Puzzle games test problem-solving skills with linguistic, math or spatial puzzles, mosaics or other mind-wracking exercises. Puzzle games have been added quickly to the play to earn model, as a way to introduce a relatively simple game mechanic and reward achievements with tokens or NFTs.
We picked up 10 puzzle games with significant social media popularity and blockchain usage to watch in 2022.
Age of Rust
Age of Rust is a first-person adventure NFT game, where solving puzzles is the way forward. The game combines upcoming first-person adventures with mysteries to survive in a post-AI bleak wilderness.
The game’s mission is to solve puzzles and beat the mechs, saving the future of mankind.
Age of Rust can be tracked for progress at:
What Makes Age of Rust Stand Out
Age of Rust will be a for-profit game with an additional blockchain-based component. But its initial vision is to build a mass-market game story, with the intention to sell the game. Age of Rust will offer a more complex experience with a complete first-person game and rich graphics, moving beyond the puzzle category.
What are the Pros of Age of Rust
Age of Rust uses the Enjin blockchain, an innovative decentralized tool offering cheaper transaction fees. Age of Rust has taken its time to introduce new tokens and NFTs, making sure the hype and token rush does not supersede the game. The RUSTBITS token is already envisioned, but has no price information as of January 2022.
What are the Cons of Age of Rust
The Age of Rust game will require waiting time for all play to earn elements. The series of launches, including tokens for rewards and NFT collections, as well as the game’s action, will require some waiting time. Age of Rust is a game to put on a “wait and see” list for 2021.
Eutaria
Eutaria has a double game model, using puzzles in adventure mode, as well as PVP battles. The game universe of Eutaria uses a native token that is rewarded outside any blockchain, but works at game speeds and does not incur fees. Later, when enough fees accrue, the in-game token can be switched for Binance Coin (BNB) rewards.
Eutaria’s game can be tracked at:
What Makes Eutaria Stand Out
Eutaria offers a no-fee model for the gameplay, instead tallying up token results and paying them out in BNB tokens. The BNB tokens is more easily converted to fiat or traded for another digital asset. The game also has a double-token model, using PP as a game reward token, and EUT for staking. Locking in EUT means the gamer earns passive rewards every time they use characters or land.
What are the Pros of Eutaria
Eutaria offers scholarships to those that will not buy an NFT character. The game has a clear roadmap with plans to improve both gameplay and art. The game has a short history with a launch in October 2021.
What are the Cons of Eutaria
Eutaria is not a classic puzzle game, and instead, it follows what looks like the Axie Infinity model. Playing requires some token operations, including buying EUT tokens for staking, and then trading back the BNB rewards. This may add complexity and unexpected fees and expenses to the game.
Llama Island Treasure Hunt
Llama Island is a treasure hunt game built on the Solana network. The game has gathered a small community on Discord, as it was just starting out to gain popularity in 2022. The game hinges on simple but appealing puzzles and tasks.
Reaching Llam Island Treasure Hunt is possible at:
What Makes Llama Island Stand Out
Llama Island is one of the new games using the Solana network from the start. The game uses simple graphics, but offers a completed experience with multiple levels.
What are the Pros of Llama Island
Lower SOL fees mean playing Llama avoids the high fees for Ethereum. Llama island also awards NFT treasures for additional play to earn income. Llama Island also comes with a positive community and regular gaming round announcements on Discord.
What are the Cons of Llama Island
Llamas are open to risk on the Solana NFT ecosystem, which is less liquid. Floor drops, or sudden depreciation of some collections happen in case of panic or liquidity withdrawal. The Llamas community is entirely organic, but still rather small and the project may take time to accrue valie.
Moniwar
Moniwar is listed as a PVP and puzzles game, with representation on Google App Store. Moniwar launched in December 2021, with upgrades in the pipeline for the first quarter of 2022. Moniwar is widely represented on social media, with highly active marketing.
