Web 3.0  or Web3 as popularly called, is putting the control in the hands of users instead of central authority. Web 3  games, also called play-to-earn, play-to-own, crypto, blockchain, or NFT games, are online video games that use blockchain technology as the foundation of their economy.

There is no gain in saying that the emergence of new technological innovations is usually accompanied by transformations across industries. For example, when the internet came, there was a turnaround in the way we do communication to the extent that it's even more preferred compared to old ways of communicating. In the same  manner, the web is taking a new shape.

Differences between Web1, Web2, and Web3 Gaming

Over the years there has been a gradual transition from the inception of the internet to what it is today. No doubt a lot has changed and more changes are likely to be seen in the near future. The internet has transitioned from Web1 to Web2 and to Web3 which is dubbed as the next generation internet. Gaming in these stages of the internet has also evolved coming with additional perks in a bid to improve the overall user experience.

Before now, we played video games only for the fun of it. Now, we perhaps have better answers to give as to why we are always at our screen playing games. Gaming in the Web3 era has incorporated a play-to-earn feature, where players earn in-game tokens or NFTs that can be traded for real cash which was not presented in previous versions of the web.

Playing video games in Web1 was mostly solo.  Gaming was mostly about competing with yourself and trying to improve time and score. Prior to ten years ago, most people's awareness of gaming was primarily limited to its Web1 or Web2 gaming forebears. Early console configurations were primarily used for solo gaming. Word games, Sudoku, and other straightforward one-player games continue to be cheap copies of Web1 gaming. Even while it was enjoyable, the lack of involvement did not even remotely contribute to the development of a culture of mass gaming or interactivity. Through Web2, that was accomplished.

Web2 technology came with its own innovations, allowing for social networking and interaction, and sharing of content. Numerous social network games have emerged alongside Facebook, such as Farmville and Mob Wars, where players can connect with one another in addition to engaging in gameplay. You can now play multiplayer games with anybody in the world from the comfort of your home by logging into the social gaming revolution. The publisher, developer, and broadcaster's ecosystems still had a large influence on that experience, though. This is where Web3 comes in. By giving the player control, Web3 seeks to redefine gaming experiences.

Web 3 Gaming

A lot of attention has been thrown at Web3 and its capabilities with most experts considering it the future of the web. Web3 gaming is not left out.

Web3 gaming is created by incorporating blockchain into the gaming industry and giving players a say in the overall gaming ecosystem on how and when it should progress.

Web-based gaming is conceptually distinct from traditional gaming platforms in many ways. In actuality, Web3-based games provide a novel viewpoint for engaging in games through decentralized techniques. So what exactly is Web3-based gaming?

In Web3 games, by using cryptocurrencies and NFTs, people can play to earn (P2E). Democratizing all facets of gaming removes the need for a single central authority to control all aspects of the game and instead gives the player control over everything.

Web3 gaming offers fair virtual marketplaces where players may access and fully own in-game digital assets. These unique assets are kept in the form of gaming NFTs.

Play-to-Earn Games

Play-to-earn games are built on the core concept of Web3. Play-to-earn is a feature of Web3 games that allows players to earn rewards in the form of in-game assets that can be traded for real value. Through the use of asset trading, tradeable game tokens, and chances to earn in cryptocurrencies while playing, Web3 gaming also establishes the basis for play-to-earn for users and transforms the pay-to-play model.

Play-to-Earn games are growing more popular in this day and age. It gets more interesting when players become aware that they can monetize their hobbies. DeFi-based NFT games are becoming extremely popular as a result of the millions of players who are embracing and investing numerous hours each day in playing them.

As part of the "play-to-earn" trend, which is a new phenomenon in the gaming industry, players of NFT games can earn a variety of delightful rewards as they play the game. Also, players can get rewarded with in-game items, and tokens for actively participating or interacting with the game. These in-game items or tokens can be traded for real money if the player chooses.

More interestingly, these in-game items and tokens aren't simply for use in the game; they may also be converted into real money and used in the outside world.

Earning cryptocurrency tokens, which can then be exchanged for the desired currency, allows players to monetize their time and skill in a way that is not possible in traditional video games because they are not given full ownership of the in-app purchases they make, making it impossible to sell them for a higher value.

How Play-to-Earn Games Work

One key feature that sets apart play-to-earn games from traditional gaming is its decentralized nature. The continual development of P2E games is done in a collaborative manner, and the developers frequently use player comments to enhance and improve the game. To promote further community-building within the player base of a P2E game, teams of devoted gamers frequently come together to join a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO).

There are various ways of making money via Play-to-Earn games.

• By completing challenges on a daily or monthly basis, they can win prizes.
• Rewards can be earned by defeating opponents in player-versus-player matchups.
• In-game items including cards, avatars, weapons, potions, and more, can be sold on the relevant platform or public market for real money.
• enhancing their in-game characters so that they have more distinctive traits and then reselling them for more money.

