Have you heard the buzz around play-to-earn crypto games but wondered if it‘s too complex to enter? Well, rest assured that with a bit of guidance on the basics, some research into the top options and a crypto wallet – you‘ll be embarked on exciting new gaming worlds where your skills get rewarded with genuine yields!
In this expert guide, we‘ll explore:
- The emergence of play-to-earn models changing how we game
- Mechanics of popular crypto game genres
- Deep dives into the highest rated blockchain games across categories
- Pro tips for getting started even as a complete beginner
You‘ll discover unique games where your gaming passion can be monetized inamazing new ways!
The Play-to-Earn Revolution
Back in 2017, a game called CryptoKitties that allowed breeding and trading of digital cats made headlines when some rare kittens started selling for over $100,000! That provided a glimpse into the potential of creating real value via gaming.
Fast forward to 2022 and there are now hundreds of crypto games with real economies, allowing players to truly own in-game assets via NFTs and blockchain technology. Game developers are tapping into people‘s passion for gaming and rewarding them for their time spent with tangible yields.
You can now battle monsters, trade digital real estate, own sports stars as collectibles or build intricate card decks to beat opponents…and earn yields up to $1000 per month from skilled play across various games!
The video below shows gameplay from Axie Infinity, which shot to fame as players bred cute Pokémon-like Axies to battle opponents and earn rewards. At its peak activity, Axie had 2.5 million daily players as the play-to-earn model gained attention.
(Gameplay video – Axie Infinity)
But what are some key advantages of crypto games compared to traditional titles?
- True ownership of in-game assets verified on blockchain rather than being locked within closed ecosystems
- Play to earn models allowing monetization directly from gameplay
- Vibrant communities & economies thanks to collaborative play and free exchange of value
- Lower barriers to entry than console/ high end PC gaming requiring expensive hardware
And most uniquely – skilled players can generate yields from their gameplay by:
- Selling rare NFT items won from battles or bred through matchmaking characters
- Grinding missions and bosses to gain increasingly valuable fungible tokens
- Flipping assets purchased from marketplaces at strategic moments
- Winning eSports tournaments for cash prizes and trophies to showcase skill
Now that‘s what we call fun with returns! Let‘s examine popular genres…
Crypto Game Genres & Mechanics
Crypto games employ creative asset ownership models, battles and breeding strategies translated on-chain to distribute rewards:
Breeding & Battling – Users breed characters (Axies) with varying attributes to create rare, valuable offspring which battle opposing squads. The most tactical players win the spoils!
Trading Cards – Collectible card games like Gods Unchained where match outcomes rely on strategic deck building and cards are represented as NFTs with verifiable scarcity
Virtual Worlds – Sandbox-esque worlds like Decentraland allow buying virtual land/assets as NFTs using cryptocurrency and developing or renting out space
Pet Simulation – Adopt digital pets like CryptoKitties and breed them to produce new generations with unique attributes including rare coats
Casual Gaming – Retro arcade games like Bomb Crypto run mini games in the background to farm crypto rewards based on rarity of selected characters
Now let‘s explore the highest rated blockchain games across genres and platforms so you can discover exciting new worlds to play in and profit from!
10 Hot Play to Earn Games Reviewed
Here are the top 10 crypto games on our radar right now ordered by overall popularity and earning potential:
1. Splinterlands
Splinterlands brings the strategic fun of games like Magic: The Gathering into a seamlessly blockchain-integrated experience. Every game asset from the detailed cards representing an army of fantasy creatures to the vouchers for unlocking new card packs is represented by NFTs on blockchain.
Cards hold different values for Attack, Health and Magic Power. In battle, you‘ll strategically build a deck under certain "Mana" combability limits for the best chance of victory. Rarer cards naturally have higher values!
Earning mechanisms:
- Win ranked matches to gain Dark Energy Crystals
- Redeem daily quest vouchers for new card packs
- Trade cards on marketplaces (rare gold foil cards can fetch $100+ each)
With easy onboarding, fast-paced matches and that addictive collectible appeal, Splinterlands provides reliable rewards for skilled play.
Genre: Trading Card Game
Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Blockchain: Splintershards
Start Playing Splinterlands: https://splinterlands.com
2. My Neighbor Alice
My Neighbor Alice is a beautiful blockchain builder game set within an island paradise. Get creative by purchasing virtual islands and then decorate them with custom farms, houses, production buildings and more. You can even rent out your islands to generate yield over time!
