Recently, more and more people are asking me about NFT games, and honestly, it's a topic that is really starting to grow. Blockchain has opened up a completely new dimension for gamers — instead of just playing, you can actually own digital assets that have real value.

What exactly are NFT games? Simply put, they are games built on the blockchain where the items and characters you collect are actual NFT tokens. You can own them, sell them, trade them. Each NFT is unique and cannot be copied — that is key.

The history is interesting. As early as 2012, Yoni Assia showed that tokens could be created on Bitcoin (Colored Coins). But the real breakthrough came in 2017, when CryptoKitties appeared — the first NFT game that allowed players to breed virtual cats. I remember how crazy it was; some cats sold for insane amounts of money. Of course, the enthusiasm waned, but it was the beginning.

Then came Axie Infinity, developed by Vietnamese creators. It was a game that showed NFT games could actually be profitable. People earned money playing, fighting monsters called Axies. This attracted millions of new players and really accelerated the entire sector.

For me, the key features of NFT games are three things. First, every NFT is indivisible — it represents exactly one unique resource. Second, you have full ownership verification recorded on the blockchain, which is important for collectors. Third, the rarity of these assets affects their value — if an asset is rare, it’s worth more.

Of course, there are pros and cons. Pros? You truly own your assets, you can sell them, earn from them. Many NFT games have a play-to-earn model, which is attractive. Interoperability is also a plus — sometimes you can use NFTs across different games.

Cons? The game might shut down, and then your NFTs lose value. Many players enter just for the money, which sometimes leads to mediocre-quality games. The value of NFTs depends on many factors — game popularity, interest, market fluctuations. It’s risky.

Among the games that are currently popular, Axie Infinity still holds up. Pixels is a farming game on Ronin, with over 900,000 players. Shrapnel is a shooter you can download from the Epic Games Store. Mavia is a tower defense strategy on mobile, downloaded over a million times since launch.

Big Time is a free action RPG that received $21 million in funding. Illuvium is an open-world game built on Immutable X — beautiful graphics, similar system to Pokémon. Life Beyond is an MMORPG where you play on an alien planet.

Wreck League is a fighting game by Nway and Animoca, compatible on mobile and PC. The Beacon is a roguelike fantasy game by Treasure DAO, popular on Arbitrum. Crazy Defense Heroes is a card tower defense game by Animoca Brands, available on Android and iOS.

I often ask myself if NFT games are the future. Honestly? The potential is huge. The combination of true ownership, creative gameplay, and blockchain technology is something traditional games have never offered. Many challenges still lie ahead, but the trend is becoming more and more real. It’s worth watching how it develops.