How to Choose an NFT Game to Play

Written by Alchemy

Reviewed by Brady Werkheiser

Published on 2023-03-293 min read

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With the rising popularity of the NFT gaming niche, gamers from all around the world are becoming interested in the benefits of NFT gaming compared to traditional, web2 games, and what games they should play.

This article will outline the four main types of NFT games (collectible games, Play-2-Earn (P2E) games, virtual world games, and fantasy sports games), and highlight four factors to consider before choosing an NFT game to play.

What are the different types of NFT games?

The four main types of NFT games are collectible games, Play-to-Earn games, virtual worlds, and fantasy sports. Choosing the right game for you will depend on your playing style, the types of traditional games you are familiar playing, and more factors we'll cover in the final section.

1. Collectible NFT Games

Collectible NFT games involve collecting and trading digital assets, such as digital trading cards or virtual pets. Players can buy, sell, and trade these assets on various NFT marketplaces. An example of a popular collectible NFT game is CryptoKitties where users collect and breed cats.

Some factors that impact the value of collectible NFTs are scarcity (i.e. the total number of NFTs available), rarity (i.e. the attributes of the NFT), and demand (i.e. how many people are interested in owning an NFT from the collection in question).

2. Play-to-Earn (P2E) NFT Games

P2E NFT games enable players to earn in-game currency as they advance in the game or complete certain tasks. A play-to-earn NFT game may include several different NFTs, such as avatars, weapons, armor, etc. Two examples of P2E NFT games include Axie Infinity and The Sandbox

3. Virtual World NFT Games 

These games involve building and exploring virtual worlds where players can own virtual lands and avatars in such games. Players in virtual world NFT games can also create their own NFTs and monetize their gaming experience.

Two examples of virtual world NFT games include Decentraland and Somnium Space.

4. Fantasy Sports NFT Games

Fantasy Sports NFT games allow players to create and manage their fantasy sports teams using NFTs and also collecting sports-related NFTs. Web3 fantasy sports are lately gaining a lot of popularity for their 100% transparency and fair gameplay. Sorare is a well-known fantasy sports game.

Factors to Consider Before Choosing an NFT Game to Play

Since NFT gaming is new compared to traditional games, there are risks that should be understood before choosing an NFT game including: the NFT gaming economics, gameplay, security, and trustworthiness of the game development team.

1. NFT Game Economics

Game economics refers to the economic principles and mechanisms undergirding the creation and management of NFTs within the game. Studying the economics within a game is critical as it provides crucial insights into the distribution, supply, value, and overall dynamics of how NFTs are used in the game.

Such insights aid in making informed decisions in determining the overall health and sustainability of the game. Game economics also helps to make educated guesses about the game’s earning potential. Lastly, it helps players get more insights about the community of the game and identify potential risks and pitfalls.

2. NFT Gameplay

Understanding how NFTs are integrated into a game, how they function, and how they impact the gaming experience is important before picking an NFT game. An important feature of popular NFT games is whether the game is fun and engaging. Players need to first determine if the gameplay is fun.

3. NFT Gaming Security

NFT in-game items are owned by players, and therefore they have the responsibility to take the right measures to secure them. As phishing attacks happen relatively frequently in the web3 space, players need to be on the lookout for potential scams.

Furthermore, game design may also have compromises in security. For example, during the 2022 Axie Infinity NFT game hack, a hacker had used their private security keys to compromise the network nodes that did the transfer validations within the Ronin blockchain.

Players are responsible to take into account these compromises in security native to their NFT game of choice, and understand the mechanics behind it before playing.

4. Track Record of the NFT Gaming Developers

It is wise for players to choose a game based on the reputation of the developers behind it. Experienced developers with a strong background are more likely to create a successful NFT game with fair gameplay and well-designed tokenomics.