9 Best NFT Crypto Games to Play for Free in 2023

Crypto games allow users to mint and buy NFTs. When you obtain an NFT that stands for something valuable from within the NFT games, like an NFT with the highest strength and power, you can sell it in the open marketplace for a great price.

And because Crypto NFTs games are free to play, it is a great way to earn passive income without risking any funds. Play to earn (P2E) is the most popular type of crypto NFT games.

Before we dive into the best free NFT crypto games, let’s first define play-to-earn games.

What Are Play to Earn Games (P2E)?

As technology develops and the world gets more connected, so does our appetite for playing games. There’s a lot of variety out there, from text-based MUDs to PC online role-playing games (RPGs) like World of Warcraft. But as games are designed and produced with more multimedia elements, it’s not always easy to know what type of game you’re getting when you buy it. That’s where Play to Earn games come in!

Play to Earn Games (P2E) are games that have a token economy. You can get tokens by playing the game and then use those tokens to buy things in the game or buy more tokens to play the game. However, players must buy an in-game token or NFT characters like Axis to begin playing.

P2E is an excellent way for players to earn passive income for free. Players’ rewards may be crypto assets like bitcoin or Ethereum, native game assets, or non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are unique digital assets that take the form of almost anything. Fortunately, some NFT crypto games allow players to create and sell NFTs; hence, they are a great NFT marketplace.

Axie Infinity is a great example. Players must complete a level or win a battle to earn these rewards. The players can use the crypto assets obtained to boost their capabilities in the game or buy tools and other in-game items that give them an advantage over their competitors. After winning, players can trade their digital assets in the secondary open market and get their earnings.

And since playing P2E games has allowed players to withdraw their meaning for real-world money, these games have been widely adopted.

Here are the 9 best NFT crypto games to play without investment in 2023.

1. Gods Unchained
2. Illuvium
3. SandBox
4. Splinterlands
5. Decentraland
6. CryptoKitties
7. Silks
8. Battle of Guardians
9. Sorare

Gods Unchained

Gods Unchained is a trading card NFT game developed by a team led by Nick Clay (the former director of the Magic the Gathering Arena). This NFT game aims to create decks to combat different tactics to outsmart competitors. Since the cards are NFTs, the rarest cards have been minted and fetch much USD value at the auction. Gods Unchained runs on the Immutable X blockchain, providing gasless transaction fees on their card market. Its native token is the GODS tokens.

How Does Gods Unchained Work?

The Gods Unchained NFT game will reward you 140 cards upon signing up. These cards will help you to learn how to play the game. Each card has unique powers and is grouped based on rarity, tribe, mana cost, God, and set. You may add more cards by buying them from another player or winning the PVP games.

You must play the game and win tournaments to earn a GODS token. You can use the earned token to create new cards, buy chest and card packs or stake them to achieve yields.

If you win the game’s main objective, you may be awarded a rare NFT with great value. The value of your cards in the NFT marketplace is determined by various factors, for example, tribe and god, as well as health and response power characteristics.

Getting Started With Gods Unchained

You must first create a free account and complete the quick review to get started. Next, you will receive three packs of cards. While it is rare, you may get lucky and have a higher rarity card that sells high in the marketplace.

Next, create your deck. The cards are split into six categories. Each represents a single god. Your deck is made out of 30 cards from a specific god. When you start, the game gives you 70 free cards plus 15 cards from the three packs. So that’s 85 cards in total.

After assembling your deck, you can start battling against other players.

You are also able to stake the in-game currency.

Gods Unchained Gameplay

There are three main game modes found in Gods Unchained:

• Solo
• Ranked
• Direct Challenge

There are four types of cards found in packs: rare, epic, legendary, and shiny

Illuvium

The Warwick brothers: Kieran, Aaron, and Grant Warwick, established the Illuvium NFT game. This crypto NFT game allows you to travel seven extraordinary alien landscapes to capture unusual creatures known as illuvials. For this reason, it is ideal for adventure seekers. The NFT game runs on the Immutable X. Its native token is ILV.

How Does Illuvium Work?

Illuvium NFT crypto game creatures are called illuvials in NFT form. They are over 100 illuvials that players will have to capture, merge and upgrade to fight their opponents on a risky gaming platform.

Illuvial possesses unique abilities that you can upgrade as you train them. You can then sell them on the marketplace along with other NFT items and farmed materials.

