Being a keen gamer, you’ve probably noticed that the gaming industry is undergoing quite the transformation at present. The industry’s no stranger to fleeting tech trends, but the rise of crypto gaming is hard to ignore. This innovative new sector has already begun accelerating at a rapid rate, leading gaming and cryptocurrency experts alike to speculate that a paradigm shift is on the card for video games.
Without a crystal ball, it’s impossible to predict the gaming industry’s future, but it doesn’t take a medium to see that decentralised games are and will play a key role. Crypto games are here to stay, and if you’re keen to tap into all the player benefits on offer in the sector, read on to discover the definitive games to play in 2023 and beyond.
What is Crypto Gaming?
As the name shows, crypto gaming involves, well, playing cryptocurrency games!
And how is that different from playing any other type of digital game? Playing such titles means you can earn digital assets like crypto coins and tokens. You’re no doubt already familiar with the concept of tokenization, so think of crypto gaming, or GameFi, as taking that to the next level. However, instead of paying to play, with decentralised games, you can play to earn.
In short, games of this nature give you full ownership over your in-game items, NFTs and the coins you could be rewarded with as your complete tasks and objectives. Since they have real-world value, you can then go and trade them for fiat currencies or leading crypto coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Excitingly, the sector encompasses a wide range of gaming genres, meaning there’s something for everyone to play. Gambling enthusiasts will enjoy the likes of Bitcoin slots at Joe Fortune, while fans of Magic: The Gathering will be delighted to know that trading card games exist even in the crypto realm. According to crypto insiders, the new wave of games that will hit the virtual shelves in the months to come will even incorporate premium gameplay to bring them more in line with today’s AAA video games.
If you’re worried that crypto gaming is a mere flash in the pan, don’t! There are plenty of signs showing the longevity of decentralized gaming. This past month alone, the sector received an investment boost of $297 million, a large chunk of which — according to Dapp Radar’s report — went on improving infrastructure. Moreover, GameFi economies are setting the benchmark for gaming in the metaverse.
Hot Games to Check Out
Just as with virtually any other type of video gaming sector you can think of, not all crypto games are created equal. Each month brings with it a new release of titles, but just because a game is current, that doesn’t mean it’s worth playing. Instead, here are four leading GameFi titles that are worth checking out.
Metacade
Less of a GameFi title and more of a crypto gaming platform, Metacade is essentially a digital arcade with an array of play-to-earn games to choose from. Current top-ranking games on the platform include Gold Fever, a survival-based MMORPG, and the digital collectible trading card game Cards of Ethernity.
One of the more appealing aspects of this platform is that users can publish their own games using the create-to-earn model. Plus, its social network-like structure fosters community and collaboration; you can even enter exclusive tournaments when you’ve earned enough MCADE tokens.
Decentraland
Currently one of the top-grossing games in the crypto space, both in terms of market cap and community, Decentraland is a 3D gaming world for the budding entrepreneur. While it doesn’t follow the same P2E model as other titles on our list, it still provides players an opportunity to earn a genuine income.
In Decentraland, users can purchase NFTs having virtual plots of land using the native MANA token. They can then build anything they can imagine on the platform, like a functional virtual store selling products/services.
Pikamoon
This charming homage to Nintendo’s iconic Pokemon franchise is a playful crypto gaming space providing RPG elements with the compelling “gotta catch ’em all” features of its inspiration. Gameplay takes place on the planet of Dreva, which is contained in the ‘Pikaverse’ multiverse. Players can freely roam around the four regions of Dreva, taking part in quests to earn Pikamoon NFTs before going into battle to climb up the leaderboard.
GameFi beginners will find this title to be one of the most approachable on our list, thanks to its free-to-play offline mode.
Axie Infinity
As it’s the best-selling decentralized game to date, we’d be remiss if we didn’t include Axie Infinity on our list of definitive crypto gaming titles. First released in March 2018, the game has only increased in popularity over the past few years and continues to attract new gamers.
Essentially a turn-based strategy game, with Axie Infinity, players can breed, battle and trade highly collectible NFTs known as, you guessed it, Axies. There’s also the added possibility of staking the game’s native token (AXS), making it just as attractive to crypto enthusiasts as video gamers.
