The introduction of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) has continued to prove time and time again that they have the ability to transform the gaming industry as we know it. The emergence of NFTs brings about a new and exciting era in which gamers take on even more critical roles in the gaming economy and receive lucrative rewards in the process.
This gaming paradigm was beginning to take shape as game developers adopted blockchain technology in search of new gaming experiences. The ranking below was originally published in October 2021 and is preserved as a record of that moment, followed by a 2026 status update for every game.
Important: This is not a current investment ranking. NFT ownership does not guarantee that a game, marketplace, token economy or hosted server will remain available. Battle Racers and Neon District demonstrate that an NFT can remain in a wallet after the game supporting it closes.
Where are these NFT games now?
| 2021 rank | Game | Verified status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Axie Infinity | Active, with Origins, Classic and other modes; its reward model has changed substantially. |
| 2 | MetaWars | An old demo and announcement channel remain discoverable, but no recent official development record was found. Treat as unverified/inactive. |
| 3 | Splinterlands | Active, with 2026 releases and gameplay updates. |
| 4 | The Three Kingdoms | The original project domain no longer belongs to the game and now carries unrelated gambling content. Current game operations could not be verified. |
| 5 | Gods Unchained | Active, with 2026 expansions, seasons and balance updates. |
| 6 | The Sandbox | Active; its game client and creator platform have continued to change. |
| 7 | Battle Racers | Closed February 16, 2022; official development and servers ended. |
| 8 | Cryptosnake | A project shop/blog remains online, but recent game-development evidence is limited. Verify functionality before connecting a wallet or paying. |
| 9 | Gold Fever | Official game documentation and download/support routes remain online. |
| 10 | Neon District | Discontinued; the team says it ceased all work and redirected resources to AI tools. |
But before diving in, let’s first discuss the basics of an NFT-based game.
What Are NFT Games?
NFT games combine conventional gaming features with novel gameplay mechanisms to provide players more control over in-game assets such as skins, characters, weapons, virtual lands, and much more. This is made possible by launching games on blockchains and anchoring them in economies powered by digital assets. These digital assets are often NFTs so that they are distinctive and tamper-proof.
The adoption of NFT token standards have allowed game developers to preserve the rarity and uniqueness of some of these in-game items. This is why some blockchain game assets are considered more expensive than others.
With the NFT system in place, the players can claim ownership of game assets through 3 main strategies. They can create or breed new characters, purchase digital items on native or third-party marketplaces, or unlock and earn new items. Regardless of how the player chooses to access these game assets, they have exclusive ownership rights over them. The player may then distribute or sell these assets and keep all the profits.
What Are the Top NFT Games in 2021?
Like all emerging and established sectors, certain platforms have positioned themselves at the top of the NFT gaming world. These games are at the forefront of the current NFT craze because they have successfully integrated NFTs with popular game themes. As a result, players get to enjoy some of their favourite game genres and at the same time engage with a profitable NFT market.
Without further ado, here are some of the top NFT games in 2021.
1. Axie Infinity
2026 status — active, but significantly changed: Axie now offers Origins, Classic, Homeland and other experiences. New players can use free starter Axies in Origins, so the statement below that everyone must buy three Axies no longer applies. Sky Mavis also ended SLP emissions in Origins in January 2026 and shifted several rewards to bonded AXS (bAXS). The remaining paragraphs preserve the 2021 design.
Axie Infinity takes inspiration from the Pokemon game franchise and adds a blockchain twist to make the final product even more interesting. Players breed and gather NFT-based digital creatures called Axies in this Ethereum-based game with the primary goal of combating other players.
Each Axie has its own unique genetic fingerprint. As a result, the strengths and shortcomings of Axies are handed down to their descendants. These digital creatures can be traded on Ethereum NFT markets, with prices varying depending on their rarity and distinctive characteristics. To begin playing the game, players have to purchase 3 Axies.
Smooth Love Potion ($SLP) — the platform’s native ERC-20 utility token – is awarded for each mission, player-versus-player (PvP) fight, and adventure mode that the player completes. Players pay a certain amount of $SLP for each attempt to breed a new Axie. $SLP can also be bought through exchanges.
Another ERC-20 token native to Axie Infinity is Axis Infinity Shard ($AXS), which functions as the platform’s governance token. It will anchor the game’s staking service scheduled to go live at some point in 2021.
2. MetaWars
2026 status — not independently verifiable as an active game: The original website was unavailable during this review. An old official announcement channel still references a Demo V2, but we found no sufficiently recent first-party release or development update. Do not buy WARS or connect a wallet based on this 2021 description alone.
