Introduction
gm fellow tigers
It’s building time in Web3.
Game developers are churning out some of the best games we have seen in the segment, and we couldn't be more excited to share them with you. LFG!
Criteria
First off, let’s acknowledge an honest truth - you’re no ordinary player if you’re here. You’re a part of our community, so we ought to bring you the best of the best.
That’s why we have six criteria that a game needs to meet to be on this list.
Here’s the breakdown:
Gameplay
Let’s face it - web3 games have a bad rep when it comes to gameplay. But the titles we have selected here will change any skeptic's mind. These are not click-to-earn grinds, but rather dynamic games with rich, engaging gameplay.
Tokenomics
Ahh, the second most important element of a Web3 game is its tokenomic design. Games with poorly designed economics are bound to tank. We all want the in-game assets to accrue value with time, and that’s only possible with a game economy that’s designed for sustainability.
Lore
Interesting concept, captivating story. That’s a must.
Cost to Enter
We firmly believe that it shouldn't cost a fortune to play a game. You’ll see that reflected in the games we have selected, as most of them are free to play or require a reasonable amount of investment, which can be earned back by playing the game. Win-win.
Graphics
Great visuals make the game more immersive and the gaming experience more fun. But you already know that if you have played Skyrim or even Big Time, which is on this list btw.
Community
A community of passionate gamers just makes the gaming experience more exciting. However, communities are even more important for web3 games as there’s real value at stake. The players should be mindful of the nature of a game’s community and see if the existing players actually love the game or are in it for the money. Speculators hiding among the players can have a significant impact on the value of in-game assets and the game’s native currency.
Games
BR1-Infinite
BR1-Infinite is a risk-based shooter game that is on its way to becoming the best indie third person shooter of the year. Wait, what’s a risk-based shooter game?
BR1-Infinite has come up with a novel economic model in which a player pays $1 every time they respawn and receives $1 or 10% loot for every enemy they kill. If you haven’t noticed yet- the generation one web3 games(Axie, Alien Worlds, Splinterlands) really struggled with keeping players engaged. BR1’s economic model solves this by incentivising players to get good in the game through the very real risk of economic loss and the possibility to make big bucks.
However, that’s not the only unique design element that BR1-Infinite is bringing to web3. Its proprietary infinite game mode is another interesting play on the standard battle royale genre. There’s no beginning, no end, or a timer in BR1-Infinite - players are literally engaged in an all-out deathmatch to the center of the map. If that’s too much adrenaline for you - join the free for all lobby.
What we love: Did we mention that characters in the game are Apes and Androids, and these ain’t your funky Bored Ape Yacht Club monkeys. These chimps are mean.
Cost to Play: The open alpha is free to play. Once the alpha closes, players will need to buy 1 NFT operative to play the game. Each NFT costs approximately 2 SOL ($85).
Watch the trailer
Mini Royale Nations
Mini Royale Nations (MRN) is a fast-paced web3 first-person shooter (FPS).MEN's gameplay will remind you of your early counter-strike days. Don’t be fooled by its appearance, though. MRN is not your typical FPS but also a land control oriented strategy game that places a deep emphasis on alliances and social dynamics—meaning that along with taking out their opponents, players can also build out their factions and gradually take control over entire nations within the game.
MRN is the first live multiplayer FPS built on top of the Solana blockchain with play to earn mechanics.The game rewards players with the native token $CHEDDAR for completing social activities like participating in different events such as Clan Wars or Alliance World Events.
Note: The game has not officially released $CHEDDAR in the market yet.
What we love: The developers of MRN have created a good FPS with classic game modes like capture the flag, team deathmatches and battle royale. However, the addition of web3 tech to this mix enables the players to gain real ownership over their in-game assets, making the game more engaging and personal.
Cost to Play: Free
Watch the trailer
Illuvium
Tired of first-person shooters? Don't fret. Our next entry is an exhilarating role-playing game.
Illuvium is an open world exploration RPG where players can traverse through six different alien worlds collecting, hunting, and capturing fantastical beasts called Illuvials.
Illuvials can be trained to give them special abilities and increase their value. The full game has not launched yet, but gamers can still enjoy its auto battler mode.
Built on top of Ethereum, Illuvium features play to earn mechanics. You can earn its native ILV token by performing quests, participating in tournaments, and unlocking special achievements. Players can also trade their captured Illuvials for ILV.
What we love: Illuvium is building the first AAA web3 game, setting the benchmark for other titles in the space to follow. Although it's still in private beta, its autobattler towers over many other existing players in the space in terms of gameplay. Just imagine what Illuvium would bring to web3 gaming upon full launch.
Cost to play: The game is free to play, but you will need ILV to unlock premium assets.
Watch the trailer
EV.IO
Set in a futuristic world, Ev.io is a multiplayer FPS. To use an analogy by our favorite Web3 streamer Bryce Johnson, "if Halo and Splitgate had a child that ran on a browser, it'd be EV.io".
The game currently hosts two modes:
- Death matches: Compete against other players and test your tactical shooting skills.
