Catching Up with Upland – Play to Earn

Though not as splashy as some of the other web3 games, Upland has quietly remained one of the most played blockchain games since its launch back in 2020. Since then they have expanded to over a dozen cities and added further layers of depth to their game. It’s been a while since we’ve written about Upland, so let’s catch up with what they have been up to lately!

Upland continues to grow — adding new cities, new customizations, new block explorers (avatars), new partners, and more! Their most recent addition, 3D avatars, allow players to create and customize their persona that will be used in future, 3D experiences!

Upland also seems to have a steady, ongoing series of events available in their game. Some of the current events include a Big Game Challenge, a Carnaval Ornament Sale, and a fundraising project for the Susan G. Komen Foundation (breast cancer awareness).

Big Game Challenge

The Big Game Challenge started on February 6th and runs through February 9th. In the week leading up to the Superbowl, players who own an NFLPA Legit (Essential or Memento) can participate in this event and earn tickets in daily drawings. Participants earn “Football Points” by completing up to eight daily activities.

Players who complete all of the events and earn the maximum points earn a rare Golden Turtle Block Explorer. Daily raffle rewards include UPX and Spark, as well as Football Turtle Block Explorers. Read the official blog post for the full details and list of rules.

Carnaval Ornament Sale

For those who like decorating, this Friday (February 9th), Upland will hold a sale for Carnaval-themed ornaments. The sale begins on Friday, February 10th at 9am PT. Designed by Upland players, these Ornaments are all limited edition. Also, the designers receive a portion of the funds used to purchase their ornaments!

Ornaments are specific to certain structures, so make sure you pick the right ones when buying! Apparently you will also need to register for this sale. Registration opens on February 9th at 8am PT and ends one hour before the sale opens.

Susan G Komen Buildings in Upland

Upland will soon feature three new Susan G Komen buildings. Susan G Komen is a well known non-profit organization focused on breast cancer awareness. These will be used as gateways to provide information and resources to players about breast cancer. As part of a community project, anyone can contribute Spark to help construct these buildings. They are located at:

• Chicago: 2451 W Gunnison St
• Dallas: 2101 N Carroll Ave
• Los Angeles: 17533 Devonshire St

What is Upland?

Upland is a free to play, property trading and city-building game where players can explore cities, collect properties and meet other players. The play-to-earn game is available on Android, iOS, and the Web. 

Each player in Upland is given a status determined by his/her net worth based on property and token holdings. The different ranks are Visitor, Uplander, Director, Executive, Pro, and Chief Executive. When a user joins the game for the first time, he is assigned Visitor status. And though players can buy properties right from the start, they can’t sell them until they reach Uplander status.

The official currency in Upland is UPX. However, this is an in-game currency only and cannot be traded between players.

Players earn passive UPX just by owning properties. They also receive income anytime another player “sends” themselves to an owned property. In addition, players can complete Collections in-game by owning specific properties (five properties in the same city, for example). These provide a one-time UPX payout and then a passive boost to UPX earning as long as you maintain that Collection. Players can also buy UPX tokens directly from Upland.

Upland has expanded greatly over time, now encompassing more than a dozen cities. They have also introduced customization, allowing players to construct buildings and decorate their properties, as well as building tools for third-party developers. Players can also own shops, selling their own, customized Block Explorers!

To learn more about Upland, visit their website, follow them on Twitter, and join their Discord.