The market for play-to-earn (P2E) gaming has exploded in recent years, establishing itself as one of the most exciting and hyped sub-fields of the blockchain and cryptocurrency space.
There are several play-to-earn games out there - and new ones are constantly being released. But, what exactly is P2E gaming, how much can players make, and which crypto games should you try out? Read on to find out.
What is P2E Gaming and How Much Can You Earn?
As its name suggests, play-to-earn gaming encompasses all games which allow users to earn money by playing. It is a relatively new branch of gaming, and at the moment, such games are primarily only available on PC.
Each game is different, and all/most require some kind of initial investment, which can come in the form of buying a player/character (in the form of an NFT), land, or in-game currency, among countless other things.
Earnings potential also varies massively from game to game, but at present, it's not realistically possible to earn a salary to live off of (in a country such as the US for example) by playing P2E games full time.
However, as your earnings are generated in the token that is issued by the game's developers and is subject to price fluctuations, your monthly earnings can significantly increase if you don't immediately sell the token for fiat or another crypto (assuming the token's price rises.)
Three Crypto Games You Should Try Out
Here are three P2E crypto games that you can play to earn money while having fun:
Axie Infinity
Axie Infinity is by far and away the most popular cryptocurrency game. The game is centered around creatures called "Axies", which you can buy, breed, or catch, and then train and fight against other players' "Axies".
The rewards earned from playing the game and winning battles can be sold and converted into fiat.
Specifically, players earn Smooth Love Potion (SLP) by simply logging in on a daily basis, or by completing daily adventures, or winning PvP player battles. SLP can be traded for real-world cryptocurrencies, and then converted into fiat.
In addition to earning money by playing the game, some crypto enthuasists are able to make money by breeding "Axies" and then selling them in the marketplace.
The game was developed and launched by Vietnamese developer Sky Mavis in 2018, and NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are a key element of the game. The game runs on the Ethereum and Ronin blockchains, and at present, Axie Infinity is only available on PC and smartphones.
Knights of Cathena
Next on our list, we have Knights of Cathena. It should be stressed that this game is classified by its developers as a play-and-earn game (P&E), rather than being a pure P2E game.
The difference is, while P2E games are primarily played to earn rewards, P&E games are played for enjoyment and the earnings are just an added bonus. So in theory, P&E games should have better gameplay and should ultimately be more enjoyable to play.
As such, Knights of Cathena has prioritized game design, and it will issue players rewards on a fixed inflation model.
It will be the first game to be launched on the Elrond blockchain - a highly scalable, carbon negative, fast and secure blockchain - and it is slated for a 2022 release.
Knights of Cathena was developed by fivefingergames, a German indie game development firm, and it aims to be the most accessible crypto game in the world, with its seamless integration and easy set-up (anyone can start playing by just logging in with a social media account.)
"For the first time, in the blockchain gaming space, the player's adventure takes the front seat in all aspects of game design. The player's enjoyment of playing the game, without noticing the utilization of the benefits of blockchain technology, is at the forefront of our endeavor. This is the core of our transition from a Play-to-Earn to a Play-and-Earn economy," Lukas Anetsberger, CEO and co-founder of fivefingergames, said.
At the moment, the game is being developed ahead of the release of the closed alpha testphase. So, the developers have created a waiting list, where participants can earn XP by completing tasks and ultimately get rewarded to access to the closed alpha test.
Realms of Ethernity
Last but not least, we have Realms of Ethernity (RoE).
This P2E crypto game will offer the next generation free-to-play MMORPG experience. RoE's team have invested heavily in developing a genuinely enjoyable, immersive game - somewhat contrasting to Axie Infinity, which most likely wouldn't be played by anyone if it wasn't possible to earn money with it.
Players will be able to buy or build their own kingdoms, and develop them as they see fit. Additionally, kingdom owners can start wars with other kingdoms to seize more territory, and collect taxes from all activities within their owned lands.
Realms of Ethernity will be released in seasons, with each one ending with a key event, such as a war. This promises to offer gamers plenty of variety, even if they solely play RoE.
"In the game, we integrate a special set of quests and attributes called the Destiny, acting as a special game pass to players who own it," the team behind Realms of Ethernity noted in a blog post.
Furthermore, "special in-game assets" will be minted as NFTs for players - and these NFTs can either be crafted, bought or sold in the game's marketplace.
The second quarter of this year will be especially important for this crypto gaming project, as the $RETH public sale will take place then, in addition to the token being listed on various centralized exchanges.
The alpha version of the game will be released for PC in Q4 of this year, before the first season of Realms of Ethernity is released in mid-2023.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of techtimes.com
