Free-to-play (F2P) games have long been popular among gamers, offering entertainment without any upfront cost. However, the emergence of play-to-earn games that leverage non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has brought a new dimension to the gaming landscape. They allow players to not only enjoy immersive experiences but also earn real-world value through the ownership and trading of NFTs. In this article, we will inform you about the best free play to earn NFT games to earn money.
Table of Contents
What are NFTs?
NFTs are revolutionizing digital collectability by providing unique, decentralized items stored on the blockchain. These tokens have diverse applications, from games to real estate. As a breakthrough invention, NFTs offer originality and ownership in a world where copies abound.
Though still nascent, the NFT market shows potential for lucrative growth, especially in gaming. NFTs enhance gaming experiences as tradeable items, like health balls, allowing players to earn money by selling in-game assets or participating in play-to-earn models.
What are Play to Earn games?
NFT games, also known as crypto games, combine conventional gaming designs with unconventional mechanisms to let users have more control over in-game assets like skins, characters, and weapons. This is made possible by launching these on blockchains through digital currency empowered by a decentralized economy that protects users against tampering.
The adoption standards also preserve rarity because some items within these networks can be uniquely identified through their NFT features. This free play-to-earn gaming model can help you create or breed new characters, purchase digital items on native markets like Wayfair (a marketplace specifically catered towards gamers) and unlock more content with hard work and skill.
16 Best Free Play to Earn NFT Games
What sets NFT games apart is the concept of true ownership. Unlike traditional games where players don’t truly own their in-game items, NFT games provide players with full ownership and control over their digital assets. Let us begin our list of free play to earn NFT games.
1. Axie Infinity
Axie Infinity is a popular blockchain-based game that combines elements of collectible creatures, battling, and trading in a virtual world. Players can own and breed adorable creatures called Axies, which have unique traits and abilities. These Axies can be bought, sold, and traded as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on various marketplaces. Axie Infinity has also introduced a play-to-earn model, allowing players to earn cryptocurrency by actively participating in the game.
2. CryptoBlades
In the list of free play to earn NFT games, CryptoBlades is inspired by another RPG game. Like other war games, this game is also followed by fighting enemies, defeating them, and earning skill tokens as prizes.
While playing, players can generate weapons and even sell them in-game in the marketplace. In order to start the game, players need to buy a character. Hence, a minimal fee needs to be paid to continue fighting battles and the game, which later allows the players to earn rewards in the form of skill tokens.
3. Plant vs Undead
This typical play to earn game is a gaming platform where a player needs to buy seeds to play this game. This is a popular NFT game where the player will buy seeds from the marketplace using PVU tokens. Later, while playing, you can exchange these tokens with a particular crypto exchange that consists of PVU under their field.
4. The Sandbox Game
Have you heard about Metaverse? Sandbox is another excellent play to earn NFT game that has come into huge popularity since November 2021. It was established and has existed in the market since 2012, but it recently gained attraction when Metaverse became a bit expensive.
It has a vast market where players can buy and sell a variety of NFTs. Considering the market and your security, the Sandbox game is one of the most secured, safe long-term investments one can make while investing in gaming models.
Cross-reference: 3 Ways NFT Gaming Is Building New Wealth Opportunities
5. Star Atlas
With its unique graphic technology in NFT games, Star Atlas is considered one of the best multiplayer NFT games. This is an interesting game where players can sell and buy NFTs in-game, build cities, create micro-economies, and create Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO). This game’s special effects and graphics are derived from Unity Engine 5.
6. Illuvium
Illuvium game features over 100 Illuvials/ monsters that will roam a vast alien world. You can capture, merge and upgrade them to fight your opponents in this risky NFT gaming platform. The Illuvial creatures in this game are unique and dangerous.
They can be captured, merged with other players, or used to fight against opponents! There is always the risk of getting left behind if you decide not to play your part well enough. However, it may just pay off big time when all is said & done because players will never get any opportunity like this in the game.
7. Gods Unchained
Gods Unchained is a new card trading game that will revolutionize the genre by infusing elements of NFT into an already familiar format. Cards can be purchased from other players or won in PVP matches, with more emphasis on skills and strategy than luck at this point since rankings determine who wins games.
