Over 90 Games Submitted for YGG Play and Verse8 ‘Casual Degen’ Hackathon Track

As of early April, 30 teams have registered and submitted 90 games for the “Casual Degen” track hosted by YGG Play and Verse8 at BuidlHack 2026. The event challenges participants to use generative artificial intelligence tools to prototype crypto-native gaming titles rapidly.

How to participate in YGG and Verse8’s Casual Degen hackathon:

Early Submissions Built with AI

Participants are utilizing Verse8, an AI-powered game creation platform that allows users to generate and publish games using natural language prompts. Verse8 CEO Kevin Lee stated that the platform’s goal is to eliminate development bottlenecks and reduce the time from a concept to a playable prototype from months to mere days.

According to organizers, some of the most played early submissions generated on the platform include:

• Steal Food: An RPG puzzle game where the player attempts to steal vegetables without being spotted by in-game guards.
• Vampire Survivors: A fully operational game created by a developer named Berna using fewer than 50 text prompts. The title pits players against escalating waves of robots and zombies, featuring multiple difficulty settings and a dragon boss in hard mode.

The ‘Casual Degen’ Thesis

The hackathon focuses entirely on the “Casual Degen” category. YGG Play, the publishing arm of Yield Guild Games, defines these as lite, fast-paced, “snackable” games specifically designed for players to engage with on a second screen while they actively do other acitivities.

The publisher cited the financial performance of its flagship title, LOL Land, to demonstrate the category’s viability. Launched in May 2025, LOL Land reached $8.2 million in lifetime revenue by the end of the year. The title recorded a peak monthly Average Revenue Per Paying User (ARPPU) of $4,263, a figure the company notes is vastly higher than the $25 to $50 ARPPU typically seen in traditional mass-market casual games.

YGG co-founder Gabby Dizon emphasized that the most successful Casual Degen titles feature simple, “one-button” mechanics paired with strategic economic loops that balance skill and luck. Dizon noted that Seoul is a natural location to build this category due to its extensive network of PC hits and its history of pioneering esports. South Korea, Dizon said, is one of the only places where crypto and gaming culture are mainstream.

Hackathon Details and Prizes

The BuidlHack 2026 event takes place from April 13 to 19 during Korea BUIDL Week, which attracts over 20,000 technical participants.

• The prize pool for the YGG Play and Verse8 track includes $5,000 in cash, an additional $5,000 in Verse8 platform credits, and dedicated advertising support to help developers scale their titles.
• The most promising projects will gain direct access to Verse8’s investment network and will be reviewed for potential publishing by YGG Play.
• The deadline for project submissions is April 17, 2026, followed by a final pitch and project showcase on April 18.

This article is published on BitPinas: Over 90 Games Submitted for YGG Play and Verse8 ‘Casual Degen’ Hackathon Track

What else is happening in Crypto Philippines and beyond?