Starting with 2017, the gaming blockchain has taken the world by storm. Over the following years, blockchain technology keeps disrupting the gaming industry, introducing new features and setting fresh trends. 

Many modern game development companies are utilizing vast blockchain potential in creating games, revolutionizing the way we play, create, and interact within virtual worlds. If we dive into statistics, we can see that in 2023, the blockchain gaming industry demonstrated remarkable, bullish growth, increasing its dominance by 45.60% compared to 2022’s 42.87%. 

Blockchain in gaming is still a popular topic for both game developers and players. Therefore, in this article, we will talk about blockchain and games, how firms use it in the gaming industry, and what blockchain game development company is worth looking into for future partnerships.

What Is Blockchain in Games?

Blockchain technology is a decentralized system that underpins cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. In gaming, it introduces NFTs, unique digital assets representing in-game items. NFTs are record on the blockchain, granting players true ownership and control.

Gaming blockchain’s transparency ensures fair gameplay; and provides valuable data to every blockchain game development company that creates games based on this technology. Players can keep assets indefinitely and securely transfer them across games and platforms. 

How Do Blockchain-Based Games Work?

In blockchain-based games, the blockchain operates as a distributed ledger, maintained and validated by a network of nodes, ensuring resilience against tampering and fraud. Players acquire NFTs through various means, such as gameplay achievements or purchases, and have the freedom to trade, sell, or utilize them within the game’s ecosystem.

With native cryptocurrencies integrated, players can use digital tokens for in-game transactions, rewards, and purchases, adding a layer of immersion and real-world value to the gaming experience. By recording all transactions on the blockchain, these games ensure transparency, fairness, and a trustworthy environment, addressing challenges like item duplication and cheating. 

Blockchain-based gaming paves the way for a player-driven ecosystem, redefining asset ownership and creating exciting play-to-earn opportunities, promising an immersive player experience. And that’s basically how game dev companies utilize blockchain in gaming.

How and Why Did Blockchain Games Become Popular?

The popularity of blockchain-based games started with the first game CryptoKitties, launched in 2017. The game is built on the Ethereum blockchain and allows players to buy, sell, and breed virtual cats represented as unique NFTs. Its success and reputation played a significant role in bringing blockchain gaming into the mainstream and inspiring the development of numerous other blockchain-based games in the years that followed.

What is so unique about games on blockchain that helped attract such fame? Why are companies actively adopting it in game development?

• A chance to earn while playing. With blockchain, gaming companies let players acquire cryptocurrency or valuable NFTs by participating and achieving in-game accomplishments. This financial incentive attracted both gaming enthusiasts and those interested in exploring new ways to generate income through gaming.
• Enhanced security. The transparent nature of the gaming blockchain ensures that all transactions and data within the game are publicly recorded on the blockchain. As trust has been a recurring concern in the gaming industry, the blockchain’s security is highly appealing to players.
• True ownership of in-game assets. Assets from traditional games are stored on centralized servers controlled by the game developer. Blockchain-based games utilize NFTs and, therefore, grant players actual ownership and control over their digital assets.
• Cross-platform integration. Blockchain technology allows for a seamless transfer of assets across platforms and games that adhere to the same blockchain standard. Thus, players can use their NFTs across various games, getting a more dynamic and engaging blockchain gaming experience.

Along with these key features, game development companies gladly adopt blockchain for partnership opportunities and branding boosts. Such collaborations with famous brands, artists, and franchises help attract a diverse audience to their blockchain-based games.

What Popular Video Games Run on the Blockchain?

Apart from CryptoKitties, the renowned veteran of blockchain gaming mentioned above, there are numerous chart-topping games to explore. Here’re our six favorites:

1. Axie Infinity

Playing Axie Infinity is similar to having a pet. Axies are adorable creatures in the game that you may buy and rely on for battles, exploration, and interbreeding. SLP tokens in this game may only be obtained through participation and can be exchanged for actual money. Axie Infinity is based on the Ethereum blockchain and employs the sidechain Ronin to minimize transactional delays. 

