Polygon Gaming - The Biggest Gaming Blockchain in Crypto

In the world of Web3 gaming, Polygon Network takes the lead as it hosts the largest gaming ecosystem, according to a report from Game7 Research. Renowned for its low-cost and swift transaction speed, Polygon provides optimal user experience and gameplay. Among the major players constructing on Polygon are Immutable zkEVM, Sandbox, Sunflower Land, Aavegotchi, Gas Hero, Mojo Melee, Moonveil, and Hypr Network. These games and platforms are leveraging Polygon's advanced technology, optimizing gameplay with scalable gaming infrastructure, NFT aspects, and player-earns-reward features. The success stories of these games that range from strategic world combat to farming simulation, affirm Polygon's position as the prime choice among developers. As the backbone for some of the most successful Web3 games, Polygon is anticipated to expand its horizon in the gaming blockchain further.

Introduction

The Polygon Network hosts the largest gaming ecosystem in all of Web3. Many of the biggest gaming projects and teams are building on Polygon, for good reason. Polygon offers low cost and fast transactions speeds, which is a must for a smooth user experience and gameplay. In this article, we'll cover why Polygon is #1 in gaming, some of the biggest players building on Polygon and some of the recent projects that have announced their launch on Polygon. Let's dive in!

#1 in Gaming

According to a recent report form Game7 Research, Polygon hosts the most Web3 games compared to all blockchains. In second is BNB chain and in third is Ethereum. Polygon is not only home to the most games in Web3, but also some of the most successful and popular games. On top of this, dedicated gaming Layer 2 chains like Immutable are building using the Polygon Chain Development Kit. While Immutable is currently on Testnet, hundreds of games have already committed to launching on Immutable zkEVM with Mainnet expected in Q1 2024.

Popular Polygon Games & Platforms

Immutable zkEVM

A few months ago, Immutable zkEVM, a gaming focused Layer 2 built using Polygon CDK, launched on Testnet. This technology combines zk-rollup with the Ethereum ecosystem, offering game developers access to the full suite of Immutable gaming products. Unlike general-purpose chains, Immutable zkEVM is specifically designed for games, optimizing for scale, speed, and native user experiences. It aims to support game studios by providing liquidity, building player communities, and leveraging powerful network effects.

Hundreds of games have already committed to building on the new chain and the zkEVM Mainnet is expected very soon. The collaboration between Immutable and Polygon represents a significant advancement in gaming technology within the web3 ecosystem.

Sandbox

The Sandbox announced their deployment on Polygon in mid 2022. The Sandbox Metaverse is a decentralized virtual world where users create avatars and environments. NFTs allow true ownership of in-game creations and enables monetization. Developed by Pixowl, it originated from successful mobile games. The platform includes VoxEdit for voxel art, a Marketplace for buying/selling, and Game Maker for code-free game creation.

Tokens like SAND facilitate transactions, governance, and staking for passive income on limited virtual real estate known as LAND. There are only 166,464 LANDs, released periodically. Transaction fees fund the Sandbox Foundation for new experiences.

Sunflower Land

Sunflower Land is a blockchain-based farming simulation game built on Polygon. It replicates real market economics, emphasizing supply and demand of in-game resources, rewarding hard work, and introducing inherent scarcity.

In beta mode, players sign up on the Sunflower Land Discord server, get verified, and connect their crypto wallet like MetaMask supporting Polygon. They donate at least 1 MATIC to a chosen charity to receive a free farm. SFL, the in-game token, serves as the economic backbone, acting as both currency and play-to-earn rewards. Players earn SFL by cultivating land, extracting resources, and selling them on the market. The token can be exchanged for fiat or other cryptocurrencies.

Players can make money by selling in-game items, upgrading their farms, and interacting with goblins to expand their fields. Sunflower Land utilizes NFTs, with farms being players' personal plots of land.

