Starting NFT games shouldn’t be much of a challenge if you only got comprehensive info on what NFT games are. Here’s our beginner’s guide on play-to-earn blockchain gaming for you.
NFTs have taken the globe by storm, leaving many stunned at their rapid ascent to prominence. We’ve seen them take over the world of art, social media, music, and many other spheres in just a few years since its debut. And now NFTs have disrupted the gaming industry as well.
NFT games are sensational and have drawn the attention of millions of game lovers all over the world. It’s a little wonder many top gaming brands are turning their focus to the blockchain industry to which NFTs belong.
For avid gamers, the appeal of NFT games is the fact that it heralds a new era where gamers finally own their in-game assets. And this, as you well know, opens up a world of possibilities!
In-game assets can now function as real-life assets as players get to exchange their assets in the marketplace for fiat. Plus, players can now do much more than pass time with these games. They can now earn.
It’s amazing how NFTs have made something truly phenomenal out of what used to be merely exciting. And we’re happy to walk you through your first foray into this NFT world.
So, without further ado, let’s begin!
First, what are NFTs?
NFTs are digital tokens on the blockchain that represent a unique item. You can also describe them as digital assets that represent real-life objects or materials.
NFTs can be used to depict anything. And by anything, we mean anything. You name it: music, art, colors, designs, in-game items and videos, sports, consumables, and anything tradeable. Whatever you can imagine, it can be tokenized on the blockchain. In fact, a recent addition to the types of NFTs is what you’d call the literary NFT.
But why would anyone want to make an NFT out of anything, in the first place?
Simple. Because with NFTs, we can settle once and for all what items are original and who owns them. This is possible because each NFT has a unique marker that is registered on the blockchain which is visible to everyone and is also unalterable.
Just like cryptocurrencies, NFTs can be bought and sold, usually in NFT marketplaces like Opensea, for instance. They can also be exchanged between holders as well.
What are NFT games?
NFT games, especially play-to-earn models, have become quite prominent in the world of Game-Fi as a means to earn income. Here, you possess the right to trade your in-game NFTs with different collectors and players and actually receive tokens, which you can exchange for fiat.
Just like NFTs, most NFT games are hosted on the Ethereum network. But there are many others that are hosted on other blockchains like Binance Smart Chain, Polygon, and others. In fact, NFT games that are hosted on these other platforms are getting increasingly popular as they provide a far less expensive option than Ethereum.
In blockchain games, nearly all game items are NFTs
In NFT games, nearly all items are tokenized, which means that they can be owned, stored, and bought. For instance, a game could illustrate your distinct character or avatar as an NFT. Meanwhile, weapons, skins, accessories, and tools can also be NFTs.
You can then choose to swap or trade your NFTs with other participants and earn big for that. And trust us when we say you can earn big! Some people have made thousands of dollars just from selling their in-game NFT assets to other gamers as well as collectors.
This development is definitely a welcome one in a space that before now, solely benefited gaming companies. Well, they did offer the satisfaction of excitement and recreation to players. But for the billions of dollars spent by players in these games, it seemed somewhat unfair that they (the players) had nothing to show for it.
If a gamer got tired and wanted to move on, all the investments made in that game could pretty much be considered useless. And even the excitement gotten from the games would have become little more than a bland memory, as mainstream game policies ensured that players could not sell their assets, leaving gamers truly hung out to dry.
With NFT games, especially play-to-earn (or P2E), all that is turned on its head, as gamers get to enjoy their game while earning from it.
How do NFT games make money?
You’ve probably heard over and again how much money NFT games can make you. Well, yes, it is true that you can make a lot of money from these games. In fact, in the Philippines, a few people have earned enough to get their own home from NFT games.
Nevertheless, there are no guarantees when it comes to how much you can make from playing NFT games. Factors such as the game mechanics and market demand play a huge role because what you make, inadvertently, comes from the community around that particular NFT.
Let us quickly insert a caveat here: just like the crypto market, the NFT market is highly volatile. In fact, it’s probably more volatile considering that the NFT market is illiquid, which means that NFTs aren’t that easily converted to cash.
As you know, there are no centralized exchanges for NFT games. And so, unless there’s a community around an NFT game and a demand, you could be stuck with your game NFTs and lose your investment.
So, in summary, just because a game has NFTs built-in does not mean you’re going to make a truckload of money from it. It will always be in your best interest to do your research and only invest with money that you can afford to lose.
With that said, here’s how you can start your NFT gaming journey:
How to start NFT gaming
There are five quick and easy steps to begin NFT gaming.
1. Create a crypto wallet. It’s absolutely free.
2. Find a play-to-earn game on the blockchain. There are tons of NFT games that can be overwhelming for a beginner. But we’ll show you our absolute faves to get you started.
3. Connect the game to the wallet.
4. Play and earn! But don’t forget that the rules vary for each game.
5. Buy and sell on marketplaces.
What are the best NFT games?
There are many NFT games on the blockchain and picking one is quite personal. Everyone has their individual tastes and preferences which would reflect in the kinds of games each one chooses to play.
Nevertheless, since you asked so nicely, we will tell you what our favorite ones are. We tried to create a mix of genres so that there’s something for everyone here.
So, without further ado, let’s check them out:
1. Axie Infinity
Of course, we were going to begin with Axie Infinity. This is like the biggest NFT game right now with over 2 million daily active users.
Axie Infinity is heavily reminiscent of Pokemon and Tamagotchi. Players will collect, breed, raise, battle, and trade cute monsters which are referred to as Axies.
As you can probably tell, these Axies are NFTs and you’d need to buy at least three of them to get started, which currently costs about $600 in total.
Axie Infinity has gone parabolic, which makes it a bit tough to enter right now. However, the game remains a highly lucrative one. So, if you can afford it, and you loved Pokemon and Tamagotchi, this is a game you should totally check out.
2. Gods Unchained
If you like card games, you’re definitely going to enjoy Gods Unchained.
Gods Unchained is an online tactical card trading game also based on the play-to-earn model. Trading cards are NFTs that players can trade in the game’s marketplace to build a deck that allows them to win more matches, and collect other cards as they win.
To begin playing, you simply go to the game’s website and create an account. You’ll be dealt six decks of cards: 140 cards in total, which form the Welcome Set. You’ll also get a few Core Cards which you can use to customize your Welcome cards.
That said, there are a few game modes to choose from. There’s the solo mode that will pit you against a computer opponent. You can consider this the practice mode.
You also have the Constructed mode that pits you against other opponents online.
And then, we have the Ranked Constructed which is the ultimate playing mode. In this mode, you play against other opponents, rise through the ranks, and unlock prizes.
3. Sorare
If you’re a fan of soccer, then this is one game that you’ll definitely enjoy. It’s like fantasy soccer but with NFTs.
So, rather than simply selecting names of players from off a list, with Sorare, you’d have to buy digital collectible cards first. You’ll then use these cards to compete with other players in the game.
As you can probably guess, these cards are NFTs, so you can sell them like cryptocurrencies or simply collect them like baseball cards.
Moreover, you also get rewards for each competition in which you participate. These rewards can either be cryptocurrencies or rare cards which you can add to your collection.
It’s your time to start NFT gaming
We hope you found this article both educating and interesting. Regardless of how complicated the concepts of NFTs and NFT gaming were to you, we’re pretty sure you get the point now.
So, now that you know where to start, what’s going to be your next play? Let us know in the comment section which NFT game you’re going to be diving into first.
Don’t forget to only invest with money that you can afford to lose.
Knock yourself out!
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