I will be the first to tell you that I had no idea what I was doing. But, the blockchain industry is an ever-evolving space, and cryptocurrencies fill only a small part. If I have picked up anything from my time here, it is this: trying stuff out and experimenting with new things is the best way to learn and often filled with pleasant surprises (Uniswap airdrop, for example). Although it may be true that I have lost money due to foolish mistakes, I have also learned a lot, and overall, have had a net positive effect in my quest to explore the world of blockchain while simultaneously making a couple of bucks.

 

Admittedly, blockchain games were something I had vastly overlooked until now. Being new to the community on Publish0x, it seemed like a win-win to participate in the writing contest while trying something new. Thus, I have documented my experience in its entirety for the community at large. I hope you learn something from my experience, or at the very least, find some brief entertainment in your journey across the vast sea of various Publish0x articles. With that, I leave you to it, my journey: A Total Noobs Upland Journey.

 

 

Getting Started

 

Like I said in the introduction: I had no idea what I was doing. I did not understand Upland, or what the point was, if there even is one. I figure instead of giving you my interpretation its best to start with a brief description taken from the Upland site directly:

 

"Upland is the Earth’s Metaverse where you buy, sell, and trade virtual properties mapped to the Real World. Become a digital landowner, build properties, start businesses, and earn UPX coins. Join a community of Uplanders embarking on a bold journey to create a new digital economy. Own your properties forever with true ownership guaranteed by Upland’s blockchain technology."

 

Sounds simple enough, right? 

 

Right. I would say Upland is fundamentally simplistic, but that is part of what makes it great - while technically a blockchain game, Upland does not deny the fact that the primary objective of the game is to acquire property with the in-game currency known as UPX. Purchasing a property translates into minting the ownership of every asset acquired on the blockchain - this is appealing compared to the business model for many so-called games of today. These games are often pay-to-play, plagued with micro-transactions, and half the time are a thinly veiled excuse for a scam. Otherwise, the not-so-subtle attempts of these games to get a piece of whatever is in your pocket negates any enjoyability they might offer.

 

First Impressions

 

After setting up my account and making a profile, I quickly realized that my phone provided a much better Upland experience. Since my computer is clinging on for survival these days, this came as no surprise. After getting Upland installed on my mobile device, I logged in again and began my journey - for real this time.

 

The in-game currency used primarily to acquire property is called UPX. The referral bonus of 6,000 UPX through the link offered by Publish0x is a good start, but I needed to get the full experience that Upland offers. So, I did what any responsible person would do, and I purchased $9.99 worth of UPX - for research, of course.

 

You can still play Upland before reaching 15,000 UPX, but you have to ensure you stay active, and check in regularly so your profile isn't deleted.

 

$10 is all it takes to buy your Upland citizenship - welcome ceremony included!

 

Buying Property

 

The only thing left to do now - buy my first property and plant my flag in the small (for now) but bustling world of Upland.

 

I'm now OFFICIALLY an Uplander!

 

The one thing I found a bit strange was the Google street view option available in the game. I realize this is publicly accessible outside of Upland, but something seems disturbing about not only owning the digital deeds to a random person's home; knowing what the house looks like IRL makes it feel a lot more real, however unnerving it might first be.

 

If you live at one of these places - I'm sorry.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Although at first I was not that impressed, I quickly realized the beauty of Uplands simplicity. Regardless of how into crypto you are, whether you are playing for fun or to be competitive and climb the ranks, there is something for everybody. 

 

Not only that, but as Upland continues to grow and UPX becomes transactional in exchange for fiat or crypto, and not just the other way around, a blockchain game such as this one could be a great way to store some of your wealth in digital assets. By acquiring property, you passively earn UPX for each lot, a model much similar to staking that we see implemented by many projects in the blockchain space.

 

I am excited to see what the future of Upland holds. I believe blockchain games have great potential; however, their success and enjoyability largely depend on the users and their active participation. Much like the future of what cryptocurrencies see adoption, let alone survive, relies on public sentiment and narrative, blockchain games are what you make them, too.

 

A game like Upland is community-driven. It relies on the participation of you and me to thrive and to function. The success and overall future of Upland rely on an active userbase, so I urge you to at the very least give it a shot, make an account, grab some UPX, and buy your first blockchain-backed house!

 

Who knows, you might even have fun. ;)

 

P.S. - Use my link to start rebuilding the world with Upland and you'll be awarded a bonus for your first purchase!