Gaming has become the most popular and lucrative sector in the entertainment industry. Back in the early 2010s when cryptocurrency and decentralized finance were first becoming mainstream topics, linking gaming to crypto wasn’t on anyone’s radar. However, this has changed greatly over the last decade.
As the gaming industry becomes more important for companies with a focus on entertainment, decentralized finance has also wheedled its way into gaming circles. In other words, just about everyone is interested in gaming—from crypto users to gaming developers. In fact, when looking at some of DeFi’s most successful projects, gaming is the focus.
That’s because gamification has been an important element within the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. Neither topic is accessible for the average person, which means that games run on blockchain can actually help educate players on how to earn and apply their crypto. This is particularly true for NFTs.
What makes NFTs so relevant for gamers? Non-fungible tokens are a bit more familiar to players who enjoy open-world RPGs and similarly expansive titles. That’s because, within the context of a gaming world, many players interact with NFTs. These tokens are used to build wealth within a game, allowing players to access in-game resources, from specialized skins to weapons.
NFTs are an important part of the play-to-earn rage. Play-to-earn titles (abbreviated as P2Es) tend to use NFTs in order to allow players to advance in the game and interact more meaningfully with each level. An NFT within the context of P2E games might allow you to swap important items with other players—or the NFT itself might serve as an important tool.
Other titles take a more direct approach to NFTs and crypto, allowing players to build up their NFT collections in order to be rewarded with crypto gift certificates or payouts later on. But what does this actually look like? Let’s dive into the weeds of NFT P2E games.
Is It Possible to Play Games for Bitcoin?
Given our brief description of NFTs within the context of P2E games, the answer is yes. You can theoretically play games in order to earn Bitcoin. But this probably looks a bit different than you’d think. Let’s cover a few examples before moving on to cover the most popular P2E games on the market in 2024.
First, let’s focus on a hugely popular sportsbook in the US that’s recently turned to NFTs. DraftKings is one of the top bookmakers listed on sites like www.Oddschecker.com, which aggregates leading offers in the US. To build on the hype of its daily fantasy betting (DFS) offers, DraftKings now offers an NFT marketplace.
Like many other NFT marketplaces, the goal of DraftKings is to allow its users to buy, sell, and trade NFTs strictly as collectibles. Within this context, players could ‘earn’ crypto via gift certificates by trading a rare NFT. In other words, the ‘game’ is about the joy of uncovering new NFTs and trading them with others on the market. For sports fans, there’s a clear appeal to this—just look at the (brief) success of the NBA’s Top Shot NFT market.
Aside from collectible NFT marketplaces, another popular way to game and earn crypto is via P2E titles, as outlined above. A great example is CryptoKitties, the first smash success in the NFT-P2E space. This game turned a player’s cryptocurrency into a CryptoKitty, a creature that they would raise and breed digital cats—which also serve as NFTs in and of themselves.
By breeding rare digital cats (aka NFTs), players are able to acquire higher-value NFTs than when they began. Eventually, they can trade these NFT-cats or team up with others to generate more, even rarer NFT-cats. At any point in time, players can withdraw their finances via a digital wallet.
The Best Games That Let You Earn Bitcoin & Other Crypto
Axie Infinity (Ethereum)
Move over CryptoKitties—Axie Infinity is the latest hit NFT game on the market with over two million daily active players. This game works by allowing players to earn AXS tokens by breeding and trading their Axies, which are tiny monsters. Players are able to sell these Axies on an Ethereum-based marketplace, too, allowing them to earn real crypto for their efforts.
Alien Worlds (Trillium)
This NFT game isn’t quite like the others in that it allows users to mine for a crypto called Trilium, which they can directly transfer into a digital wallet. Players are encouraged to explore alien worlds where they mine for Trilium using NFT tools like Particle Beam Colliders. However, like The Sandbox (below), Alien Worlds is also a metaverse. Along with exploring and battling others, players can also rent out digital land to other users.
Gods Unchained (Ethereum)
This crypto game focuses on trading cards, fitting them seamlessly into the NFT landscape. Players start out with 140 randomly assigned cards, which they will then use to battle others according to rarity, power, mana, and more, similar to digital collectible card games like Hearthstone. Players can earn real crypto by later trading or selling their Gods Unchained cards, which function as NFTs. However, there are also ways to build up their earnings by taking on others in tournaments and other special events.
Splinterlands (Splintershards)
Let’s cover another hugely popular card-based crypto game, Splinterlands. Splinterlands allows players to collect NFTs as cards, which are used to battle against one another. Rather than start out with 140 random cards, players must buy their own, which means there’s a bit of a financial curve. Uniquely, Splinterlands also lets players rent out their cards to others, which provides yet another way to earn. Along with earning, players can also win rewards by competing in tournaments.
The Sandbox (Ethereum)
Let’s take a look at one of the more creative games in the crypto industry: The Sandbox. This platform allows players to create their own games and worlds, similar to Minecraft—except run on the blockchain. Along with creating their own games and worlds by buying plots of digital land, players can also craft assets that function like NFTs.
If a game or world becomes popular enough, players can monetize them, earning crypto while other users play their games and collect the NFTs they’ve designed. In other words, it puts you into the position of a game creator and NFT purveyor. For example, Snoop Dogg has his own world in The Sandbox, along with his own NFTs, known as Doggies.
Sorare (Ethereum)
Lastly, Sorare is a digital collectible card game that uses NFTs to let users trade and collect football/soccer cards. But the rules go beyond the realm of simply collecting and trading cards. Players are also able to create lineups and matchup strategies, which adds an element of sports simulation to this game. The goal is to create a lineup using collectible cards, then take on opponents based on real-life players and fantastical lineups. Like Gods Unchained, players are offered a free starter pack, which makes this game accessible for any sports fans.
