More than two billion people worldwide play video games. It’s an incredibly fun pastime that helps people to decompress and disconnect from the real world for periods of time.
But many people argue that this time is wasted. Instead, they could be doing something productive, right? Actually, with a little knowledge, these gamers can get paid to play video games.
No, not your Xbox games. But crypto and NFT games are the new forms of video gaming, and they enable anyone to start making money just by playing them.
But what exactly are NFTs, and how do these blockchain games work? Keep reading below for answers to all
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What Are NFTs?
NFT stands for non-fungible token. It’s a digital asset just like cryptocurrency. It lives on the blockchain, and ownership can be verified in the open, online ledger that tracks all transactions.
But NFTs differ from cryptocurrency in one keyway. Crypto, and regular currencies like dollars or euros, are fungible. They can be swapped like for like. One dollar is the same as any other dollar.
But NFTs are non-fungible, meaning they are too interchangeable. My NFT might be similar to yours, but each one is unique, with a separate token address. So they are more like collectibles such as trading cards or fine art, rather than currencies.
But just like crypto, NFTs can be bought, sold, or traded online with ease. And this new technology is now fueling a new generation of video games.
What Are NFT Games?
In the past, you had to pay upfront before you could play video games. This is known as pay-to-play.
In recent years, we saw a shift, and major games have embraced the free-to-play model. Games like Fortnite are free to start playing. But the company still makes a lot of money through optional in-game purchases.
So you can play for free and pay as you go if you’d like to get better items.
But now we see a new model; paid-to-play. Not only are NFT games free to start playing, but you can actually earn money in the game.
All of the in-game assets exist on the blockchain. The in-game currency you earn and spend in the game is actual cryptocurrency. And in-game items that you find or take from other players are NFTs, which can be bought and sold.
Here’s a deeper look at how these work to make you money.
In-Game Collectible NFTs
Think back to all the old RPGs you used to play. As you progress in the game, defeat, opponents, and complete tasks, you receive new weapons, gear, and objects like potions.
Back then, you could either use these items or not use them. That was it.
But with NFT games, all of the in-game items are actual assets. They are NFTs on the blockchain. That means ownership is tracked.
You can sell these NFTs to other players in the game. Or you can take them out of the game and sell them on the open NFT marketplace, such as OpenSea.
In exchange, you receive cryptocurrency as payment. You can cash out your crypto earnings at any time by transferring them to crypto exchange and swapping for USD or another currency.
Voila, you play video games, earn in-game items, and then sell in-game NFTs to ensure you get paid for your time.
In-Game Currency
Most video games have in-game currencies. Old games typically used something like “gold” or “rupees” as the in-game currency. But it wasn’t real, and it was limited to items in the game.
With NFT games, the in-game currency is real cryptocurrency. Just like NFTs, it exists on the blockchain. You can take your in-game crypto, move it to a cryptocurrency exchange, and sell it for common coins like bitcoin or Ethereum, or for USD and other fiat currencies.
No longer do you need to “waste” hours playing video games earning fake currencies. Now you can earn the real stuff and cash out when you want to.
Alternatively, you can use your crypto to buy better items in the game so that you’re more effective, helping you to ultimately earn more later on.
Best NFT Games
There are countless NFT RPG games ad other types of games that will allow you to start earning by playing. Here are some of the most popular.
Axie Infinity
Axie Infinity is the most popular NFT game currently available. It has become the Pokemon of NFT gaming. Quite literally, too, since the gameplay is very similar to Pokemon.
Players need to acquire Axies (creatures) to raise, train, and battle other players’ Axies. As your Axies get stronger, you’ll be able to defeat more opponents and capture more Axies in the wild.
These Axies are all individual NFTs. You can earn them in the game, or you can buy them if you want to progress faster.
And of course, you can sell them. The cost of Axies has gone up quite a bit since the game first launched, due to the high demand for these NFTs.
To create new NFTs and earn more money, players can breed their Axies. But in order to start playing at all, you need to acquire your own Axies. As you progress in the game, you’ll earn Smooth Love Potion (the in-game cryptocurrency) which can be traded on exchanges.
To start playing, you either need to buy Axies upfront or get a scholarship from another player, where you use their Axies to play.
In parts of the world where the cost of living is much lower than in the US, many players make a full-time living playing this game. It’s common for dedicated players to earn at least a few hundred bucks a month.
Gods Unchained
If you like Pokemon then Axie Infinity is the game for you. If you like Magic the Gathering, then Gods Unchained is for you.
This is a trading card and battling game that is very similar to Magic the Gathering.
The goal of the game is to build a deck of powerful cards that will help you to beat your opponents. And of course, each trading card is an individual NFT.
You can earn new cards as you beat opponents. You can buy and sell cards in the game. You’ll also earn the in-game currency, Flux, which can be used to create new cards.
The game also comes with beautiful animations, helping you to stay engaged as you battle other players with your cards.
