Honestly, the play-to-earn (P2E) sector has changed beyond recognition over the past couple of years. Previously, everyone talked about Axie Infinity, but now it’s having player-retention issues after that scandal in 2022. But that doesn’t mean play-to-earn is dead. On the contrary, quite a few interesting projects have appeared.

For example, Gods Unchained is a strategic card game led by a former director of Magic The Gathering Arena. There’s truly a familiar format there, but with NFT cards. Rarity affects the price, and GODS tokens can be earned in matches. You can start for free, which is attractive for newcomers. Although if you don’t like deck-building, maybe this isn’t for you.

And Parallel is a sci-fi TCG, where the land has become unfit for life, and people split into expeditions. The game truly combines the classic mechanics of card games with blockchain. Players fight using strategic decks of NFT cards from different factions and earn PRIME tokens. This is a more interesting approach to play-to-earn than just “collect monsters.”

If you’re more into role-playing games, Illuvium is an open-world game where you catch and collect creatures. Turn-based battles, exploration, trading Illuvials as NFTs. The difficulty depends on your experience, but overall it’s a serious game, not just a clicker.

Aavegotchi is an interesting thing for those into DeFi. There you manage an avatar, stake cryptocurrency through Aave, and increase rarity. It’s a mix of retro games with real financial mechanics. You need to invest in the GHST token to get started, but if DeFi interests you, it’s worth a try.

For creative people, there’s The Sandbox — a decentralized world on Ethereum where you can create 3D assets, monetize land, and build experiences. The economy runs on SAND. The only problem is that land prices can be high, so entry isn’t cheap.

The Heist is something else. A dormant PVP DeFi game in the style of crypto-punk. You’re either a robber planning a robbery, or a gorilla defending banks. Characters as NFTs (. Gameplay of land capture and NFT betting is truly unusual for P2E.

There’s also Rage Effect from Goldon Studios — the first AAA shooter in India, available on mobile, PC, and PS5. Intense mechanics, skill-based matches, and a guild system. Not a typical P2E, but an interesting format.

Boss Fighters is a VR shooter where one player in VR serves as the boss, and the other four on PC are fighters. Weapons, gadgets, and an arena with objects. A unique experience if you have VR.

Pixels is a game that’s still in development. There you collect pixelmonsters, build, do crafting, and farm. You can sell items for PIXEL tokens. Moderate difficulty.

Personally, I think play-to-earn isn’t about quickly getting rich from clickers anymore. It’s about finding a game you genuinely like, and earning is just a bonus. Each project here has its own face: from strategic card games to DeFi experiments. The choice depends on what interests you. Which of these P2E games appealed to you the most?