What Are Blockchain Games

Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies have been among the most discussed topics in the last few years. Although blockchain is primarily associated with the financial sector and investing, its applications are much wider. As Dapp Radar rankings show, there are plenty of blockchain app categories and we’ll definitely see more of them. 

Recently, developers have been showing increasing interest in applying blockchain technology in the world of games. In this article, we’ll discuss how game devs apply blockchain in gaming and how blockchain games work. As a bonus, we’ll share with you the best blockchain games of 2022. Let’s dive in!

Blockchain games: definition

What exactly do we call blockchain games? The answer is simple: all games that use any element of the blockchain technology, no matter if it’s about coins, NFTs, authentication or anything else.

In many aspects, blockchain games are very similar to traditional video games: players can complete quests, battle with other players, discover new lands, and have fun. In terms of gameplay they may be just like web2 productions. 

Blockchain games: benefits for players

What makes them different, however, is the ownership. Traditional games are centralized which means that users don’t really own any in-game items, characters, etc. They cannot sell them outside of the official marketplaces run by their creators or use them across other games. 

That’s where blockchain games come in. Blockchain technology allows you to use your in-game earnings, mostly in the form of NFTs, exactly as you want. You may sell them on any marketplace related to the given chain, use them in another game or exchange for other items. You are the true owners of your tokens, so even if the blockchain game creators decide to close their project, you’ll still have them in your wallet. It’s the counter to the present social media—if you get banned, you lose access to your account.

Read more NFTs, their benefits for gamers and top NFT games

Developers may also use blockchain to reward players for their in-game achievements. This category of blockchain games is called play-to-earn (or, as we prefer to call it, play-and-earn). 

In this kind of blockchain games players don’t have to take part in tournaments or sell their items via official marketplaces to make money on their favourite entertainment. Play-to-earn games allow to earn NFTs or cryptocurrencies simply by playing them. They generate rewards for completing quests, discovering new map zones, defeating opponents, etc. Later on, they can sell their crypto and NFTs for dollars via centralized exchanges such as Binance or Coinbase or even decentralized ones such as Uniswap.

Read more about play-to-earn games, their history, and popularity drivers

Blockchain games: current state

Although times have been tough for crypto recently, the blockchain gaming market is doing very well and growing fast like never before. In 2022, blockchain gaming constituted 45.71% of all blockchain activity. Recently, blockchain group Animoca announced plans to launch a $2 billion fund intended for metaverse and blockchain game development. Animoca, which is one of the biggest venture capital companies, invested in more than 380 projects related to blockchain, with 66 investments made in the first half of 2022.

There are still a lot of investments coming for the blockchain gaming industry. In November, Heroic Story, an upcoming tabletop role-playing blockchain game, raised $6 million in a seed round led by Upfront Ventures, with investments from Multicoin Capital and Polygon. The company plans to transfer tabletop RPGs to the virtual world and create a unique experience built on blockchain.

Top blockchain games of 2022

Here are some of the best blockchain games of 2022 that have seen a lot of user engagement according to DappRadar stats.

Decentraland – the first decentralized metaverse where players can meet each other, explore, and create new virtual worlds. Players are able to buy virtual plots of land, build their own infrastructure and construct anything they want. Decentraland is a blockchain game built on Ethereum; its currency is called MANA.

Farmers World – developed in 2021 by G.JIT JAPAN, it is the first play-to-earn blockchain farming simulator. In this blockchain game players can breed livestock, harvest crops, expand their farm, and visit other players. There are three tokens in Farmers world—gold, wood, and food, which can be mined and earned in competitions. Players can also earn NFTs.

Alien Worlds – a decentralized metaverse game built on the Ethereum, WAX, and BSC blockchains published in December 2020 by Dacoco. In this blockchain game, players can buy land, mine resources, complete various quests, and explore the intriguing world of alien planets. Its currency is called Trilium and can be earned by different means, for instance, by completing missions and winning competitions.

Upland – published in January 2020 by Uplandme Inc., Upland is among the top blockchain games. It is a virtual property trading game that allows players to buy and sell properties in digital versions of real cities and countries. Players can earn NFTs and the game’s currency called UPX.

Benji Bananas – a mobile game for Android and iOS devices. It started as a traditional, physics-based mobile game developed in 2013. In 2022, Animoca Brands bought Benji Bananas and decided to turn it into a blockchain game. Players can take control of Benji the ape, and travel with him through the jungle to collect bananas and other items. In order to earn while playing this blockchain game, players have to buy Benji Bananas Membership Pass, which allows them to earn PRIMATE, the game’s native token.

Final thoughts on blockchain games

Blockchain games are seeing greater adoption than ever before, and for a good reason. In recent months, blockchain games made up almost 50% of all blockchain activity, and figures show that they’ll be attracting more and more players. It is a perfect time for developers to look into blockchain gaming and jump on the bandwagon.

If you want to stay up to date with blockchain game news, don’t forget to join us on Twitter: