What are blockchain games? A complete guide by Yevhen Kasyanenko

Now imagine that all of this can be turned into… income. Seriously. Play and earn. Sell rare items for crypto, own unique game items that are really worth money, and even make a profit just for playing. Sounds crazy? Welcome to the world of blockchain games — a new era where gaming is not just a hobby, but a full-fledged ecosystem with money, ownership, and the freedom to exist as you wish.

“Blockchain games are not just a new gimmick. They are a revolution where every gamer can become the owner of a part of the gaming world and decide for themselves what to do with it,” says Yevhen Kasyanenko, a leading expert at KISS.

Blockchain in games is about freedom, transparency, and real digital ownership. Further in the article, we will explain in simple terms what blockchain games are, how they work, and why they are needed.

What are blockchain games: general concept

“In blockchain games, everything is different compared to regular games. Here, items, resources, and even characters are stored on the blockchain—a secure and decentralized system. Imagine a digital wallet, but instead of money, it contains your game sword, a rare artifact, or in-game currency. And only you decide what to do with it. You can sell it, give it to a friend, or just keep it for yourself.” – adds Yevhen Kasyanenko.

This approach changes the very idea of gaming. The player becomes not just a participant in the process, but an owner.

Thus, blockchain games are video games in which in-game items and assets actually belong to the players and are not just stored on the developer’s server. This means that you can freely dispose of your items and not lose control over your personal digital assets.

Why are they gaining popularity?

There are several reasons for the popularity of blockchain games, and they are all quite logical:

• True ownership. You are not dependent on the whims of the publisher. Everything you earn in the game is truly yours. Has your account been blocked? Has the game closed? It doesn’t matter — the assets remain in your wallet.
• Earning potential. In the play-to-earn model, you receive rewards in cryptocurrency or NFTs for your actions in the game. In some projects, in-game items can not only be used, but also sold or rented out. This is no longer just a hobby, but can be a full-fledged source of income.
• Transparency and security. Everything is recorded in a special public blockchain database. This means that it is simply impossible to fake or cheat with items in the game. Such transparency significantly reduces the amount of fraud and helps players trust each other.

Why integrate blockchain into games: benefits for players and developers

“Blockchain in games is not just a new technology for the sake of it. It really changes the approach to ownership, trading, and interaction between players. Importantly, the benefits are not only for gamers, but also for the developers themselves,” emphasizes our expert.

Next, we will discuss in more detail why blockchain should be added to games.

A new model of ownership: players have control, not just a lease

In the previous section of the article, we explained the most important difference between blockchain games and traditional games: everything you “earn” in the game now really belongs to you. This is an important feature that has led developers of modern gaming projects to implement blockchain technology.

Items in such games are usually NFTs, which means you can do whatever you want with them. Even if the project closes, your item will remain in your wallet as digital property. No one can just “delete” it.

Tokenization and trading

The main advantage is the ability to trade freely and openly. Skins used to be sold on the gray market, but now they are part of the gameplay:

• Game items can be sold on marketplaces such as OpenSea, Rarible, or Magic Eden. And for real money or cryptocurrency. There are no restrictions: if you have an item, you decide what to do with it.
• This opens the way to an inter-game economy. Imagine that you bought a sword in one game, and it works in another. This is not science fiction; it is already being tested in projects such as Enjin. There, NFTs are created that can be used in different games within the same ecosystem—something like a multiverse is emerging.

This changes the attitude towards the game: when you really own your items, you want to invest both time and money. After all, you know for sure that everything you have earned or bought will not disappear with the release of a new version or if the developers decide to redo everything.

What developers get: less fraud, more engagement

Blockchain also opens up a lot of new opportunities for game development teams:

• Less fraud and “dupes.” Smart contracts record all transactions. It is virtually impossible to cheat the system, and items cannot be “copied” or “farmed” using bugs.
• Flexible monetization models. You can move away from old schemes like “pay and play” or endless donations. For example, in the play-to-earn model, users earn tokens, and the developer can set a percentage of in-game trades or premium features.
• A more loyal and active community. Players who own game tokens become real participants in the project. They are motivated not only to play, but also to help develop the ecosystem. In some cases, this goes as far as DAO — decentralized voting on key issues.

Yevhen Kasyanenko gives a vivid example of all this:

“In a popular NFT game called Decentraland, virtual land owners vote on updates, decide what to build, how to develop the platform, etc. They are no longer just players, but digital shareholders.”

We would like to add that, based on the same principle, for example, in the sandbox game The Sandbox, gamers can build entire cities or even worlds, become businesspeople in the virtual world, selling or renting items or game real estate there. Income there can be easily converted into real profit through crypto.