2. Decentraland

A 3D virtual game called Decentraland makes use of the Ethereum blockchain, like Axie Infinity, but works with the MANA currency. Here, gamers can play games, manage their virtual real estate, purchase and sell land plots as NFTs, and exchange assets. Also, Decentraland promotes cutting-edge ideas in digital ownership and gives players access to virtual galleries and museums where they can exhibit their works of art as NFTs.

3. The Sandbox

Sandbox presents a virtual world based on Ethereum with SAND tokens. With its three products—Game Maker, VoxEdit, and Marketplace—it offers a large-scale player experience. Also, With its Game Maker, everybody can make amazing 3D games for no cost and without any coding knowledge. However, Gamers can create and animate 3D models of humans, cars, flora and fauna, and other objects with VoxEdit. On the NFT market, users can later publish and sell their works.

4. Alien Worlds

Ethereum, the Binance Smart Chain, and WAX form the core of the blockchain-based game Alien Worlds. Also, This science fiction game’s main objectives are planet exploration and the mining of Trilium (TLM), a multi-chain utility coin. Also, Players can invest it to take part in the governance of the metaverse’s planets. However, As more people place their TLM wagers on the planets, the prize pool will grow, and everyone will be able to earn more.

5. Guild of Guardians

Players can put together their own Guardians army in this mobile RPG game created by Stepico and Immutable and compete against other players for rewards. The Guild of Guardians runs on a high-speed Immutable X Ethereum layer-two network. The game’s trading feature allows players to either create their own gaming NFTs or purchase them on secondary markets. This blockchain-based game features exchangeable tokens – GOGs.

6. Loaded Lions

Loaded Lions Mane City by Crypto.com is a business-themed title powered by Cronos. Also, This tycoon-style idle game allows players to build their own businesses in the expansive virtual world, design luxurious mansions, and earn in-game currencies, Gold and Diamonds. However, Loaded Lions encourages competition by letting players with the highest in-game revenue by the end of each season earn abundant rewards and exchange them for CRO.

Top 3 Game Development Studios That Use Blockchain in Games

Relying on an experienced partner is an essential part of the success of your future game. Also, The company of your choice should have vast expertise working with gaming blockchain and a good portfolio to prove their worth. 

We’ve got you covered! Also, We have cherry-picked the top 3 companies that actively practice blockchain-based gaming:

Stepico Games

Stepico is an expert game development company with 9+ years of experience creating games of various genres. Also, The company has been working with gaming blockchain for over 6 years, having created some of the well-known games and developed innovative blockchain solutions that enable true ownership of digital assets within games.

As a blockchain game development company, Stepico has already developed several successful games. Among their most popular blockchain-based titles are Guild of Guardians and Loaded Lions, two promising games with more than 120K players on the waitlist, awaiting the official release in just a few weeks! MetaPopit is Stepico’s other title built on the gaming blockchain that is worth your attention.

Stepico is a reliable partner of quite a few renowned companies like Universal, DreamWorks, Immutable, Gameloft, Snapchat, and others. Also, Stepico has a proven track record of delivering high-quality blockchain-based gaming services for projects of any complexity. 

Mythical Games

Mythical Games is a technology company that specializes in blockchain and gaming. However, They are known for their expertise in developing games that leverage NFTs and blockchain to offer players true ownership of in-game assets and exciting play-to-earn opportunities. 

One of their most popular blockchain-based games is “Blankos Block Party.” Also, Mythical Games is known for adopting MYTH, the first native utility token on the Mythical Chain, and using it on their Mythical Marketplace.

Dapper Labs

Dapper Labs is a trailblazer in creating games that leverage NFTs and blockchain technology. Also, Their expertise lies in building games that offer players the ability to own, trade, and monetize their in-game assets on the blockchain, fostering a more immersive and player-centric gaming experience.

They are the creators of the first blockchain-based game CryptoKitties, which we mentioned earlier in the article. Dapper Labs also boasts other popular games like Cheeze Wizards and its NFT collections for NBA Top Shot. 

Concluding Thoughts

The adoption of blockchain in the gaming industry is a transformative force, reshaping the way we interact with virtual worlds and in-game assets. Also, More and more companies are now embracing blockchain’s potential to create a more player-centric and transparent gaming ecosystem in their titles.

As the blockchain gaming industry continues to develop, we can expect even more innovative and immersive experiences to emerge. Whether you’re an active par