Free-to play NFT games have been an important (though some may argue that they are sometimes extravagant and nonessential) part of modern times. Here’s the top 7 best games cherry-picked by DarePlay.

From the 1970s, with the arcade cabinet releases of popular games such as Atari’s Pong, Taito’s Space Invaders, Namco’s Pac-Man, etc., to today, with cutting-edge consoles from industry giants like Sony’s Playstation 5, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S pair of consoles, and Nintendo’s Nintendo Switch, to various other means of play and even games on mobile devices of all kinds, this special kind of interactive digital media has wowed billions of people for decades worldwide.

According to a 2020 report, the global video game industry had an estimated annual revenue of US$159 billion across various types of hardware, software, and game-related services, which is roughly four times the movie industry ($43 billion in 2019) and nearly three times the earned revenue of the music industry ($57 billion in 2019).

The explosive popularity of video gaming has drawn the eyes and interest of crypto investors, blockchain game developers, and other like-minded people into the game market.

And thus, these innovators have decided to implement various blockchain and crypto technologies to enhance and evolve these games into something truly extraordinary.

Find out what NFT is: https://dareplay.io/news/what-does-nft-stand-for/

Table of Contents

The difference between Play-to-Earn and Free-to Play NFT games

Whether it be on PCs or mobile platforms, one of the main selling points of a blockchain game will be the ability to utilize non-fungible tokens (more commonly known as NFTs) and cryptocurrency and trade them in a marketplace.

Projects such as these are often called Play-to-Earn (P2E) NFT games. In most cases, however, there is an unfortunate downside. Players may need to invest (as in, purchase in-game assets) a certain amount before they can start to earn money.

As an example, let’s look at the popular NFT game, Axie Infinity, made by Sky Mavis. A new player will have to buy at least three Axies (digital pets based on axolotls, which are the game’s NFT), which can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on their rarity and traits.

The high barrier of entry of such games often discourages newcomers since they may have to spend a certain amount of money to start earning.

Fortunately, these are not the only games available on the market. There are games that also implement the same technology as these P2E games but have one major difference: you aren’t required to purchase NFTs to start!

Often labeled with a free-to-play (or F2P) designation, these free-to play NFT games offer anyone the opportunity to earn money with zero up-front cost.

Listed below are some prominent F2P NFT games that should peak the interest of those interested in the F2P gaming model.

List of Free-to Play NFT games

Gods Unchained

About Gods Unchained

Introduced in 2018, Gods Unchained, one of the best Free-to Play NFT games, (shortened to GU) is a digital trading card game that can be played on Windows or Mac and is based on the Ethereum blockchain.

GU is directed by former Magic: The Gathering Arena game director Chris Clay and other veteran gamers. The game is available for free, and you can start playing right away with a predetermined set of cards. Like in other card games, the more you play, the more cards you’ll earn.

What’s special about Gods Unchained

Either through leveling up or battling it through PvP matches online (or even buying cards through GU’s dedicated marketplace), there are multiple ways to earn new and more powerful cards.

Of course, thanks to the team behind Gods Unchained, this card game was designed in a way that players must utilize their skills and unique card skills to prevail over others.

To ensure this, players are paired against other similarly ranked players, so that players with higher skill levels and more powerful cards won’t be paired with new, starting players.

The Sandbox

About The Sandbox

The game you shouldn’t sleep on in Free-to Play NFT games is The Sandbox. It is a digital gaming environment where users may play, create, and monetize their game content using SAND, the platform’s primary utility token.

Initially launched on mobile platforms in 2012, The Sandbox started as a 2D open-world sandbox experience, where players could interact with various different elements (such as water, soil, lava, sand, and more complex ones like humans, wildlife, and mechanical objects) to create new items and structures.

Since 2018, however, Animoca Brands has purchased the rights to The Sandbox name, creating a new version of the game. This new PC version is a 3D, multiplayer platform that uses Ethereum blockchain technology to provide users of all types with a virtual environment where they can create, own, and make money from their gaming experiences.

What’s special about The Sandbox

Players can generate digital assets (also known as Non-Fungible Token, or NFT), submit them to the market, and then drag and drop them to build different gaming adventures.

Although not all of The Sandbox games created will be free since the admission cost will depend on the designer of the game, there will be some games that will be F2P.

Chainmonsters

About Chainmonsters

A lot of people have experienced playing (or, in some shape or form, were at least exposed to) Pokemon when they were younger. Obtaining and catching some cute and/or cool little buddies, battling against the strong Gym leaders and other NPCs, trading Pokemon with your friends, exploring a huge world, etc., has been and always will be an appealing pastime for kids and even adults.

Chainmonsters, one of the best Free-to Play NFT games according to many experts , is a game that definitely tries to pull in those folks who have that certain “monster catching, battling, and trading” itch that the Pokemon games (or other copycats) can’t satisfy.

What’s special about Chaimonsters

Two things that make this game unique are: 1) it’s a 3D massively-multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), which means that you can interact and see other real players in the same world as you as you play; and 2) based on the FLOW blockchain, Chainmons (the little creatures that you’ll catch, battle, train, and trade with), items, outfits, and possibly more can be traded on the Chainmonster’s marketplace.

While the closed alpha (which was extremely successful) and the upcoming open beta will be planned for the iOS, Android, and Steam platforms, the team, B Side Games, has announced that they are planning to release Chainmonsters on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch sometime down the line.

Mir4

About Mir4

For those who want a slightly more traditional MMORPG experience, Mir4, a worth-watching Free-to Play NFT game, (though sometimes labeled as Mir4 Global) is a prime choice.

