How to Play Life Beyond, Complete Beginner's Guide

What Is Life Beyond?

Life Beyond is a blockchain-powered MMO developed by Darewise Entertainment, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands. Set on an alien planet, the game combines social online gameplay with play-to-earn mechanics, allowing players to build colonies, craft items, engage in cooperative activities, and own virtual land and assets. The game originally deployed NFTs on Polygon and has since explored integration with Bitcoin's ecosystem through a partnership with Horizen Labs.

Honest 2026 Status: Life Beyond has been in development for a very long time and has cycled through multiple alpha phases without reaching a stable, feature-complete state. Darewise was acquired by Animoca Brands, which provides financial backing, but the game has struggled with scope creep and shifting technical priorities. The pivot toward Bitcoin-based assets via BRC-20 tokens and Ordinals shows the team chasing blockchain trends rather than focusing on delivering a polished game. As of April 2026, Life Beyond remains in a pre-launch state with limited access. The "Chapter 1" milestone has been teased repeatedly without a concrete release. The game has promising concept art and technology demos, but playable content remains thin.

Getting Started

What You Need

• A PC capable of running modern 3D games (the game uses advanced rendering)
• A Web3 wallet (MetaMask), historically configured for Polygon, but the chain strategy has shifted
• An internet connection
• Access to a current testing phase (check official channels for availability)

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Check the official Life Beyond website and Discord to see if a playable build is currently available. Access has been intermittent.
2. Create an account on the Darewise/Life Beyond platform.
3. Download the game client if a build is available for the current testing phase.
4. Connect your Web3 wallet, the specific blockchain network may vary as the project has migrated between chains. Follow current official instructions.
5. Complete the onboarding, the game introduces you to the alien planet setting, basic movement, and colony mechanics.
6. Join the Discord for community coordination, as the small tester population means organized play sessions are important.

Core Gameplay Loop

Life Beyond is designed as a social MMO with these planned systems:

• Colony Building: Players establish and develop settlements on an alien world. Construct buildings, expand infrastructure, and create functional communities.
• Resource Gathering: Explore the planet to harvest resources needed for crafting and construction. Different biomes offer different materials.
• Crafting System: Combine resources to create tools, equipment, building materials, and tradeable goods.
• Social Gameplay: The game emphasizes cooperative play, working with other players to build shared spaces, defend colonies, and complete group objectives.
• Exploration: The alien planet features diverse environments to discover, with lore elements woven into the landscape.
• Governance: Colony owners can set rules and policies for their communities, creating player-driven social structures.

The vision is ambitious, essentially EVE Online meets a colonial settlement sim on an alien planet. But the execution has not caught up with the vision.

Earning Mechanics

• Virtual Land NFTs: Land plots on the alien planet are NFTs. Land owners can develop their plots and potentially earn from economic activity within their territory.
• Bitcoin-Based Token: Darewise partnered with Horizen Labs to launch a "metaverse token for the Bitcoin ecosystem" using BRC-20 and Ordinals. This token would power in-game assets and virtual lands.
• Crafted Item Trading: The planned economy includes peer-to-peer trading of crafted items and resources.
• Colony Revenue: Land owners who create attractive, functional colonies could earn from other players using their infrastructure.

Earnings reality: As of April 2026, there is no functioning play-to-earn economy. The token situation is unclear, the Bitcoin ecosystem pivot added complexity without delivering a tradeable token. Virtual land may have speculative value based on the Animoca Brands backing, but there is no live game economy generating actual returns. Treat any investment as highly speculative.

Beginner Tips & Strategy

1. Focus on understanding the current build. Each alpha phase introduces different features. Read the patch notes and Discord announcements to know what is actually available to test.
2. Do not invest in land or assets right now. The game is too early and the blockchain strategy too unstable to justify financial commitment.
3. Provide feedback during testing. Alpha testers who provide constructive feedback may be rewarded in future phases and help shape the game.
4. Join cooperative play sessions. The game is designed around group activities, solo play during alpha testing is less rewarding.
5. Keep expectations moderate. The concept is exciting, but delivery has been slow. Judge the project by what it shows, not what it promises.

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Solution
Cannot access the game	Life Beyond has limited testing phases. Check Discord for current access windows and requirements.
Performance issues	The game uses advanced graphics. Lower visual settings if you experience lag or crashes. Ensure your graphics drivers are up to date.
Wallet/chain confusion	The project has shifted between Polygon, Bitcoin/Ordinals, and potentially other chains. Follow current official guides for the correct network configuration.
Few players online	During testing, the player count is very small. Coordinate with others on Discord for group activities.
Lost progress between tests	Alpha progress may not carry over between testing phases. Do not invest significant time grinding if progress resets are expected.

FAQ

Q: Is Life Beyond playable right now? A: It depends on whether a testing phase is currently active. Check the official Discord and website. The game has not reached a persistent, always-available state.

Q: Who owns Darewise? A: Animoca Brands acquired approximately 70% of Darewise Entertainment. This gives the project significant financial backing but has not accelerated development as much as expected.

Q: What blockchain is Life Beyond on? A: This has changed. Originally Polygon for NFTs, then the team announced a Bitcoin ecosystem token via BRC-20/Ordinals through Horizen Labs. The current chain strategy should be confirmed through official channels.

Q: When will the full game launch? A: There is no confirmed launch date. "Chapter 1" has been teased but repeatedly delayed. Given the development pace, a 2026 full launch seems unlikely.

Q: Are land NFTs a good investment? A: The Animoca backing gives some speculative floor, but without a live game economy, land NFTs are purely speculative. Only invest what you can afford to lose entirely.

Q: How does the Bitcoin integration work? A: Darewise partnered with Horizen Labs to create a BRC-20 token on Bitcoin that would secure in-game assets and virtual lands. The technical implementation uses Ordinals protocol. This is an unusual approach for a game, most use Ethereum L2s or Solana.