Games. There’s probably no one that doesn’t know what they are. Everyone plays games; we’ve played them as kids and still do. We’ve been playing games since the days of the early men. But games have evolved from the sticks and stones our ancestors played. From chess to casino games to Mortal Kombat 1, games have certainly evolved, and the next step in the evolution of games is Web3 gaming. But what exactly is Web3 gaming? And what are the best upcoming crypto games you should look out for? As the saying goes, “Read around and find out.”

Introduction to Web3 Gaming

While Web3 gaming might sound like something related to one of the Spider-Man games, it’s not related to anything about the friendly neighborhood web crawler. Web3 games are, in fact, specific types of games based on the decentralized, peer-to-peer architecture of blockchains and feature cryptocurrencies as well as NFTs in their gameplay. 

One especially cool thing about Web3 games is that they give the players ownership of in-game items which they can transfer and trade as they please on decentralized marketplaces with the help of smart contracts. Web3 gaming also gave birth to the play-to-earn (P2E) and Play-to-own games gaming models, which reward players with cryptocurrency for playing games so they can have something to show their mom when she asks what they gain from all the games they play. 

Key Features of Blockchain Gaming

As you might already know, blockchain gaming is not the same as just gaming; the difference is literally in the name. But of course, web3 games are still games, so what features make decentralized gaming different from regular gaming? Here’s some of them;

Decentralization

Decentralization is central (no pun intended) to AAA blockchain games. Web 3 games are built on decentralized blockchains. This infusion of blockchain tech means Web3 games are more transparent, secure, and user-controlled than your everyday average game. 

Crypto Wallets

Web3 games will reward you in one way or the other. Whether through in-game assets, tokenized gaming assets, or even cryptocurrencies (in the case of P2E games), you get to collect and store all your rewards in a crypto wallet. 

Ownership

Apart from your console or PC and your gamepad, there’s probably not much else you own with traditional games. But when it comes to blockchain games, players own their in-game assets, NFTs, and other digital assets and can trade and sell them as they like.

Smart Contracts

Smart Contracts are a part of the Web3 gaming package. These contracts can be programmed to execute specific actions automatically when certain conditions are met. They are used in Web3 and NFT games to manage the ownership, transfer, and trading of player in-game properties.

Best Upcoming Web3 Games

As a relatively new niche, Web3 games are in rapid development. There were many exciting, new Web3 games 2024 came with, but as 2025 approaches, there are even more exciting games in the works, many of them hot topics in the web3 community already. From MMORPGs to Hack ‘n’ Slash, Action RPG, PvP/PvE shooters, and other popular Web3 gaming trends, many new exciting titles from big studios such as Avalanche Gaming are coming out soon, and we have the most exciting ones for you;

RavenQuest

Expected Launch: Q1 2025

Any web3 gamer knows that massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) are a massive part of the Web3 gaming ecosystem and RavenQuest is joining their ranks very soon. 

From the game’s trailer, RavenQuest is designed to be a pixel-based MMORPG. The gameplay shows that players can enjoy an unparalleled experience of freedom in the game’s unique open-world design. The game’s goal is for players to claim plots of land to build homes and farms. Players can also customize their characters and weapons by collecting RavenCards. 

RavenQuest is expected to be released in Q1 of 2025 after land sale and quests events in December 2024. The development team is already working on fine-tuning everything about the game, from gameplay mechanics to blockchain integrations, before launch. RavenQuest Phase 3 has already seen big success, with sold-out land sales and the Guild Wars hitting the 300k Quest prize pool, a big pointer to the fact that the incoming release might just turn out to be a smash hit. 

Onchain Heroes

Expected Launch: 2025

As the name suggests, Onchain Heroes is a blockchain project, and it comes with heroes. The upcoming game is an idle RPG designed to be purely on-chain for the special class of “Web3 natives.” This means that everything about the game, from its logic to its state, lives on the blockchain in one fantastic immersive blockchain experience. 

Onchain Heroes may look like an easy game, but it’s a mixture of simplicity. While the game’s core loop is as easy to understand as it gets, it is also difficult to master. Players also get a chance to try out different strategies in this game, so whether you want to go all out with a high-risk, high-reward strategy or don’t want to be a hero and want a safer progression, you’re welcome to play. 

Onchain Heroes comes from the makers of the highly successful Genesis Ring Collection. The playable version is expected to be available soon and launched on the Abstract Layer-2 network.

Crystalfall

Expected Launch: 2025

Stepping away from the RPG world, Crystalfall is another highly anticipated Web3 game, not just because it looks like one of the best hack ‘n’ slash Action RPGs out there but also because it’s free to play. 

The game’s trailer shows that it is set in a gritty, post-apocalyptic steampunk world, very much like the Mad Max movie franchise, which is already very interesting to work with. 

The gameplay involves players choosing their class as they go on an adventure-filled journey through the land devastated by a mysterious asteroid, collecting crystal shards and battling mutated creatures. It starts with your character, a convict thrown into dangerous dungeons filled with steampunk foes to fight, and epic loot for the taking. 

Crystalfall has already been playtested very successfully and is just undergoing some refinement activities before it is eventually released in 2025. 

Forgotten Runiverse

Expected Launch: Q1 2025

Forget about the “forgotten” in the name of this game because Forgotten Runiverse right there among the most anticipated Web3 game releases in the gaming world. This free-to-play Web3 game comes in a unique pixel art MMORPG format inspired by the Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult IP. 

Here, The gameplay focuses on resource gathering, crafting, and exploration as players form guilds, participate in PvE expeditions, and even compete in monthly PvP leagues. The game's integration with the Ronin network also makes true player ownership possible, and there’s a lot to own with over 10,000 unique NFT wizards who don’t like wizard collectibles.

The game starts with a “Crash the Runiverse” event in January 2025. The event involves airdrop-qualifying activities for players, and there’s a lot of airdrop material—21 trillion Quanta Airdrop, to be exact. 

Cambria

Expected Launch: 2025

While this game shares its name with a particular text font, it’s far from boring. The Cambria game is an experimental MMO where each player’s action carries real stakes with actual on-chain significance. The game is set in a medieval fantasy world, and it comes with all the activities and allure that period has to offer. Players engage in everything from skilling to PvP, PvE, trading, politics, banditry, and exploration. 

The Cambria team, fresh off a hugely successful Cores Mint, will be kicking off the year in style with an event centered around Cambria and other exciting projects. The playable version of the game is also slated for a 2025 release although no specific date has been announced. 

Treeverse

Expected Date: 2025

You know a project is exciting and major when it has a “verse” suffix, and Treeverse is by no means an exception. Treeverse is about as expansive as an MMORPG can get. The Endless Clouds designed game is built with a very immersive environment. Treeverse also lets you share adventurous experiences with friends, gather resources, craft powerful gear, and even defeat monsters with the help of monster shards and blueprints. 

While the game is already as exciting as it is, the developers of Treeverse are still working on an exclusive build before the official alpha version is released. Excitement is already surplus for this game, but as of now, no date has been announced for its release.

Games have never stopped evolving, and they certainly won’t stop. As the gaming industry continues to grow, Web3 gaming and blockchain gaming platforms will evolve. We’re already seeing all the brilliant innovation coming from the Web3 space with games such as the ones we’ve listed today, other Avalanche Subnets games, and every other thing Crypto Gaming 2024 had to offer, but there’s more on the way. Web3 games always garner much excitement, especially since many of them come with rewarding play-to-earn (P2E) models. Who does not want to play while making a quick buck? There is already so much excitement around all these games that players will be delighted to play them next year.

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