Solana has increasingly become a preferred destination for many metaverse and NFT developers and creators because of its low transaction fees, throughput rate, and size—that can process up to 50,000 transactions per second—and transaction speed.
We can’t ignore how the high gas fee for Ethereum-based projects is another significant reason driving the crazy adoption of Solana metaverse projects.
That doesn’t seem to be stopping any soon, leading to the launch of several amazing Solana metaverse games and coins. In this guide, we will exclusively talk about the Solana metaverse, top projects you should look out for, and some important queries you may have in mind.
A Brief Overview of the Metaverse
If you have been following crypto news lately, you may have, by now, noticed how metaverse and Web3.0 have been the recent trends in the space.
It is no surprise that the change of name of Facebook’s parent company to Meta in late 2021 played a role and shifted the metaverse notion from being just about games to even greater possibilities.
Experts estimate the metaverse market to reach over $800B by 2024, a surge from $47B in 2020 following the rising rate of metaverse users to over 50,000 worldwide. This figure is expected to double with more use cases of the metaverse by that time.
Many big names are now actively working on getting a share of the metaverse promises. This is evident after sources showed the market cap of Web 2.0 metaverse companies standing at $14.8 trillion as of October 2021. Facebook’s market cap even shot to $0.9 trillion during this time, up from $778B in 2020—a 20.26% rise in such a short period.
What is the Metaverse?
The metaverse is a virtual world built with Augmented and Virtual Reality (AVR) technology and characterized by social interactions through gaming, virtual meetings, and a digital economy.
In less technical terms, the metaverse is a non-physical world where people can interact, work, and even party in, all from the comfort of their homes.
Imagine it as a television show where most of the characters are real people, and you can enter the show anytime you wish to interact with the characters and return back to your couch.
The beautiful this is that you and the characters in the television show didn’t just disappear into the metaverse, which in this case, is the TV.
Rather, you used certain software, tools, or equipment, like the Oculus system to enter the world and out when you wish without having to leave your physical location.
The word has existed since 1992 through the merger of “meta” and “universe” in the novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. The metaverse got greater exposure in 2002 when Second Life, a virtual gaming platform, was introduced.
Since then, the mainstream media has commonly seen the word “metaverse” as relating to games and other forms of virtual or augmented environments.
However, this notion got a paradigm shift in 2021 when Facebook rechristened its parent company to Meta, with its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, introducing the metaverse as being more than just games—but a whole new world of possibilities not seen in the real world.
The metaverse is still in its infancy, with many analysts relating it to Web 3.0, which, from our common observation, doesn’t appear to look like it, considering that big names in Web 2.0 have hijacked the idea.
We are likely to experience some privacy concerns, compromised safety of users, and user addiction, which was not what the Web 3.0 idea stood for initially.
Does Solana Have a Metaverse?
Solana is a blockchain network that opens the door for many possibilities and integrates Web 3.0 and the metaverse but doesn’t exclusively have a metaverse.
It’s just like saying, does your house have Iron Man? When, in fact, Iron Man is only but a movie that will likely be in my house through my television or video streaming platform on my mobile or desktop devices.
You cannot categorically say “Iron Man is my house” because, I mean, how could I be hiding an Avenger? So back to the question, Solana supports the development and launch of metaverse-based projects.
But the metaverse itself is a world—more like a digital universe—and no blockchain or company—not even Meta—can claim sole ownership of it.
10 Best Solana Metaverse Games
Now that we’ve understood what the metaverse is about, let’s take a look at some top Solana metaverse games that you may consider adding to your watchlist.
We’ve focused on metaverse games because most Solana metaverse projects relate to NFTs and play-to-earn (P2E) games.
Here are the top Solana metaverse games to look out for in 2022.
1. Star Atlas
Star Atlas is an intergalactic adventure game set in the year 2620. As a role-playing game (RPG), players will earn rewards in $ATLAS when participating in the game’s adventures. All characters fight for dominance, limited resources and space.
Star Atlas draws inspiration from traditional core gaming and uses blockchain technology to enhance the gaming experience. Its graphical interface is an excellent work of art, and the project is worth giving a try entirely.
2. Cryowar
Cryowar is a cross-platform multiplayer game developed on Unreal Engine. Players are to challenge other players in a PVP setting, show their best skills, and earn rewards as they progress.
Cryowar introduced a DAO governance protocol that allows players to stake the $CWAR and earn appreciable voting powers and interest rates to increase earnings and facilitate open decision-making.
3. Solice
In 2021, Solice completed a seed phase that helped raise over $4M to fund what was considered the first-ever cross-platform metaverse game on the Solana blockchain. You can play Solice’s metaverse game using a VR system (in view) or without one via the platform.
Solice allows users to socialize within the metaverse and not just participate in fun or adventure alone. Using Solice’s $SLC token or $SOL, users can buy lands and create their unique virtual worlds.
