Card-Based Crypto Games: A Rising Trend
Card-based crypto games, which focus on collecting and battling with NFT cards, gained significant attention following the success of Axie Infinity, one of the most prominent GameFi projects, boasting a market cap that peaked at $10.2 billion on November 7, 2021. Unlike other GameFi genres such as virtual-world metaverses like The Sandbox and Decentraland, or builder games such as DeFi Kingdoms and My Neighbor Alice, card-based games emphasize both the player’s skill and luck. The element of chance plays a crucial role in the card-drawing process, adding an extra layer of thrill and unpredictability for players.
Top Card-Based NFT Games
According to data from Footprint Analytics regarding NFT card games, the three most popular titles, based on social media followings across platforms like Twitter and Discord, are Splinterlands, Alien Worlds, and The Crypto You.
Understanding Splinterlands
Splinterlands, which debuted in 2018, was founded by Matthew Rosen, a former lead developer at Ryzing, and Jesse Reich, formerly of Badische Anilin-und-Soda-Fabrik (BASF). The game operates on the Hive blockchain and successfully raised $3.6 million in a funding round in July 2021. Splinterlands features two types of tokens: SPS, which serves as a governance token on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC), and DEC (Dark Energy Crystals), the in-game currency used for purchasing assets.
Gameplay Mechanics of Splinterlands
In Splinterlands, players can acquire and collect NFT cards and create various combinations to engage in battles against others. The gameplay bears resemblance to Hearthstone. To begin, players must invest $10 to buy a Spellbook, which acts as an NFT that enables them to summon a Summoner. Each Spellbook is uniquely numbered. Once players have a Summoner, they can engage in several activities: complete daily tasks to earn seasonal rewards, play matches against others or participate in tournaments, fulfill basic missions to receive airdrops of the governance token SPS, and generate income by renting out their NFTs, land, and equipment. Battles involve using six monster cards and one summoner card per turn, with rewards including additional cards and DEC for victorious players.
Token Price Trends for Splinterlands
The prices of DEC and SPS tokens have experienced fluctuations over the past year, mirroring each other’s trends. They reached their peak around October 14 before beginning a decline, with some recovery followed by further drops, reflecting broader market dynamics.
Transaction Activity in Splinterlands
Overall, the number of transactions in Splinterlands has shown a steady upward trajectory, aligning with the game’s development progress. It currently leads the Hive blockchain in GameFi transactions, accounting for 98.97% of the total. Analyzing transaction data from the past year reveals a relatively average first half, followed by a remarkable 900% increase in August, attributed to heightened interest in GameFi and favorable market conditions.
User Growth in Splinterlands
As of March 20, Splinterlands reported 10 million users, the highest among all card games and 14.7 times that of Axie Infinity. This surge in user numbers coincided with the transaction increase that began in August, indicating a consistent growth trend.
Introduction to Alien Worlds
Alien Worlds, launched in 2020 by Dacoco GmbH, is a metaverse game set in space. It operates on both WAX and BSC chains and features cross-chain connectivity with Ethereum. Notably, it was the first game to implement liquidity mining within the NFT gaming space. The game’s token, Trillium (TLM), is an ERC-20 token that players can mine and stake for rewards. Holding TLM enables participation in the governance of a planetary decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) and serves as the currency for acquiring upgrades.
Playing Alien Worlds
Players can explore six distinct planets, each functioning as a DAO. They select their character and planet while engaging in liquidity mining to earn TLM and NFT assets or partake in battles for rewards. The gameplay is categorized into three main types: Mining Hub, where players engage in liquidity mining; Missions, which involve sending ships on quests for rewards; and Thunderdome Battle, where players select minions and weapons to compete against others, with the victor receiving TLM and NFT assets while the loser’s minions suffer penalties.
Token Price Overview for Alien Worlds
Since its launch in April, the price of TLM surged dramatically, achieving an all-time high of $6.93 on April 11. However, it has since declined and currently trades around $0.25.
Transaction Metrics for Alien Worlds
As of March 20, Alien Worlds recorded 30 million transactions, representing 80.6% of all game transactions on the WAX chain, far surpassing competitors like Farmers Worlds. It ranks second among card games, with transaction volume 19 times greater than X World Games.
User Base of Alien Worlds
Alien Worlds boasts 5.53 million users, with an overall upward trend. However, the rate of new user acquisition shows considerable month-to-month fluctuations, often trending downwards. New user growth has slowed since November, with only 24 new users reported in March 20, indicating a 2.4% growth rate, which is significantly lower than previous months.
Discovering The Crypto You
The Crypto You is a baby-themed metaverse game incubated by BabySwap, launched on the BSC chain in December 2021. The game features two types of tokens: BABY, the BabySwap token used for character creation and crafting rare equipment, and MILK, the in-game currency for character upgrades and equipment repairs.
Gameplay of The Crypto You
The gameplay in The Crypto You resembles that of Splinterlands and Alien Worlds, incorporating mining and battle elements with unique mechanics. Players often create characters, mine for resources, upgrade to advanced forms, and undertake missions, with various game activities consuming BABY and MILK while rewarding players with these tokens and NFT assets. The game features five professions and twelve characters, categorized by physical and magical attributes, and divided further into rarity levels: R, SR, and SSR.
Token Price Dynamics in The Crypto You
The price trajectory of MILK closely mirrors that of TLM from Alien Worlds, initially peaking shortly after launch before experiencing a significant decline, stabilizing at a lower value. The governance token, BABY, aligns with BabySwap’s performance and does not accurately reflect The Crypto You’s data.
Transaction Overview for The Crypto You
Within four months of its launch, The Crypto You has emerged as the fourth largest game on the BSC chain, capturing 7.66% of the market share. However, overall transaction volume has plateaued, likely reflecting the challenges in user retention, as new players often do not continue after initial engagement.
User Engagement in The Crypto You
The Crypto You has attracted 48,000 users, but both retention and new user growth remain low. Following its launch in December, which brought in 220,000 users, the numbers have since dwindled, with only 166 new users recorded in March as of March 20. Despite having over 1,500 active users, attracting new players is crucial for sustaining the project in the long term.
This information is brought to you by the Footprint Analytics community, a platform where data enthusiasts and crypto advocates collaborate to deepen their understanding of Web3, the metaverse, DeFi, GameFi, and other emerging blockchain sectors.
