Play-To-Earn gaming is all the rage now. Unlike traditional gaming, P2E brings real money and rewards into play, marking a departure from the business model that dominated the gaming industry for decades. From Splinterlands to Axie Infinity, players are rushing to games that can fulfill their entertainment needs while providing clear monetization paths in return for the time and effort they’ve put in.
Last week, we put together a quick intro to Play to Earn, but here’s a recap icymi: P2E gaming relies on blockchain, meaning that through this technology players are able to buy, sell or exchange in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). This way, not only do they have control over their transactions every step of the way, players are even more crucially able to to retain ownership of the digital assets they’ve collected during the course of their gaming experience within a title. From there, players can choose to take those items outside of the game and exchange them across other marketplaces and trading platforms, in return for digital currencies (cryptocurrencies) or fiat money. In short, in-game items have real world value.
There are plenty of monetization opportunities within P2E. A player can, for example, purchase an NFT, upgrade it and then resell it for a higher price. Play to earn games are also highly attractive given the opportunities to get rewarded for activities completed within the game, like quests or duels.
The impact of P2E is accelerating profound changes in the gaming industry, with more than half of American and UK-based video game developers now saying they’re starting to implement blockchain technology and the use of NFTs in their titles, according to a recent survey.
How to get started with blockchain games?
Before diving into the world of blockchain gaming and play to earn games, there are a few steps to take into consideration.
Create a digital wallet: You’ll need a crypto wallet in order to keep your digital assets and money safe, as well as to make transactions within a game. MetaMask is one of the most popular options for games built on Ethereum, but it’s worth taking some time to compare the other alternatives available.
Top-up your wallet and purchase your first in-game assets: Some of the most popular games, like Axie Infinity, require an initial investment to start playing it. That could mean purchasing a ‘starter pack’, like a set number of avatars, decks of cards, or other add-ons. Make sure to have enough cryptocurrency available in your wallet to complete this step. It often means exchanging money for the game’s native cryptocurrency or other widely used crypto like Ether.
Choose an exchange: Once you’ve collected enough tradable tokens and you want to exchange them, you’ll have to do it though a specialized platform. There are plenty of crypto exchanges like Binance and Coinbase, and a quick online search should be able to point you in the right direction.
As each P2E game might have different tokens and types of NFTs, the rules can vary when it comes to cashing out. It’s always best to read up on your game of choice before making any financial commitment. And with that said, on to the list of best play to earn games that you might want to start playing right now.
Top Play To Earn Games 2023
SPLINTERLANDS
Splinterlands is a collectible card game where players must be strategic with their NFT cards in order to defeat other players in player versus player (PvP) battles. Card battles in this game only take a few minutes, which makes Splinterlands really competitive in comparison to other blockchain titles. Players can earn rewards by winning battles, tournaments or completing quests, in return for in-game tokens - Dark Energy Crystals (DEC). Cards can be easily bought, sold or traded through an open marketplace.
Axie Infinity almost needs no introduction. This game alone has been responsible for hitting over $1 billion in NFT sales and was truly the title that helped blockchain gaming break into the mainstream. It's become so popular in fact that in developing countries like the Philippines many gamers have made it a full-time occupation. And it's easy to see why Axie has managed to achieve such a loyal worldwide following; this P2E game let's users collect and breed little creatures called Axies, which they can enter into competitions and battles. The rarer the Axie, the higher its value in the marketplace where Axies can be bought, sold or traded in return for the platform's own tokens - Axie Infinity Shard ( AXS ) and Smooth Love Potion ( SLP). Rarer Axies have sold for as much as over $800,000. Lucky players of this Pokemon-style game have seen their investment rise by an incredible 5,700% in some cases. It helps that AXS can be exchanged for fiat money and ETH, making it a spectacular NFT game.
Gods Unchained is an NFT-based card fighter game that takes inspiration from popular titles like Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone. Play to earn crypto by building decks and play cards to fight and defeat opponents. Some of these cards (or NFTs) can be extremely rare and can be sold to other players for quite a lot of money. The more cards players collect, the higher the chances both in battle and in selling their decks. This game is also known for its stunning graphics, adding another layer of appeal to it.
Virtual real estate has become the latest online frenzy - and The Sandbox is a leading destination for all-things metaverse. Players can come up with all sorts of virtual assets, including real estate, and sell it for millions. Yes, you read that right. There are plenty of customization features and environments to be immersed into. The Sandbox is particularly well-known for its strong community, which makes the virtual economy of this game a great one. In-game assets can be traded in return for The Sandbox’s native tokens - SAND.
Decentraland is a virtual world or parallel universe. The game revolves around the concept of letting players be able to freely create original content and experiences, and find different ways of monetizing them. In addition, they can also purchase plots of land and build on top of them. The native cryptocurrency of Decentraland is MANA, which can be used to purchase different virtual assets like wearables, avatars, land, and much more. The play to earn mechanics are truly accessible to any type of player.
Mobox is a blockchain, P2E gaming platform that is seeing a meteoric rise as of late. Combining decentralized finance (DeFi) with the Binance Smart Chain, it’s a platform that lets users access games from different blockchain in one single place and it features a thriving crypto market. This way, players are easily able to access new NFTs and earn real life money while playing. There are currently three games that can be played on Mobox- Block Brawler, Token Master e Trade Action. Items can be bought, sold or traded in return for the game’s MBOX tokens.
This NFT-based horse racing game lets players breed their own racehorses and enter them into competitions. As each of these digital horses has unique characteristics, users can end up breeding a champion stallion and sell it for a high sum of money. When winning races, players can access in-game rewards in the form of hefty prizes. The most valuable racehorses can go for $125,000 or more. Zed Run is undoubtedly a different but no less attractive proposition when it comes to earning money with play to earn games.
CryptoBlades is an NFT-based game that allows players to earn in-platform tokens (SKILL) in return for fighting in battles with other players. The game itself is very straightforward and users won’t have trouble defeating enemies and progressing through different levels. They can also collect NFT assets like weapons and create characters, among other items that can be traded in the marketplace.
