Cryptocurrency is easily one of the most fascinating technologies invented in the past 20 years. From the lightning speeds that transport money from sender to recipient in seconds, to the secure applications in many industries, we’ve only scratched the surface of the possibilities. 

Since the creation of Bitcoin, industries have scurried to find ways in which it can be used to improve their systems. Real estate, art, shipping, and even the food industry have already shown willingness to adopt the technology. But there's one small niche that hasn't received as much coverage in the media: online gaming.  

Gaming is one part of the cryptocurrency-blockchain technology thread that has shown continuous growth. Apart from the increased used of Bitcoin and other digital currencies in online gambling, there are specialized cryptogames available. Many of these games allow anyone to earn, buy, or sell cryptocurrencies while having fun and building solid communities. 

Cryptogames take many forms including collectibles, battles, and races. It is obvious that the developers behind most of them have the aim of bringing users together in a close-knit system. The presence of decentralized marketplaces and in-game economies where people can interact while trading prizes, valuable items, and tokens are also something that many of these games have in common. 

Typically, most collectible games are in the form of non-fungible tokens. This means that each one is unique and cannot be interchanged for another token. Blockchain technology ensures that players can truly own assets in the virtual game space and play securely without malicious interference. 

Along with gamers who have found a new way of life with cryptogames, seasoned collectors are finding better, more profitable ways to collect game characters than ever before. Cryptocurrency gives them a way to interact with a huge gaming economy that offers them the chance to earn a lot of money. From Cryptokitties selling for $100,000 in 2017 to the Black Lotus selling for $166,100, it’s apparent that cryptogames can be a really profitable venture. 

There are so many games available and it's difficult to weigh their pros and cons. This is why we've curated a list of the best cryptogames in 2019. These are the highest rated collectibles and adventure games based on security, structure, ease, and profitability.

MyCryptoHeroes is one of the most popular crypto collectible games for both  Mobile and PC. For players, it simply involves collecting digital heroes and training them in battles ( PVE and PVP). The MCH platform is powered by GUM, its own token which players use as a base currency. They can sell, buy, and gift other players heroes using GUM. Like many other decentralized games, MyCryptoHeroes has a marketplace where all trade using GUM can be carried out. The platform also allows trade using Ethereum on cryptocurrency exchanges like OpenSea.

The aim of the game is to build a team of three heroes known as champions and challenge other players. It works like almost any other battle game. One easy way to understand it would be to picture popular Pokemon games in which players collect cards that represent various characters with different strengths and abilities. Since different heroes come with different skill sets, the game stays interesting and offers unpredictable outcomes. It is most popular in Japan but is quickly spreading to the rest of the world as it accumulates a huge fan base. 

In addition to collecting and battling heroes, MyCryptoHeroes now allows players to own virtual game land, making them “Land Citizens”. The first official land sale was concluded recently and gives landowners special citizenship privileges and awards in the form of GUM and Ethereum during drops and other reward systems. 

How to Play MyCryptoHeroes 

First off, MyCryptoHeroes is a strategy game. Although it seems ridiculously simple to just enter into battle challenges and have fun, it is more complex than that. Without the right game strategy, players stand to lose GUM. The nodes have different difficulty levels that players have to overcome using critical and strategic thinking.

It can be played in either PvE Mode or PvP mode. In PvE mode, players can send their heroes on dungeon quests to retrieve valuable items and collect 'EXP' tokens which can be used to level-up assets. In PvP mode, players compete with others in battles and tournaments according to their strengths. The best players earn tokens for winning.

The MCH game characters fall into four main categories: Farmer, Warrior, Creator, and Trader. 

Players can send farmers on quests to find tokens that level-up warriors. They also find rare items that can be exchanged for GUM or ETH. Warriors are fighters and can be used within in-game battles to earn status, land, tokens, and other valuable items. Creators can make valuable items such as skins that can be sold on the marketplace and traders can earn GUM through the marketplace by buying items from farmers and reselling them. 

Playing MCH is completely free, and players are not mandated to pay any starting charges. However, to move forward and stand a chance at beating other contenders in quests and tournaments, each player should expect to spend some money. Like most free games, players may need to pay for good heroes. Fortunately, heroes are not typically expensive to purchase and can be found easily on the OpenSea exchange or on the MyCryptoHeroes marketplace.

