Top Games in the Metaverse

The surge in game development within the metaverse has coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing quarantine period. Essentially, the metaverse enables people to interact with each other in real time within a parallel virtual reality. It allows them to attend concerts, spend time together, explore new territories, and complete quests – just like in the real world.

What attracts people to the metaverse is the ability to customize their avatars to their liking and communicate with colleagues and friends who are thousands of kilometers away in a unique environment. This environment can either resemble the real world or be entirely different from it.  

Many games in the metaverse offer exciting opportunities for both short- and long-term cryptocurrency or NFT market speculation. These games often have mechanics similar to those found on Steam, such as character progression, skin purchases, loot boxes, and quest completion for rewards. These game features are frequently combined with a social networking ecosystem and can be enhanced with the use of VR headsets to provide an even more immersive experience. Check out our overview of the most popular games in the metaverse.

Axie Infinity is a must-have game for any top list that involves NFTs. The game centers around fascinating creatures called Axies, which resemble Pokémon but have a real-life basis in axolotl larvae. Each Axie boasts more than 500 customizable body parts, and players can battle, breed, collect, and trade these creatures. The game also has its own token, Axie Infinity (AXS), which is traded on several exchanges. As of now, the token's price stands at $7.7.

The Sandbox is possibly the oldest game on this list, with its roots stretching back to 2012. Although it shares similarities with Minecraft, it operates under a play-to-earn mechanic. Players can fashion and design their own NFTs, such as avatars, virtual goods, and even games, by utilizing VoxEdit and Game Maker. These creations can then be monetized on the Sandbox marketplace. The game's token, SAND, trades at just over $0.5.

Decentraland is a game similar to the previous one but with some unique features. Essentially, the game is a grid of 100,000 plots of land that follows real estate market laws – meaning that there are both poor and wealthy areas. Once you acquire a few plots, you can start building on them to create different types of buildings. The game's economy is based on construction, renting, and reselling land plots. But, there are also opportunities to earn money by opening a nightclub, casino, shopping center, or gallery on your plot. 

Decentraland has two tokens – MANA and LAND. The former is the primary token used for in-game transactions and is traded at just over $0.5. The latter, however, is not traded on exchanges but is used as a non-fungible token that confirms ownership of land. 

Alien worlds is a popular strategy game that involves space exploration, equipment upgrades, resource mining on various planets, and player-versus-player combat. It offers a range of activities, such as land ownership and rental, item selling, mission participation, Trillium token mining, and earning real money. Currently, TLM trades at around $0.018.

What makes the game particularly appealing is its advanced DeFi and DAO systems. Players use TLM to level up their characters, and to vote for the “governments” that govern the game's planets.

Illuvium is an exciting 3D role-playing game that's currently in the open beta testing phase. In this game, players get to create their own characters, choose a drone assistant, and build a team of Illuvial creatures to fight battles. The game offers three modes: the story mode, historical mode (which allows players to explore the planet), and the “Leviathan Arena” mode where players can win rewards by defeating other players in battles.

The game's token, ILV, is used for upgrading the player's character or team, and also for placing bets on other players' battles. With a value of slightly over $50, this game is the closest thing you can get to a fully-fledged computer or console game with an open-world system. While it may not be as big as Assassin's Creed, Illuvium boasts 3D graphics, and many advantages of the metaverse, such as blockchain protection, a decentralized exchange platform, NFTs, and staking.

The Metaverse is a rapidly emerging concept that's got the gaming industry's biggest players paying close attention. Even though it's still in its infancy, big names like Ubisoft and EA Sports are already exploring ways to integrate it with their platforms. For instance, The Sandbox has been teaming up with Ubisoft since 2022, while EA Sports is eyeing NFTs as a potential component of its upcoming football simulator. It's clear that we're on the cusp of a more cohesive Metaverse that's more closely interwoven with traditional gaming.