Parallel

Overview

Parallel Studios is developing a trading card game called Parallel, which operates on the play-and-earn principle and utilizes NFTs. The game is being built within a decentralized ecosystem established by the Echelon Prime Foundation (Echelon). 

The game's storyline is set in a dystopian future where Earth has become uninhabitable due to a cataclysmic tragedy known as "The Event," caused by a new form of fission using anti-matter as fuel. The radiation from this event forced humanity to flee to space, splitting into three expeditions to Mars, Europa, and the outskirts of the asteroid belt.

Thousands of years later, as each parallel of humanity prospered in their respective locations, they discovered that Earth had become a planet of pure, harvestable energy due to the maturation process sparked by "The Event." The other Parallels sought to return and claim the riches of Earth's newfound energy, resulting in inevitable conflict as they had been isolated from each other since "The Event."

Despite the ruin caused by the old humanity, they unknowingly sparked the next technological age, making Earth safe for all life once again. The overall theme of Parallel is of interstellar travel and different people coming together with shared or unique values and identities, providing players with a unique and immersive storytelling experience.

Five Parallels

• Earthen: A genetic mutation that caused skin pigmentation to change allowed less than one percent of Earth's population to survive "The Event." Over time, these survivors developed the ability to manipulate nature, and Earth's radiation became stronger.
• Marcolian: Colonists who went to Mars eliminated the elites who opposed their scientific and rational thinking, and their civilization thrived. After "The Priming," they set their eyes on Earth, which they believed to be their birthright.
  
• Augencore: "The Fortitude" crew, a group of cyborgs, continued exploring the solar system for resources and discovered a small asteroid field that led them back to Earth, their former home.
  
• Kathari: Colonists on Jupiter's moon, Europa, had to genetically modify and artificially replicate their food due to a terrorist attack. Over time, they became infertile and turned to cloning. After "The Priming," the Archivists who maintained their genetic code ruled with theistic intensity, and a rebellion began.
  
• Shroud: The "New Dawn" ship sent on a multi-generational journey towards the exoplanet Kepler-1649c encountered a black hole and attempted to repurpose their propulsion system as a barrier. The plan failed, and the ship disappeared.
  

Gameplay

Parallel combines traditional TCG mechanics with modern technology to create an immersive gaming experience. The game revolves around the Parallel Studio's NFT collection, which focuses on the five factions or Parallels that make up the game's narrative. Players compete against each other using decks of collectible NFTs, and the game operates on the play-and-earn principle, with players owning the NFTs and deriving value from them through staking, card sharing, market activity rewards, and other means.

The game rewards players with PRIME tokens, which are the utility tokens of the Echelon ecosystem and can be used for value transfer, rewards currency, and governance participation. To play the game, players need at least one complete deck consisting of 40 cards, which can belong to a single Parallel or a combination of Universal cards that can be used in all decks.

The game features several modes, including The Ladder, where players face off against each other one-on-one, and Sectors, which allows players to build an initial 30-card deck and progress to the next battle if they win, with the option to replace some cards within the deck. The rookie queue is a training ground for new players, with access to immutable rookie decks that can be customized as they progress.

How to Get Started

Parallel's closed alpha began on February 28th and occurred in three waves, with each wave lasting approximately one week. Participants received an email informing them of their wave, and they needed to sign a non-disclosure agreement before they could participate. During the closed alpha, participants could try all available game modes, test as many cards as possible, and provide feedback on the current game build and card functions as well as report any bugs.

Alpha passes were redeemed, and users who redeemed their alpha pass had access to closed alpha testing in the earliest wave and throughout the process, no matter what wave. After each wave, participants could continue to provide feedback and get ready to return for the all waves weekend at the end of the month, beginning on approximately March 26th. Since we are close to that date at the time of writing, make sure to sign up on their website for a chance to get your hands on the game.