itch.io

Open Alpha is LIVE - and we need you!!

BTC: Proof of Play is now in Open Alpha. A Strategic Card Game based & inspired around Bitcoin

This is the real build. The real mechanics. The real game loop.

You can play offline vs AI or online vs other players right now - no sats required, no paywalls, no barriers.

But this stage is not about downloads.
It’s about breaking things.

We need:

• People who will actually play a few matches
• People who will notice what feels smooth vs clunky
• People who will try weird plays and edge cases
• People who will tell us what’s confusing, what’s satisfying, and what’s outright broken

This is Proof of Alpha. You are part of shaping the game.

Download here:
https://btcproofofplay.itch.io/btcproofofplay

After you’ve played, come back and tell us:

What felt good?
What felt weird?
What needs fixing?

Early players aren’t just testers - you’re helping define how BTC: Proof of Play evolves.

See you in game.

oh! I may have accidently flagged it as that... thank you.

Mis-communications here - we do not have ANY adult content. 
That is what we tried to point out...  

There is NO adult content - it was obviously flagging key words.

We were trying to say 'thank you'. (Got lost here I guess).

Thank you - we did try to post but it kept gating us because of adult content? So not sure how you managed to post it? We checked - we definitely do not have adult content that goes against the rules?

Thank you either way - much appreciated 👍

A new Open Alpha build is ready on Itch for anyone who would like to try the game and share feedback.

We’ve been improving stability, interface, card interactions, and overall game flow. This version reflects many of those updates and is ready for wider testing.

How you can help:

• Download the build
• Play a few matches (Offline or Online)
• Share any feedback or issues you notice

No payments are required. The game is fully playable for free.

Download: https://btcproofofplay.itch.io/btcproofofplay

Your feedback at this stage is extremely valuable and helps shape the direction of the project.

Thank you for taking part in the early testing phase.

If you’re a creator, streamer, or just love sharing new games - we’re lining up early access for the Open Alpha of BTC: Proof of Play.

Want to show it, stream it, and be among the first to put it in front of people?

Keep an eye on our socials for the release date.

"Stack Your Deck" ⚡

⚡📢 We’re shipping the Alpha in English first so we can get BTC: Proof of Play into your hands as fast as possible...

...But localisation is a key priority for us moving forward 👍

We want players all over the world to be able to play, read, and enjoy the game in their own language - and we’ll be planning this properly as we head beyond Alpha.

For now: English Alpha. Next: global Bitcoiners.

Tick tock ⚡

We are deep into preparing and customising all the bits players will need to be able to play an OPEN Alpha version of BTC Proof of Play.

Want to know why we called the game "BTC Proof of Play" ... ?

"When you want to have a (money) network where no one is in charge (where you don't want a central authority), you need a mechanism which can tell you which transaction was first, and which transactions have happened in the first place. Otherwise, how would you know that when Alice pays Bob, Alice actually has the funds to do so?

With traditional money, banks take on the role of transaction ordering authority. But you don't want authorities on a decentralized money like bitcoin (because authority = single point of failure).

What proof of work mechanism does, is letting anyone add the current transactions to the previous list of transactions every ten minutes. But in order to do so, they need to put in resources (electricity, hardware). This is needed in order to avoid cheating and spam. If you could order the transactions (= creating new blocks) for free, you wouldn't have any incentives to behave and to be beneficial to the network.

So proof of work is something like a timestamping mechanism which lets anyone willing participate (without a need for a central authority), but requires resources in order to avoid "bad" behaviour." - TheGreatMuffin (Reddit)

So,  we took Proof of Work and applied that same energy and ideology to BTC Proof of Play... as you play, you earn (unlock) cards and resources - just like Proof of Work.

What This Is

• An Open Alpha, not a launch

• Features, balance, UI, and flow are still evolving

• Expect bugs, rough edges, and things changing quickly

That’s the point.