How blockchain games work: basic mechanics

Blockchain games are structured a little differently than traditional game projects. Here, it is not only what happens on the screen that is important, but also how data about your progress and items is protected and managed.

Decentralization: no single point of failure

Instead of a single server that holds everything, data is stored on multiple computers, known as nodes. If one of them goes down, the game will continue to function.

Most importantly, if the developers suddenly stop supporting the project, the community can take control and continue the game’s life.

Smart contracts: fair deals without intermediaries

Smart contracts are automated programs that conduct exchanges between players themselves, verifying payments and transferring items without intermediaries.

This makes trading within the game easier and safer.

NFT items: things that are truly yours

In blockchain games, items are unique digital tokens. You can:

• Sell them to another player;
• Transfer them from one account to another;
• Use them in other games, if the developers support it.

It can be anything: a hero, a piece of land, or a collection of artifacts.

Examples of success and current limitations

“Blockchain games are no longer just an experiment; several high-profile projects have shown that the play-to-earn model and true digital ownership really work. But there are still challenges to be faced,” notes Yevhen Kasyanenko.

More details below.

Successful projects that have already made blockchain games popular

Several games have shown that the blockchain model could indeed be the future of gaming projects:

• Axie Infinity – battles and breeding of NFT creatures, each of which can be sold.
• Decentraland – land purchase, construction, events – all this on the basis of real digital property rights.
• Splinterlands – a card game where each card is an NFT that can be freely traded.

These projects have set the direction and proven that blockchain in games is serious and here to stay.

What are the difficulties, limitations, and challenges?

Despite growing interest, there are still some difficulties in the overall development of blockchain games for the following reasons:

• Scalability. With a large number of players, blockchain (e.g., Ethereum) can slow down, which interferes with gameplay.
• Difficult start. You need to know how to use crypto wallets and understand tokens. This is not so easy for beginners.
• Skepticism among gamers. Not all players support the idea. Many fear that trading will destroy the spirit of the game, leaving only profit.

Advice from Yevhen Kasyanenko: what to consider when developing blockchain games

Yevhen Kasyanenko, founder and technical director of KISS.software, who has dozens of completed projects under his belt, is confident:

“Blockchain in games opens up powerful opportunities, but you need to approach this topic not with dreams, but with calculation.”

Here’s what he advises to pay attention to first:

1. The monetization model is not the most important thing, but you can’t do without it. Decide what the economy will be based on: P2E (play-to-earn), M2E (move-to-earn), T2E (tap-to-earn), or a mixed approach. But it’s important not to make the game just for the sake of earning money. If it all boils down to “token farming,” players will quickly lose interest, as demonstrated, for example, by various “tap games” on Telegram.
2. Tokenomics is the foundation. The game currency must have real value, be used in mechanics, be limited, and be protected from inflation. You can’t just “issue a token” and wait for success, because it will quickly depreciate if you don’t think through the economics.
3. Simplicity and onboarding. It should be as clear as possible to the user what to do. The interface should be intuitive, and actions should be step-by-step. Don’t make people Google how to set up a wallet or pay gas fees. The easier it is to get started, the more players will stay.
4. Community is the heart of the project. A successful blockchain game is not just code and tokens, it’s the people around it. Give players a voice: open discussions, AMA sessions, in-game events, joint decision-making through DAO — all of this increases engagement and loyalty.

What lies ahead

Blockchain gaming is just beginning to take off in a big way. Here’s where Yevhen Kasyanenko thinks the industry is headed:

• Multiverses will become a reality. Once developers agree on compatible standards, players will be able to use the same NFT item in multiple games at once. Buy a sword in one RPG and use it in a shooter or strategy game. It all depends on imagination and API.
• Large studios will join the game. While major publishers are still cautious, the trend is already clear. Gradually, we will begin to see blockchain elements in projects from major brands — first cosmetics, then items, and then, possibly, in-game DAOs.
• The tools will become simpler. Right now, it’s difficult for many players: wallets, seed phrases, commissions, networks. But this is temporary. Solutions are already emerging where the wallet is created “in the background,” commissions are hidden, and everything works almost like a Web2 application. Mass adoption is a matter of convenience.

Why a professional approach is important

Creating a blockchain game is not just game development with the addition of crypto. Knowledge of tokenomics, smart contracts, and security is important here. The KISS.software team, led by Yevhen Kasyanenko, combines these competencies and helps launch sustainable and well-thought-out projects.

Our professional approach consists of the following important steps:

• We create a clear economy. No empty tokens or promises of “millions” — only working models that can withstand the load.
• We write smart contracts with no surprises. Reliable, transparent, and impossible to hack.
• We simplify entry for players. Wallets, transactions, interfaces—everything should be understandable even to those who are hearing about blockchain for the first time.