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Cross The Ages: A Deep Dive into the Sci-Fi & Fantasy NFT Card Game
Introduction: Beyond the Hype
John: In the ever-evolving landscape of GameFi, it’s rare to find a project that combines deep lore, compelling gameplay, and a sustainable economic vision. Many have tried, but few have captured the imagination quite like Cross The Ages. Today, we’re taking a closer look at this title, which positions itself not just as a game, but as a sprawling intellectual property.
Lila: I’ve been seeing their name pop up a lot, especially with some big partnership news recently. It’s described as a “collectible card game set in a dystopian clash of worlds” on its Facebook page, which sounds epic. Is it just another card game, or is there more going on under the hood?
John: That’s the core question, Lila. It’s much more than just a game. The developers are building what they call a “transmedia ecosystem.” It’s an ambitious project that starts with a trading card game but extends into novels, esports, and potentially animation. We’re going to unpack all of it, from gameplay mechanics to the blockchain technology that powers its economy.
Overview & Key Features: A Universe in Your Hand
John: At its heart, Cross The Ages (often abbreviated as CTA) is a digital collectible trading card game, or TCG. It’s available on mobile (iOS and Android) and PC, making it highly accessible. The game is set in the world of Artellium, a realm caught in a conflict between two distinct factions: Arkhante, a society of magic and tradition, and Mantris, a civilization driven by advanced technology and AI.
Lila: So it’s that classic fantasy versus science-fiction trope? I love that. The official X account calls it “a fantasy and sci-fi universe,” and I’ve seen Phemex describe it as a blend of “fantasy, science fiction, and post-apocalyptic themes.” It sounds like they’re really leaning into the world-building.
John: They are. And that’s the “transmedia” aspect we mentioned. The entire game universe is based on a series of seven novels. This isn’t just flavour text; the lore is the foundation. The cards, characters, and conflicts are all drawn from this rich narrative. This depth is what separates it from many competitors. It’s an intellectual property (IP) first, and a game second, as noted on the Epic Games Store FAQ.
Lila: That makes a huge difference! So you’re not just collecting random monster cards; you’re collecting pieces of a story. What are the key features that a new player should know about?
John: Certainly. Here are the core pillars of the Cross The Ages experience:
- Strategic TCG Gameplay: Players build decks of 20 cards and compete on a 4×4 grid. The goal is to control more territory than your opponent by strategically placing cards with different power values and elemental affinities.
- Deep, Novel-Based Lore: The universe is expansive, with established characters, history, and a central conflict that gives the game meaning beyond just winning matches.
- Digital Collectibles as NFTs: The cards you collect can be owned as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), giving players true digital ownership. We’ll dive deeper into this, but it’s a crucial feature.
- Play-and-Earn Mechanics: While the term “Play-to-Earn” is common, CTA is shifting towards a more sustainable “Play-and-Earn” model. Players are rewarded for their skill and time invested, but the primary focus is on fun, strategic gameplay.
- Expanding Universe: The team is not stopping at the TCG. As of mid-2025, they are actively developing a new co-op action RPG called “Arise,” which will be set in the same universe. A news post on their official site mentions an early playtest where you “explore one dungeon, one hero, one weapon.”
Lila: Wow, an action RPG too? That’s really ambitious. So it’s not just a card game anymore; it’s becoming a true gaming ecosystem. I saw on GAM3S.gg that they’re building new games, and this confirms it. That’s a huge selling point for anyone invested in the world.
Technical Elements: How the Game Works
John: Let’s talk about the gameplay itself. As I mentioned, it’s a TCG played on a square grid. Each player has a deck and takes turns placing cards on the board. Each card has four numbers, one on each edge, representing its power in that direction.
Lila: So if I place a card with a ‘7’ on its right edge next to an opponent’s card with a ‘5’ on its left edge, what happens?
John: You would capture their card, flipping it to your color. The game continues until the board is full. The player with the most cards of their color on the board at the end wins the match. It’s simple to learn but has a surprising amount of strategic depth. You also have to consider elemental affinities—fire, water, earth, etc.—which can provide power bonuses and change the tide of battle.
Lila: It sounds a bit like Triple Triad from Final Fantasy VIII, but with more layers. What about the cards themselves? Are they all the same?
John: Not at all. There’s a wide variety of cards, split between Character cards and Field cards. Field cards can alter the properties of the board squares themselves, adding another strategic dimension. Furthermore, cards come in different rarities and can even be “awakened” or fused together to create more powerful versions. This is where the collection and deck-building aspect really shines.
NFT & Blockchain Usage: True Digital Ownership
John: This is where Cross The Ages distinguishes itself from traditional digital TCGs like Hearthstone. The core of its economic model is built on blockchain technology. Specifically, it uses NFTs to represent the most valuable in-game assets: the cards.
Lila: Okay, let’s break that down for a beginner. What does it mean for a card to be an NFT? How is that different from just having a digital card in my account?
