NFTs are taking over the video game world. From Pokémon Go to Animal Crossing and last year’s hit, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, we’ve seen a surge of location-based games that use NFTs as their in-game currency. In response, developers are coming up with new creation tools for NFTs, so anyone can create their own game. Soon, you won’t just be able to see your friends in your favorite video game characters—you’ll be able to play as them! Here are some new video games featuring Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and how they use them.
You wouldn’t find NFT based games to be as punishing as these games, but they still promise an entertaining experience. Let’s check them out!
CryptoKitties
A year ago, CryptoKitties were the NFTs that were getting all the attention. For a while now, they have mostly used to making fun of the whole category and aren’t taken seriously as a game. CryptoKitties was the first mainstream NFT game. The game lets you collect, breed, and sell virtual cats with unique attributes that you can buy and sell for real money on the Ethereum blockchain via smart contracts. Though the game was initially a big hit, it didn’t take long for the popularity to die down, which led the developers to reposition the game from a collectible game to a kind of educational tool for kids to learn about blockchain. The game has seen a small, but steady resurgence in popularity since and has now also become a meme for its once insane prices and high resale value.
Ethercraft
One of the first video games that was actually designed to use NFTs as a kind of in-game currency is Ethercraft. The game is a Minecraft-like sandbox game that lets users craft items and build structures using pixel art. You can collect rare items like dragons and play with friends on multiplayer servers. The game was designed from the ground up to use NFTs as its in-game currency. Interestingly, there are actually two types of NFTs in Ethercraft. The first is crafting materials that you use to create things in the game. The second are items that can be used for crafting and consumed during gameplay, like swords and axes. All in all, Ethercraft is a fun sandbox game that lets you earn real money while having fun.
Pirate X Pirate
Another game that lets you earn real money while having fun is Pirate X Pirate. This game has you sailing the seas and looting ships as a pirate. The catch is that this is all happening on the Ethereum blockchain, isand you can exchange the loot you earn in the game for real money. The game uses two types of NFTs. The first are one-of-a-kind treasures that players can find on an online map. The second is limited-edition items that you can only earn during special events. Interestingly, Pirate X Pirate is based on real-world events and holidays, so you can only earn loot on special days.
Gods Unchained
Let’s go from pirates to gods and look at Gods Unchained. This fantasy card game is similar to Hearthstone where you battle other players in one-on-one card duels. The game lets you collect and trade rare cards that you can manage and rent out in an open marketplace. You can also sell your cards to other players if you decide to retire them from the game. While the cards themselves are NFTs, Gods Unchained is a bit different because you’re not trading them in a marketplace like other NFT games. Instead, you’re trading cards that are in your own digital collection. This is a unique implementation of NFTs in video games that has yet to be applied anywhere else.
Decentraland
Decentraland is like a combination of a few different NFT games. The game is a first-person 3D sandbox where you can walk around and build things using pixel art. On Decentraland, you can earn NFTs by buying plots of land, or even buying and selling virtual goods. You can also earn NFTs by creating content for the game, such as missions or games. The cool thing about Decentraland is that it’s open source and encourages people to create their own servers with different rule sets. This lets people create their own games inside Decentraland with their own in-game economies. You can also import designs from other software tools, so you can have your own avatar and anything else you can imagine.
Mines of Dalarnia
Unlike Decentraland, Mines of Dalarnia is a fully featured MMORPG that lets you explore an online world with other people. In the game, you can earn NFTs in lots of different ways, such as harvesting in-game resources, completing missions, or looting treasure chests. These NFTs can then be used as currency to buy items, upgrades, and even game access. The best part of Mines of Dalarnia is that the game is live and playable right now! You can explore the vast open world, level up your character, and play online with friends. You can also trade and earn real money in the game by selling items in the marketplace or doing freelance work for other players. This is one of the first fully featured NFT games that’s ready for you to play right now!
The future of video games is all about NFTs. From games that let you earn real money in virtual economies to games designed from the ground up to use NFTs as their in-game currency, we’re seeing new and exciting ways for NFTs to be implemented in video games. We’ve seen some of these games come out and let their early adopters start playing. But there are tons of games in development and scheduled to come out in the coming years that will further push the boundaries of what NFTs can do.
