Crypt-Oink Racing Friends was reviewed using Osiris web 3.0 browser
You always hear the saying “…when pigs fly”, but how about when pigs race? In Crypt-Oink that’s the name of the game, racing your collection of little piggies. It’s the new and popular dApp from Japan, but does it deserve its popularity, or should this little piggy have stayed home?
In Crypt-Oink you can collect, breed, and sire pigs called Crypton. They’re cute little pigs that have varying attributes and skills depending on their generation, and these skills are what you’ll be utilizing when participating in a race. There are a few Cryptons that you can buy from the game’s Official Shop and for a relatively cheap price too, with all of them costing 0.03 ETH. If you want even better deals, however, then your best bet is the User Market, where players will sell their own Cryptons for cheap.
Aside from Cryptons, you can purchase Eggtons. The difference with these little guys is that you can only purchase them with the in-game currency called Coink and they cannot be traded with other Cryptons. The more important difference are the unique attributes these little guys have that you can then pass on to other Cryptons when breeding them.
Aside from just breeding new Cryptons and collecting Eggtons, you can nurture them on your Ranch. Here you’ll see your collection of piggies frolicking about and displaying various emotions from elation to depression. And, depending on their mood, the activities they want to do or ways you will nurture them will differ. However, the best cure and activity for their mood is going to be a race.
Racing is the main hook for Crypt-Oink, since it provides the most active participation from the player. Despite it being the main hook, its mechanics and controls are to be desired, but functional enough to not completely ruin the experience. Controls mainly consist of clicking the left and right arrows on the screen to control your Crypton, while your velocity is automatic. There is an added boost function for more engaging gameplay, but it’s still not enough to round out the experience control-wise. At the end of the day, an outcome of a race comes down to what attributes your Crypton has. So the better the stats, the higher your chances of winning are. If you’d rather not participate actively in a race, you can wager a bet on others, which is perhaps where the most excitement is drawn from Crypt-Oink.
There is one snag that’ll you hit right away if you want to race with other people, however, and that’s reaching the required owner level. In order to do so you’ll need an Owner Level of 5, and not only that but to begin breeding you’ll need to be Level 3. The snag itself is not leveling up, but that the game does not tell you how to go about it. In every other aspect the game does a great job of holding your hand and explaining its various mechanics, except leveling your Owner Level. Crypto-Oink has a great FAQ resource for all its other modes, but none mention Owner Level. There’s not even a bar in your player profile showing how much experience you need for the next level.
For what Crypt-Oink lacks in explaining certain mechanical details, it does make up for it in presentation details. The game definitely belongs up there in the most aesthetically pleasing dApps, with fluid animations of its creatures and having vibrant colors. Everything is dynamic in its animation and fits well in its bubbly, cutesy art-style. Although it’s a reward to win a race, there is joy to be found seeing your little Crypton bounce about with joy and seeing its snout fluidly bob side to side as its celebrating.
Overall, Crypt-Oink is a fun digital collectible dApp that gives you more to do than just collect cute little pets. Its race mechanic is exciting, albeit simplistic and lacking in its controls. It’s especially engaging when wagering bets to see which little Crypton will come out on top.
It’s an affordable option to meet your collecting needs, with its pricing structure all ranging around 0.03 ETH and below. But for all its affordability and engaging gameplay, certain aspects could be explained more and given more in-depth guides so as to avoid players feeling lost from the get-go.
3.5/5
