We’ve covered how NFT’s have taken the gaming industry by storm in previous blogs, but we wanted to try something different and look at the three most popular blockchain games of 2021 that are currently trending. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled if they change over the holiday season, and more importantly if they remain secure.
With the blockchain currently surging in popularity, it’s no surprise that more and more games are appearing with their respective fanbases. But as always, for every 100 avid fans, there’s always going to be nearly an equal number of hackers and cheaters. But we’ll get into that later.
Looking at data and trends compiled by the #1 global NFT & Defi dapp store, DappRadar, we were able to see what’s currently hot on the market and what’s performing well. As always trends tend to fluctuate so it will be interesting to see how much these may change in the new year. In this article, we will be strictly looking at the rankings by users.
Alien Worlds
Currently ranking at the top spot, Alien Worlds is an NFT Metaverse where you can play with unique digital items (NFTs). Player's stake Trillium to planets to vote in the upcoming Planetary elections, as well as to increase the Planet’s reward pool. They can also participate in weekly elections for council candidates, submit proposals on how to distribute the planetary treasury or run for planetary council themselves. On top of that, players may also select NFT game cards for their strategy on Binance Smart Chain (BSC) and WAX, to be used for mining, fighting and missions.
Splinterlands
One of the most popular tradable free-to-play card games Splinterlands falls into the category of play-to-earn top NFT games, similar to Gods Unchained. As a result of winning card matchups, you can earn various rewards. To start playing this NFT game, you need to purchase a starter pack of cards. The next step is to register a Steam account that will allow you to unveil the cards you bought on Splinterlands. Once you have acknowledged and familiarized yourself with the cards, it is high time to battle other gamers. Each round of Splinterlands takes just a few minutes with a chance to make some bank.
Axie Infinity
Coming in third place is the hit game, Axie Infinity. Known for being one of the earliest and best Pokémon-style games, Axie Infinity is a play-to-earn game developed on the Ethereum blockchain. Axie Infinity emerged as a formidable contender while moving into 2021. The credit goes to Axie Infinity’s outstanding improvements and its growing player base. Axie Infinity recently implemented a prominent scalability solution, Ronin. It is the most reliable solution when it comes to transactions as there are no fees at all. With the primary goal of combating other gamers, players breed and collect Axies (NFT-based digital creatures). Each axie is unique in terms of its genetic signature, with players able to trade the axies on any one of the popular Ethereum NFT marketplaces.
The continuous need for Security
It certainly is great to see these games thrive and hopefully, the new year will bring about even more interesting and creative ideas that will further push the boundaries of both the metaverse and the overall gaming industry.
However, while this current trend has its advantages, it may also be costly if not properly protected. The blockchain system has been demonstrated to be safe in its architecture on several occasions. But, as we've already established, once anything is in the blockchain, it's there for good, and if there's a flaw, hackers will take advantage of it.
Thankfully at Cyrex, we are experts in both gaming AND blockchain, and your safety is our number one priority. Whether you’re a brand-new game emerging on the blockchain, or constantly ranking number one for months, you need security. Hackers are everywhere, and can easily put your player base, and your game, at risk.
Our penetration testing and cybersecurity services are designed to make your game and your business more secure online. Using our testing services and software development experience, we assist in the creation and security of apps that empower organizations. By assisting in the development of innovation and creativity in both gaming and cryptocurrency, we continue to push the boundaries.