NFTs have been around for quite some time but it’s taken until 2021 for them to take off in any meaningful way. The NFT market has more than tripled over the last 18 months, and it’s notable that two of the biggest names in the sportswear world have recently got involved, Adidas and Nike have produced unique digital sneakers which fans of the brands have snapped up. It’s moves like these from companies ingrained into popular culture that have helped elevate the NFTs to their new higher plane.
But what are NFTs? And how do they work?
NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are digital assets which are unique and cannot be replicated. This is in contrast to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which can be duplicated. The uniqueness of NFTs means that they can be used to represent anything which is one-of-a-kind, from digital art to in-game items.
How do NFTs work?
NFTs are stored on a blockchain, which is a digital ledger that records all transactions. When you purchase an NFT, you are actually buying a token which represents the ownership of that asset. The asset itself is stored on the blockchain, and the transaction is recorded so that everyone can see who owns the asset.
One of the advantages of NFTs is that they can be easily traded or sold. Because they are stored on a blockchain, anyone can see who owns an NFT and can transfer ownership if they wish. This makes it easy to buy and sell NFTs, as there is no need for a central authority to approve the transaction.
Another advantage of NFTs is that they are immune to counterfeiting. Because each NFT is unique and stored on a blockchain, it is impossible to create a fake version of an NFT. This makes them ideal for representing valuable items such as digital art or in-game items.
The non-fungible token represents ownership of a digital asset, which can include a piece of art, music, or those digital training shoes. NFTs are built on the same blockchain technology as cryptocurrency, so purchases are dealt with in the same way, allowing anyone to verify the authenticity and ownership.
From training shoes to sport, NFTs are spreading into all industries. The Kraft Sports Group, owners of the MLS soccer franchise the New England Revolution, have done a deal with the company which have brought an NFT to the fans of clubs in Europe. Socios fan tokens have been selling out at huge soccer clubs like AC Milan, Barcelona, and Premier League club Arsenal. This is because purchasers of the tokens get access to unique VIP experiences, exclusive merchandise, and more. Major developers in video gaming are involved too; Ubisoft recently announced their platform for in-game digital collectibles to give players the chance to deck their characters out in unique digital attire.
Games based around NFTs are also prevalent. These are where players purchase an NFT to enter the game, then earn more or trade their digital assets via playing the title. More gameplay could mean more valuable NFTs via their play-to-earn model known as Game-Fi. So, if you think NFT games could be for you, then we’ve got the best of them right here.
Gods Unchained
Gods Unchained is one of the first games to truly capitalize on the power of NFTs. It’s a collectible card game in the vein of Hearthstone, but with one key difference: the cards are all ERC-721 tokens. That means that each card is completely unique, and can be traded or sold freely outside of the game. What’s more, Gods Unchained is fully decentralized, meaning that there’s no central authority controlling the game or its economy—it’s all run by smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. This gives players full control over their cards and their destiny, and also makes Gods Unchained resistant to censorship.
This free-to-play card game is an excellent way to enter the world of the NFT; there’s no purchase needed to enter the realm of the gods. Winners of the clashes between players gain more experience, and they are offered the chance to purchase cards/NFTs from existing players or win PVP matches on the platform. The interface is very user-friendly, and it’s a really solid card game that many will enjoy.
Axie Infinity
This is the largest and most well-known title in NFT gaming; it will look very familiar to those who have experienced Pokémon Go, where gamers use their digital pets to fight monsters with rewards coming to the victor. The ‘Axie’ have different powers and have specific genetic patterns (still sound familiar?), and of course, some Axies are very valuable. To start your journey, players need to buy three pets, minimum to access a Smooth Love SLP token, but please be aware this is a game for Android users only.
The game has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible for newbies, with an comprehensive in-game tutorial that will guide you through the basics of how to play. And if you get stuck, there’s always the supportive Axie Infinity community on Discord to help you out. Another great thing about Axie Infinity is that it’s completely free to play; all you need is an Ethereum wallet and some ETH to get started. So what are you waiting for? Go check out Axie Infinity today!
Sorare
We all remember swapping out trading cards in the schoolyard right, well this is a fantasy soccer car game where the cards are the NFTs. You have to assemble your team, then you can trade them to get better players or make a little digital currency. But the difference here is that the player’s performances in their real-life games drive the results in the digital game. So, you earn rewards for what they do ON the pitch, meaning the best NFTs in the game are constantly changing.
We hope you liked our look at the best NFT games available for you to play right now, remember to please play responsibly, and there are no guarantees that you will win any valuable NFTs, but you’re sure going to have fun doing so.