NFT Games Without Investments: A Beginner's Guide

NFT can be treated differently: some consider it a banal swindle of gullible fools, while others see the future in non-fungible tokens. One way or another, you can make good money on NFT, and today we want to talk about such a phenomenon as NFT games. In the end, not everyone is given to create something of their own, but even monkeys can play. 

What are NFT games and how can you earn money on them? Let's figure it out!

What are NFT games?

Blockchain itself entered the gaming industry back in 2014, but only with the advent of NFT, it became possible to create games in which users can be not just players, but also owners of gameplay elements - characters, objects, and locations. 

The pioneer in 2017 was the legendary CryptoKitties project. NFT kittens, which could be bred not only for fun but also for sale, showed the prospect of market development - the price of rare tokens reached several tens of thousands of dollars. Before that, players were more accustomed to spending rather than earning on games.  

In 2021, against the backdrop of the popularity of Axie Infinity, the general public learned about NFT games. Users were surprised to discover that they can play computer games not for the sake of the process itself, but for the sake of earning. 

The basic mechanism behind most of the game is simple. You play and “evolve”, thereby increasing the value of your asset. In most NFT games, you will first need to purchase in-game tokens and you will have to pay for most upgrades, but in some places you can start without investment - by subscribing to the social networks of the game, inviting a couple of friends, and so on. The mechanics are very clear.

In fact, game tokens are an investment, and gamification simply adds excitement to the earning process (although much more). If the game is hypanet, then the value of your asset will increase. For example, the most expensive monster from the already mentioned Axie Infinity was sold for a “modest” $1,076,100. Yes, that's right - more than a million dollars for the character of the game.

Market outlook for NFT games

Giving forecasts is a thankless task, so we will just talk about industry trends, and you will draw your own conclusions.

The NFT games market is growing exponentially, and not only crypto enthusiasts are interested in it: already now the leaders of the “traditional” game industry are changing the mechanics of their popular products in order to introduce tokens into them. Although it's not that easy - not from a technical point of view, of course. For example, the developers of STALKER-2 intended to add NFT, but under the pressure of outraged fans just a week ago abandoned this idea. 

On the other hand, the crypto industry is only growing, and the Game Finance segment in general and NFT games, in particular, give access to crypto to the general public, which can serve as a mutual growth catalyst. 

Already, NFT games are turning from entertainment into a way to make real money. Let's take for example the same Axie Infinity. Increasingly, cases appear on the Web in which ordinary users quit their jobs and live off in-game income. The trend is especially developed in Southeast Asia. So, with an active daily game, the user's monthly income is $ 500-1000 - the money, frankly, is not big, but it is earned effortlessly ...

In general, game tokens are able to bring a good profit during the period of popularity of the game, but they are still doubtful as a long-term asset. The main reasons are the monotony of the gameplay and low involvement: compared to “classic” games like WoW, Fortnite or WoT, which can be played for years, interest in NFT games is quickly waning. And with the fall in popularity, the value of assets will plummet.

How to make money on NFT games without investments?

We will leave the option of developing games or drawing characters for now. Instead, let's see how a simple user can earn his penny. The easiest way to do this is by analyzing the mechanics of specific games.

Axie Infinity

The game is something like a mixture of Tamagotchi and Pokemon Go. Your task is to assemble a team of axi - NFT characters. In order to start the game and purchase the first axi, you will have to spend money: the entry threshold is 3 tokens worth about $140 each (moreover, in June these tokens could be purchased for $4 each!). But then, having grown and crossed the axis, you can get new units with unique characteristics - and sell them to other players. Or pump the character and sell it again.

In addition to the basic mechanics, you can earn money by completing quests and fighting. 

The rapid growth of the token has made it almost impossible for the average user to enter the game, especially for residents of third-world countries. Therefore, the creators of Axie Infinity founded the grant system - so theoretically, you can start earning on it without investment.

Waves Ducks

A game from Russian developers, an analogue of farms beloved in the early 2010s. The goal is to raise as many different ducks as possible. To earn money, you can either engage in breeding and display incredible combinations (each NFT duck exists in a single copy, and therefore becomes a collectible) or build a farm and produce ducks for sale as passive income - profit depends on the uniqueness and number of units.

Here, unlike Axie Infinity, attachments are not required. You can get eggs for activity in the social networks of the game. 

By the way, Pokras Lampas drew a character for the game - his NFT duck was bought for 3.85 million rubles.

Gods Unchained

A free NFT card game reminiscent of the famous Heartstone. For each victory over an opponent, the player receives experience points and new cards, which can then be sold. 

The game does not require initial investments, you can fight in normal mode and in tournaments for free, but you will have to pay for rare cards. Only special cards have value and it is on their resale that you can earn. Another monetization option is to win tournaments. Winning virtual bonuses can be exchanged for real dollars.

I think the mechanics of making money on NFT games is clear. And now, for inspiration, let's go over some interesting news from the industry.

Big purchases in NFT games

A piece of land in Axie Infinity, which is of the extremely rare type, was sold for a record (so far!) 550 ETH, which is about $2.46 million. Yes, the land in the center costs fabulous money in any of the worlds…

Or maybe the location of the site is not as important as the neighbors? The land in The Sandbox next to the property owned by Snoop Dog has been sold for a modest $450,000. 

A guild that plays the sci-fi Star Atlas has purchased $3 million worth of in-game NFT ships. The investment will allow the guild to gain influence (although why would you need influence in the game if you have three million bucks in the public domain?).

What you should pay attention to

Some NFT games haven't even been released yet, and there's already a lot of hype around them. Such things should be tracked and flown into the topic as early as possible - then the chance to earn increases significantly. A good example is My Neighbor Alice: the capitalization of the ALICE in-game token has already exceeded $300 million, although the launch of the game is scheduled only for spring. 

We recommend that you follow the news, go in, and complete at least the “minimum program” to receive NFT and wait for growth. Yes, here you can lose your precious time, but then you will definitely not regret the missed opportunities. As long as this NFT lottery works, you need to play.