- Group matches: Enter the battle with your gang and rain hellfire on competing teams.
Ev.io features amazing depth for a browser-based game. Its impressive arsenal of weapons and dynamic maps will blow your mind.
To earn money while playing Ev.io, gamers will need to buy NFT skins.Just put on your NFT skins, jump into a death match and start blasting your opponents to earn Ev.io's native token e.
What we love: Ev.io is easily the best competitive FPS in the genre. Furthermore, it provides console-level gameplay in a browser. What more can we ask?
Cost to play: The game is free to play. However, if you wish to earn money while playing, you'll need to buy NFT skins.
Watch the Gameplay tutorial
Blankos Block Party
Blankos is an open-world multiplayer online game that is designed like a giant block party. However, Blankos is not one of those corny parties. Its dynamic visuals and hilarious mechanics will have you hooked in seconds. Players can design their own custom block worlds inside BBP, complete missions and side quests, or just get involved in a shooting match with other players. The game is so good that even web3 critics will have a hard time dissing it.
Blankos too has a play-to-earn economic model, but players don’t need to buy three characters or any special weapons to just enjoy the game. Earn party passes by completing various challenges to enter BBP style combat matches to win rewards. Collecting rewards from daily, monthly, and seasonal challenges will unlock special NFT characters and objects. Players can sell these characters and items on the Mythical market.
Note : Blankos is created by Mythical Games, a promising blockchain focused game publisher.
What we love: Just watch this trailer.
Cost to play: Blankos is free to play with the option to purchase in-game cosmetic items, weapons, skins, special characters etc.
Big Time
Big Time is an action-packed multiplayer role-playing game where players go on a journey through time and space, solving ancient mysteries, meeting futuristic civilizations and battling monsters.
Its developers claim that the game’s limitless environments and missions make it infinitely replayable. Big Time is built on top of the Ethereum blockchain, but the game reportedly uses its proprietary "vault" feature to circumvent the high transaction costs and lackluster user experience of the blockchain. (ETH maxis, I might note that these are words used by the game’s developers, not ours).
Big Time has not been launched for the masses yet, but you can buy one of the ‘VIP’ early access passes to play the game right now.
What we love: The story crafted by the developers is fascinating and gives endless scope to the game. Plus, Big Time is easily the best game in web3 right now.
Cost to Play: Early access passes cost around $75. However, the game will be free to play after the public launch.
Watch the trailer
Bullieverse
Bullieverse is more than a game. It's a metaverse. So what can you do in the virtual world of Bullieverse? Well, for starters, players can enjoy visually stunning mini games like Bear Hunt, in which you takedown hordes of bears with your fellow humanoid bulls.
However, players are not limited to the stuff created by the developers. Bullieverse will soon open up its Create to Earn feature where players can design their own games and virtual experiences.
Your ticket to the bulliverse is buying the humanoid Bull NFT that can be used as a playable character in this virtual world.
Bullieverse is arguably the most ambitious project on the list. Its approach towards developing a metaverse is strikingly different from other popular metaverse platforms like Decentraland and the Sandbox. We believe that the addition of developer-led gaming experiences will make Bullieverse the leading blockchain-based Metaverse. Obviously, this largely depends on whether the developers are able to continue to produce enjoyable gaming experiences.
What we love: I must confess, I am not a fan of the bull humanoid design, but the game redeems itself with great gameplay, engaging mini-game plots, and visuals designed in Unreal Engine 5.
Cost to Play: Ah, this one's a bit expensive. Players are required to buy a bull NFT that can cost $300.
Watch the trailer
MetaOPS
MetaOps is an exciting FPS game built on top of the Solana blockchain. Jump into the battlefield with your gang, level up NFT characters and weapons, or venture out on killing sprees to earn in-game tokens.
The visuals and gameplay of MetaOps are so smooth that they remind us of some Call of Duty titles. We’re not getting carried away here, just saying that the game’s on a good track.
MetaOps features what we like to call a Kill-to-Earn model (this one’s getting a lot of traction lately). The game rewards players with in-game tokens every time they take out an opponent. These tokens can be then redeemed for the game’s native tokens or NFT mystery boxes.
Every in-game item (weapons, skins, characters, etc.) is an NFT in MetaOps which can be bought, sold, or traded in the in-game marketplace.
What we love: The smoothness of MetaOps' gameplay is unreal at such an early development.
Cost to play: The game is free to play. Players can buy special NFT characters and items though.
Watch trailer here
Conclusion
Honestly, we were sick of hearing out-dated talking points by web2 shills like "web3 games are just clicks to earn ponzis or blockchain-based games are not fun." We hope that this list introduces you to the next generation of web3 games.
A big problem in the web3 gaming space is that speculation games (play to earn titles) receive the most coverage and attention by the media. The result is that most players are not even aware of these gems. We’d like to change that.
Already, the largest projects in the space are producing AAA-style games that compete with the experience provided by web2 games. It might be surprising to many players how far these games have evolved in such a short period. However, this is just the beginning. See you in the next one.
Ciao!