How To Earn Money on MyCryptoHeroes 

There are many ways to earn money on MCH, such as buying and owning land. Since landowners become citizens, they are entitled to monetary rewards for playing certain roles in the game. Unfortunately, land doesn't come cheap and may not be the best option for new players. MyCryptoHeroes (MCH) also has a premium subscription known as PRIME which costs 1,000 GUM (0.1ETH). Prime players are rewarded with benefits like daily GUM tokens and are allowed to build up extra teams to play in challenges.  Some less expensive ways to earn money on MyCryptoHeroes are:

• Selling Items From Node Drops: Sometimes, players receive valuable in-game items during node drops. In many cases, other players may be interested in buying these items because they fit better with their heroes or strategy. Selling off to them is an easy way to make some GUM or Ethereum which can be exchanged for any other currency later.
• Playing for GUM: Normally, players can earn GUM as they continue to play the game. Any collected GUM can be used to buy valuable in-game items that players can trade for ETH later. 
• Tournaments: There are weekly events, challenges, and tournaments that anyone can partake in. Prizes in the form of in-game valuables and Ethereum are usually won. 

MyCryptoheroes is one of the best crypto games because even without a lot of money, players can build strong teams as time goes on. There are multiple earning streams available and for something so fascinating, it is free for anyone to play. 

Bitcoin Alien Run is a creative iOS and Android game created by Reddit user and mobile game developer, Gameyey in 2017. According to this user, the game was the result of a collaboration with Bitcoin Aliens, a popular Bitcoin faucet. It was solely developed as a way for people to earn Bitcoin while having fun. It is free to download on the iOS Appstore as well as Google Play. 

The original announcement reads:  “I finally completed what is by far our best game: Alien Run is now available on both the Appstore and Google Play. Most games of this quality would be made into freemium, with sneaky in-app purchases, and have about the same amount of ads as we do now. We never charge you anything at all, and we give most of the ad revenue back to our users as bitcoin in-game rewards.”

Alien Run is an adventure game that takes the player through the action journey of the main character, Daniel D'Alien, who continues to run while dodging obstacles and earning rewards. For anyone who has played Subway Surfers or Temple Run in the past, the game structure may be familiar. 

How To Play Bitcoin Alien Run

Players simply control the game character's movements by swiping up to jump and swiping down to bend over. There are many levels and a lot of satoshis to be picked up along the way. Apart from the custom built levels, there is an infinite adventure mode that rewards players with 1000 satoshi every 5 levels. In adventure mode, players can earn as much as 2000 satoshi every hour.  The game also sets a new daily eight-level mission every day with rewards of up to 10,000 satoshi.

"These amounts may not be much, but I am proud to be able to make a game that people enjoy, and on top of that introduce more people to cryptocurrency by giving away free bitcoin fractions to hundreds of thousands of people," stated Gameyey. 

How to Earn Money Playing Bitcoin Alien Run

• Players can pick up tokens as they play, or earn rewards on different levels. However, withdrawal can't be done until a player has more than 30,000 satoshi.
• Bitcoin Alien Run is one of the best crypto games because it is easy to play, it is free, available on mobile devices, and payouts are guaranteed. 
  

Axie Infinity is one of the biggest, oldest, and most popular crypto collectibles games. It is hosted on the Ethereum and loom blockchains, and is mostly based on fantasy. On Axie Infinity, users can breed fantasy magical creatures known as Axies. These creatures can be used in battles and quests where players earn ‘Axie’, the game’s main cryptocurrency. Each Axie has a unique look and set of skills with eight body parts (eyes, ears, mouth, back, tail, horns, body shape, and color). 

Each body part has a set of unique battle strengths and moves in infinite combinations. In addition to battling Axies, players can own land in the fantasy world of Lunacia. Every plot of land in Lunacia is represented by tokens and regarded as a decentralized plot that can be owned by players. Once bought, land can be resold, developed or leased to other players.

In January 2019, Axie Infinity commenced its first land sale selling virtual plots of land known as Terra in the game land of Lunacia. As a result of this land sale, players will have the opportunity to develop shops and other commercial resources for survival in the game. Landowners can summon certain magical creatures and their land can serve as dungeon portals. 

Lunacia can be compared to Decentraland in structure and operation. It will serve as a foundation for content and game developers to be more creative. In essence, it is possible to build more apps and games on the platform. 

