The sandbox model has been a popular architecture style for video games over the years. It involves a great degree of freedom and creativity, as gamers are allowed to roam the game’s ecosystem and participate in a wide variety of activities. Plainly put, you do not have to follow a specified schedule of events or pursue a specific goal within the game.
With the Metaverse movement, this style of gaming has allowed users to roam virtual worlds while gaming, with the added bonus of earning crypto rewards. As a result, sandbox metaverse games have gathered widespread popularity. That being said, let’s dive into the leading projects in this space.
The Sandbox
This is a play-to-earn game hosted on the Ethereum blockchain that utilizes user-generated content. It has three main features with which users can create content for use within the game. The first is the VoxEdit feature, which allows the creation of 3D NFT models for use as characters and paraphernalia in the game.
Once built, these objects are exported into The Sandbox Marketplace and traded as in-game assets. Since these assets are NFTs, purchasing them would transfer their ownership to you. The final feature is the Game Maker, which enables users to build 3D games on The Sandbox free of charge. What’s more, no coding is required to use this feature.
Decentraland
This is a virtual reality platform built on Ethereum. On Decentraland, users can create content and monetize it, or they could pay to experience other users’ content. It is powered by MANA, its native cryptocurrency. MANA is used to purchase LAND, which is digital real estate within the game. It can also be used to pay for in-game goods and services.
Users who own LAND parcels can build interactive experiences on it, applications, or host their own content, which they can charge other users to experience. Notably, this game uses a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) to achieve community governance.
Voxies (VOXEL)
This is a fast-paced strategy-based RPG-style game. The team behind Voxies has done a stellar job of combining traditional and blockchain gaming so as to make it suitable for beginners. It involves exploration and combat, combined with upgradeable NFT characters and equipment. It’s interesting to note that you do not need to own an NFT to play and earn from this game. However, if you do own one, you can upgrade it, rent it out or use it to access rarer levels of gameplay.
Notably, Voxies managed to make the cut into the Binance Launchpad, making it the only game to do so in 2021. Binance has been reluctant to add crypto games onto its Launchpad, seeing as only 3 have made it on there so far.
Town Star
This is a competitive farming game hosted on the Ethereum blockchain. It was created by Gala Games and can be played straight from your browser. In the game, users manage towns, which they own as NFTs. In return, they earn TOWN coins upon successful mission completion.
The main objective of the game is to get 1,000 stars from the daily quest, which can be done by producing resources and selling them to the nearest city. This qualifies the gamer to earn 1 TOWN coin as a reward. If a player makes the top 400 leaderboard, they are awarded Gala tokens.
NFT Worlds
This is a multiverse of 10,000 Minecraft virtual worlds, each being a unique metaverse. Users can choose to create interactive experiences in any of these worlds. You can purchase any of these NFT worlds on OpenSea, which usually contain visual and in-game experiences. Owning a world lets you control any content within that universe. You can also choose to create your own content, which you can charge other users to experience. Alternatively, you could sell the developed NFT world on OpenSea. The currency used is the platform’s native WRLD token.
Vulcan Forged
This is a blockchain gaming platform hosted on Ethereum. On it are several P2E games, dApps, as well as an NFT marketplace. What’s more, users can create their own crypto games and dApps on Vulcan Forged, thanks to their incubation and crowdfunding programs. So far, there are 8 play-to-earn games in which users can earn and trade in-game collectibles as NFTs. Vulcan Forged runs on its native PYR token.
Enjin
This is a blockchain platform and marketplace for creating and trading NFTs. It is heavily rooted in gaming, and boasts over 20 million users across various gaming communities. The NFT assets created on Enjin can be integrated into multiple games such as Minecraft. This platform launched a software development kit to help create Ethereum-based NFTs, which is a popular network for hosting these play-to-earn games.
Bloktopia
This is a virtual reality metaverse game containing a 21-story skyscraper called Reblok. The 21 floors represent the 21 million maximum BTC supply. However, this platform is hosted on Polygon. It is designed upon four main pillars namely learn, earn, play and create.
In learn, Bloktopia will provide an interactive space for learning about blockchain and its relation to the metaverse. In earn, users will be able to play P2E games on the platform, trade virtual real estate, and also earn from ads through the Adblok feature. In the play, users will be able to play games created by other users and socialize with their fellow users on the platform. For the create feature, Bloktopia has several tools with which developers can create gaming environments and advertising spaces. It is powered by its native BLOK token.
Conclusion
Gaming is one of the easiest ways to foray into the metaverse, and blockchain game developers have not been slow to adjust to this movement. Several sandbox projects have been developed, which allow users free roam within their virtual worlds. That, combined with their play-to-earn feature, is bound to increase their popularity and adoption in the coming years.
