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Onchain Gaming

  • Second generation of Play-to-Earn games is emerging
  • Higher quality games are starting to leverage blockchain
  • In game assets can be used across several game modes

How Onchain Gaming Works

Onchain games give players true ownership of in‑game assets. No central servers, no intermediaries—just transparent, player‑driven experiences and economy. Ethereum gives players true ownership of their in‑game items. These items exist as NFTs (non‑fungible tokens) on the Ethereum blockchain. That means:

  • Players own their assets as NFTs.
  • Items can be freely traded, gifted, or sold.
  • Blockchain ensures assets remain accessible forever.
  • Players can earn real‑world value from Play‑to‑Earn (P2E) gaming.

Play‑to‑earn (P2E) is also possible. Instead of just playing for fun, gamers can earn crypto rewards by playing Ethereum‑based games.

The current state of gaming

Popular Games Built on Ethereum

Developers are exploring new ways to make P2E more engaging and go beyond simple reward mechanics to deepen, skill‑based gameplay.

  • WAGMI Defense logo
    WAGMI Defense
    TOWER DEFENSE
    WAGMI Defense is a futuristic tower defense game where you protect your base from alien invaders. You can earn NFTs for in-game assets, which you can keep or trade.
    • Deploy various units and defenses to thwart enemy attacks.
    • Each unit is an NFT you can upgrade, trade, or sell.
    • Engage in player-versus-player battles to climb the leaderboards.
  • Illuvium logo
    Illuvium
    RPG
    Open world RPG with arena mode. Illuvium is considered one of the first AAA games within the blockchain gaming community, due to its high production values, use of Unreal Engine, and substantial team and funding.
  • Gods Unchained logo
    Gods Unchained
    CARD GAME
    Gods Unchained is a free-to-play, trading card game where players own their cards as NFTs and battle in strategic matches to earn rewards.

Play-to-Earn (P2E)

With Play‑to‑Earn (P2E) games, you can earn assets with real value. Unlike early P2E models that relied on unsustainable rewards, newer games focus on long‑term value. For example, Wolf Game(opens in a new tab) combines strategic gameplay with real asset ownership. Players manage virtual sheep and wolves, earning the in‑game currency WOOL, which can be traded or sold.

Interoperability & Cross‑Chain Play

While this is still in development, some game networks are already interoperable, where in‑game items (NFTs) can be used across multiple games.

For instance, in Illuvium, players can collect creatures called Illuvials(opens in a new tab), which are NFTs. These Illuvials can be used across various games within the Illuvium universe. An Illuvial captured in Illuvium Overworld can also be used in Illuvium Arena for battles.

Another example is Galaxy Fight Club. In this game, players can use different NFT collections(opens in a new tab) to participate in battles, meaning NFTs from various projects can be used within the game.

Scalability & Gas Fee Improvements

The challenge with most Ethereum gaming is high gas fees and slow transactions, which makes in‑game transactions costly. But this is changing thanks to Ethereum scaling networks (L2):

  • Immutable X; Enables gas‑free NFT trading.
  • Arbitrum & Optimism; Reduce fees and improve transaction speed.
  • zkEVM solutions; Help process game‑related transactions faster.

Get Started with Ethereum Gaming

Getting into Ethereum gaming is easier than you might think. With just a few steps, you can start playing and enjoying your progress:

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