Ever since Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) were introduced, they have continued to shake every aspect of our life. Even gaming did not get left behind. After the crypto craze, the world is rapidly moving towards NFT gaming.
You might be surprised to hear NFT gaming was responsible for 22% of all NFT Non-Fungible Token transactions in Q3 2021, which was around $2.32 billion in revenue (Blockchain Game Alliance Report).
If you know how NFTs work and how an MMORPG game works, this new concept in gaming will be sufficiently simple for you. Games which operate on a Freemium model have been popular for a long time. These games are free to play, but you have to pay real money to buy in-game items or advance in the game.
Similarly, when you apply the rules of blockchain and NFTs to such a game, you get NFT gaming.
In an NFT game, the developers use a Play-to-Earn model. As the name suggests, players or users play the game and reap the rewards. However, the difference is that the winnings in NFT gaming are NFTs. And like traditional Non-Fungible Tokens, players can buy, sell, or trade these digital assets. Players use crypto, such as ETH, SAND, Solana, etc., to carry out the transactions.
As discussed, most games in the NFT gaming realm operate on the Play-to-Earn model like Gamestop NFT. Users play the game for free, but they will have to pay in crypto to advance faster. However, you can play most NFT games for free and earn real money from them. For instance, you might have heard about gamers in the Philippines who are playing Axie Infinity to obtain a daily wage.
Recently, Justin Kan launched Fractal, a Solana Blockchain-based marketplace optimized for NFT gaming. This platform is based on blockchain technology and aims to make the process easier for both game developers and players.
Nonetheless, the point to note here is that NFT gaming has covered a great distance in a small amount of time.
Similarly, Ubisoft recently stepped into the NFT realm by creating digital assets that could be obtained using crypto. This news came as a surprise to not only the people but the industry as well.
Axie Infinity is an Ethereum-based NFT game, loosely based on the Pokémon universe. The base concept is similar; you have to collect virtual pets called Axies. You can collect, breed, trade these virtual pets, and like Pokémon, you can battle with other players as well.
As a reward for players’ time and efforts, Axie Infinity gives them Smooth Love Motion (SLP). Moreover, players can trade SLP tokens for other crypto tokens or use them inside the game.
NFT gaming has widely adopted the trading card game concept. Gods Unchained is a similar game that follows the Play-to-Earn method. Users can either buy the cards or win them after winning a battle. The PVP battle system focuses on the player’s skills, which makes it a compelling game. Moreover, each card is embedded with a unique token, making them unique digital collectibles.
This concept allows trading on either the in-game market or the open market.
The Sandbox is probably the most intriguing game on this list. Not only is it based on blockchain technology, but it also utilizes the metaverse concepts. The Sandbox allows users to create, buy, and sell virtual assets. Moreover, there are Non-Fungible Tokens in the game, called LAND, which users can buy using SAND (ERC token). LAND sales have been skyrocketing, according to the recent news.
As we said, trading card games have found a new home in NFT gaming. Splinterlands is similar to Gods Unchained. Although it is based on the Play-to-Earn platform, users have to buy a pack of cards to play this game. After purchasing a card, they can battle other players and win more cards.
These cards are unique collectibles or digital assets which allow trading or selling them in the market.
As the name suggests, Decentraland is a metaverse-focused game based on the Ethereum blockchain. Users can create, buy, host, and sell, virtual properties in the Decentraland marketplace. It is truly the culmination of everything that NFTs and metaverse stand for.
Guild of Guardians is an upcoming role-playing game based on the Play-to-Earn method. Although it has not been released yet, the hype is real. According to the developers, players will need to create a team of heroes, Guardians, to fight against monsters in dungeons and the sort. Also, it will encourage players to create a Guild, an in-game community.
If you want to remain attached to Guild of Guardians, you can get the unique Founder NFTs, currently on sale.
This list only contains a few of the top games that have been in the recent NFT gaming news. There are many more. For instance, Alien Worlds works on an innovative Defi metaverse concept. In this metaverse, players use the Defi concept to battle and complete in-game quests.
Similarly, Peter Molyneux and Andreessen Horowitz are working on their respective NFT games. Not to forget, CryptoKitties was probably the original NFT game that changed the whole landscape. We have not included it in the list as it has already established itself as a top player in the NFT realm.
Stay tuned to learn more about NFTs! .