Reaching Moniwar through its official channels is the best approach:
What Makes Moniwar Stand Out
Moniwar reaches to a wider audience through Google’s app store. The game also plans to introduce NFT staking, making its tokenized items produce passive value. The game team also actively reaches out to streamers for early reviews.
What are the Pros of Moniwar
Moniwar sets aside 40% of all MOWA tokens for play to earn rewards, with around 15% left for the team. The project also keeps to its promised roadmap, while also providing liquidity on PancakeSwap to support MOWA. Moniwar aims to become a top game on Binance Smart Chain.
What are the Cons of Moniwar
Getting MOWA may be an involved process, as it requires a swap through Binance Coin (BNB). Using PancakeSwap may be difficult for players mostly interested in the game aspect and less in the crypto trading aspect.
Citadel of the Machines
Citadel of the Machines is a 3D adventure puzzle game, taking place in an abandoned spaceship. Use a Hexadroid robot to move through the maze and solve challenges while upgrading your skills. The game has a player side with ready-made puzzles, and creator options to build new maps, mazes and obstacles.
Reaching Citadel of the Machines is available at:
What Makes Citadel of the Machines Stand Out
Citadel of the Machines starts off with a strong rarity model on its iconic characters, the Hexadroids. The game is available for immediate free to play mode, even without buying characters. The game started with a wide rollout of Hexadroid NFTs, setting up strong presence on social media.
What are the Pros of Citadel of the Machines
This game starts with a strong model combining sandbox functionalities with a puzzle element, making it a cross-category game. Appealing and well-made 3D art extends the game’s influence.
What are the Cons of Citadel of the Machines
This game is NFT-first and hinges on the success of rare items. There is still no mention of a reward token, so the earnings must come from reselling rare Hexadroids. The NFT floor for Citadel of the Machines was 0.0002 ETH in early 2022, with around 2,500 owners. At this point, it is unknown if the Hexadroid market is liquid enough for predictable play to earn income compared to a game with a more developed reward model.
Tricky Bowling, GatePlay
GatePlay’s Tricky Bowling gameplay uses the addictive model of physics puzzles, where rope cutting decisions result in satisfying results or hilarious failures. The game combines skill and puzzle logic with a play to earn component.
GatePlay can be reviewed at:
What Makes Tricky Bowling Stand Out
Tricky Bowling is just one of the games within GatePlay’s ecosystem, one emphasizing the puzzle theme. GatePlay has a long roadmap ahead with new releases and upgrades some years into the future, as far ahead as 2024. GatePlay has a working game store with multiple simple games on offer.
What are the Pros of GatePlay
Tricky Bowling and other puzzle games offer a known casual gaming puzzle model, with the chance for additional earnings. GatePlay also offers battle and racer games.
What are the Cons of GatePlay
The GPLAY token is yet to gain listings and liquidity. The play to earn features of GatePlay remain focused on the NFT aspect, and for now there is no direct way to gain tokens with relaxing casual gaming puzzles.
Block Legends
Block Legends combines adventure missions with puzzle obstacles, to bring its characters to the goal – Valhalla Castle. Block Legends is built on a new type of blockchain, PIST, and is the first play to earn game added to this wallet.
Block Legends is accessible through Twitter, and so far keeps a low profile on social media.
What Makes Block Legends Stand Out
Block Legends is a game of note for its potential to extend the play to earn space in 2022. For now, the game has only a tentative roadmap to offer, as well as a potentially attractive story arc. The game targets the Korean market and may become a regional success.
What are the Pros of Block Legends
The Block Legends is dedicated to a new technological approach using the GameFi protocol on PIST Network. The game’s esthetics also suggest an element of casual gaming with friendly graphics.
What are the Cons of Block Legends
The game is still unfinished, and it requires a new type of wallet and getting adjusted to assets on the PIST blockchain. While this project may be successful, issues of liquidity, trading potential and token listings remain unclear.
World of Cryptia (Cryptia.io)
World of Cryptia is a complex play to earn metaverse game with puzzles, targeting primarily the Japanese gaming market. World of Cryptia, however, has additional marketing to a wider audience and lines up among games to watch for both quality and earnings.