To earn ILV tokens, you must play the NFT crypto game, participate in tournaments and events, complete PVE quests, and unlock remarkable achievements. Players can battle other players in the Leviathan Arena to prove their prowess while others wager on these matches.

Getting Started With Illuvium

You can register an Illuvium Account on their main website for those interested in the Beta version.

After creating an account, fill out the application form to become a beta tester. The process is simple and should take about 5-10 minutes. Note that applying does not guarantee you access to the beta version but will serve as a show of interest.

The Illuvium Beta version will begin soon with a few exclusive invitees. The invitees must sign a confidentiality agreement before accessing the beta test.

The Illuvium Beta is available for PC players only as of now. You will receive an email if your application is accepted.

Illuvium Gameplay

Illuvium game has three modes: Arena, Zero, and Overworld. Illuvium Arena is the only available mode currently. Illuvium Overworld allows players to explore the seven alien worlds, gather all resources and hunt down illuvials. Illuvium Zero will enable players to utilize their land plots to produce a resource they can use in the overworld mode. Such resources include fuel and cosmetic blueprints for skins.

Illuvium has other game modes, which include Survival, Ascendant, and Leviathan. The survival mode allows players to create a team and service encounter infinite waves of increasingly powerful illuvials. Ascendant and Leviathan (coming soon) are like premium eSport modes suitable for heavy hitters.

Sandbox

The Sandbox is a Minecraft-like NFT crypto game in that it’s more of a creator platform than a game. The Sandbox allows users to create and animate their voxel assets that can be NFTs and sold in the marketplace.

Sandbox was founded in November 2021, and its native token is SAND.

Ataru and Snoop Dogg have bought a share of the sandbox metaverse land. Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, and Kevin Durant are other celebrities in the sandbox metaverse world.

How Does Sandbox Work?

Sandbox also allows players to monetize the games they create and market their design assets. They will also get rewards for playing games within the sandbox platform.

Also, Sandbox has a digital real estate, The Sandbox metaverse. Those interested in joining this 3D world may start buying virtual lands in the sandbox metaverse. The sandbox metaverse has about 166,464 grounds where layers can host games, build houses, or develop multiplayer experiences.

Getting Started With Sandbox

It is not necessary to own SAND to get started. However, you will need some Ethereum for the gas charges.

For blockchain games, you will need a browser wallet. Google Chrome or the Brave browser is the best choice for a browser wallet. The Sandbox recommends the following four wallets: MetaMask, Bitski, WalletConnect and Coinbase.

VoxEdit is the leading software that allows you to create, rig, and animate your voxel-based game assets. VoxEdit is the software capable of exporting assets to The Sandbox marketplace, so your assets are turned to NFTs quickly and easily.

Sandbox Gameplay

When creating your first experience, you can choose whether you want to start from scratch, a template with ASSETS already built into the LAND, and the size of your playable experience. The themes are Lake, Desert, Nether, Meadow, Antarctica, and Jungle Islands.

With that, you have everything you need to enter the world of The Sandbox. In the center of The Sandbox, you will find the Social Hubs. This is where players meet, exchange ideas, and arrange to go on adventures together. With the help of portals, players then travel to different worlds. To gain access to games, you may need SAND, the cryptocurrency of the blockchain game.

Games depend on what the users create with the help of the Game Maker. RPGs and adventure games that use the open-world aspect would be conceivable.

Splinterlands

Formerly known as Steem Monsters, Splinterlands was developed by Dr. Jesse “Aggroed” Reich and Matthew “Yabapmatt” Rosen, who established the Splinterlands crypto NFT game in 2018. If you love playing Magic the Gathering and Hearthstone, this crypto NFT game is ideal.

Like Gods Unchained, the game strives to form a deck before every round. Each card is an NFT on the Hive blockchain.

How Does Splinterlands Works?

Splinterlands has the same game structure as Gods Unchained. However, unlike in Gods Unchained, where you are given starting cards, the Splinterlands NFT game requires you to buy your card pack and start playing. Every card has a different stat, mana cost, level, experience, ability, and Splinter/rarity.

You can find cards that allow you to restore health, do double damage, reduce speed, and more.

Furthermore, Splinterlands also comprises additional tournaments and events where payers can earn extra tokens. You can then trade them at the exchange platform. However, you must buy a starter kit for $10 to start a game. Herewith, a free trial lets you see if it is worth it.