Sorare
Sorare is a fantasy soccer game that is similar to other types of fantasy sports played by millions. But instead of betting with regular currency (or not betting at all), it’s all based on crypto and NFTs.
You get to build a five-person soccer team using players from the top-ranked clubs around the world. Each player is an NFT. If that player is doing well and is in high demand, then they will be worth more.
You can buy players using cryptocurrency. As you build your team, you’ll earn rewards based on the real-life performance of those players each week.
You can compete in various leagues depending on how confident you are, how competitive you are, and how much you’re willing to invest in the game.
The Sandbox
The Sandbox somewhat resembles Minecraft. It’s a metaverse-based game. Inside the Sandbox, you can buy virtual land. You can build whatever you want on the land, using items in the form of NFTs.
You can also create your own games and experiences inside the Sandbox. As a result, there are countless games within the Sandbox that you can explore and play.
With this gaming platform, you can come as a spectator, investor, player, or creator. There’s no limit to how you can use the Sandbox to build and earn.
Illuvium
Illuvium is an open-world-style RPG game based on Ethereum. It’s integrated with Immutable X, which is an additional NFT protocol that makes buying and selling Ethereum based NFTs fast, free, and accessible amidst the rising transaction costs on the actual Ethereum chain.
It’s a popular auto battler game that combines many of the best RPG elements in one game. Explore at your own pace and enjoy the sci-fi worlds, detailed graphics, and endless creatures to capture (in the form of NFTs).
Idle Cyber
Idle Cyber is a defense battle game built on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC). Your goal is to defend your wall against a never-ending onslaught of invaders.
You get to fight big bosses, making this game feel like many we used to play as kids. Earning crypto and NFTs, selling them, and staking them create multiple earning opportunities in the game.
Battle of the Guardians
The Solana network has been growing rapidly as a direct competitor of Ethereum. We are now seeing more and more games and NFT collections launching on the Solana network due to lower transaction fees and higher speeds.
Battle of the Guardians is an RPG fighting game powered by Unreal Engine. It’s a real-time game, which isn’t common in the NFT space yet. This is one of the games leading the way into true NFT gaming, where we combine modern gaming technology and processing power with NFTs and cryptocurrency.
NFT Collection Games
There are also a number of games that are either already launched or are in the works, based on existing NFT collections. These brands started out by launching an NFT collection with anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 NFTs.
Selling the NFTs was in a sense a fundraising method. Now they have the funds to build out their own paly-to-earn NFT game from scratch.
Some of these games will be RPGs. Others are very simple games that offer basic tasks to complete in exchange for NFTs and crypto.
Cool Cats is one of the most popular and sought-after NFT collections, containing 10,000 cartoon cats. The team behind the project is currently developing a game that thousands are eagerly waiting for.
How to Start Playing NFT Games
Want to start earning NFTs, crypto, and money by playing games online? It’s never been easier to get paid to play. No longer do you need to be a professional gamer or a Twitch streamer.
All you need is some crypto to get you started, and a wallet where you can store all of your NFTs.
You can buy your initial crypto in a few ways. If you have cash laying around, you can visit a local crypto ATM to buy crypto fast, without the hassle.
You can buy big cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. You can also buy Ethereum, which is the platform that many existing crypto tokens are based on, and it’s where most collectible NFTs exist. It’s best to get familiar with Ethereum.
But you can also buy coins like Illuvium. ILV is the native token of Illuvium, the NFT-based game. It’s an RPG, and it’s all based on the Ethereum blockchain.
To get started in the game, it’s best to have the ILV token, which you can learn more about in this article.
Setting up a Crypto Wallet
There are many types of crypto wallets available. You can download an app on your phone to store crypto. You can download an app on your computer to do the same.
You can even buy a physical hard drive, such as a Ledger or Trezor wallet to store your funds offline. But in order to make the most of crypto-based games, you’ll need a browser wallet.
MetaMask is the most popular and most widely accepted browser wallet. It’s free to install on your internet browsers, such as Chrome or Safari.
With MetaMask in place, you can create a new wallet for your gaming needs. You can transfer crypto and NFTs from this new wallet to any of your permanent wallets and vice versa.
MetaMask is safe to use for all of your NFT gaming. But it is possible to get hacked by clicking on malicious links. Always practice proper internet hygiene and know how to identify malicious activity.
To better secure your funds, you can use a hardware wallet linked to a MetaMask wallet, to make it nearly impossible for someone to steal your assets.
NFT Games Are the Future of Gaming
Let’s be clear, not all video gamers are excited to see NFTs invade games. So mass adoption from traditional video games to NFT games hasn’t taken place. Yet.
But as more and more game developers build real, beautiful, and fun games powered by NFTs, with real earning potential, it’s only a matter of time before this style of gaming completely replaces the old model of gaming.
Looking for more tech news and tips? Check out more of our blog now to continue reading.
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