Ethereum News Today: Israeli Developer Launches Vitalik.run Game Celebrating Ethereum's 10-Year Journey

An Israeli developer has released a new roguelike runner game called Vitalik.run, which lets players experience the journey of Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. The game, which launched shortly after Ethereum's 10th anniversary, follows Buterin’s path from drafting the Ethereum whitepaper to navigating the challenges of the ICO era and avoiding distractions such as World of Warcraft [1].

Designed by Ruby Edelstein, the game blends elements of Game Dev Tycoon with fast-paced action mechanics. Players control Vitalik as he progresses through key milestones in Ethereum’s history, including assembling a team, launching the mainnet, and addressing criticisms. The game is described as educational in a “South Park way,” with references to crypto culture and memes woven throughout the experience [1].

The gameplay is simple but challenging—players use the arrow keys to move between lanes, the spacebar to attack, and number keys to choose power-ups. However, only one life is granted, and upon death, players are reset to the beginning [1]. According to the public leaderboard, the current high score is 12,778, which the developer estimates is only the beginning of the story. The entire narrative is expected to take around 45 minutes to complete [1].

Despite being heavily inspired by Ethereum’s history, the game does not incorporate blockchain elements. Edelstein, who previously developed the NFT bridge XP.Network, stated that the focus was on creating a fun and chaotic experience rather than a financial product. He criticized many crypto games for prioritizing financial mechanics over actual gameplay [1].

The developer also pointed out the broader struggles in the crypto gaming space, noting that many projects have failed due to financial challenges. He emphasized that most traditional games fail as well, but crypto games often do so in a more public manner. Integrating blockchain features, such as tokens or NFTs, can create additional pressures on developers, making it harder to focus on the game itself [1].

Edelstein described Vitalik Buterin as a “hero” whose journey represents the struggles of a dreamer facing doubt and distractions. He expressed admiration for Buterin’s public development process and determination to bring Ethereum to life [1].

Source: [1] [This Game Lets You Relive the Ethereum Story Through Vitalik Buterin’s Eyes](https://decrypt.co/332956/relive-ethereum-story-through-vitalik-buterins-eyes)