Metaverse is a term used to describe a virtual world that typically has something innovative and cutting-edge. It allows users or players to immerse themselves in new environments that are completely virtual.
Current metaverse applications range from video games and social network platforms to virtual conferences and more. With avatars that can be projected anywhere as holograms or things that can be interacted with, any metaverse or virtual world is hot stuff right now.
A lot of companies are investing heavily into metaverse applications including Meta (formerly Facebook) and Microsoft. Apple has also unveiled its Vision Pro, a mix of AR and VR, though they haven’t used the term “metaverse” for it. Then there are a bunch of other tech companies like Google and Snap that are working on some variation of a virtual world, not to mention countless startups that are either doing something truly remarkable or simply banking in on the hype.
In any case, if you’re in it just for fun and want to try some metaverse games, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve separated the wheat from the chaff based on pure research and tested scores of games (a lot of which look flashy but are either very bugged or simply impractical) to come up with our list of the most exciting and enjoyable gaming experiences in virtual worlds.
Why Metaverse Games?
You’re bound to have many questions. For example:
Why play metaverse games? What do they offer and what can I expect? Is it worth it to get into a metaverse game?
Let’s try first to understand what they are, how they work, and what they promise so you can have your answers before we move on to the list of the most popular metaverse games today.
First of all, the metaverse is one of the hottest tech segments right now. Together with generative AI and blockchain, it forms the holy trinity of technological advancement in 2023.
Whereas generative AI is transforming the speed and efficiency at which we work and blockchain, together with the leading crypto exchanges and decentralized finance tools, is changing the way we transfer assets and create transparent systems; metaverse ecosystems are leveraging AR and VR to create worlds that can use all of that and more to entice users and players in a wholly new way.
It’s certainly a big revolution and all the tech stalwarts have thrown their hats in the ring.
In fact, as per a Gartner estimate, “25% of people will spend at least one hour a day in a metaverse for work, shopping, education, social media and/or entertainment” by 2026! It’s mind-boggling when you really think about it—Even the internet itself, the personal computer, and the smartphone were all much behind in terms of penetration and mass adoption.
4 Most Popular Metaverse Games (Free)
With all that out of the way, let’s now talk about the best and most popular metaverse games that are improving at a breakneck speed.
1. Axie Infinity
Collect, breed, and battle fantasy creatures called Axies in this blockchain-based virtual world. The player-driven economy allows players to trade and sell their Axies, which are NFTs, in a metaverse with a thriving ecosystem.
The community is excellent and you won’t be bored for hundreds of hours if you get hooked!
2. The Sandbox
The Sandbox is precisely what it sounds like—A sort of sandbox to experiment in. It’s fueled by user-generated content where players can create, own, and even monetize their gaming experiences.
The entire metaverse experience of The Sandbox is thoroughly engaging and quite creative. You can design and customize your games and assets using many platform tools. And of course, players can also interact with other players’ creations.
As a bonus, you can also partake in buying and selling virtual land parcels (NFTs) to participate in an active virtual economy.
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3. Decentraland
This virtual world is built on blockchain and allows you to buy, sell, and develop parcels of virtual land. Decentraland is almost synonymous with virtual real estate and it’s completely decentralized, as the name suggests. What this means is that you fully own your digital assets and land, and no organization has superior control over your NFTs!
When developing their land parcels, players can create experiences such as art installations or social spaces to improve the value of their land.
4. Fortnite
Fortnite is traditionally a battle royale game but has introduced significant metaverse-like features to become the first true video game that can be called a metaverse. It offers rich experiences such as social spaces and live events where in-game hosts can perform in concerts for millions of people, all virtually.
Many artists have already enthralled audiences by performing in Fortnite virtual concerts including Travis Scott, Ariana Grande, and Marshmello that drew in a combined total of 85.5 million attendees!
The Creative mode in the game also allows players to design and build custom islands.
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Wrapping Up
Metaverse promises a lot of things. Interconnected game worlds where characters and assets can move freely, entire live concerts attended by a mixed crowd of real-world humans and holograms, and seminars or meetings that can hold thousands of people in a single server instance. The promises are huge and the development across all fronts is fast-paced.
Make sure that you have a no-lag VPN first, however! Metaverse or not, an unstable internet connection can introduce considerable lag and high ping that can be detrimental to your gaming experience.
Indeed, “metaverse” can be a confusing subject. It’s a term that can mean anything from the Fortnite store or Zoom-like meetings with virtual avatars for team collaboration. The segment is still in a calibration stage and we’re yet to see a concrete definition or a true realization of the metaverse, not a metaverse, where assets, characters, or data can move freely between different virtual worlds.
Until then, enjoy the selection of these popular metaverse games!
