Ten games gamers loved the most in 2022

In Q3 2022, the number of unique active wallets interacting daily with gaming dApps surged to a whopping number of 912K units and accounted for almost a half of the total blockchain activity across 50 networks. Blockchain games are widely adopted by users for a number of reasons. Some of them are closely connected with recent developments, like the scaling solutions decreasing transaction speed and cost. Other drivers are purely social, like the idea of generating income while playing, which captured people's minds across the globe amidst the pandemic restrictions. 

The first Web3 games could not boast of having well-designed gameplay or a high number of available options, and some projects were mainly focused on farming, while others simply failed. But today, at the end of 2022, things have changed significantly. The crypto bull run has ended, while the hype around play-to-earn games has subsided.

Nevertheless, we can see a number of blockchain game titles with compelling gameplay, rather than simple trading or farming opportunities, that can engage the pickiest audience. These games cannot certainly compete with the top traditional ones at the moment, but we have to keep in mind that the whole concept of Web3 gaming emerged only about two years ago.

On the one hand, most gamers did not do not even have a chance to try Web3 games. On the other hand, the teams behind the projects do notdid not have enough time (2-5 years on average) to roll out high-class Web3 games. These facts above fuel our optimistic outlook on the future of blockchain-based gaming, and we sincerely expect to see more AAA crypto games and excellent indie experiments leveraging the new Web3 opportunities in the next few years. 

In this piece, I have tried to describe the most prominent Web3 games released in 2022, or at least in late 2021, while the most important benchmarks for the selection were the general playability of the game and the high standards of gameplay and graphics. For this reason, I have researched the top industry media, including social media, and selected the most trending Web3 games, considering the community feedback. Some readers may find this list incomplete since other promising titles were released in 2022. At the same time, the titles below are arranged in a random order, and this article includes the author's personal opinion.

In short, I will review ten remarkable Web3 games of 2022 below and tell you what makes them special, and sum up their rewarding opportunities. If you are looking for a fresh gaming experience, this article is definitely for you. 

EV.IO

[ev.io] 33 KILLS ON SANCTUM (FLAWLESS)

The first game today is EV.IO, a fast-paced shooter built by Addictive Games on the Solana blockchain. EV.IO eliminates all the barriers associated with entering a Web3 gaming space since you can start playing the game directly in the PC browser or on your mobile device with no additional downloads or installs. Moreover, you do not have to purchase an NFT.

The game reminds of the good old projects, like Unreal Tournament, Halo, or Quake, and, at the time of writing (December 2022), features four different modes, including deathmatch, team deathmatch, sniper shotgun, and survival. The aim of the deathmatch is classic: you just have to get the most kills. The survival mode is also nothing special: you compete with other players to be the last one or the last team standing. The sniper shotgun is a variation of the deathmatch.

Each round can take place on a variety of default maps. However, you can also create a custom map with a built-in editor. The game follows a simple battle style, where a player starts with a gun and a sword. You can find more weapons on the map later and switch between available options to outgun the enemy. EV.IO also includes a lot of fun extra features, like teleportation, triple jumps, impulse, smoke, flash, and sticky grenades, making this simple point-and-shoot game as vibrant as possible.

Of course, the best part of EV.IO is that everyone can join the game for free. However, you can also purchase an NFT to start earning SOL. The NFTs also allow you to customize item designs and cosmetics, but the tokens do not have any impact on the gameplay or statistics. They can be traded on the Fractal marketplace or the secondary market without any limitations. 

Another beneficial side of the game is earning its native currency. Simply connect your wallet with an NFT to EV.IO and receive the E tokens for your score and achievements. When you collect enough rewards, you will be able to convert them into SOL.

If you do not have an NFT but still want some rewards, EV.IO has another solution. You can rent an NFT from other gamers and share the rewards with them. As an NFT owner, you can suspend the scholarship and receive your NFT back at any time. On top of the listed options, EV.IO also features a system of clans. Players can join one of the clans and reach the top of the leaderboard to earn massive rewards.

