Rewards and leagues
Carnival Cowboys is free to play. Two weekly leagues sit on top of the game: the free Drifter League and the optional, paid Arena League. Rewards are secondary to the game, depend on skill, and are never guaranteed.
The two leagues at a glance
| Drifter League | Arena League | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to enter | Free (an account is needed) | Your own costume NFT, plus at least a full cylinder (6 bullets) of bought ammunition |
| Costume | A random Tier 1 costume each match | Any costume NFT you own (Tier 1 to 5); every costume plays the same |
| Bullets | Free; six per chamber, then reload | Every bullet fired is a bought bullet |
| Points | From your first 20 matches each UTC day | Only in a match where you fire at least one bullet, and from up to 20 such matches each UTC day |
| Weekly prize | The top 3 each win a free costume NFT mint | The top 10 eligible players share the weekly prize pool, paid in USDC |
Points
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Win | 10 |
| Second | 5 |
| Third | 2 |
| Fourth | 0 |
| Every cowboy you eliminate | +3 |
In the Arena, a match’s points count double when 3 or 4 real players share the table. On the Arena’s Wanted map, one cowboy carries a bounty: whoever takes his last life earns 5 extra points, and if he wins, the 5 are his. On the two prison maps (Jailhouse and Penitentiary) the first cowboys knocked out are jailed: that costume cannot ride in the Arena for a while (the Drifter League is never affected). The game’s Rules and Jail screens give the sentence and whether bail is available.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Carnival Cowboys free to play?
- Yes. Training is free and needs no account. The Drifter League is free with an account, and its weekly top 3 each win a free costume NFT mint. Only the Arena League needs purchases.
- Do I need to buy anything?
- Not to play. Purchases matter only for the Arena League: to enter you need a costume NFT of your own (minted for $6 USDC) and bought ammunition (at least a full cylinder of 6 bullets), and every bullet you fire there is one you bought. Costumes and ammunition are paid in USDC from a linked Solana wallet.
- What is the Drifter League?
- The free weekly league. You ride a random Tier 1 costume, bullets are free, and points come from your first 20 matches each UTC day. The weekly top 3 each win a free costume NFT mint.
- What is the Arena League?
- The optional, paid weekly league for players who own a costume NFT. Every bullet is bought, and half of every ammunition pack sold goes into that week’s prize pool. The top 10 eligible players of the week share the pool: #1 30%, #2 20%, #3 12%, #4 9%, #5 7%, #6 6%, #7 5%, #8 4%, #9 4%, #10 3%.
- When does the week end?
- Every Monday at 00:00 UTC. The boards reset, and the week’s prizes are worked out from the final standings.
- Who is eligible for an Arena prize?
- Players in the top 10 of the Arena board at the weekly close who meet that week’s checks: the prize goes to a Solana wallet linked to the account at least 48 hours before the close, and the game shows any further requirement in force, such as a minimum number of Arena matches that week. Prizes are paid after review, and the Terms of Use apply.
- How are prizes paid?
- Arena prizes are counted in US dollars and paid in USDC, a stablecoin on the Solana blockchain, to your linked wallet. Drifter prizes are a free costume NFT mint, not money.
- Are earnings guaranteed?
- No. The Arena League is a weekly skill competition: prizes depend on how well you play, go only to the top 10 eligible players of the week, and the pool depends on how much ammunition is bought that week. No purchase guarantees a prize, and most players will not win one. Bought ammunition is spent as you play, so spend only what you can afford to lose.
- Is it a play-to-earn or crypto game?
- Unlike many NFT games, it needs no NFT and no wallet to play: the game itself is a free browser strategy game. Costumes are NFTs on Solana, in tiers 1 to 5; a mint costs $6 USDC, a costume can be traded on NFT marketplaces, and every costume plays the same. Only the optional Arena League uses crypto: purchases and prizes are in USDC on Solana, and its prizes depend on skill, are limited to the weekly top 10, and are not guaranteed.
- Who can create an account?
- Players aged 18 or older who accept the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy.
- Do points need me to shoot?
- In the Arena, yes: a match earns points only if you fire at least one bullet. In the Drifter League, no.
- Am I always playing against people?
- Not always. Entering a league looks for other players for up to 10 seconds, then computer-played rivals, marked with a blue plaque, fill any empty seat.
The full, binding rules are the Terms of Use. The game’s own Rules screen always shows the current numbers.