Top 14 Web3 Games to Play in 2025

Author

Eric Huffman

Author

Eric Huffman

Part of the Team Since

Jan 2024

About Author

Eric Huffman's background includes a decade plus in business management as well as personal finance industry experience in insurance and lending. A strong understanding of consumer finance combined...

Has Also Written

• DeepSnitch AI (DSNT) Price Prediction 2025-2030
• Is ZKP Legit or a Scam? A Detailed Review
• Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) Price Prediction 2025-2030
• Bitcoin Munari (BTCM) Price Prediction 2025-2030
• Is Bitcoin Munari a Scam or Legit? In-Depth Review

Author Profile

Share

Copied

Fact Checked by

Medb Kiely-Cuddy

Author

Medb Kiely-Cuddy

Part of the Team Since

Jan 2018

Has Also Written

• Davos: World Leaders Warn Against Crypto, Praise Blockchain

Author Profile

Ad Disclosure

Ad Disclosure

We believe in full transparency with our readers. Some of our content includes affiliate links, and we may earn a commission through these partnerships. However, this potential compensation never influences our analysis, opinions, or reviews. Our editorial content is created independently of our marketing partnerships, and our ratings are based solely on our established evaluation criteria. Read More

Last updated: 

October 13, 2025

Today’s top web3 games combine blockchain technology with immersive gameplay. They give players the ability to trade NFTs that represent land, player equipment, collectibles, and much more. By contrast, traditional games leave in-game assets on the platform, limiting usage rights.

No longer limited to collectible NFT pets, web3 gaming now offers something for everyone. Explore metaverse worlds, high-action role-playing games, racing games, or strategy games. In this guide, we round up the most popular web3 games, including PEPENODE and Alien Worlds, to help you decide which game to check out next. Let’s see what’s out there for gaming fans.

Most Popular Web3 Games Reviewed

In this section, you’ll find reviews of the best and biggest Web3 games in December 2025. Our methodology for ranking Web3 gaming tokens is thorough and data-driven.

We update our list based on the number of active players, gameplay experience, in-game economy, and play-to-earn (P2E) mechanics. Each factor is weighted to reflect its importance, ensuring we recommend the best Web3 games to our readers.

1. PEPENODE (PEPENODE) – Top P2E Game With its Own Mining Rig

At the top of the list, we have PEPENODE PEPENODE +19.68%, a Web3 game that combines blockchain technology with gamified mining mechanics. It creates an interactive, community-driven experience that’s easy to participate in.

Players can build and upgrade virtual mining rigs either on their browser or the app. It stimulates mining in a gamified and accessible way. The more they progress, the more rewards they earn. Powered by its native ERC-20 token, PEPENODE, the game blends meme culture, utility tokens, and blockchain governance all in one place.

Thanks to its deflationary tokenomics, 70% of the tokens used for upgrades are burned. Moreover, PEPENODE holders can also benefit from staking rewards with high APYs reaching up to 553%.

Visit PEPENODE

2. Alien Worlds – Expansive Exploration and Mining Game With 700,000 Monthly Users

Alien Worlds centers around mining, with a dash of space exploration and in-game events. Players mine Trillium (TLM) and also mine Shards simultaneously, the latter of which can be used to purchase NFTs within the game. Landowners receive a daily dose of TLM, along with a percentage of the TLM mined by others on their virtual land.

To venture into parts unknown on a mission, players stake Trillium to access ships. Staking rewards can reach up to 10% for longer missions (longer staking periods).

Alien Worlds runs with the help of Syndicates, player-run decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). Voting power centers on TLM, making Trillium an essential part of the game. With the max supply capped at 5 billion tokens, TLM could become an attractive asset based on the popularity of the game, which boasts more than 700,000 players monthly.

3. Star Atlas – Immersive Galaxy-Spanning Massive Multiplayer Role-Playing Game

Star Atlas is turning heads with its immersive metaverse filled with richly rendered scenes, detailed characters, and smooth animation in a gaming sector that often relies on simpler graphics. The Sage Labs team put the Unreal Engine 5 from Epic Games to work in this web3 gaming experience.

At its heart, Star Atlas is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) with the goal of eventually giving ownership and governance of its metaverse worlds to its community. Two currencies drive the in-game economy: POLIS and ATLAS. Peer-to-peer exchanges support NFT sales, while a built-in decentralized exchange allows seamless swaps.