A free-to-play model and the advanced gameplay of EV.IO explain why many players choose this vibrant game, just for fun or to explore its rewarding options. 

Superior

Superior is an extremely fun third-person co-op shooter where all the superheroes have somehow turned into villains. Your character has to hunt the evil superheroes, steal their powers, and bring peace back to the citizens. But all the time, you are outgunned and outnumbered by your enemies.

Superior's gameplay is pretty simple: you go in, shoot the enemy, grab juice, escape, upgrade yourself, and repeat. Though, the game features a well-designed system of skills and special abilities. Before entering a new level, the player can choose one of the three upgrades and take it into the battle. The upgrades can improve your dash, melee, or gun attack for a while. You can also earn XP and skill points in the game to permanently upgrade your character. 

Your experience of the game totally depends on the character you choose. At the moment, there are three available heroes: Ronin, Murmur, and Nomad.

Ronin is a tough and witty samurai armed with a blade and a blaster. He is an excellent choice for close combat. A cool-headed sniper Nomad is the best for covering your teammates and eliminating threats from distance. The last character, a top-class mechanic Murmur, prefers to leverage the power of technologies and holograms against the villain superheroes.

Gala Games has removed the NFT functionality for the Steam users, but it is still available on the Gala Games Launcher. At the time of writing (December 2022), there are 11 editions of NFTs, including the early access pass, available on the Gala marketplace. The uncommon, rare, and ancient NFTs give owners a number of benefits, including:

• Increased skill and xp points to develop their abilities.

• Bonus skills for extra in-game tactics and strategies.

• Increased earning potential.

On top of that, all the Prime character NFT owners have received the early access pass for free.

Despite the limited NFT potential, Superior is definitely a breakthrough blockchain game in terms of graphics and gameplay. Superior is still under active development, and there is a lot of uncertainty about the future of the game. However, Gala Games has already announced the plan to run two versions of the game, for Web2 and Web3, with the cross-platform playing available for everyone, but with no character synchronization.

Blast Royal

Released in late November 2022, Blast Royale is a new wild and fun NFT battle royale that prioritizes gameplay over earning. The game is built on Polygon and available on both iOS and Android at the moment. Whether you own an NFT or not, you can enjoy the game without any advantage given to NFT owners.

30 players are dropped into the match in locations within the shadow zone, which is random for every battle. Players need to collect airdropped weapons, armor, and other equipment. You can preset a weapon loadout before the match, though, you will enter it with a default melee weapon. Once you pick up an item from the selected loadout, you can get a stat boost improving the chances of winning.

The character has three slots for weapons in total:

• a slot for a melee weapon, which is default and cannot be changed;

• another one for a weapon you can find on the map;

• a slot for a weapon out of your loadout.

Although Blast Royale is a free-to-play game, it features Web3 mechanics and a number of ways to earn in-game tokens, $CS and $BLST. The rewarding options include getting to the top in various competitions, trading NFTs on Blast Hub, or creating new items.

Each NFT item has certain attributes, including material, durability, etc. These attributes can be upgraded or need to be restored if an item has worn off. The marketplace also allows the creation of brand-new items by replicating the existing inventory.

The bottom line: Blast Royale is one of the most exciting blockchain games of the year, with a number of P2E options. It will definitely appeal to the fans of the classic Battle Royale genre and provide them with digital ownership and earning capabilities.

Drunk Robots

Drunk Robots is another exciting game released this year. The game takes us to the nearest future, where robots have completely replaced the human race in a wide range of activities. However, like any technology, some of them tend to break down or malfunction. These robots are sent to the largest robo-dump in the country, at the end of the big city. The number of mechanical outcasts had constantly been growing, and one day they created their own complex communities. These gangs of robots started raiding the nearest city in search of spare parts and METAL bear. After the terrifying attacks, the local residents decided to abandon the city and leave it to the metal gangsters. Now these gangs are fighting with each other for the territory of the new city, known as Los Machines, and for METAL, a local beer that helps them to restore energy. 

