In a significant move for the web3 gaming industry, Chris Heatherly, a seasoned gaming professional and former head of NBCUniversal’s gaming business, has successfully raised $3 million for his latest venture, the casual party game studio Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, building the web3 game The Mystery Society.

Heatherly, known for his leadership roles at Club Penguin and Disney, has been exploring the realm of game startups and web3 games since NBCUniversal's exit from the game publishing business in 2019. Now, backed by a $3 million investment, Heatherly is set to make waves in the casual gaming landscape with his new studio.

The Web3 IP

Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow's debut title, The Mystery Society, promises an engaging experience, described by Heatherly as a fusion of "Among Us meets Clue." The game introduces web3 elements such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), player-to-player trading, and secondary marketplaces, marking a bold move into the evolving web3 gaming space.

The Mystery Society is described as a "captivating web3 social deduction game". In this online multiplayer adventure, players find themselves as family members within the eerie confines of a haunted castle, where mischief and deception lurk in every shadow. Among the players, a few are assigned the role of impostors, whose covert mission is to undermine the group's efforts and discreetly eliminate the unsuspecting members.

Shima Capital spearheaded the $3 million funding round, with support from Sfermion, GSR Markets, Arca, Lyrik Ventures, Flying Falcon, Press Start Capital, and 32-Bit Ventures. The game also received a grant from Polygon Labs and will leverage the Polygon blockchain.

Heatherly aims to attract a broader audience to web3 by launching the beta version of The Mystery Society. The goal is to introduce the appeal of web3 to casual gamers, helping bridge the gap between mainstream audiences and the evolving web3 concepts.

Party games have seen a surge in popularity among casual gamers, exemplified by titles like Among Us, Stumble Guys, and Eggy Party. Heatherly sees the casual gaming space as an ideal avenue for introducing millions of players to web3, emphasizing the genre's accessibility and collaborative gameplay dynamics.

To participate in the beta, interested players can visit The Mystery Society website. Beta participants will receive a limited edition NFT, qualifying them for special rewards in future in-game events. While initially launching in-browser on Mac and PC, plans are underway for an iOS and Android release.

Heatherly's journey into web3 gaming began three years ago, fueled by discussions with industry experts like Jon Radoff, CEO of Beamable. Inspired by the success of Among Us, Heatherly envisioned creating a murder mystery game, adding his twist to the social deduction formula while incorporating live operations and web3 concepts.

Heatherly's strategy involves reducing marketing costs by leveraging the viral nature of social deduction games. Additionally, player-generated content and rewards with utility tokens aim to foster community engagement, changing the traditional developer-player relationship.

The company's name, inspired by a Disneyland carousel song, reflects Heatherly's hopes and dreams. for the studio and IP. With crypto investors showing commitment to the web3 space, and the gaming industry experiencing renewed interest in the wake of Bitcoin's recent price rise, Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow is poised for success in the evolving landscape of casual web3 gaming.