Blockchain games of 2021 with earnings and withdrawal of tokens

Major video game publishers are seeing benefits from implementing blockchain technology. So, on May 11, the gaming giantUbisoft announced support for 5 blockchain startups.And a month earlier, another major game publisher, Atari, announced the creation of a new blockchain division, the promotion of its own Atari Token as a means of payment, and the development of NFT projects.

Let's figure out why game studios are betting on blockchain, how blockchain gaming will change the video game market, and how the most popular blockchain games work.

How can blockchain change games?

Blockchain technology can be used not onlyin the financial sector. One of the most promising areas of its practical application is gaming. So, the massive integration of blockchain in the gaming industry can significantly change the sector.

What exactly will blockchain provide:

Will give gamers control over digital items and assets.Blockchain allows you to tokenize in-gameitems and turn them into NFTs (non-fungible tokens) - digital assets with unique attributes. Thanks to blockchain, gamers can actually own in-game items and not be dependent on developers: such items cannot be taken away as a fine. Moreover, they can be transferred from one game to another. This way, characters and equipment will belong only to the player and not to the developers.

Will create a decentralized gaming market, where gamers can trade theircharacters, in-game items and assets. Trading game artifacts is still common today, but most often it involves selling an account, bypassing the developers. Blockchain will allow players to sell digital items and assets, and developers will receive a portion of the profits from such transactions (to do this, they just need to write down the appropriate conditions in the NFT code).

The alleged decentralized market, by the way, isfits perfectly into the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector. The wider variety of liquidity pools in this sector means that players can trade directly among themselves the assets and currencies of different games. Another benefit of DeFi in blockchain gaming is the ability for gamers to earn passive income from lending their gaming assets to liquidity pools in return for a percentage.

An investment component will appear.On the open market, the price of in-game assetswill obey the law of supply and demand - that is, their rate will rise or fall. As a result, an investment component may be added to the process: holders of in-game assets will be able to earn money from the growth in their value. However, this carries certain risks, since it is more convenient for gamers to have a stable asset price. Moreover, regulators may consider such tokens as securities.

Gaming multiverse.The development of blockchain gaming will allow developers to launch a single gaming multiverse, where gamers can transfer characters and paraphernalia from one game world to another.

New monetization methods for developers.Blockchain can expand monetization opportunitiesgame publishers. Firstly, they will be able to receive a percentage of each transaction with in-game assets, and secondly, they will be able to earn money from the growth of the exchange rate of in-game currencies.

Decentralized game control.Blockchain allows you to create decentralizedgames in which control over changes to game mechanics is entirely in the hands of the community. A striking example of this approach is the Decentraland marketplace, where users can trade virtual land.

What hinders the integration of blockchain into the gaming world?

Although such advantages of blockchain asdecentralization can seriously change the gaming sector, while it remains a niche story for crypto enthusiasts. Before blockchain becomes widespread in the gaming industry, it still has a number of problems to overcome.

While on the blockchain gaming market are presentedjust modest indie games. Most of them are variations of popular mobile games, collectible digital assets like CryptoKitties or RPG strategies. Therefore, many blockchain video games seem more like exercises in the use of technology and digital property than full-fledged games.

In this regard, the audience of such projects is stillrarely exceeds several tens of thousands of people, and it is difficult to say how many of them are active players. Now the blockchain needs games much more than blockchain gaming.

It should be noted that the blockchain is already fully functionalThere are several bitcoin casinos operating, the most popular of which is FairSpin, the platform's popularity is growing due to the control of the honesty of the results guaranteed by the public blockchain.

The number of users of the most popular blockchain games in the last 30 days:

Let's look at the main problems facing the massive use of blockchain in the gaming sector.

Scalability.This is the main problem of many blockchains, in many waysentailing the rest. In popular games played by millions of people, it is important that all transactions are carried out instantly and nothing slows down. But not all modern blockchains are good at this task. Even the launch of a simple collectible game CryptoKitties in 2017 overwhelmed the Ethereum network and almost paralyzed its work.

Game developers are using faster andscalable blockchains, for example, TRON, BSC, WAX, EOS. They are coping so far, but it is unknown how they will perform in particularly popular games when simultaneously used by hundreds of thousands of players around the world.

