The 10 Best Play-to-Earn Games for 2022 and Beyond

[TL; DR]

1. Play-to-earn (P2P) games enable players to earn in-game assets for their participation.

2. Examples of top play-to-earn games are Axie Infinity, Decentraland, Sandbox, Gods Unchained, Splinterlands, Alien Worlds, Star Atlas, Illuvium, Sorare and Pegaxy.

3. Most play-to-earn games exist on the blockchain and the in-game items are in form of NFTs.

Introduction

The blockchain technology has resulted in new gaming models referred to as GameFi. The play-to-earn (P2E) gaming model is an example. With these games, players earn digital rewards for participation and winning. During the games they complete various tasks including quests and contests. When a player successfully completes a task, he/she earns digital tokens which they can convert into cash.

In this post, we are exploring some top play-to-earn games which include Decentraland, Sandbox, Sorare, Gods Unchained, Axie Infinity, Splinterlands, Illuvium, Alien Worlds, Star Atlus and Pegaxy.

Axie Infinity

Axie Infinity is a leading play-to-earn game where players collect and breed pets they use in battles. The aim of a player is to destroy his/her opponents and earn rewards for achieving that. Therefore, a player should find the right breed of the pets called Axies.

Axie Infinity - Whalejournal

Basically, there are six types of Axies with different body shapes and attributes. Each Axie passes down its characteristics, including strengths and weaknesses to its offspring. A player that breeds rare Axies sells them at a reasonable price on the NFT marketplace.

The players earn the in-game currency called Smooth Love Potion (SLP) tokens when they win the battles. The utility token for Axie Infinity is called AXS and is available on many exchanges including Gate.io.

Decentraland

There is no doubt that Decentraland is one of the top play-to-earn games existing on the blockchain.The starting point for the players is to buy or rent virtual land called LAND where they can create sceneries, buildings and artifacts they want. With that, they can sell or rent these digital creations.

In addition, they can also create some social experiences and events that attract other people to participate. When people take part in these activities, they earn digital assets including the platform’s cryptocurrency called MANA. People can buy and sell MANA in crypto exchanges.

Sandbox

Sandbox is a virtual reality gaming platform similar to Decentraland since the gamers should buy and own land on the platform. The players can construct virtual characters, buildings as well as creating games and pieces of art in units of land measuring 96×96 in-game meters. They can also host events where other players can interact with one another.

An individual that does not want to purchase the land can rent it instead. People use the protocol’s internal token, SAND to purchase the in-game assets including the virtual land. To generate revenue the land owners can resell or rent their plots. The SAND token is one of the trending metaverse tokens, available on many exchanges.

Gods Unchained

This is a free to play card game based on the play-to-earn model. A new player gets 140 cards, each with unique powers based on their rarity, god, cost and tribe, for example. The cards function in different ways such as giving health to others or enabling the player to draw other cards.

Gods Unchained- Afkgaming

The main aim of players is to have decks which enable them to use different strategies when they engage in battles during games. A gamer with various tactics is better prepared and can outsmart others during contests. Significantly, the players have full rights to the in-game assets they own. As such, they can sell or use them in whatever way they want. The protocol’s native token is called Gods Unchained BlockChain (GODS) and exists on many exchanges.

Splinterlands

Splinterlands is another NFT card game where players earn in-game digital assets.The cards are different from each other based on their cost, rarity, contribution in the game and level. Splinterlands has over 700 cards in the form of NFTs.

The cards perform various functions such as controlling speed, increasing the level of damage during battles as well as restoring health. The players can rent or sell their cards at any time. They can also earn rewards by participating in tournaments and quests. Splinterlands’ native token is called Splinterlands Crypto token (SPS) and is listed on many crypto exchanges.

Alien Worlds

Alien Worlds is a metaverse game divided into seven planets which players explore, mine and farm virtual assets in a decentralized way. The best strategy is to use the right avatars, tools and weapons to capture alien species which they use in mining.

The gaming platform’s internal cryptocurrency is called Alien Worlds with the ticker TLM. It also has a native currency, Solar League Point (SLP) which players use to buy in-game items. Basically, the players earn the SLP token when they play and win games. In addition, the players can use the TLM token to purchase different NFTs. Both the SLP token and TLM are listed on external crypto exchanges.

Star Atlas

Star Atlas is a 3D role playing game where the players explore the space. They can colonize the different planets which they come across. Once they take over some planets they can develop their cities and establish their micro-economies. During the explorations, the players can engage in battles with each other.

The players can also exploit the resources in different towns and cities they conquer. In order to generate revenue the players can buy and sell these digital resources. POLIS and the Star Atlas governance token (ATLAS) are among the digital assets Star Atlas has .It is worth noting that the players earn POLIS when they overcome the challenges they come across.

Illuvium

This is another thrilling role play-to-earn game where the characters explore an island which has strange creatures called alluvials. The story line centres around a character that has experienced a ship wreck while on an island where alien creatures with extraterrestrial powers live.

Illuvium NFT Game- BeinCrypto

The focus of the player is to capture as many alluvials as possible and use them to conquer the planet. Therefore, the player creates and nurtures a strong team of alluvials that can compete in the player-versus-player (PvP) games. Generally, the players earn some points which they can convert into Illuvium’s native token, ILV. The ILV token is listed in different exchanges.

Sorare

This is an NFT game for soccer fanatics as it enables them to create their teams and use their unique strategies. As such, the gamers compete against other players who act as managers of their soccer teams. The players participate in weekly tournaments where they amass points.

Sorare has over 200 squads. In order to play the game, the players should have cards which represent different soccer teams. There are four levels of cards depending on their rarity namely, limited, rare, unique and super rare. However, the players can earn more cards with time. They can generate cash when they sell their cards.The native token for Sorare is called SOR.

Pegaxy

Pegaxy is a play-to-earn game where the players compete in horse racing.The players should buy, feed and take care of the winged-horse called Pegas. During the contests, the players compete with other players to win the top three positions.

Pegaxy NFT Game- Beanstalk

Apart from competing with others to win some digital accolades, the players can breed, rent or sell their horses to make money. In fact, the winners earn VIS which is the in-game currency. In addition to the VIS, the Pegaxy protocol has a governance token called PGX.

Conclusion

Many people are generating additional cash through participating in play-to-earn games existing on the blockchain. With most of these games, the players earn in-game assets which they can convert into cash. Examples of the best play-to-earn games are Axie Infinity, Decentraland, Sandbox, Gods Unchained, Splinterlands, Alien Worlds, Star Atlas, Illuvium, Sorare and Pegaxy.

Author: Mashell C., Gate.io Researcher

This article represents only the views of the researcher and does not constitute any investment suggestions.

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