Choose from one of three factions in the game, each with its own DAC (Decentralised Autonomous Corporation) guilds. Read up on each before making your choice to be sure the DAC you choose matches your goals for the game.

4. Matr1x Fire – Futuristic Cyberpunk First-Person Shooter for Mobile Players

Singapore-based web3 gaming studio Matr1x brings the world’s first FPS (first-person shooter) mobile game to the metaverse. Think Call of Duty, but with NFTs that allow you to upgrade or trade. The game has already raised $20 million in funding rounds.

Choose from three gameplay modes, Classic, Battle Royale, and Player vs. Environment, each using NFTs to represent in-game assets, including gear, artwork, and player avatars. Avatar NFTs range from basic to high-value Legendary and Mythic NFTs.

Similar tiers apply to weapons. You Are The Champion (YATC), and MATR1X Kuku NFTs become available to top players as you advance through the game. FIRE is the in-game currency, allowing players to breed or upgrade avatars and open cases within the game.

5. Splinterlands – Top Card-Based Strategy Game for Web and Mobile Devices

Blockchain card-based strategy games are big in web3 gaming, with Splinterlands being one of the biggest web3 games in the segment. If you’ve played Magic the Gathering or Hearthstone, the basic game mechanics should seem familiar. An active marketplace sets this blockchain-based iteration apart, however, allowing players to buy, sell, or trade cards.

With both desktop and mobile support (iOS and Android), Splinterlands offers go-anywhere fun. Cards in Splinterlands come in two groups: summoners and monsters. Each summoner has a specific element, such as Fire, Water, Earth, or four other elements. Similarly, monsters bring their strengths and abilities to battles when summoned.

The game centers on the DEC token as in-game rewards, although as a decentralized game, the SPS token serves as a governance token. The game is one of the original success stories of Web3 gaming and has an active community of players. Over $7 million has been awarded in tournament prizes to date.

6. motoDEX – Fast-Paced Racing Fun to Earn Coins and NFTs

If you’re a fan of quick-reflex running and dodging games like Temple Run, you might also enjoy motoDEX, which offers a similar high-action feel in a motorcycle game that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Pilot your bike over bumps and jumps while dodging obstacles like forklifts and the occasional downed rider. motoDEX’s cartoon characters and landscapes make the game an enjoyable romp, although you can also earn money in the game to feed your entrepreneurial tendencies.

Earn coins within the game to purchase NFTs, or channel your inner mogul to own tracks and earn a part of the prize money for races at your tracks. motoDEX can be as simple or as complex as you want to make the game, but even at its most complex level, the app still delivers easy-to-understand Web3 gaming.

7. DeFi Kingdoms – Trending Role-Playing Strategy Game With DeFi Earnings

Play-to-earn fans who take their craft seriously flock to games like DeFi Kingdoms, where earnings can reach hundreds of dollars daily for skilled players. DeFi Kingdoms combines nostalgic eight-bit art with NFTs, role-playing, and decentralized elements. For example, in-game decentralized exchange pools called The Gardens often offer incredible yields for liquidity providers who provide JEWEL tokens.

More than 11,000 players connect to DeFi Kingdoms monthly, and the Total Value Locked (TVL) is over $613,000, making its in-game economy a vibrant place to transact and trade. However, an effective entry into the game comes at a cost. Expect to invest in a capable hero — or possibly a guild of heroes — to advance in the game faster.

Heroes in the game fall into one of four categories: gardeners, miners, fishers, and foragers. Each type of hero offers its own pathways through the game and distinct types of earning opportunities. Take your unused earnings to the bank to earn a yield in liquidity pools, which is used to help new players get started with in-game currency (JEWEL). Auto-compound your yields to build a serious stack, having fun adventures along the way.

8. Pixels – Engaging Strategy Gameplay with Play-to-Earn Tokens

With more than 80,000 wallets connecting to Pixels monthly, this blockchain game is worth a closer look. Pixels mixes farming and adventure in a pixelated blockchain universe. However, strategy plays a role as well because each decision you make takes you toward a path that determines your opportunities later in the game.

The Pixels play-to-earn economy centers on the PIXEL token, which replaced the BERRY token. Players can use PIXEL to invest in land plots and upgrades. The team at Sky Mavis, the game’s publisher, initially chose a two-token ecosystem, using both PIXEL and BERRY, while taking inspiration from popular web2 games to keep gameplay engaging and support a thriving in-game economy.

