Cryptocurrencies experienced a landmark year in 2021, and NFTs have taken off like a rocket, with an increasing number of investors choosing to diversify their portfolios with unique digital art.
While many investors enjoy using their crypto to shop online or play at the best crypto casino, a growing number have taken an interest in NFT games to play and earn crypto.
NFTs in gaming has expanded by integrating themselves into in-app purchases that allow players to enhance their gaming experience.
Game developers have built blockchain technology into their games so that players can own in-game items as NFTs and sell or trade them. This guide explains how NFT games work and how their rewards turn into money. It also covers the games in our 2022 play-to-earn list, how free play differs from owning tradable assets, and how to spot common scams.
What is an NFT game and how does it work?
An NFT game is a video game whose items, characters or land are tokens on a blockchain. The tokens are usually held in the player’s own crypto wallet, so the player owns them and can trade or sell them outside the game. NFT stands for non-fungible token: a unique record on the blockchain showing that one specific item belongs to one specific wallet.
When you earn or buy a tradable NFT item, it is recorded as a token linked to your wallet. You can then keep it or list it on a compatible marketplace. Not every item in an NFT game is itself an NFT.
In a traditional game, items such as a sword or a skin usually exist only as entries on the publisher’s servers. They stay inside that game, and the publisher controls whether they change, disappear or stop working if the game shuts down.
An NFT item’s price depends on how scarce it is, what it does in the game and how many players want it. Gods Unchained, for example, includes non-NFT Plain cards as well as minted NFT cards that can be traded. A free starter card is not automatically a tradable asset. Owning an item doesn’t mean it keeps its price, though. If players leave, demand and prices can fall.
How do play-to-earn games pay you, and can you make real income?
Play-to-earn games pay you in tokens or NFTs, not cash. You only get money after you sell or swap those rewards and withdraw the proceeds, and each step can charge a fee.
The payout chain usually has three steps:
- You earn a token or NFT in the game, under the rules of the game and mode you play.
- You sell the NFT on a marketplace or swap the token for another cryptocurrency on an exchange.
- You withdraw the money to your bank account in your local currency (fiat).
Fees can include gas (the network’s charge for moving tokens), marketplace cuts on sales, swap fees and withdrawal fees.
For example, 1,000 reward tokens at $0.02 are worth $20 on paper. If gas costs $1, the swap takes 0.3% and the withdrawal costs $1, you receive about $17.94. If the price falls to $0.01 before you sell, the same 1,000 tokens leave you about $7.97. These figures are an example only. Real fees vary by chain, exchange and marketplace.
Token prices are volatile, so the same hours of play can be worth much less a month later. Rewards also often fall as a game’s economy matures and more players compete for the same pool of rewards. Play-to-earn rewards are too unpredictable to count on as income, and no game makes a return certain.
Which NFT games does this guide cover?
This guide covers Gods Unchained, Splinterlands, Axie Infinity, The Sandbox 3D and Sorare, which were in our 2022 list of play-to-earn NFT games. A game on this shortlist should have active players, good gameplay and a healthy token economy, with gameplay coming first. You can use the same three tests to judge any NFT game. Each game has its own section below.
- Gods Unchained: card strategy game with both non-NFT cards and tradable NFT cards. Free to start.
- Splinterlands: tradable card game.
- Axie Infinity: game where players breed and collect NFT pets (Axies) and battle other players.
- The Sandbox 3D: gaming metaverse where players create, play and trade custom games and virtual items.
- Sorare: fantasy sports card game with free common-card play and collectible-card competitions. Rewards and eligibility depend on the competition and location.
Alien Worlds, Battle Racers and MetaWars appear below as they did in our 2022 list. Treat those sections, and the April 2021 LAND sales figure for The Sandbox 3D, as historical.
1. Axie Infinity
Axie Infinity takes a lot of inspiration from the Pokemon game series and doubles up with its blockchain twist. This gives the finished product of Axie Infinity an exhilarating feel.
This is an Ethereum-based game. Gamers can breed and collect NFT-based digital pets—Axies—to battle with other players.
Each Axies has its genetic imprint, and all weaknesses and strengths are passed down to its digital offspring—incredible! The digital pets can be traded on Ethereum NFT marketplaces, with prices varying based on their rarity and uniqueness.
To play, gamers need to buy 3 Axies.
Gamers get a Smooth Love Potion for each quest, player-vs-player battle, and adventure mode embarked on. This is the platform’s native ERC-20 utility token that gamers earn as a reward.
For every attempt a gamer makes to breed a new Axie, they need to pay a specific amount of Smooth Love Potion. This in-game currency is also available for purchase at major crypto exchanges.
Another ERC-20 token available on Axie Infinity is the Axis Infinity Shard, which serves as the platform’s governance token. It anchors the game’s staking service.
2. Gods Unchained
Gods Unchained is a free-to-play game created to integrate elements of NFTs into a traditional card trading game. Players collect cards by buying them from other gamers or winning PVP matchups where the quality of cards and players’ skills decide the winner.
Remarkably, greater emphasis is placed on skills and strategy. The game uses a ranked mode where players with the same ratings match automatically.
You win a match when your gaming skills cause your opponent’s life to drop to zero before yours—easy as that. For every win, you earn experience points, and once the experience bar is filled up, you can move to the following rating and get a new pack of cards to add to your collection.
An ERC-721 token underpins In-game, each of the cards. You can trade them on Gods Unchained’s native marketplace or the open marketplace if you wish.
Gamers who prefer to sell these cards in the games marketplace will get the platform’s native token, GODS, as payment.
3. Splinterlands
Splinterlands is a free-to-play tradable card game that allows users to earn as they play, similar to the games mentioned above.
Gamers can earn rewards when they win card matchups. To play Splinterlands, purchase a starter pack of cards, create a Steam account, and reveal the purchased cards on Splinterlands.
Sometimes, you could be lucky enough to find rare cards amongst your first set of bought cards. You could also find multiples of the same type of card that you can combine to boost their power or sell one of them in return for some crypto.
Once you are au fait with the cards, you can battle other players or participate in quests. The result would determine if you will earn more cards during your gameplay.
4. The Sandbox 3D
The Sandbox 3D is a gaming metaverse and one of the most active NFT gaming platforms. Sandbox 3D allows gamers to create and trade virtual assets. In this game, players can manipulate and monetise voxel assets.
It is the blockchain version of show-stopping gaming titles like Roblox and Minecraft.
The platform provides gamers with tools to create and animate digital items they can sell on marketplaces. In addition, gamers can create and play custom games on the platform.
Sandbox 3D has its ERC-20 token called SAND, which players can use to buy in-game items on Sandbox 3D’s marketplace.
The game also has NFT tokens called LAND, some of the most valuable in-game assets in Sandbox 3D—raking up $8.5 million in sales in April 2021.
5. Alien Worlds
Alien Worlds is an NFT Decentralized Finance (DeFi) metaverse that simulates economic competition and collaboration between gamers to discover other planets.
Gamers are incentivised to compete for Trilium (TLM). TLM is needed to control competing decentralised autonomous organisations (Planet DAOs) and unlock unique gameplay.
When playing the Alien Worlds metaverse, gamers must collect NFTS to mine TLM, accomplish in-game quests, and engage in battles with other gamers.
Players also need to buy and assemble NFTs best suited to their strategy and gameplay, making things even more exciting.
Players can be involved in the platform’s governance by electing the councillors of six Planet DAOs, increasing their ability to influence the game’s direction.
6. Battle Racers
Battle Racers gets its inspiration from popular gaming titles like Super Mario Kart and F-Zero. Gamers must combine different weapons and parts to create the most powerful cars. Gamers get to entwine different parts and weapons that benefit the arcade-sized tracks.
Gamers register their winning or prized cars on the blockchain as NFTs. They can also sell them for crypto on OpenSea and earn by playing. Every gamer is looking for ways to create the ultimate car by tweaking skills and stats to get maximum output.
Popular tweaks include handling over speed or firepower over defence—giving them the best possible opportunity to win races and tournaments. Battle Racers can be played on a blockchain-based virtual world—Decentraland.
7. Sorare – Fantasy Football
Sorare is a fantasy football trading card game developed on the Ethereum blockchain. Gamers can collect or purchase trading cards to enter and participate in weekly competitions. Gamers who are involved stand a chance to unlock rare cards or win some ETH for themselves—incredible!
Sorare has over 200 football clubs officially licensed on their platform—including world-famous teams such as Real Madrid, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich.
Cards are represented in four categories—commons, rare, super-rare, and unique. The game is classified as free-to-play, and gamers are given a deck of random common cards when they finish specific onboarding tasks.
To progress up the football leagues and score grand prizes, players must purchase rare cards on the marketplace with ETH.
From their deck of cards, gamers must draw together a five-player team, choose their captain and enter their team into competitions weekly. Based on the footballers’ performances in real-life football matches, teams will earn points—making this type of game all the more enticing.
Gamers own the NFT cards they have amassed and can sell them to other gamers on NFT marketplaces.
8. MetaWars
MetaWars is a sci-fi NFT game set well into the future and allows for a multiplayer strategy. Gamers can immerse themselves in a highly realistic gaming environment on space exploration. In addition, gamers earn money from the war economy of the game.
This chance to monetise their gameplay comes with the help of the MetaWars galaxy. This shifts and evolves as each of the gamers participate in its ecosystem.
MetaWars enable gamers to work with each other to discover new galaxies, which they can revolutionise when they complete specific missions. Gamers can collect limited edition robots while earning NFTs they acquire from various NFT auctions.
MetaWars also allow gamers to complete challenges from which they can earn $WARS tokens—the in-game token available. Gamers can improve their armies with unique optimisation options while choosing a combination of modules, devices, and weapons to strengthen their gaming character level and earn fantastic in-game rewards.