World of Cryptia is accessible at
What Makes World of Cryptia Stand Out
World of Cryptia makes its puzzles more complicated, with ruins and artifacts building an in-game world. The multi-player features add more challenge, as well as the mixing of battle mode with puzzles to move forward.
What are the Pros of Worlds of Cryptia
The game offers variations with character training gyms and PVP battles. There is also the option to explore ruins as a team. Cryptia has a live reward token based on Binance Smart Chain (BSC), which has been trading since November 2021. The CRYPT token has settled around $0.01, with around 2,300 owners.
What are the Cons of Worlds of Cryptia
The CRYPT token remains relatively volatile as it relies on a single trading pair on the MEXC exchange, and very small liquidity on PancakeSwap. This will limit the earning potential of the game. Worlds of Cryptia would also depend on its NFT market and valuation, and will not offer enough liquidity for reasonable game earnings.
GemiUni Puzzle Games
GemiUni is a play to earn collection of puzzles in beta testing at the start of 2022. Gemi’s goal is to build a universe of casual games with exclusive blockchain-based earning features. GeniQuiz, an upcoming game, was scheduled for January 16, 2022. To play the games, GENI passes are needed, represented by NFT cards.
GemiUni shares news and announcements at:
What Makes GemiUni Stand Out
GemiUni is taking a chunk of the casual game market, while building a solid crypto side for earnings. The GENI token will be distributed in a sale through the GameFi launchpad, adding to adoption.
What are the Pros of GemiUni
GemiUni has a multi-game offering of puzzles and casual games. The GENI token opens the potential for early investment and is used to buy GENI passes for the games.
What are the Cons of GemiUni
The first stage of GemiUni ran between December 15, 2021 and January 15, 2022. Some waiting may be needed for the game’s next stage as it releases public beta. Some of the GemiUni earnings may also come from token farming. Buying and farming tokens has inherent technical and exchange risk.
WAM (WAMCOIN) Casual Puzzles Platform
The casual game category is one of the most beneficial for pure puzzle games. WAM is ahead of the curve with 35 casual games built for the free to play model and adapted to play to earn.
WAM can be explored at:
What Makes WAM Stand Out
Because it exploits an older game model, WAM managed to gain 3.7M users in 2021, rivaling some of the largest dedicated play to earn games. WAMCOIN is actively trading since late December 2021, settling around $0.11 after an initial rally. WAM uses BSC blockchain and PancakeSwap, still building up the token’s liquidity.
What are the Pros of WAM
WAM has an already well-developed mobile casual gaming model, and builds its earning side on top of that model. Players can choose from multiple games to bring out their strengths. Through NFTs, players can also own games and organize tournaments for passive income.
What are the Cons of WAM
The project is game-first, but has yet to build up liquidity for its native coin and NFT collections. While the game tokenomics are solid, exchanging those tokens for fiat may be a multi-step process.
Puzzle games are a mixed bag of quality when they cross over into play to earn territory. Game reviews are not investment advice, and a solid game does not translate into token success. Play to earn may also create selling pressure for reward tokens.
FAQ
Q: What are puzzle games?
A: Puzzle games may be centered around the puzzle itself, or put the puzzles as elements in an adventure type game. Play to earn projects take varying approaches, which makes them all puzzle-type games. But there is a variation, with adventure at the center, or maze-based puzzles, as well as casual games of logic.
Q: Why some games don’t offer a reward token?
A: There are many reasons not to issue a reward token. Some startups choose not to issue tokens due to bearish market conditions, or delay for months into the future. Others focus on their NFT mints and use them as a source of liquidity.
Q: How are earnings monetized from puzzle games?
A: Unlike free to play, blockchain puzzle games have different paths to locking in the gains. Most commonly, a crypto token must be traded back to other assets, either through centralized or decentralized exchanges. It is best to research the game beforehand for the exact liquidity conditions of the token.
