The nft gaming industry is a world in constant turmoil in which every innovation is somehow absorbed in order to be able to offer new games and keep up with the times. The recent advent of cryptographic technology and of the so-called NFT have contributed to revolutionize entire sectors, such as finance, but they have also made games feel their specific weight. Nowadays NFT games are very much talked about, especially because they perfectly combine the player’s gaming experience with the appreciated possibility of generating a form of income. But what exactly are NFT games and how do they work?
What are NFT Play-to-Earn Games?
NFT Play-to-Earn games are a type of game that allows the user the possibility to earn money by playing. Specifically, the reward for the player is given in the form of tokens or NFT, and obviously the value of the winnings is directly proportional to the amount of hours spent, which means that the more you play the more rewards you get.
Needless to say, the introduction of this type of game has been particularly appreciated by users, especially by those in low-income countries that can find in this solution a way not to support their income. Surely then it’s interesting to see how this phenomenon is obtaining worldwide a success perhaps not even imagined, so much so that is growing a real niche economy based exclusively on this sector.
The gains are there and they are real. It is estimated that the range of revenue obtained by gamers is between 200 and 1,000 dollars per month. Then there are also users who decide to invest most of their time in these games and their revenues are even higher.
How They Work
Anyone who has even a minimal knowledge of non-fungible tokens, i.e. NFTs, will know how they are nothing but a type of digital and cryptographic token based on a blockchain. The appellative non-fungible is to indicate how each token represents a unique reality and can never be exchanged with another token for example. Each NFT is and will always remain unique.
The NFT, therefore, as it is logical to assume, can be used in different ways and relatively to the game sector it is necessary to specify a detail of fundamental importance for the understanding. In the NFT Play-to-Earn games, in fact, the NFTs are not simple digital assets kept in a specific wallet, but they are completely integrated in the dynamics of the game itself and condition the operative modalities of the players. To give a clarifying example, there could be a game in which all the various digital objects available to a character are nothing but NFTs that it will be possible to trade in order to obtain a profit.
But how do NFTs become part of the game dynamics and how can they be traded? The mechanism is very simple, the NFT present in a given game are exploitable only if they respect the rules imposed by the smart contracts.
What are smart contracts? Simply computer protocols developed by the founder of the game to facilitate and enforce the dynamics of NFTs. In other words, smart contracts can be thought of as a sort of virtual place where there are certain rules and the NFTs that are part of it must respect them. Obviously, smart contracts interface directly with the reference blockchain.
NFTs In Game
NFTs, as mentioned, can be considered as unique digital objects present on a blockchain. The very fact that they cannot be exchanged identically with another token makes them perfect tools to represent a series of characters or items within a game. And it’s obvious how being each unique in their genre, they lend themselves very well to a sales pitch. The NFT in game, in fact, are nothing more than examples of collectible digital objects and as such very much in demand not only by other players, but especially by collectors.
This dynamic allows for the creation of a true internal market of digital tokens in which it is relatively easy to monetize through the sale, precisely because the demand for digital objects is very high and constantly increasing. Rarity, aesthetics, usefulness within the game, all factors that contribute to raise the value of an NFT in game making it even more valuable for its owner and coveted by possible buyers. This is combined with the operational dynamics of the Play-to-Earn games already exposed above, creating a real internal economy that day by day becomes more and more relevant as turnover and importance.
The Best NFT Games to Watch Out For
Nowadays there is an important variety of NFT games and their number is continuously increasing, however we can easily identify those that are the most promising and that have been able to have the greatest impact on the general public. Let’s see them individually.
Sandbox
Despite the developers have repeatedly specified as the game is still in an alpha version, then practically at the beginning, the interest in this game does not hint at decreasing, perhaps by virtue of the incredible scenarios that seems to prospect as of now. Sandbox is certainly more than just a game, it would be more correct to define it as a platform capable of reproducing a setting similar to the real world.
In the game there are users who are part of this world, items to use and/or collect and new lands to explore and/or conquer. But the most fascinating aspect of this reality is that it is directly connected with the blockchain of Ethereum, one of the most famous cryptocurrencies in the world, and by virtue of this every digital object that you encounter is liable to exchange or sell. Not only that, but the users themselves who are part of the game have at any time the ability to create new objects, environments, paths and so on to provide a highly dynamic and engaging gaming experience.
Axie Infinity
Axie Infinity is another one of those titles that is increasingly rising to the forefront of NFT games. It currently consists of around 360 thousand players, but the number is constantly increasing. Created in 2018, Axie Infinity is a game in which the protagonists are creatures called Axies and the various players have the task of capturing them and make them duel with those of other players. A dynamic that recalls not too subtly the generational phenomenon Pokemon.
Each Axies is different from the other and each has its own strengths and weaknesses, however, the latter can be reduced in the course of the game through training and completion of the various companions. Being one of a kind, each Axies can be sold to other players or collectors, and you can also earn money by completing quests or defeating duelists.
Star Atlas
Star Atlas is an NFT game that interfaces directly with the blockchain on which the Solana digital currency operates. Described as one of the most promising NFT games of the moment, it is characterized by a certain operational complexity. The game, set in the year 2620, sees the presence of 3 factions at war with each other in a world, however, where resources are very limited and it is therefore necessary to implement precise strategic choices to make the chosen faction prosper.
Star Atlas is a game that encompasses several genres, it can be considered both as a strategy game and a role-playing game, however there are elements that can make it count among the flight simulators. Extreme operational completeness and the possibility of earning money through the sale of clothes, items, weapons, maps, specific items and more definitely make it a game to keep an eye on.
Evolution Land
Evolution Land can be considered as a kind of simulative game in which gamers, as characters called Apostles, will have the task of buying and selling entire territories, building constructions or actually undermine the various items in all 26 continents in the game.
What makes it unique in its genre is the possibility to use and sell/buy not only non-fungible tokens, but also fungible ones. The game is particularly detailed and requires a certain initial commitment before being able to understand all the various dynamics. The earning possibilities are numerous thanks to the buying and selling of all the digital tokens present, there is also the Lottery function with which you can acquire more points every time you win a land auction.
Gods Unchained
Different game than those mentioned so far, Gods Unchained can be considered as a card game with dynamics very similar to the famous Magic: The Gathering. The blockchain on which it operates is the same as Ethereum and in the game every single card is a digital token that can be sold or bought. The goal of the players is to create a deck of cards as complete and functional as possible in order to defeat the other duelists. Each card is different and there are both basic and advanced cards with superior powers.