What Exactly Is GameFi, and How Does It Work?

GameFi refers to play-to-earn blockchain games that offer economic incentives to players. Typically, players can earn cryptocurrency and NFT rewards by completing tasks, battling other players, and progressing through the different game levels.

Unlike traditional video games, most blockchain games let players transfer the gaming items out of the game’s virtual world. This allows players to trade their items on NFT marketplaces and their crypto earnings on crypto exchanges.

Introduction

GameFi has been rapidly taking over the traditional gaming industry since the rise of Axie Infinity. It attracts gamers by offering them an opportunity to make money while having fun. What is GameFi, and how is it different from the video games we’re familiar with?

Typically, players can earn in-game rewards by completing tasks, battling other players, and progressing through the different game levels. They can also transfer their assets outside of the game to trade on crypto exchanges and NFT marketplaces.

Typically, the in-game assets will provide certain benefits to the players, allowing them to make more rewards. But, some games also feature avatars and cosmetics that are purely visual and have no impact on the gameplay and earnings.

Depending on the game, players can earn rewards by completing tasks, battling with other players, or building monetized structures on their plot of land. Some games also let players generate passive income without playing the game, either through staking or by lending their gaming assets to other players. Let’s take a look at some of the common features in GameFi.

At the core of GameFi projects, we have play-to-earn (P2E) as a revolutionary gaming mode. It’s quite different from the pay-to-play model adopted by traditional video games. Pay-to-play requires gamers to invest before they can start playing. For example, video games like Call of Duty need players to purchase licenses or recurring subscriptions.

In most cases, traditional video games won’t generate any financial returns to players, and their in-game assets are controlled and held by the gaming company. In contrast, P2E games can give players full control over their in-game assets while also offering opportunities for them to make money.

However, keep in mind that it all depends on the model and game design adopted by the GameFi projects. Blockchain technology can (and should) give players full control over their in-game assets, but that’s not always the case. Make sure you understand how the game works and who is behind the project before getting into a P2E game.

Another thing to note is that P2E games can be free-to-play and still generate financial rewards to players, but some GameFi projects require you to purchase NFTs or cryptoassets before you can play. As such, it’s always important to DYOR and evaluate the risks. If a P2E game requires a big investment to start and the rewards are small, you are more likely to lose your initial investment.

They can also get AXS rewards if they manage to achieve a certain PvP rank. In addition, AXS and SLP can be used to breed new Axies, which can be used in-game or traded in their official NFT marketplace.

Apart from buying and selling Axies, players can lend their Axies to other players, which gives owners an opportunity to earn without playing the game. This lending model is known as scholarship. It allows scholars to use the borrowed Axies to play and earn rewards. 

In other words, Axie owners can make a passive income while scholars can play the game without making any investment. The earned rewards are then split between scholars and Axies owners.

As we’ve discussed, blockchain technology allows for digital asset ownership, meaning that players can monetize their in-game assets in many different ways.

Similar to video games, players can own avatars, pets, houses, weapons, tools, and much more. But in GameFi, these assets can be issued or created as NFTs in the blockchain (also known as NFT minting). This allows players to have full control over their assets, with authenticity and verifiable ownership.

For example, Decentraland players can vote on in-game and organizational policies by locking their governance tokens (MANA) in the DAO. The more tokens they lock, the higher their voting power. This allows gamers to communicate directly with game developers and influence the development of the game.

Traditional video game players can also earn in-game currency and collect digital assets to upgrade their characters. Still, these tokens and items can’t (or aren’t supposed to) be traded outside of the game. In most cases, they don’t even carry any value beyond the scope of the game. Even when they do, players are often prohibited from monetizing or trading their assets in the real world.

There are thousands of blockchain games in the market, and they each work differently. Be careful with scam projects and fake websites. Connecting your wallet or downloading games from random websites can be dangerous. Ideally, you should create a new crypto wallet specifically for this purpose and only use funds you can afford to lose. If you are confident the game you found is safe, follow these steps to get started.

1. Create a crypto wallet

You can also connect your crypto wallet to the Ethereum blockchain and access most games running on the Ethereum network. Still, some games like Axie Infinity and Gods Unchained will build their own wallet to reduce costs and improve performance.

2. Connect your wallet to the game

To play a blockchain game, you will need to connect your wallet. Make sure you are connecting to their official website and not a fake copy. Head over to the game’s website and look for the option to connect your crypto wallet.

Unlike traditional online games that require you to set up a username and password, most blockchain games use your crypto wallet as a gaming account, so you will likely be asked to sign a message on your wallet before you can connect to the game.

3. Check the requirements to play 

Most GameFi projects will require you to purchase their cryptocurrency token or in-game NFTs to get started. The requirements vary from game to game, but you should always consider the earning potential and overall risks. Make sure to estimate how long it might take to get your initial investment back and start making profits.

If you don't have any money or don't want to take risks, consider looking for a scholarship program. They allow you to borrow NFTs to play, but you will have to share your earnings with the NFT owners.

As blockchain technology continues to develop, the GameFi growing trend is expected to continue at a fast pace. The ability to own in-game assets and make money from games makes GameFi very attractive, especially in developing countries.

Since the early days of Bitcoin, we have had people trying their luck with simple browser games, hoping to make BTC profits. While BTC games are still around, the rise of Ethereum and smart contracts certainly changed the blockchain gaming world, which is now able to offer much more elaborate and interesting experiences.