Overview
Serum City is a novel city-building game developed by Novel Labs in collaboration with Faraway. The game builds on the NFT assets from Yuga Labs' Mutant Ape Yacht Club and other collections. It's designed to incorporate an "illustrated" or comic book-inspired aesthetic, which aligns with its storytelling ambitions, marking it as a transmedia game that blends interactive gameplay with narrative elements.
The world of Serum City draws heavily on the ethos of the Mutant Ape Yacht Club, portraying a gritty, slightly psychedelic universe. The game's narrative centers around these mutant apes who, in the game's universe, are considered outcasts even among their fellow apes. This storyline taps into themes of marginalization and resilience, adding depth to the game's engagement.
Gameplay and Features
In Serum City, the gameplay kicks off with every player facing the challenge of building from the ground up. With just a handful of resources and minimal access to the city's facilities, it's all about making smart moves right from the start. Your mission? Develop essential infrastructures such as housing, community centers, and factories. Each strategic upgrade or new building constructed slowly but surely transforms your initial plot into a bustling hub of activity.
The crafting system in this game is where things get intriguing. Players dive into complex crafting loops, creating a range of items from essential resources to high-end commodities like jewelry, weapons, and armor. These items are pivotal to progressing through the game's economy and can be traded with others for valuable resources. Among the standout features is the Capsule of Kaos, a device that can magically transform simple materials into rare goods, adding a layer of depth and strategy to the crafting gameplay.
Another core feature of Serum City is its social trading economy. Here, gameplay mimics real-life economic dealings with a dynamic market where players barter and trade resources to build their empires. Plan out your trades and climb op the ladder, as the game lets you buy and sell your way into Serum City supremacy
In Serum City, the seasonal gameplay structure is quite similar to systems seen in other competitive games, where players use their strategic skills to climb leaderboards for a shot at seasonal glory. Throughout each season, you'll leverage items to rack up points, ascend the ranks and win rewards.
Recent Development
Serum City has entered Season 2, bringing fresh gameplay elements and deeper strategic mechanics. Players can now explore smuggling tunnels to collect crystals, a new power source critical for leveling up and advancing crafting capabilities. PVP battles have been introduced in The Clink, an intense arena where players can challenge others for trophies called "Teeth," adding a competitive edge. Additionally, the game economy has expanded with new currencies, Cigs and Cartel Chips, enhancing trading and crafting opportunities for players to build their empires.
Looking ahead, Season 3 promises even greater accessibility with the launch of a mobile version and the removal of the token gate, making the city-building experience open to more players and allowing them to stay connected to Serum City’s evolving world.
How to Get Started
To start playing Serum City, you'll first need an NFT pass, which you can get if you own certain NFTs like those from the Mutant Ape Yacht Club (Mutants, Apes, Mutant Hounds, and Mutant Cartel Oath). Once you have your pass, you can link it to your game account and begin building your city. This involves planning your city's layout, managing resources, and interacting with other players. The game updates with new seasons regularly, bringing new challenges, features, and rewards. Keep updated with all things Serum City by following their social media accounts.