Lack of interest from gamers.Hundreds of blockchain games have already been launched, but the audiencemost of them are negligible. The main reason is that there is no blockchain request from gamers. The technology is more interesting for game developers than for players who do not really understand why they need decentralization - it is much more important for the game itself to be interesting.

Lack of interesting games.Most blockchain games are still too simple - simple graphics and game mechanics - to interest gamers.

Poor user experience.For blockchain to be used in games with a population of over one million, trading in decentralized in-game assets must be as easy as paying for purchases with a bank card. No one except crypto enthusiasts will understand the settings of wallets, commission rates and how to store private keys - this is required by many current blockchain games.

Competition with major publishers.Most blockchain games are launchedindie developers - it’s difficult for them to compete with gaming giants, so they can offer users little. Attracting funds from investors is also not easy. It is not yet entirely clear what the commercial potential of such projects is. Investors may also be put off by the unsustainability of NFTs.

Blockchain is not profitable for large developers.Blockchain will become popular in gaming onlywhen digital items on it and new monetization models become an important part of the gameplay. But this is not profitable for the largest game studios, such as Activision Blizzard, Sony and Tencent. They now have complete control over the sales of digital assets in their games. Decentralization can greatly reduce their income. Game studios are generally quite conservative, and monetization of gameplay is certainly not a field for experimentation.

However, if publishers see it from gamerssignificant demand for blockchain products, they will be able to quickly adapt to the new trend. Therefore, companies such as Ubisoft and Atari are already considering the possibilities and prospects for using blockchain in the sector.

Major publishers are showing interest in blockchain

There are now dozens of small studios and companies on the blockchain gaming market. The most notable:

Mythical Games— studio founded by former employeesBlizzard, Activision, Oculus, EA and Yahoo. The company has developed a unique standard for owning dGoods NFT tokens. Mythical Games has been operating since 2018, and has been working on the blockchain game Blankos Block Party for several years, which is presented in our review below;
OPSkins- an online platform for gamers, where they buy and sell collectibles from video games in exchange for cryptocurrencies;
DreamTeamis an esports platform that usesblockchain. It helps gamers form teams and collaborate with sponsors. And the DreamTeam internal coin is used in payments between teams, managers and sponsors;
Horizon— the company behind the popular card game SkyWeaver and the blockchain gaming platform Arcadeum;
Blok Party— developer of the first blockchain gaming console and collectible game items;
KorroBox- a peer-to-peer blockchain market for digital games, which features a large selection of different games, including Ash of Gods, Day of Infamy and GoatPunks;
Enjin— a blockchain ecosystem that allows you to manage digital assets, launch NFT assets and video games based on the blockchain. It also has its own cryptocurrency, Enjin Coin;
Wax— a decentralized blockchain and platform for trading in-game items.

But major video game publishers are also showing interest in the blockchain sector.

The most famous of them is Ubisoft - Frencha gaming giant with hits like Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Just Dance. Until recently, the company was the only major market player supporting blockchain startups. Ubisoft has even released several experimental blockchain projects of its own.

In May of this year, Ubisoft for the sixth timelaunched its own accelerator program, Ubisoft Entrepreneurs Lab. As part of it, the company will prepare startup teams to enter the market and help improve their products. This time, among others, 5 blockchain startups were selected within the accelerator:

Aleph.im— decentralized cloud platform;
Crucible- a startup that creates cross-platform gamer credentials that can be transferred from one game to another;
Guild of Guardiansis a blockchain RPG released by the team of game developers Immutable, who also launched the game Gods Unchained;
Horizon Blockchain Games— the development team behind the yet-to-be-released blockchain card game Skyweaver;
Non-Fungible- platform for launching and trading NFT.

In the past, Ubisoft has also selectedaccelerator blockchain startups. The company notes that this choice is not accidental. The Entrepreneurs Lab program gives Ubisoft access to the best crypto startups. This is important for Ubisoft as the publisher is exploring ways to use blockchain and cryptocurrencies in the gaming industry.