Pixels runs on the Ronin blockchain, a well-established gaming chain, after moving from Polygon. Marketplaces like OpenSea offer a vibrant market for NFTs, such as Pixels Farmland, so you can start your digital adventure.

9. StarryNift – Explore and Build Captivating Virtual Worlds While Earning Crypto

Nearly 600 crypto wallets connect to StarryNift monthly, making it one of the most active web3 games on the BSC chain. Create 3D worlds in the “Starryverse,” where you can interact with others, earn crypto, and explore.

My first experiences with StarryNift parallel Decentraland were credited as being the first decentralized metaverse app. Walk, run, jump, fly, or perform tricks in a seemingly endless virtual reality. Special events and exhibits add to the immersive feel, providing a reason to return. There’s also another reason: you can collect NFTs, which you can then stake to earn rewards.

StarryNift mixes cartoon avatars with richly rendered backgrounds and environments to create captivating worlds. And best of all, you can try it for free without even connecting a wallet.

10. Upland – Real Estate Web3 Game Based on Real-World Properties

Metaverse worlds offer a near-perfect match for web3 gaming because of blockchain’s ability to track assets like land while also providing complete ownership of virtual assets to players. Upland takes a new twist by mixing virtual ownership with landmarks and locations from the real world.

Want to buy your neighbor’s house? Go ahead. If it’s available, you can buy the virtual version and put up a taller fence. New properties in your portfolio can earn up to 15% yields paid in UPX, allowing you to buy yet more properties, compounding your earnings. When it’s time to sell, you can cash out for USD.

As you progress through the game, you become eligible for Uplander status, enabling you to earn Spark to build structure NFTs you can sell on the secondary market. Upland lets you become a virtual real estate mogul with real-world earnings if you play the game well.

11. The Sandbox – Monetize Metaverse Worlds and Games You Design

Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based gaming publisher, brings us one of the best-known metaverse projects. Leading brands and celebrities have held events in the Sandbox Metaverse, such as Snoop Dogg, Playboy, Atari, Ubisoft, and The Walking Dead.

Often compared to Roblox and Minecraft, The Sandbox uses similarly blocky avatars and environments. Also similar to these other games, The Sandbox lets you build your own creations. The difference is that you own what you build, including games you build within The Sandbox.

The Sandbox uses the Unity game engine and offers a no-code game maker, which lets you customize virtual worlds with a few clicks. Landowners can monetize the content published on the land they own in the game. Play in single-player mode or join with friends in multiplayer mode.

12. Illuvium – AAA Game Ecosystem Where Players Earn ILV Tokens

Illuvium can be more complex than some web3 games, but this play-to-earn ecosystem is well-suited to strategists and offers several interconnected games. This AAA game has graphics and gameplay that have helped it reach a mainstream gaming audience. The ecosystem consists of four games in total, two of which are in early testing.

Illuviium Beyond, now live, allows players to compete to create Illuvatars, collectible NFTs. Illuvium Arena (PVP) is in early access. New players in Illuvium PVP get three pre-built decks of cards, with teams comprised of Illuvials you can take into the PVP arena. Upgrade your team with suits, weapons, and augments.

As you progress through the game, leveling up your Illuvial, you can fuse to create new Illuvials or advanced forms of Illuvials that are more effective in battle. The Illuvial ecosystem offers several ways to reward players: capture Illuvials to sell on the marketplace, capture a slot on the leaderboard to earn ILV, or stake ILV to earn ILV or sILV.

13. Gods Unchained – Card-Based Strategy Game For Play-to-Earn Fans

If trading cards are more your speed, Gods Unchained deserves a closer look. With more than 5,000 monthly players, Gods Unchained is already a hit for web3 gamers who prefer a slower pace compared to shoot-em-ups and sometimes-baffing metaverse worlds. The studio behind the game, Immutable, launched the mobile version of Gods Unchained last year.

Put your skills to the test with three game modes: solo, ranked, and direct challenge (one-on-one private match). Each match earns EXP, the key to advancing and unlocking new skills.

Earn GODS tokens by completing matches. If you’re not ready to cash out, you can stake your GODS tokens to earn more tokens. Major crypto exchanges offer GODS, so you also have the option to buy tokens and jumpstart your staking earnings.

