January 29, 2024
In ZK games, players may produce efficiently and publicly verifiable zero knowledge proofs with each move, round, etc.
Smart contracts verify proofs to prevent cheating.
The rules of the game are programmed in circuits, using languages like Circom or Noir.
Player information can be kept hidden (e.g. keeping your poker hand a secret).
These properties unlock new mechanics, for example:
• Competitions with public leaderboards and confidential verifiable solutions.
• Complex game logic that would otherwise be infeasible to execute on-chain.
• On-chain multiplayer games with information asymmetry mechanics (e.g. fog of war).
ZK can be most easily applied to simple, stateful games. Every move is a transaction, so fees need be to be economically feasible. Combining elements with the financial incentives of traditional web3 games presents exciting possibilities.
Someday we may see P2P multiplayer games that remove scaling constraints imposed by central servers.