On top of the existing story and the amusing artwork, Drunk Robots also feature four different playing modes with various rewarding opportunities. This number includes two mini-games, you can play with no investment, while the top players of the leaderboard can get some rewards. The first one is Ninja, an endless runner. The second game, Knockout, represents a kill-em-all action.

Other game modes include PVP arena and Drunk Races. These modes require players to buy at least one NFT with a robot to compete for rewards in $METAL, which is the game’s native token. 

Bottom line: Drunk Robots is the funniest Web3 game with an interesting plot behind, offering players different ways to earn rewards. On top of that, the project team is very creative. They constantly upgrade the game and introduce new options, including the new Gang Wars multiplayer mode or the equipment containers, allowing players to draw one random item for the robot out of nine available objects. 

Thetan Arena

Thetan Arena is an exciting MOBA game on BNB Chain that has taken the gaming world by storm. If you are looking for a fast-paced game, this one is definitely the best choice for you. Players can form a team with their friends and battle with other gamers to earn token rewards, but their results always depend both on personal skills and teamwork. 

Thetan Arena includes various heroes with unique special abilities. Hero stats depend on the role on the battlefield, so you have to choose a hero wisely to increase your win rate. Every hero also has a number of attributes, like the level and the basic qualities, which can be upgraded, the rarity (common, basic, and legendary), and the trophy class. The last attribute is determined by your mastery of using a hero and can increase the power of custom skills.

The game features three classes of heroes:

• Tanks, operating on the front line and covering teammates;

• Assassins, designed to eliminate targets without being noticed;

• Marksmen, responsible for maintaining firepower.

In the beginning, a player gets a free level-one hero, which cannot be traded. A player also has to choose two skills from three different pools, including:

• effect skills, which define the impact on yourself, allies, and enemies;

• damage skills, increasing the damage for a short period;

• support skills, designed to counteract enemy attacks.

All the pools include 15 skills in total and are updated on a weekly basis.

Players are also free to choose any of five available game modes, including:

• Battle Royale (Solo / Duo), where 12 players are struggling to become the last one standing within 12 minutes.

• Tower Siege, where 8 players compete to destroy the enemy's tower within 5 minutes.

• Superstar, where 8 players are trying to hold the superstar and earn match points within 4 minutes.

• Deathmatch, with 8 players competing for 3 minutes to receive a maximum of 25 frags.

• Custom battle, where you can customize the number of players and the timespan as well as choose any available mode above. 

As it was mentioned before, players do not have to invest money to start the game, since the beginners receive a regular hero. This hero can be used to earn native in-game tokens, Thetan Coin. After achieving a certain rank, players will receive two extra heroes. They can earn enough rewards with the initial set to open premium heroes on the Thetan Marketplace. Premium heroes are tradable and have more rewarding opportunities. 

Moreover, you can check other play-to-earn options of the game, including:

• Buying the Thethan Boxes for a chance to win a Premium Hero. You can level up a new hero and trade it on the marketplace.

• Renting out your heroes to other players.

Thetan Arena is a game combining high-class game mechanics with a number of rewarding opportunities. If you are a fan of the MOBA genre and looking for a fresh experience, the game is definitely worth trying.

Aurory

Aurory is a virtual pet MMORPG that took the best of Pokemon series and complemented it with the benefits of Web3 technologies and an intricate plot. 

The game tells the story of two parallel worlds, Antik and Tokané. Antik was ruled by greedy Barons who caused a financial collapse by gambling all the citizens' funds. Eventually, the people of Antik found their own hero, Satoshi, who created a decentralized system to address the challenges of the people. Satoshi knew that this new system would never be implemented, for this reason, he discovered a parallel universe, Tokané, inhabited by unusual creatures called Nefties. One of them, Helios, could open a portal between the two worlds and move freely from one to another. Satoshi revealed the existence of the brave new world to the oppressed workers of Antik, so that the most brave of them could escape. However, Satoshi could not foresee all the outcomes, and Tokané started falling apart into shards after new workers arrived, while the Barons also started invading the new world. 