The in-game currency is $ALICE, an ERC-20 token used to buy islands and digital assets. Those assets take the form of NFTs, so unique islands and specialized buildings can be traded on marketplaces if you‘d like to sell land you develop.
Landowners can let their imagination run wild while customizing islands with objects like farms, trees or beach huts. More constructs placed raises an island‘s value and rent potential when leased to other players. Islands also host mini games and events to drive engagement.
For metaverse fans, My Neighbor Alice offers all the tools you‘ll need to build a tropical blockchain paradise!
Genre: Social Metaverse
Platform: PC
Blockchain: Ethereum
Start Playing My Neighbor Alice: https://myneighboralice.com/
3. Alien Worlds
Calling all sci-fi fans! Alien Worlds brings space strategy and crypto mining together across an entire galaxy with 7 different planets.
The basics involve using NFT characters to mine ASTRO and TLM tokens. You‘ll need to own land on specific planets to earn commission from mining activities in that terrain.
Characters (aliens) have varying mining power values dictating TLM earned per 6 hour mining session. Rare aliens with higher mining power become hot property! Unique tools boost earnings too.
Owning whole Planet NFTs earns you commission on ALL mining activity on that planet. So snapping up land early is key for the best passive income over time.
With staking rewards for holding tokens, dealer nodes and plans to expand P2E mechanics into a truly decentralized metaverse – Alien Worlds offers exciting interplanetary strategy that keeps on evolving!
Genre: Metaverse / Strategy
Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Blockchain: Wax & Ethereum
Start Playing Alien Worlds: https://alienworlds.io
4. Guild of Guardians
Guild of Guardians brings RPG adventure gaming into blockchain in thrilling fashion with splashes of mobile legends, hack n slash treasure hunting and building up heroic Guardians!
Venture into dark monster lairs, mystical ruins and enchanted forests where you battle mythical creatures. Slay goblins, orcs, griffins and more using martial combat skills, magical powers or ranged attacks using weapons showcased beautifully in 3D graphics.
Defeated creatures relinquish precious Resources like crafting materials, magical gems used for Summoning new guardians, and Forge metals for upgrading gear stats. Heroes gain XP with each victory too, all tracked immutably on blockchain.
With stats-boosting Equipment, unlockable Perks, Ranked modes and deep Integrations with Immutable X marketplaces – Guild of Guardians promises to take mobile action RPGs to the next level with true ownership of heroes and gear!
For RPG aficionados who love slaying fantastical beasts and leveling up mighty heroes, this immersive title built ground up for blockchain integration looks very promising…
Genre: RPG
Platforms: iOS, Android
Blockchain: ImmutableX
Pre register for Guild of Guardians: https://www.guildofguardians.com/
5. Star Atlas
Calling all space traders, explorers and fighter pilots! Star Atlas offers stunning next-gen graphics and expansive MMORPG gameplay focused around intergalactic travel, resource trading, space combat, real estate deals and more spanning three unique game modes across a vast metaverse map:
Explore – Voyage into the depths of space discovering rare Oort Clouds and Asteroid Belts harboring exotic matter like Opifex for crafting mythical NFT Items
Trade – Craft advanced spaceships and components or harvest resources from planets using Terraformers. Buy low, craft high value items and sell for profit!
Conquer – Assemble combat fleets with friends, upgrade weapons capabilities and conquer hostile territories for glory and rewards
With collaborations with Solana and Serum under the hood and plans for on chain governance of galaxies, Star Atlas is poised to deliver next generation gameplay paired with blockchain ownership of spaceships, planets and other digital assets.
Genre: Metaverse / MMORPG
Platforms: Windows
Blockchain: Solana
Explore Star Atlas: https://staratlas.com/
6. Illuvium
Illuvium brings gorgeous RPG exploration and combat onto the blockchain in the form of mighty beasts called Illuvials roaming across stunning landscapes.
As a Tier 3 Ethereum blockchain game, gameplay in Illuvium centers around capturing defeated Illuvials out on adventure quests, thereby adding them to your roster of battle companions.
With hundreds of unique Illuvials possessing different attack abilities, you‘ll capture and train the ones best suited to your battle style over time. Some super rare Illuvials with synergistic powers can fetch huge valuations if bred successfully or uncovered deep in risky regions!
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