4. Afflarium
Like Cryowar, Afflarium was created on Unreal Engine and deployed on the Solana blockchain. Users fight for resources such as crypto, NFTs and collectibles, and so forth, just like an arcade game.
Afflarium also has two NFT marketplaces: one for Afflarium NFTs, and the other for non-Afflarium NFTs.
The Afflarium NFTs support buying and selling NFTs or digital artifacts won on Afflarium, while the non-Afflarium marketplace supports NFTs from other Solana marketplaces or metaverse games.
5. Portals
Portals is a Solana NFT metaverse game and browser-based chatting platform where you can invite your friends, create digital arts using drag-and-drop tools, play NFT-based games, and earn rewards doing these activities.
Earlier in 2022, Portals raised $5M to support its project, which is still in its beta phase at the time of writing. Nonetheless, blockchain giants like FTX US and Binance.US are already building wonders on their respective Portals locales.
Meanwhile, Portals is yet to launch the full project to the public, in the meantime, enthusiasts may access its browser portal and participate in contests (also called key hunting) or play the available demo.
6. Space Falcon
Space Falcon is a free-to-play metaverse game on the Solana blockchain. Although still in the testing phase in Q1 of 2022, Space Falcon earlier launched an online game portal where anyone can access and play its space shooting game using free lives.
While we wait for the full project to go live, you can play the web-based demo game and see the results of top performers on the leaderboard. However, earnings are reserved until the project’s full launch.
In the Q2 and Q3 of 2022, Space Falcon will look to support android and iOS devices in addition to its web portal and allow players to stake and earn on its p2e protocol.
7. Nyan Heroes
Nyan Heroes is an NFT-based adventure game where users play and collect $CTNP tokens during missions. Asides from earning through missions, users may also stake their $CTNP tokens, hence indirectly participating in the platform’s mining activities which can earn them appreciable rewards.
The $NYN token is yet to go live on many top exchanges as there is still an ongoing token sale at the time of writing. According to information on Nyan Heroes’ roadmap, it looks to whitelist its token and partner with exchange for easy buying and selling by H1 2022, according to information in its roadmap. The platform will also look to introduce an in-house NFT marketplace by the end of the H2 launch phase.
8. Solmoon
Solmoon is an NFT metaverse on Solana with over 7777 unique planets. Anyone can purchase a planet using the $SOL token and decorate it with living things possessing rare traits in simple drag and drop.
Solmoon will introduce a rarity ranking tool to determine the rarity of planets in the Solmoverse. The more the stars, the rarer your planet, and vice versa.
The platform will also introduce a secondary marketplace to allow easy exchange of its collectibles and NFTs.
9. Synergy Land
Synergy Land is a cross-platform adventure-cum-action role-playing game (ARPG) that cuts across the four elements of the planet: earth, fire, water, and ice. Players will earn, stake and trade NFTs and crypto during missions.
Players will also be given the full rights to create and customize their characters, buylands, and breed and raise their pets that will fight alongside them.
10. Good Games Guild
Good Games Guild is a GameFi ecosystem that supports play-to-earn gamers and game creators with all the tools they need to promote the metaverse and Web3.0.
It supports multi-chain blockchain networks, including Binance Smart Chain, Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, among others.
Good Games Guild has a utility token ($GGG) which will be pivotal in sponsoring and awarding scholarships to p2e enthusiasts and contributors in the industry.
Comparison Among the Top 10 Solana Metaverse Games
| Game | Play-to-earn? (Yes/No) | Free-to-play (f2p)? (Yes/No) | Game genre | Available rewards |
| Star Atlas | Yes | No | Space, Arcade | Crypto, NFT |
| Cryowar | Yes | Yes | Space, Action, Arcade | Crypto, NFT |
| Solice | Yes | No | AVR, NFT/Crypto game | NFT, Crypto |
| Afflarium | Yes | No | AVR, NFT game | NFTs |
| Portals | Yes | No | NFT game | NFTs |
| Space Falcon | Yes | Yes | Space, Adventure | Crypto, NFT |
| Nyan Heroes | Yes | No | Action, Adventure | Crypto, NFT |
| Solmoon | Yes | No | Adventure, NFT game | NFT, crypto |
| Synergy Land | Yes | No | Adventure, NFT game | NFT |
| Good Games Guild | No | No | GameFi | NFT, Crypto |
Things to Consider Before Choosing a Solana Metaverse Projects
With the growing number of Solana metaverse projects out there, it only makes sense that you develop a checklist for choosing your preferred metaverse game. You may keep the following in mind:
#1. The Genre of the Game
The game genre typically refers to the type of game to play. The different metaverse game genres include:
| Arcade | Adventure | Action | Art/NFT-oriented | Augmented/ Virtual Reality |
| Battle Royale | Building | Breeding | Card | Educational |
| E-sport | Fantasy | Horror | Logic | Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) |
| Party | Puzzle | Racing | Shooter | Sci-fi |
Regular gamers should be acquainted with these game genres. Meanwhile, knowing the kind of game to play helps keep the spirit afloat.