These cards can be traded over any kind of native or open marketplace. There are many types of cards available for purchase, including commoner’s versions called common cursives, which have minimal artwork but offer basic functionality.
They are perfect if you don’t want to spend too much money but still enjoy playing your favorite video slots. The game is also featured with GODS tokens that can be used to purchase in-game assets that further can be traded or sold at a premium.
Gods Unchained is an innovative free-to-play trading card game that will empower players with unique virtual cards. These powerful items can be used in all sorts of ways, including PVP battles to determine who has the best skills for success.
8. Splinterlands
What if you could buy and trade cards that gave rewards just for playing? Sounds like a win-win situation. And it is! Splinterlands lets users earn as they play, similar to Gods Unchained; however, there is one big difference. All your progress will be saved on the blockchain instead of Facebook or Google in this game.
You can start playing with an introductory package that includes ten cards after registering during the onboarding process (where an account needs only be created). To make things easier for newbies who might not yet know how social media works, you may also purchase additional packs from the shop within the app using currencies you’ve earned so far.
In some cases, rare items may appear among these first sets purchased, so make sure there’s variety left to collect more pieces and try luck finding something great before it becomes too late.
Cross-reference: What Are Play-To-Earn Games? Here Are the 10 Best Crypto NFT Games
9. Polygonum
This upcoming game in 2022, Polygonum is a multiplayer survival simulation game where players may purchase and exchange objects within the game, and create their own regions with customizations for all three primary zones, PVP (player versus other), PVE (hunting, fishing & exploring) and Farming. The single server enables customers to experience an immersive world full of excitement.
10. NFT Champions
NFT Champions is a story-driven game with plenty of side quests for players to keep them busy. The world map consists of various regions; each filled with unique characters and challenges that can be tackled solo or with friends. You choose whether you want your adventure independent but collaborative; it’s entirely up to what kind of fun tumbleweed suits your requirements.
The game is all about collecting rare and powerful beasts known as Champions in order to make your perfect team. Each one is represented on the blockchain through an NFT, which can evolve into more potent forms with varying stats or attack skills depending upon how much effort players put forward throughout gameplay, all rewarding those who progress.
11. Gold Fever
Gold Fever is an upcoming game in 2022. This is a game of opportunity and danger, where players navigate the lush jungle landscape to find their own path in this bustling gold rush.
Anyone can own the land through NFTs or buildings put up on plots that generate passive income while increasing your fortune. It features different player factions with Brics preventing transparency but making sure 100% squat proofing makes it impossible for others to jump into any competition without being fair enough.
The map offers various paths for the players to take as well, if it’s just about gathering resources, then there are many options available; but when extraction becomes necessary know that only particular locations will provide what we need, that is the gold nuggets galore.
12. Sidus Heroes
This is one of the newest free play to earn NFT games in the market. This game focuses on space explorations and battles that feature a massive universe to conquer.
The game’s secondary token, known as SENATE will be used to purchase land on different planets within the SIDUS metaverse. This allows players an opportunity for passive income by building infrastructure and generating resources that they can then sell to earn money without doing any work themselves! This game provides other features like monsters, raw materials, land, and gear that can be sold in the market.
Cross-reference: 5 Best mobile NFT games
13. Untamed Isles
The Untamed Isles is a new, free-to-play MMORPG unlike any other. The game blends monster hunting and taming gameplay with breeding to produce a captivating experience for players.
The game features an open-world environment, which means there’s always something going on around every corner, whether the quest lines ask you to help out some villages by finding missing ingredients needed at specific locations throughout various islands; boss fights to wait within hidden caves deep underneath its surface. Unlike many free play to earn NFT games, it features voice chat so that you can talk trash while playing.
14. Guild of Guardians
Guild of Guardians is an upcoming game. This exciting platform allows you to earn NFT assets while participating in a role-playing game with your friends. You will build teams and complete quests in dungeons while earning resources that can be turned for profit or used as materials to craft items within this fantasy world. As with other games, collecting these necessary components allows players access to new areas, but here is how this game works differently.
Rather than just exploring at their leisure (which could take hours!), members must first be actively engaged. There is also an emphasis on building up communities, or guilds, by working together towards common goals such as mutual prosperity between members.
