Gaming is big business, generating global revenue of over $365 billion with China, the U.S. and Japan leading the charge. While mobile games constitute an increasingly large slice of that pie, other sub sectors are on the march – including web3 games like those powered by blockchain.
Crypto games combine elements such as NFTs, in-play monetization models, trading marketplaces, and DAOs, giving players the chance to earn, collaborate, build, collect and govern while also exploring immersive digital worlds.
Although the earliest web3 titles were somewhat formulaic, a number of quality releases have breathed fresh life into this burgeoning field. Moreover, the emergence of dedicated L2 gaming chains like Sonic – a platform intended as a brewing ground for high-performance decentralized games and token economies on Solana – has made it even easier for developers to build and projects to launch.
The list of web3 games is ever lengthening, making it tough to spot the wheat from the chaff. To support your search for the next killer release, here is a selection of the best options currently available.
Forever Has Fallen
Perhaps ‘game’ isn’t the most appropriate word to use for Forever Has Fallen, an expansive project that blends compelling storytelling, escape rooms, non-fungible tokens, and podcasts. Launched as a Polkadot parachain by Unique Network earlier this year, this highly interactive web3 release revolves around the idea of a digital utopia gone awry, with players having to evade deadly assassins to expose a grave conspiracy related to the Forever Social corporation. When it launched in February, Forever Has Fallen set a record for NFT mints with 4,930 minted per minute.
Alien Worlds
Alien Worlds has been around since 2020 but unlike many releases from that era, it’s still going strong four years later. The world’s most-played on-chain game as measured by the number of daily active wallets, Alien Worlds is a community-driven sci-fi metaverse in which players can ‘mine’ the Trilium cryptocurrency, collect NFTs (including mining tools with different rarity tiers), and participate in DAOs that rule over the game’s six planets and manage their own asset treasuries. Alien Worlds even has its own grant program, Galactic Hubs, which empowers developers to build spinoff games set in its metaverse.
NFL Rivals
Aside from Madden, only one game has secured NFL rights to bring the sport’s iconic teams and players to life: NFL Rivals by the studio Mythical Games. In this mobile-based game, players are tasked with becoming a General Manager and strategically assembling their very own roster – then pitting their wits against other competitors. Notable for its addictive arcade-style gameplay, collectible NFTs and various in-game rewards, NFT Rivals has been downloaded over four million times and was a deserving winner of Best Sports Game at last year’s GAM3 Awards. Given the official NFT licensing, this is a great example of a native web3 game currently entering the mainstream.
Astra Nova
An epic plot-driven RPG built on Unreal Engine 5, Astra Nova is available on the Immutable and Hedera blockchains with its story (and attendant gameplay) unfolding in a series of chapters. The inaugural edition, The Fall of Saerinda, sees players navigate a mountainous landscape following a meteor shower while having to contend with a series of vicious monsters. Live on the Epic Games Store and Steam and inspired by hit series like Final Fantasy and Fallout, Astra Nova compels gamers to wage battles, uncover hidden secrets and exclusive in-game items, and save the world from destruction.
Forgotten Runiverse
Based on the Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult, Forgotten Runiverse is an adventurous pixel-art MMORPG replete with magic and mystery. Like the very best web3 games, it offers players the ability to embark on intriguing expeditions and claim true ownership of items (including digital real estate) foraged during their quests. Competitive and collaborative elements also abound, as players can get together to form guilds, face-off in monthly PvP leagues, and forge their own weapons and armor.
Well, there you have it: five great web3 games to cut your teeth on. Now you just need to free up the spare time to give them all a whirl.
