After CryptoKitties proved to be successful in the mainstream limelight in 2017, a surge of digital collectibles built on blockchain technology ensued. This rising trend made it pretty clear that blockchain and gaming make a perfect match.

While blockchain technology provides a reliable reward system for players to collect digital collectibles making the game worthwhile, the gamification process, on the other hand, creates a friendly environment for learning and mass adoption.

When it comes to crypto games, Japan leads the pack with an estimated net worth of over $40 billion. In addition, expert blockchain researchers have predicted that with increasing smartphone penetration around the globe, the crypto gaming industry could take off even further in 2020 and beyond.

Here is a list of some popular blockchain-based games to watch out for in 2020.

My Crypto Heroes

The Japan-based blockchain game has barely existed for more than a year, yet it ranks first in the world in terms of transactional volume. The game was developed by Double jump.tokyo inc. on Nov. 30, 2018, and is built on Ethereum as a decentralized application.

The game can be played on both mobile and PC’s that are online and features records of historical heroes that can be collected and trained to fight in epic battles. The heroes are all hidden, and their enemies have made them weaker.

The player’s role is to go through the depths of this fantasy world to free and restore the heroes to their former glory. Players can even train their heroes to acquire new characteristics. The game also allows to trade heroes on a social marketplace.

Blockchain Cuties

Blockchain Cuties takes the idea of digital collectibles a bit further by making them available on multiple blockchains. The game is made up of cute fantasy creatures, like cats, puppies, pandas and lizards, that can be traded, sold or turned into traditional digital currencies. Furthermore, these digital collectibles can be trained with multiple skills that are put to the test in battles.

Blockchain Cuties can be played both on PC and mobile devices through a web browser. What makes this game interesting is its growing support team and its intuitive design.

Forgotten Artifacts

Forgotten Artifacts is a crypto game that allows players to go on an endless adventure to find Forgotten Artifacts. The collectibles in this blockchain game are a mix of fungible and non-fungible tokens each with a limited supply thereby making them unique and valuable.

Currently, in its pre-alpha development stage, this crypto game can only be played with an Enjin wallet, as it is the only way to store the ERC-1155 tokens and collectibles. So far, there has been a huge interest in the game from the gaming community with a user base that the Forgotten Artifacts team calls “assiduous.”

Gods Unchained

Gods Unchained is a deck-building card game that lets the players acquire card packs and accumulate unique collections of rare cards. With cards that are built on Ethereum’s blockchain, the game players get true ownership of the cards and can exchange them for other cards or sell them on a market place.

Easily compared to Blizzard’s Hearthstone — with the only difference that GU is built on a blockchain — Gods Unchained gained traction in the past year after Blizzard expelled one of its top players after he voiced support for the Hong Kong protests.

Most importantly, the crypto game has received upwards of $15 million in funding, making it one of the most promising blockchain-based games of 2020. In November of last year, the game's transactional volumes surpassed that of CryptoKitties during its peak. In just 3 days, this fantasy card game was able to transfer upwards of 6 million cards, which were valued at more than 4.7 million transfers when it achieved its peak in 2017.

Spells of Genesis

This mobile crypto game is designed to be a mix between an arcade-style game and a card trading game. Players of Spells of Genesis can embark on epic adventures while collecting and trading orbs to build strong decks that can be tested in battles. Players get to cast their spells on enemies using the deck of cards with strategy and skill being key elements for victory.

Since the collectibles and cards in the game are built on blockchain technology, players get to keep their items and cards that they win from playing the game. What's even more interesting is that this is one of the first role-playing Bitcoin (BTC) games that allows to directly store collectibles on the Bitcoin blockchain. Additionally, winnings can be exchanged outside the game, which is exciting for gamers.

Splinterlands

Any Game of Thrones fan will find it easy to fall in love with Splinterlands. This crypto game is set in a fantasy world made up of six kingdoms that battle for control of Splinterland. And just like Games of Thrones, there is a prophecy that predicts the coming of a common enemy that will force the Splinters to unite and fight.

Players get to use in-game collectibles to defeat enemies in battle. Thanks to its use of blockchain technology, each card is unique, and the results of every battle can be verified easily. The game is built with an algorithm that prevents tampering with the results of battles. Even game creators cannot manipulate or change them.

