The soaring popularity of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology has seen play-to-earn games rapidly gaining traction. Easily one of the defining gaming trends of the decade, P2E gaming is beginning to redefine the gaming landscape in the way that it provides not just engaging gaming experiences but also offers gamers a way to earn as they play. Now, with more NFT and P2E games available on mobile platforms than ever before, let’s take a closer look at the most dominant titles that are changing the game.
What is Play to Earn Gaming?
Play-to-earn gaming (P2E gaming) is nothing short of revolutionary.
It’s essentially a fresh gaming model that enables players to earn tangible rewards for the time they spend immersed in virtual game environments. Unlike traditional video gaming with its pay-to-play model, P2E introduces exciting inventors that turn a player’s virtual accomplishments into real-life gains. Titles falling under the P2E banner integrate blockchain technology, which allows for the creation and distribution of digital assets that hold real-world value.
NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are central to the P2E gaming experience as they typically serve as in-game and digital assets. Play-to-earn games utilize NFTs to provide users with true ownership of their virtual possession, enabling them to sell, trade or monetize them beyond the confines of the gaming ecosystem.
Why Mobile P2E?
The crypto gaming sector, or GameFi as it’s more widely known, encompasses a wide array of different gaming experiences. Gamers can play full-scale crypto games on their PCs, while the crypto casino and poker scene is a burgeoning market — in fact, some iGaming platforms have even harnessed the soaring popularity of crypto in their promotional offers, such as Bovada with its latest crypto miner game.
With so much choice on offer for modern-day players, what’s the appeal of mobile play to earn crypto gaming?
For starters, more people across the globe now own and use smartphones compared to regular computers and gaming consoles. Creating P2E games for the mobile market means that developers can tap into a much wider demographic of players, especially if the apps they produce are compatible with both Android and iOS operating systems. Furthermore, the casual nature of P2E gaming lends itself better to the mobile platform than traditional gaming desktops, with gamers often seeking a quick “hit” rather than wanting to be swept up on an 8+ hour long gaming journey.
Most play-to-earn games are function oriented and can be lacking somewhat in gameplay mechanics. While the second generation of NFT-based games are addressing gameplay issues, P2E titles offer a more enjoyable gaming experience on mobiles than on the PC since limited gameplay is immediately obvious on more sophisticated gaming devices.
What are the Best P2E Games to Play?
Just as mobile gaming is proving to be the most popular sector of the gaming industry, mobile P2E gaming is leading the way for the success of GameFi. Although there are countless NFT games available to play on Android and iOS, not all of these games are created equally. Whether you’re an experienced P2E player or are only beginning to dip your toes into the world of NFT games, the following titles are the cream of the crop.
Splinterlands
This Hive-based fantasy trading card game builds on the popularity of the likes of Magic: The Gathering to create an innovative P2E gaming experience. Players are immersed in a world of magical spells, mythical creatures, and fierce battles. With over 100 different cards to collect, it allows players to engage in plenty of strategic warfare.
Gamers receive full ownership of NFT cards, which they can either trade, keep as collectables or use to battle for further rewards. Unlike other iOS and Android gaming apps that are free to play, users need to purchase a $10 summoner’s spell book and gain 3000 credits before they can participate in the full P2E version.
Meta Apes
This free-to-play Web3 P2E title is set in a post-apocalyptic world reminiscent of Planet of the Apes. Gamers play as the titular Meta Apes, utilizing their unique traits and abilities to dominate the space race.
As a blockchain game, Meta Apes features a dual token model: SHELL comprises the in-game currency, while PEEL is used as the governance token. This means that in-game resources are in the form of SHELL tokens, while players can use PEEL tokens for staking or to purchase upgrades.
Reward Hunters
A relatively new kid on the block, Reward Hunters combines exhilarating gameplay experiences from various genres with P2E functions. Set in mediaeval times, the game features open-world play with battle royale modes, enabling gamers to participate in PvP battles or in all-out brawls against seven other players.
Reward Hunters is based on the RHT token, meaning that players will need to acquire it in order to be eligible for further Binance Coin (BNB) rewards.
Binemon
Paying homage to Nintendo’s beloved Pokemon franchise, Binemon is a cute NFT-powered video pet gaming fusing gacha mechanics, RPG, action-adventure and P2E gaming into one exciting universe.
Players can collect and create an army of pets before battling it out in either PvP or PvE environments. The game also provides the opportunity to earn three different cryptocurrencies, including the in-game reward Ambrosia.