John: An excellent question. In a traditional game, the items you acquire—cards, skins, weapons—are just entries in the game company’s database. You don’t truly own them. If the company shuts down the game, they’re gone. An NFT, on the other hand, is a unique token recorded on a public blockchain (a decentralized, immutable digital ledger). This token proves your ownership of that specific digital asset. You can hold it in your own crypto wallet, and you can trade, sell, or even use it in other compatible applications, completely independent of the game developer.
Lila: So I could sell a rare card I get to another player for real-world value? That’s a game-changer. What blockchain is it built on?
John: Initially, the game was built on Immutable, a popular layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum known for its gas-free (no transaction fees) NFT minting and trading. However, a major development announced in June 2025 on their official news page is a planned migration to the Solana blockchain. This move is part of a larger overhaul of their game economy.
Lila: Solana is known for its high speed and low transaction costs. That sounds like a smart move for a game with potentially millions of transactions. What about the currency? I see the “CTA token” mentioned everywhere.
John: Correct. The ecosystem has its own cryptocurrency, the Cross The Ages token, ticker $CTA. This is the primary token for the ecosystem. According to an article on Bitget, Cross The Ages combines gaming, NFTs, and real-world assets. The CTA token is central to that. It’s traded on various cryptocurrency exchanges, and CoinMarketCap shows its live price, which as of early 2025, fluctuates around the $0.05 to $0.06 mark. This token is intended for more significant economic activities, like purchasing special NFT packs or participating in governance (unconfirmed).
John: The game also uses a secondary, off-chain currency called Crystals. This is what you typically earn by playing matches, completing quests, and participating in events. Crystals are used for more common in-game activities, like buying standard card packs or entering certain game modes. This dual-currency system is common in GameFi; it helps to balance the economy by separating the day-to-day gameplay rewards from the main, market-traded asset.
Getting Started: Your First Steps in Artellium
Lila: This all sounds fascinating. If I wanted to jump in right now, how would I do it? Is there a high cost of entry?
John: The barrier to entry is quite low, which is one of its strengths. The game itself is free-to-play. Here’s a simple guide for new players:
- Download the Game: You can find Cross The Ages on its official website, the Epic Games Store, the Apple App Store for iOS, and the Google Play Store for Android. According to NFT Insider, it’s been available since late 2022.
- Create an Account: You’ll go through a standard account creation process.
- Complete the Tutorial: The game has a well-designed tutorial that teaches you the basic rules of the TCG, how to place cards, and the concept of capturing.
- Get Your Starter Deck: New players are given a free starter deck of non-NFT cards. This allows you to start playing and learning the strategy immediately without any financial investment.
- Play and Earn: By playing the game, you’ll earn Crystals, the in-game currency. You can use these to buy more non-NFT card packs from the in-game shop to expand your collection and build better decks.
Lila: So the blockchain part is optional, at least at the beginning? You can just play it as a normal TCG?
John: Exactly. The NFT and “earn” components are layered on top of a solid, free-to-play game. When you feel ready, you can start engaging with the blockchain elements. This involves connecting a crypto wallet and using your collected resources or purchasing CTA tokens to acquire NFT cards. These NFT cards are often more powerful or have special foil versions, making them desirable for both collectors and competitive players.
Reputation & Reviews: Praise and Scrutiny
John: No project is without its supporters and critics. On the positive side, Cross The Ages is widely praised for its high-quality art and deep, compelling lore. Having over 130 artists contributing to the project gives it a distinct and polished visual style that stands out. The strategic depth of the TCG is also frequently highlighted as a strong point.
Lila: And the biggest news has to be the partnerships, right? I saw announcements everywhere about Animoca Brands.
John: Absolutely. In June 2025, a strategic partnership with Animoca Brands was announced. Animoca Brands is a giant in the Web3 and gaming space, known for backing major projects like The Sandbox and Axie Infinity. According to their official press release, they not only partnered with CTA but also made a significant purchase of CTA tokens directly from the open market. This is a massive vote of confidence.
Lila: That’s huge! It’s not just an investment; it’s a public declaration of belief in the project’s future. It lends a lot of credibility. On the community side, the project seems quite active. The official Discord server has over 23,000 members, and their X account boasts over 228,000 followers. That’s a strong social presence.
John: It is. However, like any GameFi project, it faces scrutiny. A common concern in the space is the sustainability of the economic model. Early Play-to-Earn games often struggled with inflation and token value collapse. Cross The Ages is attempting to mitigate this with its dual-currency system and a focus on gameplay over pure earning. The announced migration to Solana and the revamp of the game economy are direct efforts to address these long-term challenges.
Lila: So the main criticism isn’t about the game itself being bad, but more about the inherent challenges of making a blockchain economy work long-term?
John: Precisely. The core game is solid. The challenge lies in balancing the incentives for players, investors, and collectors to ensure the ecosystem remains healthy and the CTA token retains its utility and value over time. Their proactive approach with the economic overhaul is a positive sign that they are aware of these hurdles.
Q&A: Answering the Big Questions
Q1: Why does a game like this even need a blockchain? Can’t it just be a regular digital card game?
