NFT Primer and Top NFT Games for 2021

Any gamer not living under a rock for the past few months would have most likely caught news of NFT games and their prominent rise in the gaming scene recently. What’s not to like about games that let you earn blockchain as an extra currency? You get to enjoy fantastic new worlds, duke it out with other players (if that’s your thing), and get that unparalleled satisfaction with player progression. NFT games let you do those, and this article aims to give you an idea on the best blockchain games this year.

What are NFT games and why are they trending right now?

It would be best to lay down the basics first — NFT stands for “non-fungible tokens”. This simply means each token is unique; it has its own print and it’s therefore non-interchangeable. NFT was conceptualized by some people as a tradable asset, particularly for digital art. Technological trends had a different plan and it caused a rise in play-to-earn cr

What is NFT?

It would be best to lay down the basics first — NFT stands for “Non-Fungible Tokens”.

‘Non-Fungible’, means something that has its own print and it’s therefore non-interchangeable or unique. Token refers to a tradeable digital asset, the ownership of which can be recorded and proven via blockchain technology.

Together, the term NFT can be defined as ‘a unique, verifiable and tradeable digital asset’, which comes in various forms: a song, a piece of artwork, a photograph, a GIF, a virtual character, a tweet, a series of uncut scenes of a movie, or anything that can be stored digitally.

What are NFT games?

So now we know what is NFT, but what on earth are NFT games? What is the difference between NFT games and non-NFT games?

There are many different explanations out there on the internet that tell you what NFT games are, often with lists of their features. But from what I can see, there is only one character-defining (or should I say, game-changing) feature that set things apart between NFT games and the other games, which is, “independent ownership”.

In traditional MMOs like World of Warcraft, an in-game item, say, a Reins of the Swift Spectral Tiger, can be obtained by you under your game account. While the ownership of that item is debatable, whether being you (the player) or Blizzard (the game company), regardless, the existence of the item relies solely on the existence of the game. If you lose the game account, or if the game stops operating one-day, poof, the item vanishes, and you stop owning it.

However, in NFT games, if you own a mount, you truly own it. No matter if you are still playing the game, have quit or if it even still exists (even before it’s out), you own the item. The existence and ownership of the item is independent from the game. At any given time, you can choose to transfer the item to another NFT game, gift it to someone, or put it up for sale for Ether coins. The ownership of this item, like all other NFTs, can be traced and verified on a blockchain platform like Ethereum.

How to earn crypto by playing games; why should we be interested?

Well, we don’t have to be overly interested in it right away, but just being aware of its potential is a great first step. Making money out of playing games is not an entirely new concept; since the late 90s, gamers all over have already figured out that unused gaming assets such as gold, crafting resources, and even spare accounts can be sold for a good sum of money. After all, another person’s trash is another person’s treasure — you could be sitting on a surplus of a particular crafting resource that another player 3 or 4 countries away could be in dire need of.

But what if that “resource” is already in a usable currency or form and is not restricted to a specific need? Moreover, what if this “resource” can be invested in and the value could fluctuate, allowing you to “cash” it in when it’s on the uptake?

NFT games fill this niche or particular need. One doesn’t even need to be savvy when it comes to the technical NFT meaning or definition. As long as you’re able to play games and understand how you can transfer your earnings in the game with a wallet app like MetaMask or Coinbase Wallet, you’re golden.

Now that we’ve gotten that primer out of the way, let’s list down our personal picks for the top NFT games you should be keeping an eye on.

1. MIR4 – By far, the most “playable” NFT game we’ve set our eyes on. MIR4 is easy to appreciate because it’s your typical MMORPG (if you’re reading this article, then you’ve most likely played one already), it has all the bells and whistles; you roam a massive world and you level up your characters by grinding levels, completing difficult raids, and defeating challenging bosses.
   
   The NFT aspect comes in the form of Darksteel you earn by playing the game’s activities. You will then need to “meld” it, basically a process that converts it to DRACO – the name of the game’s token, which becomes usable on wallet apps.
   
   
   
2. Axie Infinity – What do you get when you cross NFT gaming with monster-training goodness ala Pokemon? The closest would be Axie Infinity.
   
   In it, you start out with 3 pets/monsters called “Axie”. The premise of the game is to grow these Axies by breeding them with other Axies, creating pure Axies or variants that yield different skills. There is a catch, though; breeding can only be done a limited amount of time. Gameplay revolves around taking these Axies to Adventures – the game’s single player mode, or to PVP battle with other Axie players.
   
   The NFT formula comes in the form of SLP (Smooth Love Potion) which you earn in the game and can then be forwarded to wallets for cash outs. Some players even sell the accounts and/or Axie themselves, with the premise that buyers will use the Axie to farm their own SLP. No need to go “catch them all”.
   
   
3. Gods Unchained – If you’re a massive Hearthstone or Gwent nerdie, this one might be for you. Gods Unchained is a trading card NFT game; players build decks and as with any card game, it places heavy emphasis on skill and strategy. Do you use this one particular card or save it for a power play later? Games of these kinds tend to tilt over the competitive side and given the random nature of cards, chance and skill will go hand in hand if you’d like to continuously win.
   
   Each card is considered a token, so you can directly trade it in supported markets; talk about convenience! It functions both as a collectible card AND a direct currency.
   
   
4. Battle Racers – This penultimate entry will give Super Mario Kart or Sonic All-Stars Racing a run for their money; pun intended! In Battle Racers, you assemble your very own car with different parts that have different performances. These parts come into play with what tracks you plan to play it on, so players will have a good amount of time figuring out which parts are best for this or that track. That’s not all — because it’s a racing game, skill is involved so even if you deck out a particularly fantastic racer, if your skill is not up to par then you will most likely bite the dust.
   
   Don’t grow overly attached to your cars/racers if you want to sell, though, because they are the ones you put up on the NFT scene eventually.
   
   
5. Sandbox 3D – With the popularity of game creation worlds like Minecraft or Roblox, it’s not surprising that something like Sandbox 3D wouldn’t be too far off. Rounding out this varied list is an open-world game where you create your own world by manipulating the game’s objects. Whether for abstract creations or to create your own mini-games inside Sandbox 3D, your imagination is the limit.
   
   Sandbox 3D offers two in-game currencies that can be traded: SAND and LAND, and both have seen tremendous success over the past few months. Roblox could very well have a competitor already.
   

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If you’re interested in upcoming NFT games, 2022 or even the present, look no further than these titles.

Conclusion

Whichever game you pick, our best recommendation is to just enjoy the game — do not be pressured about following the market or being on top when it comes to prices of your NFT assets. It’s amazing that these games, though designed to be also profitable, are also highly playable like other non-NFT games. It will all boil down to which genre you are most comfortable playing, and if you become interested in trading, perhaps which one has the best trend in NFT markets in the future.