Our previous article explored what GameFi is and covered the rising popularity of Play-To-Earn (P2E) games. Play-to-Earn (P2E) games have gained a massive fanbase in the blockchain space, and what better way to learn about them than diving right into the P2E world?
Below we list out some of the top performing games currently available, and the top upcoming games yet to hit the market.
Top Play-to-Earn Games
Axie Infinity
Axie Infinity is an NFT game inspired by Nintendo’s classic franchise, Pokemon, where players can compete with each other by letting their virtual pets battle, raise their own characters and assets, and perform daily quests and other in-game activities.
Axie rewards players with Smooth Love Potion (SLP) tokens, the platform’s currency, which they collect and use to enhance their pets’ attributes, purchase new ones, or convert to fiat currencies.
Axie Infinity is now one of the top most popular NFT games today, with a total NFT trading volume of $2.6 billion.
Alien Worlds
Alien Worlds is a blockchain-based video game that features a simulation of the Earth’s economy through the Trilium (TLM) game token. It is backed by an NFT-based social metaverse where users can perform missions to mine TLM.
In the game, the player takes the role of an adventurer from the year 2055, featuring a metaverse where everything can be tokenized through NFTs, allowing players to purchase sophisticated in-game tools to improve their mining efficiency.
Splinterlands
Splinterlands is a collectible card trading game that lets players earn cryptocurrency rewards by fulfilling set in-game achievements, such as winning skill-based matches and player-versus-player (PvP) game modes. The game enables players to own NFT-based digital cards, which can be traded and sold.
Splinterlands has a native game token called Dark Energy Crystals (DEC) that supports the incentive system of the game, awarded to players whenever they win tournaments or ranked battles, or finish in-game quests.
Arc8 by GAMEE
Arc8 is a P2E mobile platform where users can play games amongst each other to earn rewards. It is backed by the GMEE token, which is used to pay for entry fees on special events and purchase in-game assets.
GMEE owners can also participate in the games’ voting functions, covering decisions on each game’s roadmap, future deployments, and allocation of prize and reward pools.
Farmers World
Farmers World is an NFT-based farming game that allows players to purchase farming tools, in-game resources, lands, etc. to grow their own farms and earn reward tokens. It also offers free-to-play mechanics beyond the usual P2E system.
Patterned after the once-popular Facebook-based Farmville, Farmers Word enables players to cultivate their virtual farms, grow plants and fish, and raise livestock and poultry, among other similar activities. Players can also visit other farms to compete with other players for resources.
Star Atlas
Star Atlas is an MMORPG game set in a galactic universe in the year 2,620 where players can compete and collaborate with each other to explore the metaverse, own land, build cities, perform quests, trade with each other, and go on many other adventures. Star Atlas features a 3D world that players can experience in VR, making it one of the most anticipated games in the Solana ecosystem.
The game’s marketplace and two supported cryptocurrencies, ATLAS and POLIS, saw a frenzy of activity even before the game’s release in October 2021.
The Sandbox
The Sandbox was initially launched as a mobile game in 2012 by Pixowl, but was acquired later on by Animoca Brands and relaunched as an NFT-powered metaverse game in late 2021. It features a virtual world where players can build, own, and monetize their creations within the game’s digital world. They can also own digital plots in-game that can be monetized and sold for SAND tokens, the in-game cryptocurrency.
Top Upcoming GameFi Games
Doctor Who: Worlds Apart
The game is based on the classic science fiction TV show, Doctor Who, which follows the exploits of an extraterrestrial being who commands time-travel technology. Set for full release in the near future, Doctor Who: Worlds Apart will feature a trading card game where users can compete against each other through a pack of cards that are unique to each of them.
Monsters Clan
Monsters Clan is another highly-anticipated NFT game that features a gameplay mechanic similar to Axie Infinity where players can compete with each other through monster battles, concoct monsters in a lab, upgrade their stats through potions, and many more. The game also incorporates a renting feature, allowing players to earn passive income by lending out their monsters, caves, lands, potions, and other in-game items.
Monsters Clan is set for an alpha release soon and will go live on Binance Smart Chain (BSC). Players can earn tokens through PvP battles or by performing in-game quests.
Illuvium
Illuvium is a blockchain-based role-playing game (RPG) that features 3D characters and monsters. Players can earn tokens by mining, harvesting, performing quests, as well going head-to-head with other players. It is set for a beta launch in the first quarter of 2022.