How to Join Variance’s Open Playtest

Realm Studios has launched the Open Playtest for Variance, which runs from July 31 to August 3 at 8 PM UTC. The playtest is accessible through web browsers on PC and is hosted on Somnia, a blockchain platform focused on gaming. This event offers players the opportunity to try the game for free while competing for leaderboard rewards and participating in giveaways that include Lootboxes and Golden Tickets.

Variance is a free-to-play anime roguelike RPG that features fast-paced 2D side-scrolling combat. Players progress through dynamic dungeons while upgrading heroes and completing seasonal questlines. The game is inspired by popular titles such as Enter the Gungeon, Dead Cells, and Hollow Knight. It operates on the Somnia blockchain network, which allows all gameplay actions to be recorded on-chain.

This integration provides on-chain verification for anti-cheat security and supports true player ownership of in-game assets, which can be traded in secondary markets. Currently, Variance can be played on web browsers, with plans to expand availability to platforms like Steam, the Epic Games Store, and mobile devices including Android and iOS.

How to Join Variance’s Open Playtest

Somnia and Endless Challenge Mode

The Somnia Open Playtest is the first public testing phase for Variance that records all player actions on-chain. One of the key additions to this playtest is a new game mode called Endless Challenge. In this mode, players face continuous waves of enemies and aim to survive as long as possible while accumulating a high score. After completing each wave, players choose one ability from a set of three powers to enhance their combat options, similar to the main dungeon mode.

To access Endless Challenge mode, players need to play the main Challenge mode a few times to activate a pink portal on the Sanctuary map. Alternatively, they can unlock it immediately by exploring the Sanctuary map to locate an override switch on the left side, which opens the portal to the Endless Challenge area. At the time of this playtest, there is only one map available for Endless Challenge mode. However, scores from this mode do not affect leaderboard rankings, which are based on performance in the main dungeon mode.

How to Join Variance’s Open Playtest

Lootboxes, Golden Tickets, and More

Leaderboard rewards are available for the top 100 players based on their scores in the main game mode. The top three players receive a combination of Lootboxes and a Golden Ticket each. The Golden Ticket provides guaranteed free access to the upcoming mint of the game’s profile picture (PFP) collection. Players ranked fourth to fiftieth receive seven Lootboxes each, while those ranked fifty-first to one hundredth receive five Lootboxes. All other participants earn at least one Lootbox.

Besides skill-based rewards, players can participate in additional giveaways on the game’s official Discord server. The server features a points system where players can earn points by completing social quests. These points can then be used to enter raffles or redeemed for items such as Golden Tickets in the server’s store. This provides multiple avenues for players to obtain rewards during the playtest.

How to Join Variance’s Open Playtest

Final Thoughts

To join the playtest, players must visit Variance’s official website and launch the game through their web browser. Signing in is required and can be done using an email address or social login options such as Discord or Google. The game runs efficiently on low-end Windows PCs thanks to its use of hand-drawn animations and 2D graphics, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

During the playtest, players are encouraged to complete daily and weekly quests as well as in-game achievements to earn Lootboxes. The main objective is to achieve the highest score possible by progressing through waves in the main dungeon mode. The Open Playtest is available for a limited time, concluding on August 3 at 8 PM UTC.