So, Ubisoft has been studyingblockchain technologies. Back in 2018, the company first unveiled a prototype of the blockchain game Hashcraft, a mix of Minecraft and No Man's Sky that offers players island exploration and treasure hunting mechanics. The publisher is also a Tezos validator, collaborates with the blockchain gaming platform Ultra, and has entered into an advisory partnership with Planetarium, creator of the blockchain role-playing game Nine Chronicles.

In June 2020, Ubisoft also launched an NFT gameRabbids Token, similar to the popular collectible game CryptoKitties. Proceeds from the game are donated to UNICEF, the UN Children's Fund. This year, the company, in partnership with the crypto-football platform Sorare, launched the Ethereum game One Shot League.

Ubisoft isn't the only major publishershowing interest in blockchain. In April, console giant Atari announced the creation of a blockchain division to develop applications of the technology and NFTs in the company's games, as well as issue a token to pay for purchases on its consoles. The new division will become an independently chartered entity.

Review of popular blockchain games

Compared to the traditional gaming sector, the blockchain gaming niche seems quite insignificant. However, hundreds of projects are already working in it. Most of them are based on Ethereum, but the number of projects running on EOS, Enjin, IOST, Loom, NEO, ONT, TRON, VeChain, Wax and other networks is increasing.

Let's take a look at the 10 most popular blockchain games of the month according to DappRadar.

Alien worlds

Alien Worlds is a strategy game with shooter elementsblockchain platform Wax. This is the most popular blockchain game in recent months. About 2 million people play it. This popularity is due to the possibility of earning money in the game. Alien Worlds allows you to earn TLM tokens, which have been listed on Binance since April.

The essence of the game is that userschoose one of the planets on which they can extract minerals, exchange them for tokens and withdraw them into fiat money. You can earn from 1 to 3 tokens per hour. To extract minerals faster, you can buy special tools. On the day the article was published, the TLM rate was $ 0.24. To play, you need to open a Wax wallet.

The sandbox

The Sandbox is an analogue of Minecraft on Ethereum.Players develop their own worlds from elements that can be traded as NFTs. Initially, it was a simple mobile game, but in 2019 they added blockchain and the possibility of earning money.

Blankos block party

Blankos Block Party is an EOS based game fromMythical Games in which users create and develop unique Blankos characters. They can complete daily tasks, communicate and compete with each other. Players can accumulate different Blankos and collect them.

Neon District

Neon District is a cyberpunk RPG.According to the plot, in a city seized with vice, an uprising of the poor against the rich and the authorities takes place. Gamers develop characters, complete missions, earn NFT paraphernalia that can be freely traded.

Mobox

Mobox is not a game, but rather a platform on the Binance Smart Chain with game mechanics for creating unique NFTs and making money on them through yield farming and DeFi.

Mobox users can deposit cryptocurrencies,for example, BNB or BUSD, in liquidity pools and for this they receive keys to chests with NFT characters, which can be exchanged for native MBOX tokens. There is no game as such: just freeze the coins, get an NFT and make money from it. The minimum daily income is about 1 MBOX - the token was launched in April, its rate fluctuated in the range from $4 to $1. The developers plan to release several more games by the end of the year - they will all be interconnected.

Galaxy Blocks

Galaxy Blocks is a mobile Android analogue of Tetris based on the ThunderCore blockchain: players must fit various blocks in a limited space.

Hash rush

Hash Rush is a strategy on Ethereum. Players create space colonies, fight and trade with each other, and mine crystals that can be converted into fiat.

R-Planet

R-Planet - another game with the opportunity to earn moneybased on the Wax blockchain. In the story, players fly to Mars to prepare the planet for colonization. Along the way, they must generate elements that will allow them to inhabit their new home. These items come in the form of NFTs.

Kolobok Adventures

Kolobok Adventures is another Wax game withthe opportunity to earn money. Users breed, develop and sell crypto boxes. Unlike games like CryptoKitties, koloboks can complete tasks and receive rewards for them. But if the player fails, the character will die.

The more difficult the task, the higher the reward, butthe higher the risk of losing. The more tasks completed, the more experience the character has and the higher the chance that he will cope with the next one. This greatly complicates the mechanics of breeding koloboks and makes the game more interesting than most analogs. Koloboks can be translated into the R-Planet game: this is the implementation of the concept of a gaming multiverse in practice.

