Many of us are spending lots of time at home during these unprecedented times, so keeping boredom at bay as a result of newfound free time is the task at hand for more than a few folks.
With that said, those of us in the cryptoeconomy are fortunate to have a rising blockchain gaming sector ripe for tinkering with.
The space still has plenty of room to grow to be sure, but there are no shortage of early projects therein that are already trailblazing. If you’re long on time and short on activities, consider checking out some of the following cryptonative gaming projects a little further.
Gods Unchained
Market cap: 154,655 ETH
Which god will you fight for? Gods Unchained is a turn-based, digital trading card game built on Ethereum. Matches revolve around players going head to head with decks of 30 cards each, with cards being secured as unique non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Ethereum. The gameplay is like a mix between Heathstone and Magic the Gathering, so it’s a natural fit for fans of those projects.
Prepare for battle! The next Weekend Ranked Challenge is incoming ⚔️
New to Weekend Ranked Constructed events? You can get the low-down here!
????https://t.co/HjhZ434DuC pic.twitter.com/o5uJVuepJ8— Gods Unchained (@GodsUnchained) March 20, 2020
CryptoKitties
Market cap: 42,649 ETH
Back in 2017, CryptoKitties, the digital cats collectibles game, was one of the first Ethereum dApp’s to achieve a flash of breakout success. Since then, the game has brought the “breeding” of NFTs into the cryptoeconomy’s limelight and has given its creators, Dapper Labs, the fuel to keep advancing innovation in the blockchain gaming arena. Each digital kitty is a one-of-a-kind token and can be bred with other tokens to create new, unique offspring. The digital genes of each collectible is maintained within its associated smart contract, which makes them readily trackable.
You can now adopt ~45,000 Kitties with adorable genetics on https://t.co/j9vm52xPoR using Wrapped CryptoKitties tokens!
Buy WCK from Uniswap: https://t.co/l5G1b1zGCa
Convert your Kitties into WCK tokens: https://t.co/4PtNkPdATn
KittyHelper guide below ???? https://t.co/6cUe8HlQSE pic.twitter.com/8NRJfnoc5q
— CryptoKitties (@CryptoKitties) February 26, 2020
Axie Infinity
Market cap: 6,393 ETH
Can you field an amazing team of skillful pets? Axie Infinity is a digital pet arena game where, like CryptoKitties, new collectible creatures can be created through breeding. The ensuing Axies can be collected, traded, and battled for on-chain prizes. In this way, the project is one of the pioneers in the “play to earn” movement that is picking up steam in the crypto ecosystem. You’ll need at least 3 Axies to start playing the game, so keep that in mind, but where the fun begins is in mixing and matching different pets to field teams with different complementary abilities.
⚔️Alpha Season 2 is live!
????As a special surprise, you’ll be able to earn KNC (Kyber Network Crystals) as rewards!
????With so much positive news regarding @KyberNetwork recently, we’re delighted to allow our community to play to earn Kyber tokens!https://t.co/NpDf7ROfPc
— Axie Infinity (@AxieInfinity) March 9, 2020
MyCryptoHeroes
Market cap: 19,815 ETH
If you’re a fan of role-playing games (RPGs), then MyCryptoHeroes is likely for you. In this crypto-themed project, players collect heroes and equip them with the best equipment possible in order to battle them head to head. After battles, you’ll also need to “restore” your pieces to bring them back to full health for new bouts. The project currently boasts more than 50,000 unique items. Like some other cryptonative games, MyCryptoHeroes offers users both player-vs-player (PVP) and player-vs-environment (PVE) modes. It has also given life to several different character archetypes, including figures like farmers, warriors, traders, and creators. All you need is a wallet like MetaMask to play.
We updated the schedule for late March.
You can check the detail for the next hero sale!https://t.co/JKZwnJnAZB#MCH— MCH Verse & My Crypto Heroes???????? (@mycryptoheroes_) March 17, 2020
Crypto Space Commander
Market cap: 12,050 ETH
Crypto Space Commander is a real-time, massive multiplayer online (MMO) game that is built on Ethereum. Adventure through the cosmos and commandeer new on-chain resources in galaxies far, far away with your own unique starships. The game’s economy is player-owned, meaning users can set up shop and profiteer however they see fit. Also, players can constantly upgrade their ships and add new abilities, meaning your items can do more after you grind and level up. If you’re into sci-fi fantasy games where mining and grinding is key, then CSC might be right up your alley.
Ethermon
Market cap: 4,111 ETH
Etheremon is a Pokemon-like game underpinned by Ethereum NFTs, so you can collect, trade, and battle your digital creatures — called Ether Monsters, or Mons in the game — all on-chain. Beyond Mons, players can also collect potions and buffs to keep their digital pets in top shape or use them sell optimized Mons on the open market. Overall, the are over 80,000 unique items in the game right now, and the average price of one is around 0.15 ETH. Players can generate value for themselves by mining the EMONT token, an in-game currency that is permanently capped at 20 million units.
https://twitter.com/Ethermon_io/status/1218032444143628288
BlockCities
Market cap: 87 ETH
Familiar to anyone who’s played SimCity before, BlockCities is an Ethereum game that lets players customize their own cities with unique digital architecture. These cities are maintained as NFT tokens, so you can trade them just as you would a regular token. They even become provably rare upon minting, since no two BlockCities will be organized in precisely the same way. Altogether, there are 10 million possible building combinations for users to pick from, so there’s certainly no shortage of customization options. The game’s beta just launched on March 19th, so it’s one of the newer projects to hit the scene.
https://twitter.com/Blockcities/status/1224750430036668417
The Sandbox
Market cap: 6,115 ETH
The Sandbox, a “user-generated blockchain metaverse,” is a gaming-centric virtual world build atop Ethereum that is comprised of more than 160,000 plots of LAND, all of which are NFT tokens. In the future, the idea is that these plots will host virtual events and a wide variety of games. Users of the game can create and exchange their voxel assets for cryptocurrency or create new in-world experiences using the “SandBox Game Maker” tool, as seen in the tweet below. The Sandbox has some interesting backers, too, as Square Enix — the firm behind the popular Final Fantasy gaming franchise — just invested in the project.
Even in its Pre-Alpha state, you can create amazing experiences with the Game Maker. Take a look at what Joon, the Korean Lead Voxel Artis behind our creator fund has created with The Sandbox Game Maker!#ScreenshotSaturday #Gamedev #GameMaker pic.twitter.com/1KJakDWgHt
— The Sandbox (@TheSandboxGame) March 21, 2020
Neon District
Neon District is a free-to-play, cypherpunk-inspired RPG built by the team at Blockade Games. The game is set to be released via the Steam mainstream gaming marketplace this July, so it’s not out just yet. But if you’re doing a deep dive into crypto games in the coming weeks, Neon District is worth looking into because it’s set to grab some considerable market share in the digital collectibles arena once it’s live. Every piece of in-game gear is represented by an associated NFT, but Neon District has been created to be friendly to crypto and mainstream gamers alike.
A first look at Neon District gameplay, a Final Fantasy inspired cyberpunk RPG. Subscribe for updates at https://t.co/922ZznXmZ7. #madewithunity #unity3d #gamedev #indiedev pic.twitter.com/shv0ntdM9u
— Neon District (@neondistrictRPG) February 21, 2019
OpenSea
OpenSea isn’t an Ethereum game but rather a decentralized marketplace that makes it easy to buy and sell Ethereum gaming pieces and other types of digital collectibles. For now, it’s the largest one-stop spot in the arena for all your blockchain gaming needs, so if you’re looking to pick up your first Axies, CryptoKitties, or even sell your old gaming pieces you’re no longer using, it’s a great place to start. OpenSea also makes NFT analytics easy, as the platform provides a range of market statistics as well as the ability to readily track an Ethereum wallet’s various NFT activities.
????The average seller on OpenSea has sold $1,178 worth of stuff!
Explore the history and growth of the NFT market in the NFT Bible, our deep dive into non-fungible tokens: https://t.co/vs6MfJMyNo
— OpenSea (@opensea) January 20, 2020
Conclusion
The blockchain gaming sector is surely just starting out, but it has a range of promising upstarts that are already providing lots of fun and bringing lots of value. It’s been a bit overlooked in the wider cryptoeconomy to date, but that dynamic has been shifting lately.
Some of the projects listed above have been around for a while like CryptoKitties, while other ones like BlockCities are just beginning. What they all share is a willingness to lean on blockchain technology to create new kinds of gaming experiences and open gaming economies that have never been possible before. They’re certainly interesting, and expect more projects to follow in their stead going forward.