Splinterlands cards are also compatible with third-party marketplace platforms such as Monster Market, PeakMonsters, and Open Sea so that you can sell on multiple platforms.

Dark Energy Crystals (DEC) are digital currencies that can be traded or used to make shop purchases in Splinterlands. You can earn DEC tokens for each win and the weekly season.

You can play Splinterboards on your mobile device. It is available on iOS and Android devices.

Getting Started With Splinterlands

Like other crypto NFT games, you need first to create a free account to start playing Splinterlands. You may visit the website, download the app, and sign up on your mobile phone. Its mobile version is available on both Android and iOS.

After signing up, the game will offer you a basic set of starter cards (Not NFTs). These cards teach you how to play the game. You can take a few practice matches to master the game.

Splinterlands Gameplay

There are three main battle modes in the game:

• Practice Mode: Players can battle other players without affecting their ranking in the season
• Ranked Mode: Battles played in the ‘Ranked Mode’ affect the player’s ranking in the season by crediting ‘rating points for every win and reducing ‘rating points’ for every loss. Based on a player’s ranking at the end of the season or tournament, he might be eligible for rewards.
• Challenge Mode: Challenge mode allows two players to participate in a friendly private battle. Battles played in challenge mode do not affect a player’s ranking.

Decentraland

Ari Meilich and Esteban Ordano established Decentraland project in 2015. Released in 2020, Decentraland is a virtual world game that allows players to create their avatars, explore the game world, participate in activities, trade with other players, and even contribute to the game with their designs and creations by using the game’s proprietary SDK.

Decentraland’s uniqueness lies in the DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) and a free economy. Decentraland DAO allows the users to control the game through proposals and voting.

How Does Decentraland Works?

Players can own virtual land in the form of NFT ‘Land’ deeds, the buying and selling of which represents the core of the game’s economy.

Players can also generate income through intelligent use of their virtual land, with in-game advertising being one of the most popular approaches to gaining revenue.

MANA, the native token of the platform, is the only type of cash you can use in the game.

Getting Started With Decentraland

Once you get to the game’s official website, you will see 2 big buttons in the middle: “Download” and “Open in browser” that you should click to get started. If you choose and click “Open in Browser”, you will be prompted to either play using your wallet or continue as a guest.

Once the game loads, you can create your very own avatar. This will be the character that you play the game with. So make it look pretty.

Once your avatar is ready to roll, hit the “done” button on the bottom left. Now you have to name it, agree to the terms and conditions, and you’re ready to roll.

Decentraland Gameplay

Decentraland builder tools enable LAND parcel owners to place pre-rendered 3D tools on their land.

You can use 3D editing tools such as Blender to create and render the required 3D objects placed on the parcel. Moreover, using the builder tool, there’s a limitless possibility for the things you can place on the land parcels.

It’s important to remember that Decentraland is not precisely the type of game that many would probably be used to – you don’t get to fight other players or go against the environment. Instead, it’s designed to be a pixelated virtual alternative to our world with all the bells and whistles. They recommend using MetaMask for playing Decentraland.

Those who buy land can build on it using the builder tool available from the top navigation menu. The builder in Decentraland is straightforward and doesn’t need any technical knowledge. The marketplace is loaded with wearables, names, and an entire estate.

CryptoKitties

Dapper Labs, a Canadian studio focused on blockchain-based products, made CryptoKitties. In addition to CryptoKitties, the company is known for products such as NBA TOP SHOT, NFL ALL DAY, and Cheese Wizards, the first blockchain-based battle royale game. Launched in late 2017, CryptoKitties was one of the first play-to-earn games to hit this marketplace.

As its name suggests, collecting and raising the cats in the game with non-fungible tokens is the activity. Currently, CryptoKitties only uses one type of token – the WCK token. They are based on Wrapped Basic CryptoKitties tokens that are ERC-20 compatible.

How Does Cryptokitties Work?

You can buy a crypto kitty from any NFT marketplace. Besides, you can breed two kitties together to get a crypto kitty. You will also be able to solve puzzles with other game friends.

The game’s primary purpose is to buy, sell, and breed virtual cats of all kinds. The goal of the game is to get cats with the rarest characteristics. Depending on the characteristics of the CryptoKitties you own, you might own a rare NFT that can then be sold in the open marketplace.