What We Want You To Do

Please do all of the following:

• Play matches (Online or vs AI)

• Test cards, turns, targeting, and pacing

• Try things you think might break the game

• Record gameplay

• Take screenshots

• Stream it

• Share clips, bugs, and feedback publicly

Noise is good. Visibility helps.

How To Play (Quick Start)

Controls

• Click cards to select them

• Drag cards from your hand to valid play slots

• Click enemy cards or targets to attack

• Click empty space to cancel actions

• Tooltips appear when hovering cards and UI

Match Flow

1. Coin toss decides who goes first

2. Draw phase happens automatically

3. Play cards if you have enough Hashrate

4. Attack with cards or directly if shields are down

5. Reduce your opponent’s Network Integrity to win

Core Concepts

• Network Integrity = Health

• Hashrate = Energy / Resource used to play and attack

• Sparks = Common in-game currency

• Shards = Premium in-game currency

Everything is Bitcoin-themed on purpose.

Economy (Alpha Values)

For the Open Alpha, all players start with:

• 420 Sparks

• 21 Shards

This is a testing balance.
Progress may reset between Alpha phases.

Lightning Payments (Important)

Lightning may be enabled during the Open Alpha.

• Payments are real

• They currently grant in-game currency only

• No sats are transferred between players

• Consider this testing Lightning UX, not spending money in a live economy

Only tip or purchase if you’re comfortable doing so.

Feedback & Bugs

If something feels wrong, confusing, broken, or exploitable:

• That’s valuable

• Screenshot or record it

• Tell us what happened and what you expected

This Alpha exists to harden the game.

Final Note

If you enjoy it:

• Share it

• Stream it

• Screenshot it

• Talk about it

This game grows by being seen.

BTC: Proof of Play will be 100% FREE to download 

FREE to play 

No paywall 

No entry fee 

Just pure Bitcoin-themed strategy

Hopefully you'll love playing it as much as we've loved creating it!!!

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share a project we’ve been building called BTC: Proof of Play - a competitive, Hearthstone-inspired digital card game built from the ground up around Bitcoin culture, mechanics, and values.

This isn’t a generic “crypto-skinned” game. The entire world is Bitcoin-native:

⚡Hashrate as energy
🛡 Network Integrity as health
⛏ Mining systems, mempool themes, and protocol-inspired cards
🃏 Custom decks, online 1v1s, offline AI, progression, skins, boards, and more

Important: BTC: Proof of Play does not use any real blockchain, wallets, NFTs, or background mining. There is no real compute, no GPU/CPU mining, and no on-chain activity. All “mining” is purely an in-game, fictional game mechanic.  It does however use the Bitcoin Lightning network to enable payments for items, cosmetics and gameplay items in Bitcoin. No wallet connection, simply QR codes. Simplicity!

Over the last year I’ve been developing it in Unity, running closed alphas, and actively shaping it with early players and Bitcoiners. We’ve been testing things like global multiplayer, deck building, mining-based rewards, taunts/emotes, and even optional Lightning integrations for in-game tipping and digital perks.

The closed alpha has just wrapped, and the next phase is focused on polish, balance, content expansion, and opening things up more publicly.

"The first Bitcoin-native competitive strategy card game."

If you’re into:

• Card games
• Bitcoin (can also be played by anyone…)
• or weird, niche, experimental indie projects

I’d love for you to follow along, check it out, and be part of shaping where it goes next.

Latest Gameplay: https://vimeo.com/1156594909?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

More updates, and playable builds coming soon.

Tick tock. Proof of Play ⚡

— Graham & Matt (Paws N Play Studios)

🔗 Links & Socials

🌐 Website:
https://btcproofofplay.xyz/

💛 Geyser (support the project):
https://geyser.fund/project/btcproofofplay?hero=btcproofofplay

🐦 X / Twitter:
https://x.com/BTCProofofPlay

💬 Discord:
https://discord.gg/8jNFzNuNsu

🎮 Itch.io:
https://btcproofofplay.itch.io/btcproofofplay

📺 TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@btcproofofplay

Please see some screenshots of what awaits players in BTC Proof of Play...