How to Play Axie Infinity

• To play, a user has to get an ETH wallet such as Metamask since the game is hosted on Ethereum. 
• Next, Axies can be bought in the Axie Infinity decentralized marketplace or even from cryptocurrency exchanges like OpenSea.
• Another way to buy Axies is to buy eggs and breed them. Breeding Axies involves using an Axie with another one from a mating club. Each Axie can be bred up to seven times, but this will require Gas in the form of ETH as well as XP. 
• Axies can be put into challenges with other players where they earn rewards for winning. As players complete quests and battles, Axies upgrade themselves and evolve into other forms. 

How to Earn Money in Axie Infinity

• Players can earn Axie by owning land. For about 0.070 Ether, anyone can buy land that can be resold or even rented out at a higher price. 
• The other way to earn money on Axie Infinity is by breeding and training Axies for battle. Better Axies become more expensive and can be resold for higher prices on decentralized marketplaces. They can also be bred with other Axies for a fee. 

Although time-consuming, Axie Infinity is engaging and highly rewarding. It also allows in-game development on its virtual platform, meaning that it can be developed further and never has to end. This self-sustainability makes it one of the best action-adventure crypto games. 

Chibi Fighters is another crypto collectibles battle game that has gamers glued to their screens. It is based on role play and runs on both Ethereum (ETH) and Tron (TRX) networks. Tradable ERC721 tokens known as Chibis can be bought or sold in decentralized marketplaces or exchanges like OpenSea. 

As stated by Chibi Fighters creator, Garry Runke, “Chibi Fighters is the longest running blockchain game and with the game’s migration to the TRON blockchain from Ethereum, Chibi Fighters will be a faster, more robust experience for players.”

According to the Chibi Fighters’ whitepaper, "We use proprietary server-side technology, based on the popular PIXI framework, creating the ability to play Chibi Fighters on any device with no plugins needed. 

How to Play Chibi Fighters

• It is not compulsory to own an account to trade or own Chibi Fighters. However, as time goes on, players may have to get accounts to keep track of their progress in the game. 
• Without an account, registration requires a DApp wallet like Metamask, Toshi or Cipher since the platform is hosted on Ethereum 
• It can be played on all browsers and operating systems of desktop and mobile devices. 
• When players register for the first time, they are given 1 Chibi for free. While the game is free to start, it is advisable to buy Chibis for challenges to get better scores and a higher rank. 

How to Earn Money in Chibi Fighters

"Individual and multi-player battle winners are rewarded in TRX. Other in-game contests and mini-games can also earn rewards. Players who own Chibi Fighters with special talents or skills can also earn rewards for allowing others to "fuse" with their Chibi Fighter," the whitepaper states.

• Chibi offers players In-game rewards in the form of TRX and ETH crystals, which can be converted to ETH and TRX later.
• Players can earn money and gems by completing daily challenges and tasks. Each gem can be put in the crystal cave which rewards players with ETHshards as well as the added gems. These ETHShards can easily be converted to ETH later. 
• Players can earn even more ETHShards by adding more gems to the crystal cave again. The more gems they get, the higher their rank and reward amount. Depending on the type of Gem (ETH or TRX), users can be paid in either digital asset. 
• Items such as weapons and gear can be sold on the Chibi Fighters decentralized marketplace for profits.  

Blockchain Cuties is a collectible blockchain game similar to the likes of Cryptokitties and Chibi Fighters. It offers fascinating adventures in which players can earn tokens, breed, own and battle with their Cuties. Although it is one of the oldest and most popular blockchain games in existence, Blockchain Cuties has continued to evolve positively over time and stays fresh and interesting. 

Its ease-of-play and active community make it one of the most immersive and engaging crypto games that anyone can play. Cuties are non-fungible ERC721 tokens, which means that they have unique features that ensure real ownership by players. Currently, Blockchain Cuties is hosted on the Ethereum (ETH), Tron (TRX), and EOS blockchain.

How to Play Blockchain Cuties

According to the game website, “Blockchain Cuties is a new collectible crypto game with adventures where you get to play with puppies, lizards, bear cubs, cats and other real and fantasy creatures alike. Each cutie is unique and 100% belongs to you. You get to collect them, breed them, test their skills in battles, arm them and even level them up! In-game economy lets you trade cuties using smart contracts on Ethereum, EOS and TRON blockchains. Each cutie, which is a non-fungible, can be transferred or sold to other players just like a regular cryptocurrency.”

