This year, a number of new games with NFTs and crypto tokens splashed onto the scene with a mix of early access releases and full launches. From shooters to trading card games and RPGs, there’s now a wide range of games in the blockchain space for both PCs and mobile devices.
Here’s a look at the biggest blockchain games that really broke out—and generated excitement—in 2023.
Parallel
The interplanetary sci-fi trading card game Parallel is, without a doubt, one of the games that made the biggest impact in blockchain gaming in 2023. From its closed beta launch to gorgeous card art and deeply strategic gameplay, Parallel is setting a higher standard for what NFT-enhanced games can look like—making it not only one of the biggest Web3 games of the year but also GG’s 2023 Game of the Year.
While many TCGs can feel like little more than Hearthstone clones, Parallel has really set itself apart from the competition with its unique factions or “parallels” that offer special abilities, like Augencore’s ability to “upgrade” cards and Kathari’s cloning abilities. Furthermore, Parallel is already expanding its world with a separate “Colony” game in development that plans to use AI-powered characters that interact with the blockchain.
GG's 2023 Game of the Year: Parallel
Parallel sets a new standard for NFT card games while breaking free of the broader genre mold—and that’s why it is GG’s Game of the Year for 2023. The space opera trading card game (TCG) is free-to-play with optional NFTs and requires an incredible amount of strategy and card knowledge to climb its highly competitive ranks. Unlike some other blockchain games, Parallel doesn’t feel like a “pay-to-win” experience. Instead it offers an eye-catching, elegant sci-fi world with intense matches and uni...
Illuvium
Illuvium is an ambitious sci-fi fantasy project that currently spans four games and tons of NFTs. Its open-world RPG and pet collecting game, Overworld, is still in beta but already offers gorgeous, immersive environments and some seriously fun flying mechanics. Its pet battler arena mode, Arena, also looks promising as esports giant Team Liquid has promised to help advise the Illuvium team on Arena’s development.
Pixels
This pixelated browser game is one of the few titles on this list that’s been fully released. Pixels generated a lot of buzz on social media after it migrated to Axie Infinity’s Ronin blockchain—and fans are looking forward to the project’s anticipated second token launch and airdrop.
While browser games often leave a lot to be desired, Pixels’ minimalistic, retro 2D look and chatty community that grew substantially this year make it one of the biggest blockchain games of 2023.
No 'Surprise' Airdrop Coming for PIXEL Token, Says Pixels Game Founder
The Pixels browser game still plans to launch a PIXEL token, but the game’s founder wants fans to know that the token’s launch will not be a surprise—and to be wary of scammers. “We will not surprise drop $PIXEL,” said the game’s founder Luke Barwikowski on Twitter (aka X). “Be very careful over the next couple of months. People will try to scam you. You will know when $PIXEL is coming—we’ll be noisy as hell during the lead up.” According to a Discord screenshot detailing a response from the fou...
Shrapnel
'A Grand Experiment': Shrapnel Studio Head Don Norbury Talks Game Economics
How much of Shrapnel's in-game items are tradeable NFTs? Don Norbury, Studio Head at Shrapnel and CTO at game studio NEON, tells Decrypt's Kate Irwin about Shrapnel's approach to game economics, including different game pricing models and how NFT game economies create different challenges for developers.
Shrapnel is a first-person extraction shooter with serious promise. It’s among the 6% of blockchain games that have actually gotten AAA-levels of funding, recently raising another $20 million for its game development back in October. The game’s sci-fi dystopian world already looks cinematic, offering more varied color palettes and atmosphere than your typical Call of Duty game.
The Shrapnel team has also built its own blockchain tech, GameBridge, to facilitate its NFT items—and has truly taken an all-in approach to high-stakes crypto gaming. With its early access rollout planned to begin in January, Shrapnel is positioned to compete with the likes of Escape from Tarkov and other high-budget shooters.
The Most Anticipated Crypto and NFT Games
The next wave of NFT-infused games promises to be a dramatic step up from the simplistic, DeFi-driven experiences that defined the initial play-to-earn gaming wave. Want proof? Just check out the games below. From Illuvium to Shrapnel and Otherside, these games look and feel just like the glossy AAA games that millions of “Web2” gamers love, but with ownable and tradable assets, tokenized economies, and new play mechanics. We’ve picked 12 of the most exciting-looking games on the horizon, includ...
Off the Grid
The upcoming crypto-powered battle royale shooter Off the Grid has dystopian “District 9” film director Neill Blomkamp as its chief creative officer. This year, the Off the Grid studio launched its own dedicated Avalanche-based blockchain subnet’s test network, which will power all of the upcoming game’s crypto transactions. A mobile companion game was also launched, offering players the ability to race around virtual industrial spaces with a drone to collect loot that will be usable in the main game.
'District 9' Director's Shooter 'Off the Grid' Launches Mobile Game Amid Avalanche Subnet Rollout
“Off the Grid” isn’t your typical blockchain game. Gunzilla Games, the studio behind the upcoming multiplayer free-to-play shooter, has “Chappie” and “District 9” director Neill Blomkamp as its chief creative officer and Warface developer Vlad Korolev as its CEO. The company also has about 260 full-time employees working on the game and its crypto-powered ecosystem, Korolev shared with Decrypt in an exclusive interview. “Off the Grid is a traditional multiplayer shooter [that] puts all its econo...
With its visionary CCO, continued progress, and ambitious battle royale plans, Off the Grid is without a doubt one of the biggest blockchain games of the year—even though it’s still in development.
Deadrop
Deadrop is an upcoming first-person shooter that has offered up multiple playable early access builds to fans this year. The game is being created by ex-Halo developers as well as the YouTuber Dr. Disrespect, who’s already cultivated a passionate community around the game. At a Las Vegas event, fans showed up in Deadrop-themed cosplay—and the latest game build unveiled car races, putting a new twist on the extraction shooter.
My Pet Hooligan
My Pet Hooligan (MPH) is a quirky, colorful battle royale shooter that offers optional NFTs and tokens alongside its game, which was released on the Epic Games Store this year. Like many of the other games on this list, MPH has a passionate group of fans on social media who love posting their edgy rabbit avatars in Twitter reply sections. The game itself is also a lot of fun, offering weapons like paintball and water guns as well as a cartoonish map that feels as if Futurama met Fortnite.
Year in review
Overall, this year represented a real step forward for the space, but many of the most appealing games are still in development and are far from being feature-complete. Out of the games that have been released this year, many still feel unfinished or a little too pay-to-win to be fun long-term. But there are a lot of strong starting points.
Will 2024 finally be the year that we see a breakout game that brings blockchain to the masses, as some industry proponents believe? Stay tuned to GG as we continue to closely cover this growing industry.
Edited by Andrew Hayward