Some Top Play-to-Earn Crypto Games

Play to earn over the years has continued to attract a good amount of attention to itself with millions of new users coming into the ecosystem. Here, we have compiled a list of some top Play-to-Earn crypto games chosen based on fun, quality, play-to-earn mechanics, number of users, and potential earnings.

Alien worlds

With the current growth of gaming in the blockchain space, Alien World has grown in popularity as well. Alien Worlds is a free-to-play game. By free-to-play, we mean that it requires no initial funding or payment to get started or to start earning. Alien World is an NFT-based Metaverse game where players explore the virtual world in search of Trillium (TLM), the game's native token. Trillium, which is mostly acquired through mining, is an ERC-20, BEP-20, and WAX fungible cross-chain coin that connects the Metaverse and enables value transfers and Planet DAO voting.

The amount of Trillium a player can get is dependent on the player's mining tools, available mining pot on the planet in which they are playing and the land they are on. Also, Acquired TLM can be used to purchase NFTs to access other planets.

Splinter lands

Another game making it to the list is Splinterlands, an online collectible card game. The cards are owned as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and it uses blockchain technology. If you are familiar with card games like Pokemon, or Magic, you will find an almost similar experience with Splinterlands but this time using web browsers and cryptocurrency wallets.

Being very competitive, Splinterland is a play-to-win, play-to-earn online card game. The game offers real money prizes for players. Users have the option to sign up for a premium model where they can win any prize or a free mode where they cannot win real money prizes.

To engage in combat with other players, each player must first assemble a deck of cards. Every card has a different quality or feature, which makes characters more powerful and more likely to succeed.

Splinterlands cards can be purchased on a third-party marketplace and are valued between 0.01 to 1 ETH each.

Farmers World

Adjudged to be the first farming game to function on the NFTs platform, Farmers World is a passive, mining game with three in-game tokens—Food, Wood, and Gold. Each is useful in its own way and can be traded within the game.

Farmers World is built on the WAX public chain and features a lot of exciting activities on virtual farmland. Players take part in various farming chores, communicate with other farmers, find a variety of materials, acquire tools, and purchase land. You can mine gold, NFTs profit from the game, and you can trade the tokens you earn for WAXP. You can also construct tools to create NFTs that you can market to other players.

Developed in Japan by G.JIT JAPAN, and launched in 2021, Farmers World has no definite storyline but draws its inspiration from a historic document known as "Manuscript №4848" kept by Brazil's National Library.

Benji Bananas

Benji Bananas is a free-to-play, play-to-earn game developed by Animoca Brands and launched in 2013. It is an exciting blockchain-based mobile adventure runner game on the Ethereum network that makes use of the NFT Membership Pass as well as the cryptocurrencies PRIMATE and APE. In the game, players take control of a monkey that swings from vine to vine while grabbing bananas.

Since its launch it has recorded over 50 million app downloads. The game app is available both on Android and iOS versions. Growing in popularity, it has amassed 70000 unique players who engage in the free-to-play version of the game.

You must have a Benji Bananas NFT pass and link your cryptocurrency wallet in order to access the game's play-to-earn features. The NFT passes can be obtained on OpenSea, Rarible, LooksRare, and Coinbase.

Upland

A lot of 3D virtual world games are springing up and Upland is one of them making it to our list of top play-to-earn crypto games. Upland is a game on the metaverse that strives to mimic the real world in a virtual space. Developed on the EOS blockchain, which is open-source. It centers on "digital landowners" creating properties in-game that are mapped to actual properties. In Upland, you can own digital properties such as land, houses, shops, cars, etc.

Upon sign-up, players are given a “visitor” status and 4,000 UPX although more can be earned through referrals and then walk their way up. Earning UPX, the in-game currency is pretty easy and interesting. You can begin by generating a profit from your houses and obtaining rent from guests or selling your digital properties on the open and free marketplace or becoming a business owner.

The game uses two currencies UPX and Spark that are only tradeable within the game. UPX is used to buy properties and Spark is used to develop buildings on properties. The cryptocurrency Spark can be obtained by advancing in status, succeeding in challenges, and taking part in treasure hunts. It can also be purchased in the Upland Store.

In conclusion

Web 3 is still an evolving technology and we can no doubt see the revolution it has brought across industries including gaming by integrating the metaverse and blockchain into the overall gaming mechanics. Web 3 gaming, through the elimination of central game administrators and platform owners, has democratized the gaming industry.

Moreso, it has created an enabling environment for gamers to make some passive income from their hobbies. Perhaps this may be a huge factor in the mass adoption of play-to-earn crypto games over traditional gaming.

About Pontem

Pontem is a product development studio partnered with Aptos, in creating the fundamental decentralized applications (dApps) and other infrastructure needed for the adoption of the Aptos network, including development tools, EVM implementations, AMMs, etc. Aptos is a Web3 Infrastructure that is secure, scalable, and upgradable making it a perfect fit for developing next-generation Web3 games. Here at Pontem, we are developing an ecosystem with the Aptos team that will enable the first billion blockchain users worldwide. Our solutions are built with the innovative Move coding language and Move VM technology, which was first created for Diem, a blockchain backed by Meta.