MetaWars is a futuristic sci-fi multiplayer strategy and roleplaying game in space that allows players to monetize and earn from the game’s war economy. Players can immerse themselves in realistic space exploration through the vast MetaWars galaxy that is constantly evolving and shifting from the collective actions of every player.
MetaWars enables cooperation with other players to discover and revolutionize different galaxies through missions while earning NFTs and collecting limited edition robots through various auctions. Players can stake and complete challenges to earn $WARS tokens, the in-game and governance token.
The gameplay also allows players to widen their army with unique ships, classes, and various optimization options. Players can combine modules, weapons, devices and equip perks, helping their characters level up their strength, rank up and receive amazing rewards across the metaverse.
Learn more about MetaWars in our article MetaWars ($WARS, $GAM): NFT Gaming in Space.
3. Splinterlands
2026 status — active: Splinterlands continues to publish 2026 release notes, card sets and gameplay updates. Its current onboarding, modes, account system and rewards differ from the 2021 instructions below; consult the official new-player guide rather than buying an old “starting pack” based on this paragraph.
Splinterlands is a tradable card game that lets users earn as they play, similar to Gods Unchained. Players can earn rewards when they win card matches.
To begin playing Splinterlands, you must first purchase a starting pack of cards, create a Steem account, and then reveal the purchased cards in the game.
You could be lucky and get rare cards in your first set of bought cards in some situations. You could also come across multiples of the same sort of card. If that’s the case, you can combine identical cards to increase their strength or sell one of them in exchange for cryptocurrency.
After you’ve become comfortable with the cards, you may go on to combat other players or take part in missions. The outcome of these actions will influence whether or not you earn more cards.
4. The Three Kingdoms
2026 status — original project no longer verified: The domain formerly linked from this article now publishes unrelated slot-gambling material and should not be treated as an official Three Kingdoms website. We removed that link for reader safety. The following is the original 2021 project description, not evidence that the game or its token economy is operational today.
The Three Kingdoms was presented as a strategic third-generation NFT game based on the historical characters of the Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. The play-to-earn game proposed battling and besieging cities through staking, complete with a storyline.
The team behind The Three Kingdoms set out to build an NFT game that features multiple methods never seen before in the blockchain gaming market to earn tokens. $TTK is the game’s native token, used to purchase new characters in the NFT marketplace, upgrade armies, and invest in land. It can also be staked to farm more valuable NFTs.
$TTK will also be needed to acquire $CHI, the secondary in-game token. Inspired by the actual use of Chi in Chinese history as the energy that runs through all living things, players will be able to convert $TTK to $CHI through the mastering of energy. Some future uses of $CHI include the ability to besiege cities, battle other players and even fuse new heroes.
Read more about it in our article The Three Kingdoms: The New Era of GameFi.
5. Gods Unchained
2026 status — active: Gods Unchained continues to ship battle passes, balance changes, new modes and card expansions. GODS has long since launched, so the pre-launch warning at the end of this preserved 2021 section is no longer current. Token and card prices remain variable and are not guaranteed earnings.
Gods Unchained is a free-to-play game designed to infuse elements of NFT into a familiar card trading gaming genre. Players accumulate cards by purchasing them from other players or winning PvP matchups where the quality of cards and the gaming skill of players often determine the winner. Notably, more emphasis is being placed on skills and strategy. This is because the game utilizes a ranked game mode where players with the same ratings are matched.
You win matches when your gameplay causes your opponent’s life to drop to zero before yours. For every win, you receive experience points. As soon as the experience bar is filled up, you will move to the next rating or level and receive a new pack of cards to add to your collection.
Note that each card is backed by an ERC-721 token. Therefore, you can trade them on the platform’s native marketplace or the open market. Those opting to sell cards within the game ecosystem will receive the platform’s native token, $GODS, as payment.
It is worth noting that the $GODS token has not been officially launched at the time of writing. Be sure to confirm that the development team has released GODS tokens to the crypto market before proceeding to purchase or receive any token marketed as GODS tokens.
6. The Sandbox 3D
2026 status — active and evolving: The Sandbox continues to update its game client and creator ecosystem, including browser and selected mobile experiences. Its current Studio, publishing workflow and role for SAND/LAND should be checked in official documentation because they have moved beyond the 2021 description below.
