts team used newer Ordinals compression technology to put an emulator for the more powerful Nintendo 64 console on Bitcoin. As with the SNES, owners of a Pizza Ninja Profile Picture (PFP) can access the on-chain version of the emulated console, but must provide their own digital game copies in order to play.
Pac Man
Pac-Man on Bitcoin. Image: decrypt
In terms of completely standalone games written on Bitcoin, it’s hard to beat Pac-Man. This rendition, struck as ordinal inscription #189,058 in February 2023, serving up a fairly pristine recreation of the original arcade hit, along with sequel Ms. Pac-Man and an unofficial Cookie-Man version inspired by “Sesame Street” icon Cookie Monster.
Tetris
Tetris on Bitcoin. Image: decrypt
Tetris is widely regarded as a pretty perfect video game, captivating gamers for decades with its balance of simple mechanics and challenging pace as it ramps up. And now you can play Tetris on Bitcoin via ordinal inscription #35,043,603. It’s pretty much the real thing, albeit with a strange new six-block section. The mouse controls are also not super ideal. But it’s free to play Tetrisand it runs on Bitcoin.
“Doom”
Doom clone on Bitcoin. Image: decrypt
You may have noticed the quotes above Fate. That’s because this isn’t a direct port of id Software’s original, influential first-person shooter classic. But it is Fate-esque, and it is one of the earliest inscriptions from February 2023 at #466. This is one of the examples where it was probably enrolled as an experiment, or because they could be, rather than meeting a notable conservation need. Still, if you’re wondering if Bitcoin can run Fatethe answer is…kinda!
Zork
Work on Bitcoin. Image: decrypt
Text-based adventure Zork is one of the first, influential video games, and it is also one of the first games ever registered on Bitcoin Ordinal numbers inscription #146. The 1977 Infocom classic will certainly feel jarring to modern players who grew up in 3D worlds, but it’s playable and still does a surprising job of creating an immersive atmosphere through text on a black screen. And it’s interesting to see this kind of retro gem running on Bitcoin.
Snake
Snake on Bitcoin. Image: decrypt
Even earlier than Zork on Bitcoin this view was of Snake, the classic mobile game before the smartphone. The approach is simplistic: you use the directional keys to rotate the blocky snake and try to pick up additional blocks, increasing your size. Registered as rank number # 142This version is super fast and your snake can just walk from one edge of the screen to the other without dying, meaning there isn’t much challenge in the mix. But it’s an early Ordinals experiment that will undoubtedly lead to many more experiments.
Edited by Ryan Ozawa.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published on January 13, 2024 and last updated with new information on February 24.