15. Neon District
The world of NFTs is intriguing, and Neon District offers gamers the chance to get involved. This is an upcoming game of 2022 that focuses on how the users can collect characters from various games and gear and craft items themselves by buying them on sale with their in-game clients.
Like all those featured in this guide, such as CryptoPunks and The Virtual economical Revolution, any asset found here comes backed up with blockchain technology so that you have full rights over how much money goes into what service when selling. The aim is to build teams and compete against other players in the mission.
16. Battle Racers
Battle Racers is a new game that takes inspiration from popular titles like Super Mario Kart and F-Zero. The whole idea behind it, as you can probably tell by its name, Battle racers, entails combining different weapons or parts in order to create the most potent cars for an arcade-sized track.
Here, players will be able to mix any two items at once for purposes ranging from increasing speed, power, etc., all while trying not to get hit by other opponents who are also dying for victory! You could register your winning vehicle on the blockchain via NFTs.
Note: Battle Racers has been discontinued.
Cross-reference: The Video Game Industry Was Hot on NFTs. Then Came Hacks and a Market Meltdown
How do play to earn NFT games help gamers?
When it comes to making games, there are two major monetization mechanisms that every game developer wants. The first is an excellent form of advertising. The second maximizes your revenue from users who purchase virtual goods with real money to unlock advanced content for them. Using cryptocurrencies instead facilitates this process if applied by NFT gamers or developers. Many have started catching up lately, so they can tag their digital collectibles, too.
The play-to earn model could be seen as a way to synergize both parties so that all are rewarded for the value they bring. On the one hand, gaming companies can develop a more vibrant in-game economy by implementing this system, which would allow gamers some level of control over how their time is spent and what resources are used during gameplay while also providing incentives such as discounts or special items obtained through completing quests within games with earned currency called gems.
Furthermore, since players already have proven willingness towards supporting these types of financial transactions through spending money on upgrades/cosmetics, it makes sense as they would want access to rewards explicitly tailored towards them.
Pros and Cons of NFT Games
Before you start playing the free play to earn NFT games from our list, it is important to understand the pros and cons of them. Let us get started.
Pros
- Transfer of Ownership: Trade your gaming treasures anytime and receive a fair price. The buyer becomes the current owner by transferring ownership, which is recorded on the blockchain as well!
- Security and Uniqueness: Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the future of blockchain gaming. They are so exciting because NFT is unique, which means no one except you could be its owner unless you sell it. It means they aren’t rare, but one-of-a-kind!
- Transparency: Thanks to blockchain, the presence, and history of ownership are unchangeable. Each item is offered with 100% transparency. Moreover, explorer transactions verify scarcity on a public ledger for eternity, so you know what’s worth owning when the time comes to buy, sell, or hold.
- Brand and Creativity: NFTs allow you to increase brand recognition and pique new interest with creative features and adoption by incorporating new features into designs.
Cons
- Concerns over Uncertainty: The current NFT buying frenzy resembles a potential economic bubble that could burst. While the value growth has been steady, there’s still an opportunity for more people to engage in cryptocurrency trading through these unique investments. However, experts draw parallels to a past crash caused by the lack of regulations and guidance, resulting in significant losses for everyone involved.
- Environmental issues in blockchain technologies: The decentralized nature of blockchain can cause serious problems for the environment. For example, no single entity in charge could make decisions on how this new technology should be used or developed, so its potential impacts remain unclear at best for now. This is a big concern.
The dominance of Play to Earn games over Smartphones
With advanced technology, it is incredible how smartphones have become a major source of play to earn games in the market. It has been estimated to be around 78% of mobile gamers use Android in 2020; many free-to-play games offered a lucrative opportunity to players and allowed them to earn a source of living through their mobile devices.
Almost 43% of all phone usage is related to gaming. This trend is more visible in developing countries like the Philippines as people enjoy playing Axie Infinity on their various Android devices.
Free play-to-earn NFT games have ushered in a new era of gaming that empowers players with true ownership and economic opportunities. The integration of blockchain technology and NFTs has revolutionized the way we perceive and interact with virtual assets in games.
By allowing players to buy, sell, and trade unique in-game items, characters, and assets, NFT games have created a thriving marketplace where gamers can monetize their skills and achievements.