How to Earn Money in Blockchain Cuties

• The best way to earn money from Blockchain Cuties is by breeding Cuties. Since every Cutie has unique features, they are priced differently and as they level up, they become even more valuable. The rarer they are, the higher the price. The most profitable way to go about this is by breeding generation zero, or starter cuties at a really low price, just like growing a tree. When these cuties mature, they can be sold in the marketplace or bred with other cuties. 
• Players can earn monetary prizes in the daily Blockchain Cuties lottery.
• Prizes can be picked up when playing adventure games and sold later in the marketplace. 

Spells of Genesis is a mobile collectibles trading game that combines strategy gaming with the old art of collecting cards. It also gives off a feel reminiscent of old arcade games. Based on blockchain technology, Spells of Genesis allows players to explore a fantasy virtual land called Askian, while they collect, trade and use orbs to build up impressive card decks. 

The gameplay as stated below is pretty cool too: 

“For years, the Askian Valley had managed to retain its independence and neutrality from the tyrannical Empire of Sayosia. By staying out of wars and conflicts, Askian has developed a strong economy thanks to the precious crystals and gems hidden in the depths of the mountainous region it is located on. However, The Emperor Daryen of Sayosia doesn’t give up so easily … The future may reserve some unexpected surprises.” 

Players challenge other players to battle and earn tokens as they progress through the game. There are numerous plot twists and captivating content designed to keep players on their toes. 

How to Play Spells of Genesis

• Each Spells of Genesis card represents a different character with unique skills. They are also non-fungible tokens and cannot be replicated or copied. 
• Players can collect cards to be used in battle as they explore Askian. To get a new card, users have to buy them either from the marketplace or from other people’s cards. 
• The continuous interaction and trade between players boost the in-game economy.
• At the beginning of the game, new players are not charged a fee. Anyone can sign up at any time. 

How to Earn Money on Spells of Genesis

• Players can trade their assets on the blockchain to get money. In 2016, a Spells of Genesis Satoshi card sold for 6.65 Bitcoins worth about $3700 at the time and more than $60,000 today. 

Unlike the other games on this list, High Fidelity isn’t as competitive. Like any other virtual reality blockchain game, it allows players to create a comfortable space in which they interact with other players. Similar to Decentraland, it involves purchasing and developing virtual land in a fantasy metaverse, picking up rewards as they explore it, and creating gear to sell in a decentralized marketplace. According to the way the game is designed, player domains can be of any size. 

As each player moves around various domains in the metaverse, they are switched from one server to another. Each of these servers can be clustered so that many different players experience the High Fidelity metaverse in real-time with simulated objects, people, and sounds. In true blockchain manner, these clusters also allow different computers to share the load of the system. 

In 2018, the platform raised $35 million to further develop their virtual reality gaming and make the system even better for players. According to High Fidelity CEO Phillip Rosedale in a report by VentureBeat, "By collapsing distance, creating new spaces in which we can join together, and bringing people at a distance into real human contact, VR will transform the world. We will go to school, attend events, entertain each other, and build entirely new worlds together, all from within VR...To reach this scale and to deliver safely on such a promise, VR must be decentralized, including deeply using blockchain technology.” 

Here's what High Fidelity has to offer the average player:

• Total Control of their Metaverse: There is no centralized authority to oversee this virtual world, and HF only acts as a conduit. It is completely open source and decentralized, allowing players to create on it. 
• Privacy: High Fidelity gives players the freedom to control who sees their profile so players can be online within the metaverse and stay hidden from their peers. By enabling the game's privacy bubble app, anyone can also see who enters portions of the metaverse that belong to them.
• Complete Ownership of Creations: All avatars, gear, land or virtual worlds owned by users are completely theirs. Ownership is securely recorded via blockchain technology and can be viewed on the app. 
• Multiple Avatars: Each player can own and host up to 500 avatars simultaneously within the same virtual space.  Any of these avatars can be traded with other players in the marketplace. 

How to Play High Fidelity 

High Fidelity is pretty simple to play. Since the system is mostly controlled by players and mostly involves exploration, there aren't any battles or strategies required. 

• First, open an account on the High Fidelity website. 
• Download High Fidelity and launch the application
• Select or create an avatar. Players can create their preferred avatars from scratch using 3D modeling. This requires some advanced knowledge of the subject and the use of tools like Mixamo, Adobe Fuse, and Blender. Alternatively, avatars can be downloaded from CGTrader and TurboSquid.
• Take a tour of the High Fidelity system on the game welcome page. 
• Connect with other users and explore the metaverse. 