Aavegotchi

Aavegotchi is an NFT collectible project that has expanded into asset staking, land ownership, and blockchain gaming. The project regularly releases updates and new features, consistently maintaining top positions in DappRadar Rankings.

Initially introduced as a GameFi NFT project, Aavegotchi has evolved into a platform where users can play games, earn rewards, and utilize their land. The central characters, known as Aavegotchis, serve as players entry tickets to the game and are essential for certain events like Rarity Farming. These ghost-like NFT creatures require regular care, and players can increase their level of kinship by "petting" them every 12 hours, leading to daily stipends of Gotchus Alchemica.

Gas Hero

Satoshi Labs, known for the move-to-earn app STEPN on Solana, has released Gas Hero, a social strategy game on Polygon. Accessible through browsers and soon on mobile, Gas Hero combines strategy, NFT collection, and token earning in an expansive gaming ecosystem.

In Gas Hero, players enter a strategic world where hero squads battle for power, fame, and wealth. Unlike STEPN, Gas Hero strategically deploys on Polygon, using a bridged version of the GMT token for community growth. While the beta version is tutorial-based, entry to the actual game requires a $300 NFT purchase, allowing players to start earning GMT, a feature expected to evolve before app store approval.

At launch, Gas Hero became the top NFT collection in terms of volume across all blockchains. This caused Polygon NFT volume to flip Solana and Ethereum in 24 hour volume.

Mojo Melee

Mojo Melee marks the inception of the Planet Mojo metaverse, presenting a PvP game with elements reminiscent of chess, featuring both NFTs and auto-battle strategies. Players engage in head-to-head mini-tournaments, navigating strategic planning phases to enhance and position their teams before intense combat sequences.

In the Duel and Melee game modes, players strategically battle each other with teams of champions possessing unique skills. The eight-player Melee tournament allows teams to progress and improve. While Mojo Melee may not be as complex as some auto-battle games, strategic placement, unit power-ups, SpellStones, and special abilities are essential for victory. The game is expected to evolve with added depth and features.

Moonveil

Moonveil Entertainment, aims to create top-notch gaming experiences that blend casual flexibility with authentic fun depth. The studio is working on two multiplayer mobile games: AstrArk: Stage One, a tower defense game with PvP and PvE battles, and Project B (code name), a stealth-mode multiplayer strategy game. Moonveil has recently secured $5.4 million in funding for the development of multiplayer mobile games utilizing blockchain technology.

MJ Wong, the CEO, previously held a senior position at Riot Games in China and has a decade of experience in game development and publishing. After exploring a startup following his departure from Riot in 2019, Wong founded Moonveil Entertainment, aiming to develop high-quality mobile games with Web3 features. The team, comprising about 35 people, began its work in November 2022 after securing initial funding.

Hypr Network

Hypr Network has announced their integration with the Polygon Chain Development Kit (CDK), leveraging the zero knowledge-powered Ethereum Layer 2 for building scalable gaming infrastructure aimed at mass adoption. By tapping into Polygon CDK's customizability, Hypr aims to create user experiences tailored to diverse player needs. Utilizing Celestia's high-throughput data availability layer among Polygon CDK's modular options, Hypr seeks to establish one of the fastest and most cost-effective gaming-focused chains.

Originally constructed with the OP Stack, Hypr Network prioritizes enhanced data privacy and security for gaming applications. As part of its mission, Hypr will provide developers with unique zero knowledge-based gaming Software Development Kits (SDKs). Joining other projects like Libre, OKX, and Immutable, Hypr contributes to the growing list of entities testing and utilizing Polygon CDK.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Polygon Network has emerged as the leading blockchain in the crypto gaming space, hosting the most extensive Web3 gaming ecosystem. With its low-cost and high-speed transaction capabilities, Polygon provides a seamless user experience for gaming enthusiasts. The network boasts numerous successful and popular games, securing its position as the primary choice for many developers. Polygon has solidified its status as the biggest gaming blockchain and I anticipate this to grow even more over time.