With high quality and beautiful graphics that rival other AAA MMORPGs that you’d have to pay for to experience, this game is completely free to play; it’s available on iOS, Android, and PC (Windows Store, Steam, or Mac).

What’s special about Mir4

With the option to pick between five different classes of characters (Warrior, the sword wielder; Sorcerer, the magic user; Taoist, a hybrid of a magic user and swordswoman; Lancer, a spear user; and Arbalist, a hunter who specializes in the use of an arbalest (or arblast), a late variation of a crossbow) and many other customization options, no two players will have the exact same character.

Once players have chosen and made their avatar, they’re able to play in multiple different game modes. Gamers can enjoy fighting against various monsters, battling against powerful bosses, and competing against other players in a specialized PvP arena.

Lost Relics

About Relics

The Free-to Play NFT game Lost Relics is an Action Role-Playing Game (ARPG) in a similar vein as the industry’s most famous ARPG franchise of games, Diablo. Currently, the game is only available on PC.

Like in Diablo, players will explore the world of Talmuth and delve deep into various dungeons, fight dangerous monsters, get loot, and rinse and repeat.

Players must use a combination of their skills and powerful weapons and armor to reach the end of the dungeon for a chance to discover untold riches hidden within!

Just a warning, the loot is randomly generated, so there’s no guarantee that each item you’ll find will generate income.

What’s special about Relics

Backed by the Ethereum blockchain, all the items in the game are an amalgamation of Fungible (FT) and Non-Fungible (NFT) tokens (digital goods and collectibles).

Each item has a limited supply, making them unique and one-of-a-kind. This gives you confidence that the ERC-1155 crypto-collectible you own is truly a limited item with no possibility of being duplicated. These items can then be traded, sold on the marketplace, or owned forever.

Though Lost Relics so far is a solo PvE experience, the one-man developer, Cliff Cawley, has planned to add some multiplayer modes later down the road, such as four-player co-op and a PvP arena where players can fight against each other.

Ethlas

About Ethlas

Websites that host hundreds of free, casual games (mainly built on the now discontinued Adobe Flash software platform), like Armor Games, Kongregate, and Miniclip, have waned in popularity thanks to the rise of mobile gaming (amongst other factors), but they’re still a great way to kill time on a PC if one does not have access to a phone.

Being a Free-to Play NFT game, Ethlas, is just like another one of those sites where many people have spent long hours staring at their computer screens. However, this website stands out from the rest with a simple difference. Ethlas allows players to play an ever-increasing selection of games for free and earn money while doing so!

What’s special about Ethlas

Simply play any game (from Gem Attack, a match-3 similar to Candy Crush, to their take on the classic game of billiards, 8 Ball Master), and gamers can start to earn gems as they continue to win.

Gems can then be used for multiple purposes, such as offering them to the magical fountain (a weekly prize pool where any player can stake gems for a chance to win rewards), swapping gems for XGEMs (the in-game token) to cash out or stake in the liquidity pool, and more.

Of course, gems aren’t the only thing that players can use to make money. NFTs can be obtained as Komos (small monsters based on the real-life komodo dragons) and Windblown Elementals (creatures based on, as the name suggests, the different weather effects of wind); Komos can use the Elementals to further increase the staking rewards.

Komos will also be used in various ways throughout the Ethlas platform. Certain games can increase the stats of a Komo, while the upcoming game, Komo Clash, a turn-based RPG, will feature PvE and PvP game modes.

Thetan Arena

About Thetan Arena

Talking about Free-to Play NFT game, you shouldn’t miss Thetan Arena, is a free-to-play, e-sports-focused multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) and a battle royale game, backed by blockchain technology.

Available on PC, iOS, and Android, Thetan Arena differs from other similar games like Pokémon Unite (other than using blockchain technology) by giving players access to both a MOBA game mode and a battle royale mode.

What’s special about Thetan Arena

New users will be given a free hero to start, and when players reach a certain rank, they’ll receive their second and third free heroes. Using these three free heroes, players can earn in-game tokens (Thetan Coin or $THC) from winning matches to use to buy better and more powerful heroes on the Thetan Marketplace.

Each hero (that is not any of the ones given for free at the beginning) is its own separate NFT, so each one is unique from the others. There are other indicators that also make each hero unique from one another, such as being split into three different classes (Tank, Marksmen, and Assassin), rarity (Common, Epic, and Legendary), cosmetic skins, and more.

Why play free-to play NFT games?

Some of the best video games out there (AAA or indie) often have an upfront cost like buying a dedicated console or device to play them on, buying the game itself, and, depending on the console/device, buying an online pass just to have access to multiplayer content, etc.

As well, for the majority of people, video gaming just isn’t a way to make money; only a small percentage of gamers make a decent income from playing (think of professional esports players that have sponsors to fund them, streamers like PewDiePie, or even virtual Youtubers like Usada Pekora from Hololive Productions).

With the advent of free-to play NFT games, it’s now possible for anyone, regardless of skill level or on-screen talent, to earn an income through playing games. Whether it be on PC or Mac, iOS or Android, the ever-evolving landscape of F2P NFT games will lead to many new and exciting ways for everyone to benefit at no cost!

Conclusion

Free-to Play NFT games is the type of blockchain game that you shouldn’t miss in 2022. Existing along with Play-to-Earn games, the free-to play NFT games offer you the chance to earn money without paying a lot of money in the first place. It’s the reason why according to dareplay.io’s researches, many have believed that free-to play will be the next trend in blockchain gaming sector.

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