Getting Started With CryptoKitties

To play on the official website, you’ll need Chrome or Firefox browsers, a crypto wallet, and Ethereum to make your first purchase.

The developers themselves recommend MetaMask. Click “Get your Kitty” and enter your details in the pop-up window. After that, ensure you link the wallet to your account on the game’s website.

The next step is to buy your first kitten. The kitten prices are listed starting from the cheapest on the search page

Finally, you can begin playing the game. The game’s primary aim is to get a kitten with unique and rare characteristics of high value.

Unfortunately, CryptoKitties isn’t a mobile game, so you’ll need to use a Mac, PC, or Linux machine with the full desktop version of Chrome or Firefox.

CryptoKitties Gameplay

It takes two individuals to breed kittens. Through the Siring search, you can rent a pair for your pet or use a kitten from your own collection. Cross-breeding occurs between two sets of individuals, Dame and Sire. Remember that your pet can take on either role – as such, there is no gender identity in the game.

Click the “Sell” button on its profile to sell a pet. Whenever you buy, reproduce, create, or cancel an auction, your request is sent to the miners on the Ethereum network, who process the numbers and confirm the transaction. For this service, the miners receive a network commission paid by the person sending the transaction request.

Silks

Silks is the best NFT game to play without investments for horse racing lovers. Silks NFT game allows players to experience a high-speed, high-stakes world of thoroughbred horse racing. It is based on the Ethereum blockchain. Tropical Racing, a public firm with over 200-acre horse farms that breed, syndicate, and racehorses, developed Silks.io.

The NFT game has its token, the SLK-token, which acts as the governance token. A treasury wallet backs the token to secure the DAO. This play to win (P2W) also contains some play elements to earn.

How Does the Game of Silks Work?

Horses and jockeys in the game are in the form of NFTs. Therefore, users can trade them, buy and interact with other horses.

After choosing avatars, players can buy a virtual horse that directly corresponds to a racehorse in the real world. The player is rewarded with $SLK tokens every time the horse wins.

Silk crypto assets are known as STT. You can use your earned STT in breeding and staking.

You can earn silks through racing, breeding, staking horses, mining, and contributing to the ecosystem.

Getting Started With Silks

To get started with the silk platform, you must buy an avatar. Besides being your virtual presentation, the avatars will give you access to the silks horses and exclusive rewards. You can purchase them on the NFT marketplace OpenSea using your MetaMask wallet.

Next, you will be able to access the open metaverse. Here you can buy land, stables, and horse farms. Funnily, you can purchase your favorite horse and start earning money.

Silks Gameplay

In Silks, horses must be fed, trained, and housed, just like in real life. The owner will receive a percentage of the horse’s overall rewards if he stakes him into a third-party Silks Stable. In addition to getting a portion of the earnings from staked horses, private stable owners can also earn a percentage of the earnings.

A Silks Stable is a critical ecological facility where fellow Silks horses can be fed, cared for, and, most importantly, housed.

The minimum size of a stable existing is 10 acres of land, meaning that if anyone wishes to build one of those, he will be required to assemble ten contiguous lands of NFTs. This minimum-size stable can house up to ten horses, with a maximum potential of 100 acres of land.

Battle of Guardians

Battle of Guardians (BOG) is another NFT play-to-earn game that four-game enthusiasts created. The game is based on a similar network developed by the unreal engine. BOG is built on the multichain Solana Network & Finance Smart Chain.

Battle of Guardians NFT game is a real-time multiplayer PVP (Player versus Player) arena where players engage in fierce multi-realm battles in the expansive Sci-Fi game world.

How Does the Battle of Guardians NFT Game Work?

Battle of Guardians has two in-game tokens: Battle of Guardians Share ($BGS) and Fighting Points ($FP). $FP is the governance token used to acquire characters, among other in-game items. Also, you can stake them. The latter is a secondary currency that players can use to enter tournaments and buy NFTs.

Players can earn a $BGS token by staking and winning in tournament mode. The $BGS token will also aid players in executing a blockchain game transaction.

If you win battles, you will be rewarded ‘Fighting Points’ ($ FP). You can use your rewards to buy an item in the marketplace or as a fee to enter tournaments for more significant earnings.

BOG is designed for PC, but users can still access it via their iOS and Android devices.