How do rewards and entry costs differ between NFT games?
No play-to-earn game makes earnings certain. Free access, ownership of tradable items and eligibility for rewards are separate questions.
- Axie Infinity: Origins can be played free with non-NFT starter Axies. Owning NFT Axies is different from trying the game, and reward eligibility depends on the version, mode and current rules. Do not assume that older Adventure or daily-quest SLP rewards still apply.
- Gods Unchained: free play includes non-NFT cards. Minted NFT cards can be traded, but Plain cards are not tradable NFTs. Playing for free does not mean every card you receive can be sold.
- Sorare: free common-card play and competitions using collectible cards have different entry conditions. Rewards can include cards, cash or crypto, depending on the competition and location. Supported purchase options include cash, crypto and card payments; ETH is not the only way to buy cards.
Before paying to enter any game, compare its current eligibility rules, entry costs, fees and withdrawal conditions. Check whether there are actual buyers for any asset you hope to sell; a listed price is not necessarily what an asset will sell for.
Reward rules and asset prices can change. Choose a game for its gameplay rather than treating past rewards as evidence of future income.
Are there free-to-play NFT games that actually pay?
Some NFT games are free to start, but starting free doesn’t mean you will be paid. In some games, going further means buying NFTs.
Gods Unchained and Sorare both let you start without buying an NFT. Gods Unchained is free to play. Sorare gives you a deck of common cards once you finish its onboarding tasks.
Depending on the game and its current eligibility rules, free players may qualify for rewards. Free access alone does not establish that a starter asset, quest or match produces tradable rewards. Some games also have scholarship arrangements. In a scholarship, another player lends you their NFTs in return for a share of whatever you earn with them. The owner keeps the NFTs and can end the arrangement, and the split leaves you only part of each reward. What you put at risk is your time.
There can be costs that aren’t obvious at the start. Claiming or moving items can cost gas, and a game or exchange may set a minimum withdrawal amount. Check whether a game limits what free players can claim or withdraw.
In a hypothetical case, a free player finishes daily quests for a week. Then they find that claiming the tokens costs gas and that the balance is still below the minimum withdrawal.
How do beginners get started with NFT and crypto games?
Getting started usually involves four steps: set up a wallet, check the chain’s fees, pick a game with a low entry cost, and set a budget you can afford to lose.
- Set up a crypto wallet. This is where your game items and tokens are held. For a wallet walkthrough, see our Trust Wallet review. Write your seed phrase down offline and never share it.
- Check the chain’s fees. Blockchain transactions can incur network fees (gas), and who pays them depends on the chain and game. Check which chain a game runs on and what a typical transaction costs there.
- Pick a game with a low entry cost. Gods Unchained and Sorare, covered in the free-to-play section above, need no NFT purchase to begin.
- Start free, or with a small amount. Axie Infinity: Origins can be tried free with non-NFT starter Axies. Other modes or reward opportunities may require paid assets. If you choose to buy NFTs, check the accepted payment options and the full cost first. Blockchain games may also need a small amount of the chain’s own coin to pay gas.
Set a fixed budget before you buy anything, and don’t add to it to keep up with rewards. Treat any rewards as uncertain, not as expected income.
How do you avoid scams in NFT games?
Common NFT game scams include rug pulls, fake game sites and mints, phishing wallet approvals and Ponzi-style token economies. Checking a game before you connect your wallet lowers the risk.
- Rug pull: the team raises money through NFT or token sales, then abandons the project and keeps the funds.
- Fake sites and mints: copycat websites or mint pages imitate a real game to take your payment or your wallet access.
- Phishing approvals: a transaction you sign gives a contract permission to move your tokens or NFTs.
- Ponzi-style economies: rewards are paid out of new players’ purchases, so they dry up when new money stops coming in.
Before you connect a wallet, check that:
- The team is named and has a public track record.
- The game’s smart contracts have a published security audit.
- Contract and mint links come only from the game’s official website or official channels.
- People are actually playing, and rewards come from gameplay rather than only from new players buying in.
Never share your seed phrase. A genuine game or support team should never ask for it. Review your wallet approvals regularly and revoke any you no longer use.
For example, suppose a “free mint” link in a Discord DM asks for unlimited token approval. Once you sign it, the contract can move the approved tokens out of your wallet.
These checks lower the risk of being caught out, but none of them makes a game completely safe.
Are NFT games worth playing?
Whether an NFT game is worth playing depends mostly on whether you enjoy the game itself, because the gameplay is the one part that doesn’t depend on markets. In most NFT games you hold your items in your own wallet. What they and any tokens sell for depends on market demand and player numbers, and both can fall quickly.
If you play one, start with a free or low-cost game, set a fixed budget, and check it for the scam warning signs above before you connect a wallet. Rewards are uncertain and shouldn’t be treated as money you can rely on.