One of the core pillars of BTC: Proof of Play is native Bitcoin culture - and that means Lightning done properly.

Over the past phase of development, a big focus has been building out a secure Lightning layer that doesn’t lock players into a single provider.

We’re implementing our Lightning system so it can support multiple wallets and backends, rather than being hard-coded to one service. This gives us a flexible foundation that can evolve over time and keeps player experience at the centre.

What this means in practice:

• A modular Lightning system inside the game

• Support for multiple wallet providers

• No private keys or sensitive data inside the client

• All Lightning interactions abstracted behind secure backend services

• The ability to swap, add, or upgrade providers without touching the core game

Right now, Lightning is already live in-game for things like purchases and tipping flows, and the next step is expanding this into a more open multi-wallet architecture.

This work is laying the groundwork for future features where Lightning becomes a natural part of the BTC: Proof of Play ecosystem - without compromising player security or flexibility.

More on this soon. ⚡

Tick tock.

Hey everyone,

We wanted to share an important update about the project.

BTCG has officially been rebranded to BTC: Proof of Play.

This change doesn’t affect the game, the vision, or the roadmap – it’s purely a name and identity update as we continue building toward a wider release.

Why the change?

As development has progressed, it became clear that we needed a name that:

• Clearly stands apart as its own original project

• Better reflects what we’re actually building

• Avoids confusion as we move toward public launch, physical cards, and a Kickstarter

BTC: Proof of Play captures what this project is really about:

A strategy card game inspired by Bitcoin’s culture, ideas, and energy – where gameplay, not speculation, is the focus.

What isn’t changing

Everything you’ve seen so far stays the same:

• The digital card game

• The upcoming physical cards

• The mining, hashrate, and network mechanics

• The community-first, indie, collector-driven approach

• ESC cards already sent or in circulation

Your early cards, screenshots, and memories are all part of the project’s history. They now simply sit under the broader Proof of Play banner.

What is changing

Over the coming days you’ll see:

• Updated logos and branding

• Website and social updates

• In-game title changes

• Store and Kickstarter materials aligned to the new name

Development continues as normal alongside this.

One important note

Although BTC: Proof of Play is inspired by Bitcoin’s ideas, memes, and culture, this game does not use real blockchain technology, tokens, or on-chain assets.
Any Lightning features are optional, and you don’t need Bitcoin to play.

 👉 This is a game first and foremost 👈

Thanks to everyone who’s been here early, tested builds, reported bugs, shared ideas, and supported the project while it’s still raw and forming. Rebrands are a normal part of building something new – and this one sets us up much better for what comes next.

More updates soon.

– Cookie & Matt
Creators of BTC: Proof of Play 🎴⚡

Happy New Year everyone.

We’ve kicked off 2026 straight back in dev mode and have been pushing a lot of new content and improvements into BTC Proof of Play over the last few days.

This build isn’t about one single feature - it’s about tightening the whole experience and laying foundations for what’s coming next.

⚙️ New Year Dev Content (in progress)

In dev mode we’ve been adding and testing a wave of new content and systems, including:

• New and reworked cards

• Ongoing balance passes

• Combat flow, aura/signal, and destruction timing improvements

• AI + offline match fixes

• UI, feedback, and interaction polish

• Backend and sync improvements

• General bug fixes and stability work

A lot of this is groundwork, but it’s already making the game feel more solid, clearer to play, and closer to the experience we want long-term.

📦 ESC Packs Are Going Out

The first batch of ESC (Early Supporter Card) packs have now been sent out and should be landing with the first group of supporters any day now.

Seeing real BTCG cards in envelopes heading out into the world is honestly surreal.

