Opportunities to earn in online gaming were previously reserved for obsessives, who would spend every waking moment learning new skills. However, being a professional is not necessary anymore with blockchain-based gaming. A growing number of casual gamers are turning their gaming habit into passive income.
Different projects operating under different banners such as GameFi (play-to-earn), GameFi and Metaverse have been flourishing on an abundance of high-speed Blockchains. These blockchains provide immersive gameplay and enrich developers, talented players, content creators, and DeFi veterans. In some cases, one doesn’t even need to be especially good at gaming itself: if they have an eye for what constitutes value in the metaverse, they can channel antique-hunters and make a killing on the secondary market.
With so much happening in the sector – over 1.3 million users power daily transaction volume exceeding $100 million – it can be tricky to keep track of the truly valuable projects. Here’s a selection of 10 to watch out for.
1. AAG Ventures
AAG Ventures was founded to make it easier for people to play in the ever-growing pay-to-play field. AAG Ventures began by creating a guild with over 2000 players on Axie Infinity. Now, it’s expanded into seven countries (Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, India, Russia, Nigeria, and Argentina) in a bid to help those who’ve suffered recent economic hardship earn a crust from the cryptosphere. This is done by creating more guilds and offering coaching and performance monitoring. Players can also convert their in-game tokens into $AAG, which they can then cash out to fiat.
Because AAG Ventures believes NFTs shouldn’t be off-limits, it also offers fractional ownership – meaning shares in highly valuable NFTs can be purchased for as low as $1. As the second-largest raise of any guild at $12.5 million, AAG Venture’s upcoming public sale on December 12 is one to watch.
2. Cross the Ages
Cross the Ages, a NFT-based trading card metaverse project that is set in the imaginary realm Artellium has multiple income-generating possibilities. The game features hundreds of different scarcity cards and aims to provide a memorable experience. Modern digital gaming offers a more engaging experience than ever before. To that end, NFT cards can be ‘activated’ in the real world, with physical versions available to those who collect a certain number of cards. A marketplace is a place where players can either sell or mint NFTs. Cross the Ages is our sleeper pick of 2022 – be ready to be amazed.
3. Raini, Lords of Light
Another competitive trading card game that’s attracted attention is Lords of Light, wherein players wage war with collections of crypto legends and mythical beasts. Unveiled by the Raini farming platform in August, this supercharged strategy game is very much about beating other players to enhance one’s hoard. The best part is that high-level cards may also be staked at yield farming pools. This gives victorious players more ways to make a profit. Lords of Light’s currency is $PHOTON. You can get it by winning battles, doing quests, and renting high-level card rentals.
4. Rikkei Finance
A cross-chain metaverse lending and insurance protocol, Rikkei Finance lives on Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain (BSC) and features five zones: Sport & Recreation Center, Farming Zone, NFT Marketplace, RiWork and Governance, DAO & Lending. Wherever you choose to spend your time, you’ll have the opportunity to put your energies to good use chasing returns, which are paid in the platform’s native $RIFI token. We especially like the Sport & Recreation Center, which features coveted lion-headed footballer NFTs like Frank Pamlard and Steve Regard. Rikkei has been recently added to PancakeSwap and Huobi.
5. Himo World
Himo World is another title that offers a wide range of options. It’s a metaverse-based game featuring a lot of bellicose, troll-like characters equipped with shields and swords. Binance Smart Chain powered the release. The game features tournaments and trading, which allows players to sell heroes and skill cards and allow them to wager on battle outcomes. Ostensibly, the purpose of Himo World is to explore while beating the snot out of other characters using strategy and, from time to time, good ol’ fashioned button bashing.
6. Ancient Kingdom
Ancient Kingdom is an immersive metaverse of martial arts that offers both PvP and E missions. It also features PvP combats. The game’s core revolves around cartography, which allows players to map-read and locate unique items like NFT weapons or body armor. To give participants a greater chance of defeating powerful beasts roaming the land, they can form guilds. The game will be available on Android and iOS next year. A buyback-and burn scheme is also being implemented.
7. RaceFi
Unlike the other titles on this list, RaceFi has a somewhat narrow thematic focus: it’s all about a need for speed. The first-ever AI/ML car racing game to launch on Solana’s lightning-fast blockchain, the release supports multiple game modes (PvP, PvE, battle race) while enabling users to win rewards simply for owning property in the metaverse: NFTs represent real estate like garages, show-rooms, racetracks and billboards. You can equip your vehicle with shields, guns and even powerful nitrogen fuel. In other words, it’s not all about crossing the finishing line first. RaceFi has a current series of IDOs in progress and will list soon.
8. Galaxy Fight Club
Dubbed the “Super Smash Bros” of the NFT universe, Galaxy Fight Club is the first cross-IP, cross-platform (mobile + PC) PVP fighting game on the market. GFC gives players the chance to use any of their NFTs in battle in order to win and earn rewards, including the company’s native token $GCOIN. A Crypto Punk with an account can connect their wallet to compete with someone who has a Bored Ape. PVP, 3v3 Tournaments, and Battle Royales are all possible game modes. GFC hopes to launch in Q1 on iOS, Android and PC.
9. Drunk Robots
Drunk Robots is not only the best-named project, but also has some of the most enjoyable gameplay. This particular metaverse is made up of a city (Los Machines) parcelled into districts, with land up for sale and players incentivized to brew METAL ($MTL) – a local drink that keeps robots alive and active. There are more than 10,100 robots. Each can be improved by winning fights, looting banks, or glugging the tonic. Developers claim that players who are skilled in this game can make between $400-$5,000 per month. This depends on the time spent in metaverse.
10. Rise of Defenders
Rise of Defenders features a cast of gun-toting villains and heroes. It is both a pay-to-earn and player-vs-environment (PvE), play-to earn project. The BSC-based, inspired by Final Fantasy and Fire Emblem’s successes, allows players to earn NFTs, get cryptocurrency, win tournaments, and prevent an army of evil creatures from destroying their base.
The metaverse sector is evolving at a phenomenal speed, and over the coming months and years, it’s natural to expect more developers and creatives to FOMO into the fray. After all, play-to-earn hasn’t just proven a hit with gamers; it’s also been a boon for the platforms facilitating play since each one earns a share of the transaction fees generated by users. This revenue can be used to invest in the most talented developers possible. It doesn’t matter what way you see it, 2022 seems set to become a great year for blockchain gaming.