After many battles with the Barons, Satoshi disappeared and his consciousness splintered into the parts in different shards. These fragments turned into powerful artifacts that could help workers to fight against the Barons. Helios, the Nefty created by Satoshi, knew where these artifacts were but lost his memory. Now Helios and Sam, a worker from Antik, are setting off to the magical world of Tokané to find the answers.

The game features two modes: a single PvE mode and a multiplayer PvP mode. In the PvE one, players will learn more about crypto, blockchain, and NFTs through an exciting story of the main heroes, Sam and Helios. In this mode, players will know how to use the assets and rise to the top of the leaderboard, competing against other gamers.

The game is still under development, and there are three ways to get early access: buy aurorian on the marketplace, hold at least 250 AURY tokens, or participate in a Kuсoin event.

The $AURY token is the cornerstone of tokenomics with four main pillars: aurorians and tacticians, eggs and nefties, items, and lands. All the four are NFTs stored on the Solana blockchain and can be traded on the marketplace.

Although Aurory is a free-to-play game, it includes a number of rewarding options for different players. For example, only invested players will be able to loot eggs, power stones, and battle items, while free players can only earn $AURY to buy other assets. 

As of today, Aurory looks like an ambitious project with an immersive gameplay and a strong NFT functionality. The players can enjoy full control over in-game assets and a number of rewarding opportunities.

Spider Tanks

Spider Tanks is a new brawler from GAMEDIA that follows a very simple three-to-three PVP style across different modes. Players can choose tank bodies and weapons in the garage, and then battle in one of many arenas.

Tanks are the most important assets of the game that influence the pace and style. Before going to the battle, you have to choose and customize your tank. The game features a wide range of bodies with their own strong and weak points. However, the most important part of your tank is the weapon, which comes in many options as well, including gatling guns, missiles, turrets, and more. On top of that, you may also apply skins to your tank and equip it with different props. Most of them are cosmetic, but some may offer small bonuses. Finally, you have to pick two abilities for your tank, like shields, healing, slows, and many more.

The body of your tank directly affects several elements of the gameplay, including:

• the damage you can withstand,

• your speed,

• the time you need to restore the energy to use the special abilities.

The game includes a wide range of modes, like a team deathmatch, King of the Hill, Chicken Chaser (where you want to collect all the golden chickens), Kill Confirmed (where you get an egg for every destroyed tank), Capture the Flag, and Poultry Pusher (where you need to deliver the chicken of mass destruction to the designated location before the enemy).

Spider Tanks is a free-to-play game that includes a set of free tanks for every player. These tanks cannot be upgraded, traded, or sold. But if you want to earn rewards, you will have to invest in tanks and their parts. Players earn Victory Points for wins in battles and can convert them into the SILK tokens. On top of that, you can trade all the items stored as NFTs on the marketplace.

To sum it up, Spider Tank is a breakthrough Web3 game in terms of graphics and game mechanics that will certainly drag the fans of Web2 brawlers.

Immortal

Chess is one of the oldest and most complex games of all time. Chess rules have been the same for centuries, and Immortal certainly follows the same pattern known by anyone who has ever played chess.

Thus, in terms of the game rules, Immortal is not any different from any online chess simulator, however, the introduction of the NFTs shifts player’s experience and makes the game mechanics even more complex. 

There are three types of chess pieces in the game: classic, or ordinary pieces; ageless, the ones you receive after signing up; and immortals, essentially the NFTs. Every time you can choose up to four ageless or immortal pieces to start the game.

The immortal NFTs have two attributes: the elements, which are simply cosmetic and represent the material the piece is made of (e.g. marble, ivory, etc.), and the purity (Rough, Polished, Piece of Art, Masterpiece). The purity increases both the reward associated with the quest and the base reward earned for winning the game. The NFTs, which can be owned and traded freely, bring new challenges for players and can boost their earnings. 