How To Earn Money with High Fidelity

For now, players can earn money in the following ways:

• By creating objects such as avatars and wearables that can be traded in the marketplace.
• By building experiences that other players can pay small fees for.
• By developing engaging apps and games within the metaverse to improve other players’ experiences. 

Bitcoin Flip is the perfect game for crypto trading beginners. It simulates a Bitcoin exchange that teaches players how to trade several digital currencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Monero, iOTA, Cardano, Neo, and Nem. 

It is no news that cryptocurrency trading can be extremely complicated. Not only are there thousands of cryptocurrency and trading pairs to exchange, but there are also complex technical indicators and terminology to be mastered. 

While a good portion of this can be learned through a simple online course or from joining a trading group, it can get boring or even confusing. According to a recent study, playing a game may help people learn new concepts faster. Bitcoin Flip offers its players the opportunity to do so. 

On its simulator, players will find real-time price charts and technical tools for trading. They will also have the opportunity to create and test trading strategies and tactics before putting them into action in the real world. It is available in the form of a web version and a mobile version compatible with iOS and Android mobile devices. The game is completely free but doesn't offer any way to make real money on its platform. 

0xUniverse is an adventure blockchain game in which players can discover and own planets while exploring a virtual universe. Planet owners can carry out research and produce resources that allow them to sustain their planets and discover new ones. As new colonies inhabit the planet, they create resources, capped at 200 times the resource production rate.

Each planet is a non-fungible token so they function just like the collectible cats in Cryptokitties or cards in Spells of Genesis. They are unique in value based on color, origin story, rarity, and in-game location.  This means that they can be traded for profit. 

The Galaxy within the 0xUniverse is divided into 1,000 sectors containing about 1000 clustered planets each. This puts the total number of planets per galaxy at 1 million, enough capacity for millions of crypto gamers to collaborate. 

There is a government structure within the game, known as the United Earth Government, which collects taxes on specific actions such as naming a planet. 

How to play 0xUniverse

• Create a Metamask Wallet and load it with Ethereum to buy and sell items on the 0xUniverse platform.
• Sign up on the platform.
• Buy a planet using the auction function which leads to a sale tab. This tab shows the various available planets and their descriptions. After selecting a planet to buy, a Metamask popup will appear, allowing the player to pay using Ethereum. Planets are important because whenever new players inhabit it, its owner gains 1 knowledge point per hour which can be used to invent a Spaceship.
• After buying a planet, it's time to create a Spaceship. Inventing a spaceship involves accumulating knowledge points. When the required knowledge level is reached, players can pay for a new Spaceship using Metamask. A Spaceship allows the player to travel around the 0xUniverse and discover new planets.
• Gather resources from the first owned planet to build the invented Spaceship or buy new planets with the required resources. Send the new Spaceship out to explore and discover planets. At this point, the ship can either discover new planets or get lost in the universe depending on the location of the launch planet and how great the spaceship is. 

How to Earn Money With 0xUniverse

In 0x Universe, money is earned by leasing out planets. As colonies inhabit the planets, they become more populated and their ability to generate resources increases. Other players can decide to rent a number of colonists from a planet owner for a certain period of time. For example, Player B could pay some ETH for 300 colonists from Player A's planet for a month. They pay rent to the owner and the planet population decreases for that period. 

MintDice is a full-featured Bitcoin casino with a mix of immersive and profitable cryptogames. Players can try their luck out at Bitcoin Dice or get immersed in a strategy game like Bit.Rocket. There are also Slots and Plinko game options that give any player multiple ways to earn a profit. The best part? Mintdice features a fully functional Bitcoin faucet where players can earn Bitcoin and Federal Reserve Dollar (FRD). This is the best option when searching for a beginner-friendly casino that offers high odds. 

Final Thoughts

From this list, it is apparent that most cryptogames are in the Virtual Reality and Collectibles categories. This is because both categories have the capacity to accommodate and combine a variety of game types such as battle, strategy, fantasy, action, and adventure in a secure way. Many successful games such as Fortnite are also built on the concept of multiverses. Blockchain technology gives VR games an extra boost by allowing players to fully control their virtual domains. 

Even further, they can build their own games and securely interact with other like-minded gamers. In addition to this, players can earn money and create their own in-game economy through the sale and purchase of items on decentralized marketplaces. 

Although it is leagues away from traditional blockchain-related investment in terms of gains and popularity, playing cryptogames is a great way to master some of the principles behind blockchain technology.