John: It certainly could, but the blockchain adds a revolutionary layer: true ownership. In a traditional digital TCG, you’re essentially renting your cards from the developer. With blockchain, the NFT cards you own are verifiably yours, recorded on a public ledger. You can trade them on open marketplaces, sell them for cryptocurrency, or even potentially use them in future games within the CTA universe. It transforms players from simple users into stakeholders with a real, tangible stake in the game’s economy.
Q2: Can you explain the difference between the two currencies, CTA and Crystals, again?
Lila: This is a key point for new players. So, Crystals are what you earn just by playing the game—winning matches, doing daily quests, that sort of thing. You use them inside the game to buy basic packs and get more of the standard, non-NFT cards. Think of it as the ‘soft currency’.
John: Correct. The $CTA token, on the other hand, is the ‘hard currency’ or the ‘governance token’. It’s a real cryptocurrency with a market value. It’s used for higher-level economic actions: purchasing premium NFT packs, trading high-value assets, and potentially in the future, voting on decisions about the game’s development. This separation protects the game’s internal economy from the direct volatility of the crypto markets while still providing a bridge to real-world value for dedicated players.
Q3: If I get a rare NFT card, how and where can I trade it?
John: Once your card is minted as an NFT on the blockchain (which will be on Solana after the migration), you can trade it on any compatible NFT marketplace. These are decentralized platforms like Magic Eden (very popular on Solana) or OpenSea. You would list your card for sale at a price you set, either as a fixed-price listing or an auction. Another player can then purchase it using cryptocurrency, and the ownership of the NFT is automatically transferred to their wallet. The process is transparent, secure, and gives players full control over their assets.
Developer Info: The Team and the Vision
John: The game is developed by the company Cross The Ages. According to Tracxn, the project has successfully raised a total of $15.5 million in funding over four rounds from 24 different investors. This provides them with a substantial runway for development and marketing.
Lila: And with Animoca Brands now in their corner, that financial and strategic backing is even stronger. What do we know about their future plans, the roadmap?
John: The roadmap is ambitious and signals a long-term vision. Key items, primarily from their official news section, include:
- Migration to Solana: A fundamental technological shift designed to improve scalability, speed, and reduce costs for players.
- New Game Economy: A complete rework of the tokenomics and reward structures to ensure long-term sustainability.
- Arise – The Action RPG: The development of a brand new game within the CTA universe is a major focus. The “Arise” closed playtest, announced in May 2025, is the first step in bringing this new experience to the community.
- Blast Playtest: The team has also been running playtests on Blast, another blockchain platform, indicating they are exploring multiple technologies to best serve their ecosystem.
- Continued Lore Evolution: With a foundation of seven novels, expect the story to continuously unfold through new card sets, in-game events, and other media.
Lila: It’s really encouraging to see them not just resting on the card game but actively building out the IP into a true “multimedia universe,” as Phemex called it. The move to Solana and the new economy show they’re listening to the market and trying to build something that lasts.
Summary: The Final Verdict
John: Cross The Ages stands out in a crowded GameFi market for several reasons. It has a genuinely deep and well-constructed lore, a polished and strategic core TCG, and a clear, long-term vision that extends beyond a single game. The backing of major industry players like Animoca Brands provides significant credibility.
John: The project is at a pivotal moment. The upcoming migration to Solana and the introduction of a new game economy are critical steps that will likely define its future success. For players, it offers a low-risk entry point with its free-to-play model, allowing anyone to enjoy the TCG before deciding whether to invest time or money into the blockchain elements.
Lila: So, it’s a project with a solid foundation and a very exciting, ambitious future. It’s more than just a game; it’s an invitation to become part of a new fantasy and sci-fi world. Whether you’re a TCG veteran, a crypto enthusiast, or just a fan of great storytelling, Cross The Ages is definitely one to watch.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. The cryptocurrency and NFT markets are highly volatile. Please do your own research (DYOR) and consult with a qualified professional before making any investment decisions.
References
- 1. Animoca Brands. (2025, June 20). Animoca Brands partners with Cross the Ages. Retrieved from animocabrands.com
- 2. Cross The Ages Official Website. (2025). News Section. Retrieved from crosstheages.com/en-us/news/
- 3. Phemex Academy. (2025, June 23). What Is Cross The Ages (CTA Coin)?. Retrieved from phemex.com/academy
- 4. Epic Games Store. (2025). What is Cross The Ages?. Retrieved from store.epicgames.com
- 5. CoinMarketCap. (2025). Cross The Ages price today. Retrieved from coinmarketcap.com/currencies/cross-the-ages/
- 6. Tracxn. (2025). Cross The Ages – 2025 Company Profile, Funding & Investors. Retrieved from tracxn.com
- 7. NFT Insider. (2025, June 25). Cross The Ages Blast Closed Playtest Phase 2. Retrieved from nftinsider.io
- 8. Bitget. (2025). What Is Cross The Ages (CTA) and How Does It Work. Retrieved from web3.bitget.com