Bitcoin Flip (Trading App)

For novices who are trying to learn how to trade cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin Flip Trading App is the game for you. Designed as a Bitcoin exchange simulator, this game allows players to understand the basics of trading crypto while having fun at the same time.

It is a free Bitcoin simulator that features real pricing, charts and tools. Using Bitcoin Flip, players can test their trading strategies in a safe sandbox. However, unlike most game features on this list, users do not earn crypto while playing.

Altcoin Fantasy

Another simulator that can make trading crypto exciting is Altcoin Fantasy. The game allows players to start trading with virtual U.S. dollars. Therefore, players can pick from over 140 cryptocurrencies and adjust their portfolio accordingly.

What’s even more exciting about this game is that it features contests allowing players to win prizes that have a monetary value. Altcoin Fantasy has partnered with companies like bread, Paxful and OKCoin to sponsor its contests financially and reward players with real Bitcoin, as well as other cryptocurrencies.

Neon District

Developed by Blockade Games, Neon District is an all-time favorite for cyberpunk lovers. This is a role-playing game driven by a story with a mix of elements of sci-fi dystopian movies like The Matrix. What hooks gamers is the fact that, at every stage, players have to acquire skills to fight enemies and solve complex puzzles.

New characters can be collected along the way to build up a personal profile. These characters and in-game items are programmed to the blockchain to secure ownership. In 2020, the creators of the game plan to develop a second season to the story that includes a new co-operative play that allows players to join forces with one another.

0xUniverse

For those who enjoy spaceships and outer space fantasy games, 0xUniverse is a good fit. It comes with an intuitive user interface. Built on Ethereum, this game is all about using strategy while going on a cosmic ride into the universe, much like The Mandalorian.

On each planet, users will be able to find different resources and meet new people. A player can own an entire planet or a part of it since all in-game items are recorded on the blockchain.

MegaCryptoPolis

If Monopoly and everything real estate are of interest, MegaCryptoPolis is a blockchain game to feed this need. The game is designed so that players can acquire a piece of land, construct something and collect Ether (ETH) daily as a profit. Players can even grab the entire district to collect taxes in the form of tokens.

Just like in real life, plots of the land rise in value. Additionally, they are hardcoded as ERC-721 tokens and stored on the blockchain. What’s more, the game comes with a demo version that can be played on any browser, making it easy for beginners to get familiar with the interface.

So far, the game has had a positive reception in the gaming community, amassing over 4 million views on YouTube, — not to mention a total of 10,000 Ethereum wallets being registered.

Mythereum

Launched in February 2018, Mythereum is another blockchain-based card game built on Ethereum's blockchain. The game features a variety of characters who battle for survival. Players are supposed to keep their characters alive.

Also, these characters can be traded on third-party marketplaces. The in-game currency is Mythex, which is a redeemable ERC-20 token. The gameplay is affected by a strategic deck-stacking process that includes adding powerful characters to the deck to increase the overall performance.

Eos Knights

Built on one of the most prominent blockchain networks, EOS Knights comes with smart contracts that account for every action. Players can collect in-game items that resemble natural elements or even craft new and unique items, using materials found in the game. The game also has the ability to have pets that can be adopted. All the collectibles found in the game can be traded with the EOS token on a native marketplace.

Conclusion

The crypto gaming scene is growing as more games are being invented and more collectible in-game items are being built on blockchain technology. Not only do games make mass adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrencies possible but they also provide an easy way to learn how blockchain technology works.

Cointelegraph spoke to James Ferguson, the CEO of Immutable (the creators of Gods Unchained), about 2020’s outlook in the crypto gaming scene. According to Ferguson, 2020 will feature huge progress in terms of ease of use and quality:

“We’re expecting an influx of mainstream users that far surpasses what was achieved in 2019 as a result.”

However, as in-game items become increasingly popular, it can be difficult to imagine a world, in which cryptocurrencies and in-game collectibles do not collide:

“In-game digital assets will likely be the largest driver of cryptocurrency adoption over the next couple of years, especially considering games will be one of the greatest tools for onboarding users into the ecosystem.”

Cointelegraph does not endorse these products nor claims that they are the best or biggest available on the market.