As we mentioned above, the game adds a twist to the traditional chess rules by introducing quests and challenges for some pieces. The quest may relate directly to a certain piece (e.g. the pawn must capture at least two pieces) or to the game in general (e.g. win in less than 20 moves). 

Players receive points for winning matches and completing quests. Then they are ranked on the leaderboards. The top players can win different prizes, including NFTs, the $ETH or $CMT tokens. The last one is the in-game token, which can be used for  joining the tournaments, paying for lessons with grand masters, and many more.

To sum it up, Immortal is a simple chess game in regards to graphics and rules, but it has a well-designed system of quests and challenges that provides a lot of opportunities to improve your chess skills and earn rewards.

Era7

Era7: Game of Truth is a card-battling game inspired by similar Web2 titles, like  Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering. The game is built on Binance Smart Chain and available to play in a browser, on Android and iOS devices.

Era7 tells the story of seven races inhabiting the Continent of Truth and competing for the right to lead it. The chosen people of the races attend Summoner Academy and study the art of summoning cards. They travel the Continent to establish Summonings Pacts with the most skilled players. The allies fight for the right to become the King of the Continent. The king and his race are awarded the highest honors.

Era’s cards are divided into battle and master cards, with a total of 1,000 game cards available. Players need a deck of 30 Battle Cards to enter matches against opponents. There are two ways to get the cards. You can either buy them cards on the Era’s native marketplace, summon, or synthesize them. Summoning stands for generating a new card with the help of the NFT master card. You can find the last one in a mystery box. Synthesizing involves combining two exactly same NFT battle cards and spending the GOT and ERA tokens to create a level-up NFT.

There are two battle modes: Player versus Environment (PvE) and Player versus Player (PvP). While PvE mode is about battles against the computer, players fight against real opponents on PvP Arena.

Besides charming lore and an immersive gameplay, Era7 also includes a number of rewarding opportunities. You can earn in-game rewards in PvE and PvP modes, trade tokens and NFTs, or even join the referral program. 

Blankos Block Party

Blankos Block Party is a vibrant free multiplayer game with the main focus on fun and engaging with your friends. Players are free to create, build, play, and socialize.

Blankos are the main characters stored on the EOSIO blockchain as NFTs. You get your first red LEGO-shaped Blanko for free, but you can easily customize it by purchasing, earning, or trading new cosmetics,  accessories, and other stuff. Moreover, this adorable hero allows you to play all the available mini-games for free. 

To play Blankos Block Party, you need to download a launcher for Windows or MacOS. At this point, the game includes three different modes, or mini-games: Shooters, featuring deathmatches and team deathmatches; Race, which incorporates running through checkpoints; and Vibe Collects. The last mini-game is a race for collecting a maximum of the lighting bolts.

On top of that, the game offers a number of play-to-earn opportunities. As it was mentioned above, each character, or Blanko, is an NFT, which can be traded on the Mythical marketplace. After unboxing your Blanco, you have to choose a skill tree for your character and eventually upgrade it with the received XP points to increase its value. Remember that unboxing is an irreversible action that influences the value of your character. You can also participate in events and challenges to earn NFTs and sell them to other players.

The Blankos marketplace also features the limited edition NFTs designed by the world’s most talented creators and visual artists, including Pete Fowler, Jon-Paul Kaiser, Junko Mizuno, and Tara McPherson.

To sum it up, Blankos Block Party is an exciting blockchain game to spend a good weekend with your friends. This creative game allows you to customize your NFT characters in different ways and even build your own game levels.

Final thoughts

There is no doubt that gaming is one of the most promising applications of blockchain technology. And we can obviously see that Web3 gaming has evolved significantly since its introduction. This year we observed a lot of blockchain and NFT titles with advanced graphics and breakthrough gameplay previously attributed to traditional games. Many remarkable blockchain and NFT games are still free-to-play, but at the same time, they provide gamers with a variety of rewarding options, including trading NFTs, scholarships, or earning in-game tokens for their score and ranking. And, of course, we hope that, going forward, we will see even more outstanding games with cutting-edge technologies implemented in them.