Thank you to everyone who supported early and helped get BTCG to this stage. This is a big milestone for the project.

More physical content and follow-ups are already being worked on.

🌐 Website Refresh + BTC Proof of Play Store (Side Quest)

Alongside game development, the website has been getting a refresh, and we’ve quietly opened a small BTC Proof of Play store section.

It’s very much a side quest - stickers, wearables, mugs, and a few inside-joke designs tied to the project and the journey so far.

Not the main mission.
Just another way to support the build and rep BTC Proof of Play if you want to.

You can find it here:
👉 BTC Proof of Play Shop (Merchandise)

🔮 Much more coming

2026 is already shaping up to be a big year for BTC Proof of Play.

More cards.
More systems.
More polish.
More physical pieces.
More community involvement.

As always, thank you for testing, breaking, suggesting, and supporting. It genuinely makes a difference.

Back to the build.

🟠

⚡️BTCG Alpha Update – Changelog (Since 9 Nov) ⚡️

This Alpha build includes a large batch of gameplay, stability, and quality-of-life updates for testers to try.

New & Updated Gameplay

• Offline AI Match Mode now fully playable from start to finish
• Coin Toss flow now works correctly in Online and Offline matches
• Turn system improvements across Draw, Play, and Attack phases
• Card targeting, attacking, and direct attacks more reliable and responsive
• Improved card combat feedback (damage, destruction, effects)

Mining & Progression

• Mining Block system refinements and bug fixes
• Lane unlock rules enforced correctly (one free lane per block, paid unlocks for others)
• Mining rewards and block claiming stability improvements
• Offline mining persistence fixes

UI / UX Improvements

• Updated HUD with clearer Network Integrity and Hashrate visuals
• Combat Log improvements (auto-scroll, clarity, consistency)
• Turn indicator animations refined
• Improved pause menu logic for Online vs Offline games
• General UI polish and readability improvements

Multiplayer & Networking

• Improved Photon sync reliability for card actions and destruction
• Fixed edge cases causing duplicate destroy events and RPC errors
• Better handling of offline vs online logic paths
• Session handling improvements to reduce duplicate login issues

Platform & Builds

• Windows build updates via Itch Butler
• New macOS Alpha build now available
• General build stability improvements

Fixes & Stability

• Fixed issues with cards becoming un-selectable
• Fixed Hashrate and stat desync in certain matches
• Reduced random match-breaking edge cases
• Multiple crash and error fixes across gameplay systems

⚡️As always:

This is an Alpha. Expect bugs, balance issues, and rough edges.

Please report anything odd – especially combat, mining, AI behaviour, or UI glitches.

Thanks for testing and stacking your deck!
The BTCG Team

Halo!!!! We are so pleased ppeople are seeing what we've worked on for just under a year... Woop Woop.

Yassssss!!!!!!

🎉 The BTC Proof of Play Alpha is LIVE! ⚡

It’s time, Bitcoiners (and non-coiners) - the Bitcoin Trading Card Game Alpha is officially live and ready to play! 🧡

Here’s everything you need to know:

🎟️ Access:

If you’ve received an Alpha key, you can now redeem it right here on Itch.io. Each key is one-time use, so once it’s redeemed, the build is yours to keep for the duration of the Alpha.

🔐 Login & Security:

When you launch the game, you’ll log in using a PlayFab account (any email works).

Sessions are hardware-locked, meaning your login stays tied to your device - preventing shared or duplicate sessions and keeping gameplay secure.

🧩 What’s in this Alpha:

✅ Full online & local (AI) battles

✅ Mining system with block rewards

✅ Shop, Card Collection & Deck Builder

✅ Card Skins, Boosts, and Lightning-ready economy (Lightning disabled in alpha)

💬 Feedback:

We’d love to hear your thoughts, bug reports, and favourite moments! Share them here on the Itch.io community page or in our Discord (link in the description).

Let’s make history - one sat, one

 card, one block at a time.