YGG Play and Verse8 Unveil Winners of the First Casual Degen Game Hackathon at Korea BUIDL Week

Web3 publishing and LLM-assisted game development converged during Korea BUIDL Week as YGG Play and the AI-native creation platform Verse8 hosted the Casual Degen track of BuidlHack 2026. The hackathon challenged creators to vibe code fast-paced games with crypto elements at their core, focusing on the compelling, repeatable gameplay that defines the YGG Play ecosystem.

Across the week-long sprint, 120 teams submitted fully functional prototypes built in under a month. The results underscore a fundamental shift away from the traditional years-long grind, demonstrating how creators can now build the next gaming hit at unprecedented speed.

From Concept to Prototype in Weeks

The hackathon culminated on April 18, 2026, as Korean teams pitched their projects live in Seoul and international participants presented online to a judging panel of gaming industry veterans representing the hackathon hosts, including YGG co-founder Gabby Dizon, Verse8 CEO Kevin Lee, and Solarium Fund Director JC Kim. 

YGG Play and Verse8 hosted a Builder Day in Seoul on April 14, allowing the creators to work directly with experts from both teams to refine their game mechanics ahead of the final judging. 

Projects were evaluated based on their ability to deliver quick and fun gameplay loops and clear onchain integration plans. Beyond a share of the $5,000 prize pool, the selected teams will receive Verse8 credits and ongoing support through the Verse8 creator ecosystem, with standout projects now being reviewed for professional publishing via YGG Play.

The first-place winner was Bank or Plank, a pirate-themed 3D multiplayer board game that emerged as the most-played and most-liked title among all Casual Degen hackathon submissions on Verse8. 

The game features 2-4 players racing yachts around a lagoon to gather, plunder, and bank gold before a negative turn of events or the five-minute time limit causes them to lose their haul. With its high-pressure mechanics, the project successfully remixed familiar formats for a competitive crypto-native audience.

Bank or Plank creator Wabbs, an international participant, took home $2,000 and 2,000 Verse8 credits. A prolific builder, Wabbs has created 20 games on Verse8, several of which have earned thousands of plays. The first iteration of the creator’s winning title came together in just two coding sessions of a few hours each, followed by two weeks of polishing.

Wabbs noted that while 3D environment editing still benefits from manual prompting, Verse8’s ability to handle procedural generation made it easier for him to implement evolving game assets.

“I focused on modular ships, prompting the system to create parts that mix and match, affecting both the visuals and the stats,” said Wabbs. “Watching the ships ‘evolve’ as they level up was much easier to implement here than in a traditional engine.”

Dungeon Raising secured second place, with the team winning $1,500 and 1,500 Verse8 credits. The pixel-art defense game requires players to manage a dungeon and upgrade its monster, attack power, and defense to survive incoming waves of enemies.

“A designer could have handled 80% of this build. That’s how approachable Verse8 is,” noted Daniel, developer of Dungeon Raising, who pitched live in front of the judges on April 18. “It compressed weeks of Unity work into hours, allowing more time to focus on content and polish.”

The third-place honors were shared by arcade-style reflex game Gas Wars, space-themed “bullet heaven” Black Hole Survivor, and 3D action game Attack on Idol, each winning $500 and 500 Verse8 credits.

Vibe Coding and the Future of Discovery

The emergence of vibe coded titles aligns with a broader shift in the development landscape discussed by YGG co-founder Gabby Dizon during a fireside chat with Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu at the main event of Korea BUIDL Week. 

Gabby observed that while the traditional gaming industry grapples with downsizing amid the rise of AI, independent creators are maximizing the opportunity to build without constraints. 

“We see an explosion of innovation happening on the indie and vibe coding side,” Gabby said during the session. “We’re transforming ourselves to be the discovery portal for vibe coded games, helping these creators, which has always been what YGG has been doing.”

Scaling the $9M Casual Degen Engine

The outcomes from Seoul validate the Casual Degen category as a new class of games defined by accessible, bite-sized sessions and built for the always-on rhythm of onchain culture.

The economic potential of this model is already clear. YGG Play has generated over $9 million in lifetime revenue across its published titles since its launch in May 2025. Flagship titles like LOL Land set a high benchmark with a peak monthly average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) of $4,263. This figure vastly outperforms traditional mass-market casual games, which typically see ARPPU of $25 to $50. 

“We worked with Verse8 on this hackathon to help builders create more Web3 games that are fun, easy to play, and commercially viable,” said Gabby. “Since we launched YGG Play last year, we’ve seen a real demand for Casual Degen experiences, especially from people who don’t think of themselves as gamers. The quality and creativity of the games at BuidlHack show that this model is repeatable, and it’s a big step toward making Web3 games that are sustainable for the long term.”

The energy from the hackathon carried over into the YGG Play Star after-party. Following the BuidlHack 2026 award ceremony, the event featured the first IRL Waifu Sweeper tournament hosted by YGG.

The mixer was packed with Waifu Sweeper and GIGACHADBAT cosplayers, showcasing a Verse8 vibe coding zone, a GIGACHADBAT throwing challenge, and an exclusive drop of fresh YGG Play merch including Waifu Sweeper body pillows and a YGG x Verse8 tote bag. 

Between winning pitches, leaderboard battles, and waifu sightings, YGG Play’s presence at Korea BUIDL Week highlighted a powerful new era in gaming, where AI-native tools define the future of onchain entertainment.

YGG Play x Verse8 Casual Degen Game Hackathon in the Media

• BlockchainGamer.biz: Bank or Plank wins Verse8 and YGG Play’s BuidlHack 2026 hackathon
• CryptoGames.GG: Bank or Plank wins Verse8 BuidlHack 2026 hackathon
• Geek Metaverse: Verse8 and YGG Play demonstrate real-time, AI-native game creation at scale
• Unbox.ph: Verse8 and YGG Play demonstrate real-time, AI-native game creation
• Tekkie Pinas: AI-Native Game Creation Accelerates Web3 Innovation at BuidlHack 2026 in Seoul
• IT Times: AI Breaks Down Barriers to Game Creation, Non-Developer Creator Wins at Verse8 & YGG Play Hackathon (Korean)
• JWave: Verse8 and YGG Play showcase real-time AI-powered game creation (Portuguese)

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Explore the BuidlHack Casual Degen hackathon winners on Verse8.

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