Unland

Unland is a game based on the EOS blockchain, in whichgamers can trade virtual real estate in real cities, such as Paris. Users can buy up entire neighborhoods and even profit from their holdings by charging visitors. In-game currency can be converted into fiat money.

Sprinterlands

Sprinterlands is a collectible card game.allowing you to earn money for completing tasks, winning fights and tournaments. This is an analogue of the online game Hearthstone from Blizzard Entertainment. To start the game you will need to purchase a starter kit for $10.

WAX Tycoon

WAX Tycoon is an economic game based on Wax, where participants build buildings and establishments in the form of NFTs and sell them for GEM tokens, which can be converted into fiat.

As you can see, the most popular blockchain games now- these are the ones in which you can earn tokens. The game mechanics themselves are not very important, users play them primarily for the sake of earning money. But in the industry there are a lot of conventional strategies, shooters and adventure games with normal graphics and mechanics.

Prospectors

Prospectors is an economic browser-based multiplayer strategy game (MMORTS) created by a team of developers from Lviv. The game was launched on Ethereum in 2017, but later moved to EOS.

Prospectors takes place on the WildWest during the Gold Rush. Players mine gold, fight for it, and build infrastructure. But the amount of gold is limited - and there won’t be enough for everyone. Therefore, players can also mine timber, coal and iron ore, or trade with other users. You have to pay for all actions: the more you pay, the faster everything will happen. Profits can be withdrawn into fiat money.

How are blockchain games driving the massive adoption of cryptocurrencies?

Gaming is a huge market with volume over $177billion and an audience of 2.7 billion people. It's no surprise that blockchain startups are fighting for it. But the cryptocurrency market is much larger. Therefore, it is natural that game publishers are also looking at the blockchain.

Crypto enthusiasts believe that blockchain gamingwill be a shining example of the use of technology outside the financial sector, revitalize the industry and make game mechanics more addictive. But so far, most of the infrastructure needed to make this all happen smoothly has not yet been created. Blockchain will be in demand in the gaming sector only when it can prove its value to the industry. Fortunately, all the problems facing the use of decentralized technologies in gaming seem to be solvable.

Blockchain games are more than just entertainment.They can play a significant role in the spread of cryptocurrencies. After all, playing, people who are far from cryptocurrencies get acquainted with the blockchain. If you are a gamer, play blockchain games more often. You will not only have an interesting time and earn tokens, but also contribute to the development of the entire sector.

Where is it more profitable to buy and sell cryptocurrency for blockchain games?

For a safe and convenient purchase of cryptocurrencies with a minimum commission, we have prepared a rating of the most reliable and popular cryptocurrency exchanges that support deposits and withdrawals of funds inrubles, hryvnias, dollars and euros.

The reliability of the site is primarily determinedtrading volume and number of users. By all key metrics, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world is Binance. Binance is also the most popular crypto exchange in Russia and the CIS, since it has the largest cash turnover and supports transfers in rubles from bank cardsVisa / MasterCardand payment systemsQIWI, Advcash, Payeer.

Especially for beginners, we have prepared a detailed guide: How to buy bitcoin on a crypto exchange for rubles?

Rating of cryptocurrency exchanges:

#	Exchange:	Website:	Rating:
1	Binance (Editor's Choice)	https://binance.com	9.7
2	Bybit	https://bybit.com	7.5
3	OKEx	https://okex.com	7.1
4	Exmo	https://exmo.me	6.9
5	Huobi	https://huobi.com	6.5

The criteria by which the rating is set in our rating of crypto-exchanges:

Work reliability— stability of access to all functions of the platform, including uninterrupted trading, deposits and withdrawals of funds, as well as the duration of the market and daily trading volume.
Commissions– the amount of commission for trading operations within the platform and withdrawal of assets.
Feedback and support– we analyze user reviews and the quality of technical support.
Convenience of the interface– we evaluate the functionality and intuitiveness of the interface, possible errors and failures when working with the exchange.
Platform Features– availability of additional features — futures, options, staking, etc.
final grade– the average number of points for all indicators determines the place in the ranking.