14. Axie Infinity – Popular NFT-Based Game With 195,000 Monthly Players

Replace Pokémon with Axies (and put it on the blockchain), and you get the drift of Axie Infinity, the hit game from Sky Mavis. This well-loved game has been with us since 2018. Although the Axie Infinity game fell victim to a major hack in 2022, it still remains one of the most popular web3 games, with more than 195,000 monthly players.

Axie Infinity revolves around Axies, creatures you catch and train, and much like Pokémon, Axies fight other Axies. However, there’s a twist. Axies can breed, making new types of Axies, each represented as an NFT.

If there’s a downside, you have to buy Axies to get started. However, the initial investment can turn a profit as you make your way through the game, earning AXS tokens and unique Axies that you can trade.

Web3 Games vs. Traditional Games

Web3 gaming can look similar to traditional games. However, under the hood, web3 gaming studios make some important distinctions between their games and traditional games.

Ownership of In-Game Assets and In-Game Earnings

NFTs (non-fungible tokens) give web3 gamers true ownership of assets. These assets can be transferred to another wallet, traded, or sold. Web3 offers a way to recapture the value of your time or financial investment in the game. In many cases, players can even earn in-game currency or NFTs by playing the game.

By contrast, traditional games typically don’t offer similar portability of assets.

Decentralization vs. Centralization

Many web3 games are decentralized, meaning the game is governed by the community, which can vote on proposed changes. Additionally, in-game transactions are governed by smart contracts, which are computer programs that run on the blockchain network.

Lastly, transactions themselves are stored on the blockchain, making them immutable (unchangeable), and then distributed to multiple nodes on the blockchain, so there is no centralized server.

By comparison, traditional games use a centralized hub. The game provider itself manages the database, game features, and in-game transactions.

Game ID

Although some web3 games do require registration, your primary method of access is to connect via a crypto wallet. The wallet address you use becomes your pseudonymous identity within the game.

You may be able to assign a username as well, with the username tied to the wallet address rather than your real-world identity. This allows a certain degree of privacy in your online adventures. Traditional games usually require registration, meaning the game company knows who you are.

Equal Access

By using wallet addresses rather than registered users, web3 gaming offers fair access to all. Users interact with smart contracts on the blockchain platform, eliminating the barriers to entry based on real-world identity or location.

By contrast, traditional games may only be available in certain regions, and game companies can ban or restrict users. Some centralized web3 gaming companies can ban users, but this is quite uncommon in the web3 space.

Different Types of Web3 Games

While NFT-based games gave web3 gaming its start, we’ll likely see the types of games continue to evolve. Some will still parallel those found in traditional gaming, albeit with a blockchain-based twist. Many web3 gaming platforms combine two or more of the categories discussed below.

NFT-Based Collectible Games

NFT games center around collecting, trading, and sometimes battling unique digital assets known as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Each NFT is a one-of-a-kind item that players can own, sell, or trade. Axie Infinity was one of the first NFT-based games and remains popular to this day. Players can catch and breed Axies, which are represented by unique tokens on the blockchain.

Examples of NFT-Based Collectible Games

• Axie Infinity
• CryptoKitties
• Sorare

Play-to-Earn Games

Play-to-earn games allow players to earn real-world value through gameplay. Players are rewarded with cryptocurrencies or NFTs that can be traded or sold for profit. Players can sell their tokens on outside markets or swap for other cryptocurrencies on decentralized exchanges.

Combining Defi (decentralized finance) and gaming, these games are a subcategory of Web3 Games called GameFi (Game Finance).

Examples of Play-to-Earn Games

• The Sandbox
• Gods Unchained

Metaverse Games

Metaverse games are expansive, user-created digital landscapes where players can explore, socialize, and engage in various activities. These worlds often incorporate NFTs and cryptocurrency for transactions. These open games often leverage decentralized voting to govern the platform. The community owns the voting rights and may even own the platform itself.

Examples of Decentralized Virtual Worlds

• Decentraland
• Voxels
• The Sandbox

Sports and Racing Games

These games bring sports and racing experiences into the Web3 space, allowing players to own and trade digital representations of athletes, teams, cars, and other assets.

Examples of Sports and Racing Games

• SpongeV2
• Zed Run

MMORPGs

Web3 MMORPGs combine traditional MMORPG elements with blockchain technology, allowing for true ownership of in-game assets and decentralized economies.

Examples of Web3 MMPORGs

• Ember Sword
• Mirandus
• Illuvium

FAQs