The Sandbox is a voxel-based game metaverse and one of the most popular NFT gaming platforms for creating and trading virtual assets. Players may modify and monetize voxel objects in this game.
Consider it a blockchain-based version of popular games like Minecraft and Roblox. The platforms provide tools for creating and animating objects, which can then be sold on markets. On the platform, users can also develop and play their own games.
$SAND, an ERC-20 coin, has been presented as the metaverse’s native token by Sandbox 3D. Players may use this to buy in-game products from the platform’s marketplace. There are also $LAND tokens, which are NFT tokens that are among the most valuable and sought-after assets in the Sandbox game.
7. Battle Racers
2026 status — shut down: Battle Racers announced the end of development and closed its web and Decentraland game servers on February 16, 2022. The team said NFT ownership and metadata would remain, but the parts would have no official game functionality and SCRAP would have no in-game use. The original gameplay description below is historical.
Battle Racers was inspired by popular games such as Super Mario Kart and F-Zero, as its name suggests. The goal of the game was to mix various weaponry and equipment to build the most powerful vehicles possible. Players could mix and match components and weaponry to get an edge on the arcade-style circuits and register automobiles as NFTs on the blockchain.
Each player aims to build the ultimate automobile by prioritizing various talents and attributes. You could choose handling over speed or defense over firepower, all in the hopes of emerging victorious.
8. Cryptosnake
2026 status — use caution: A Cryptosnake-branded shop and blog remain available, but the latest material we could verify did not establish a recent development cadence or confirm that the 2021 earning model still functions as described. Test the game without meaningful funds and verify contract addresses through current official channels before approving anything.
The gameplay of Cryptosnake is really easy. It’s based on the old-school snake game. Cryptocurrencies on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) blockchain provide food for your snake. The more you consume, the higher your pet’s stats will be. You may also use fiat to level up your snake, which will allow you to earn even more money in the future.
If the snake doesn’t make you nostalgic, the gameplay may appear monotonous. On the other hand, you spend less time on in-game activities that aren’t essential and instead earn more consistently.
9. Gold Fever
2026 status — official resources remain online: Gold Fever’s wiki still documents gameplay, NGL, NFT items, a downloadable client and support routes. That does not verify liquidity or profitability. Treat the following earning language as the project’s 2021 design, not a promise of cash returns.
Gold Fever is a jungle-themed role-playing game where players choose a character and try to outplay other players for a chance of mining gold in the form of the game’s native token, $NGL. Players also go about collecting limited NFT-based items like clothes, weapons and other supplies.
Similar to the workings of most NFT games, Gold Fever tries to enable blockchain-initiated scarcity for its in-game assets. You can pick any of the main characters of the game and play your part in the formation of a fiercely contested gold economy.
Note that the in-app game items are tradable on marketplaces. Therefore, you can exchange $NGL earned for fiat or cryptocurrencies on exchanges or earn by trading collectibles on NFT marketplaces.
10. Neon District
2026 status — discontinued: Neon District’s official site says the team ceased all work and redirected its focus to AI tools. It explicitly acknowledges community members who bought Neon District NFTs. The following gameplay and token details are preserved only as historical context.
Neon District is a cyberpunk role-playing game (RPG) that allows users to collect characters, gears and crafts. All of the game objects are blockchain components and almost everything may be purchased or sold. As is usually the case, the price is determined by supply and demand.
The goal is to build a team and compete against other players in missions or real-time combats. One multiplayer competitive game mode, called Neon Pizza, in particular, pitches players against each other for the chance of earning the platform’s native token – $Neon, as well as gears, parts and so on.
All you need to do is send your characters on pizza delivery runs to feed hungry citizens. You can also take up a more villainous strategy by ambushing the pizza delivery team of other players and stealing their earnings.
$Neon earnings can be used to purchase characters, weapons, parts, armors, juice, and other in-game items required to upgrade characters. The tokens are now NFTs that are linked to the blockchain, but they cannot yet be traded on a genuine cryptocurrency exchange.
Conclusion
NFT games often use familiar genres while adding blockchain-based ownership, scarcity and marketplaces. The six-year outcome of this list shows that those features do not make profits predictable or games permanent. Some entries continue to ship substantial updates, while others stopped development, shut down servers or lost control of their original domains.
Evaluate an NFT game primarily as a game: check whether it is playable, actively maintained and enjoyable without assuming token appreciation. Before purchasing an asset, understand whether gameplay depends on hosted servers, whether the NFT has utility outside one title, what fees apply, and whether a legitimate marketplace still has liquidity.
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