Dojo (on-chain framework)
Dojo (on-chain framework) is an open-source development framework and toolchain for creating fully on-chain games (FOCG) and applications in StarkWare's Cairo programming language.[1][2] Dojo allows for the creation of games and applications whose correct execution can be computationally proven via zero-knowledge proofs.[3] Dojo was open-sourced under the Apache 2.0 license and is maintained by the Cartridge Gaming Company, with contributions from Realms (formerly Bibliotheca) DAO.[4]
In October 2024, the Dojo-based game FlippyFlop was used to set a world TPS record for Ethereum L2s.[5][6][7]
History
In 2019, pseudonymous developer Gubsheep developed Dark Forest, a fully on-chain game which used zero-knowledge proofs to enable gameplay based on hidden information.[1] Following the success of Dark Forest, a group of developers formed Lattice and created MUD, an EVM-based on-chain games framework.[1][8]
In late 2021, a group of developers began working on Roll Your Own, an on-chain version of the 1984 game Drug Wars, for Starknet.[8][9][10][11] Inspired by MUD, they created Dojo as a Cairo-based alternative.[8][10] Development continued through 2022-2024, with Dojo version 1.0 being released in August 2024.[2][12][13]
In October 2024, the Dojo-based FlippyFlop was used to set the world record of 857 transactions-per-second for Ethereum L2s.[5][6][7] In December 2024, Realms: Eternum, a 4X strategy game created by Dojo contributor Realms DAO, launched its Season 0, drawing “100s of players” during the campaign and, according to the Ethereum Foundation, using up 50% of Starknet's blockspace.[14][15][16]
Architecture and technology
ECS Framework
Dojo provides an Entity-Component-System framework for developing on-chain games and applications.
Entities (players, objects) are represented by sets of keys, which are hashed to create canonical identifiers. State is stored in on-chain models (components) holding specific types of data (attributes, stats, positions). Logic is implemented via contracts (systems) that mutate state in response to user actions.[8][13][17][18]
Models and systems are registered in a central World contract, which routes function calls and enforces access controls.[13][17] Dojo extends the Cairo compiler to automatically generate queryable events after state changes, facilitating indexing and front-end updates.[8][13][17]
Development Toolchain
Dojo provides a set of Rust-based tools for developing and deploying on-chain applications.
- Katana - a Starknet sequencer, which can be run locally or used in production as a dedicated game-chain.[8][17][18][19]
- Torii - an indexing service that ingests on-chain events, making game state queryable for user-facing clients via GraphQL or gRPC.[8][17][18]
- Sozo - a development CLI which compiles code, deploys smart contracts, runs tests, and orchestrates schema migrations.[17][18]
Client SDKs
Dojo provides SDKs to facilitate integration with front-end JavaScript clients, game engines such as Unity, Unreal, and Godot, and communication platforms like Telegram and Discord.[17][20]
Projects using Dojo
Several games have been built using Dojo, including:
- Roll Your Own - an on-chain arbitrage game inspired by Drug Wars and the Dope Wars NFT collection.[9][10][18]
- Realms: Eternum - a massively multiplayer 4X game based on the Loot and Realms NFT projects, using AI agents to drive gameplay.[9][14][16][18]
- Blob Arena - a Pokémon-inspired battler that attracted 1,475 players during its launch event at an Armored MMA tournament in Canton, Ohio.[21][22]
Multiple Dojo projects have been included in Starknet's Propulsion program, including Jokers of Neon, Loot Survivor, Pistols at Dawn, and zKube.[23]
Reception and impact
Starknet has described Dojo as “the world's first provable game engine” and appointed several Dojo core contributors to its Gaming Committee.[3][24] Analysts at Messari noted Dojo's “ability to support complex mechanics, such as player-owned economies, resource management, and dynamic interactions, leveraging Starknet's low-cost execution environment.”[9]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Blockchain games and the rise of on-chain frameworks". Cointelegraph Magazine. 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Cartridge raises $7.5M to build on-chain game tools". GamesBeat. 2024-08-02. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Dojo: Starknet's first provable game engine". Starknet.io. 2023-07-14. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ "Dojo main repository". GitHub. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Starknet claims record 857 TPS in layer-2 stress test". CoinDesk. 2024-10-30. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Starknet stress test sets new TPS benchmark". Cointelegraph. 2024-10-30. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Starknet's rising star: Dojo and FlippyFlop". Bankless. 2024-09-18. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 "Dungeons & Dojos: Exploring on-chain game dev". BITKRAFT Insights. 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "Starknet Ecosystem Analysis Q4 2024". Messari Research. 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Building fully on-chain games on Starknet". Blockchaingamer.biz. 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ "Roll Your Own (public archive)". GitHub. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ "Protocol Village: Cartridge, Dojo v1.0". CoinDesk. 2024-08-01. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 "Security Review: Dojo 1.0". OpenZeppelin Blog. 2024-11-15. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Play Eternum: Starknet's fully on-chain MMO". Bankless. 2024-12-10. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ @ethereum. "Eternum Season 0 used ~50% of Starknet blockspace" (Tweet) – via Twitter. Missing or empty |date= (help)
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Eternum Season 1 launches on Starknet". Bankless. 2025-04-07. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 "Dojo Documentation". Dojoengine.org. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 "Introducing Dojo". VeradiVerdict. 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ "Starknet gets its first gaming app-chain". CoinDesk. 2025-02-24. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ "Dojo project repositories". GitHub. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ "Blob Arena levels up". Bankless. 2025-06-04. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ "Fully on-chain game Blob Arena now live". GAM3S.GG. 2025-06-03. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ @StarknetFndn. "Propulsion program game list" (Tweet) – via Twitter. Missing or empty |date= (help)
- ↑ "Gaming Committee launch". Starknet.io. 2024-03-26. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
External links
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