Getting Started With Battle of Guardians

To begin to play the Battle of Guardians game, you need NFT characters. The developers put all the characters in packs of three characters. You can purchase them at the NFT drop. However, to buy them during the initial drop, you must stake $BGs. Additionally, these character packages are divided based on rarity. Rarity types include Common, Rare, and Ultra-Rare.

Battle of Guardians Gameplay

The Battle of Guardians uses a real-time PVP gaming model. BOG features three character types: Humans, Demons, and guardians. In addition to these types, characters are divided based on tiers: Elite Fighter, Legendary Warrior, and God of War.

The Battle of Guardians NFT game is in three modes:

• Story: It is the regular fighting mode where players fight against computers to earn rewards. It has 25 stages, each with different tips in the form of $FP currency.
• Arena: the arena mode allows players to play against other players in random matches based on their rating. Winners are awarded $FP rewards and a boost in rating.
• Bout: these are tournaments where payers are enclosed in a bracket, and 8, 16, or 32 players can play in a tournament. To qualify for the tournament, you must pay a fee of $FP. The tournament winner is awarded all the $FP fees and additional $BGS rewards.

Sorare

CEO Nicolas Julia and CTO Adrien Montfort are Sorare’s cofounders, launched in 2019. Sorare NFT game is a fantasy football game on the Ethereum blockchain. The game allows players to earn rewards and sell digital cards (NFTs) to make a profit.

Sorare joined Ethereum in 2019 after its previous host, LOOM, joined the digital commercial solutions. Unfortunately, Sorare does not have a native token. However, it would be best if you had ether (ETH), Ethereum’s native asset, to purchase cards on the platform.

How Does Sorare Work?

To get started, you need to enter the transfer market on the Sorare platform and find the players (in the form of digital cards) being sold. On the Sorare platform, you will see real professional footballers like Antoine Griezmann & Ousmane Dembele. How a player performs in real life is what the card will be worth. When a Pro Player joins, they receive their cool card, which is signed!

Also, anyone can enter the tournament as they are free. This means that there is no fixed amount of tournaments you can join.

Sorare uses a soccer data stats platform called Opta to collect soccer data. As a result, data collection and ranking of players are entirely transparent.

Getting Started With Sorare

To get started with the Sorare NFT game, you need an account. The signing process is a breeze. You need an email and a strong password. Alternatively, you can use your google or Facebook account.

You can access the Sorare NFT game via the browser or mobile apple devices. There will also be an Android app released as Sorare has already launched a public beta app for iOS.

You will also need an ETH-compatible wallet like MetaMask and its browser extension, Chrome, and Firefox. For players using the mobile version, Sorare suggests you use the mobile Coinbase Wallet.

Upon signing up, they will award you ten standard cards. These cards bear a white background and cannot be sold. Their purpose is to set you up.

The next step is to compose a team. You must choose a name, a captain, team formation, etc.

The foundation of Sorare tournaments, sometimes referred to as SO5 Fantasy, is a five-a-side fantasy lineup. You can gain experience points (XP) for your players and prizes by participating in any Sorare tournament for free.

Sorare Gameplay

All soccer NFTS are filtered into four unique positions. They are forward, midfielder, defender, and goalkeeper. Everyone who wants to form a team has to have at least one player from each position and the last player from any position. Every account will be able to create multiple teams, but each player’s NFT can only be used in one team.

Once you have enough players to form a team, click the compose my team button. Be sure to pick a captain by clicking the star symbol at the top left corner of your preferred choice. Once you assemble your team, click validate, and your team is ready.

Is it Worth Playing NFT Crypto Games for Free?

NFT crypto games without investment offer players a chance to play and familiarize themselves with the game with almost zero risks. This is a noble offer, especially for beginners new to crypto games. However, Free NFT games have limitations. For example, some games will not allow you to progress to the next level unless you deposit some amount.

Otherwise, free NFT cryptocurrency games offer crypto enthusiasts a great option to join the blockchain and metaverse world.

Peter K.

As someone who is passionate about cryptocurrencies and the world of iGaming, I enjoy writing about new bitcoin casinos with the best bonuses. I hold small amounts of crypto. My favorite wallets are Exodus and RelayX, but I also love Metamask which I use for Ethereum games. And I have been a self-proclaimed nerd since birth.