Different metaverse games come in different genres or combinations of the genres listed above. For instance, Star Atlas is a space-based MMORPG game, and Synergy Land, on the other hand, combines action and RPG with a dungeon environment.
#2. The Reward or Benefits
From the name play-to-earn, you must have an idea that there is a reward at the end of it all. But do you know the applicable rewards? Knowing the kind of reward to earn helps you know your winning chances and easily estimate what you earn and how you earn it.
Currently, there are just two rewards earned on Solana metaverse games: crypto and NFT/Collectibles. Some metaverse games may combine both as rewards, while others reward one at a time.
Sometimes these rewards are dependent on the entry requirements, which leads us to the next subhead: is your preferred metaverse game a free-to-play (f2p) or a pay-to-play (p2p)?
#3. Is It a Free-To-Play (f2p) or a Pay-To-Play (p2p)?
A metaverse game may be free to play, or you pay for an entry chance. Do not mistake a free-to-play game for a play-to-earn game—they are distinct, although related.
In a play-to-earn game, you earn rewards for every milestone or win you make. It doesn’t matter if it was a free-to-play game or a pay-to-play game.
Some games are free to play: you just install or connect your wallet to the web application and begin playing. Others require you to own or stake utility tokens or minted/supported NFT or collectible.
Otherwise, you first play a demo, then purchase the platform’s governance token or collectible to play the game: this is called a pay-to-play metaverse game.
What Is the Best Solana Metaverse Coin?
Looking at the statistics, $AURY (the utility token on the Aurory metaverse) is the Solana metaverse crypto topping the charts at the time of writing.
$AURY currently has a market capitalization of over $92M, at a price of about $9.6. Its circulating supply poses about 9.6M tokens against a proposed supply of 100M. This says a lot about the token’s potential with innovations coming into the project.
Next to Aurory is $ATLAS, the token on the Star Atlas metaverse game. ATLAS has a market capitalization of over $72M, a favorable price of $0.03, and a circulating supply of over 2 billion $ATLAS out of 36 billion proposed tokens.
At the time of writing, $ATLAS is yet to be listed on some top exchanges like KuCoin and Binance. What would be of this if it gets listed on these exchanges?
There isn’t a specific basis for classifying the best Solana metaverse coin, and you should perform due diligence to ensure you’re right about what you are looking to invest in.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Solana is a blockchain that supports the metaverse but does not outrightly have a metaverse. The metaverse is just a concept and indicates a virtual world immersed in virtual and augmented realities built on a blockchain or database. The metaverse deployed on blockchain aligns with the Web 3.0 metaverse.
Solana metaverse platforms have utility tokens powering their projects like other blockchain-based metaverses. These tokens are commonly called Solana metaverse coins. Alternatively, some metaverse projects use NFTs or collectibles, called “metaverse NFTs.”
If you’re trying to know where the metaverse is, you may never end your search because no special place is named the metaverse. It is just a concept that implies a virtual world with notable social media features hosted on a blockchain.
The concept is still in its infancy, with many organizations building metaverses and deploying them on blockchains to suit the Web 3.0 protocol. To grasp what metaverse looks like, you may draw inspiration from VR games or even the movie “Ready Player One.”
Metaverse coins power different metaverse projects. In fact, many metaverse project developers earn their rewards through ICOs and listings. The more valuable their metaverse coins, the more valuable their projects, and vice versa.
This implies that the project depends on the coin value. So if you can spot a good metaverse project, it may become a good investment if you do so early enough.
Like every other blockchain network, Solana supports different projects on its network. These projects include DeFi solutions, decentralized exchanges, metaverse projects, crypto tokens, NFTs and NFT marketplaces, etc.
Solana supports the execution of tokens on its blockchain through smart contracts. These tokens must align with its secure time-based Proof of History (PoH) consensus mechanism.
There are so many promising metaverse projects with promising tokens. Axie Infinity ($AXS), Decentraland ($MANA), $Theta, The Sandbox ($SAND), Alien Worlds $TLM, Ethernity Chain ($ERN), and many others have been topping the charts at the time of writing.
No. Solana is a blockchain network powering different metaverse projects.
No one can assuredly say which Solana metaverse game is the best because many projects are still work in progress. However, you may browse our comprehensive list of promising Solana metaverse games to determine which one you prefer.
There are many promising metaverse projects on Solana, most of which are games. This makes it hard to determine which metaverse is best at the moment. We’ll regularly update this article to suit this demand.
You can buy Solana metaverse land during presales following the launch of a Solana land-based metaverse game. It is just like owning an NFT or collectible, and you may store the token in a hard or soft wallet.
Like many DeFi projects, these tokens will be your gateway to participating in the Solana games when they are ready. Solana metaverse projects selling lands include Solice, Synergy Land, SoLand, Tribe Land, etc.
Conclusion
We’ve seen some promising Solana Metaverse games and answered some of your queries in this article. But one thing worthy of note is that the whole metaverse industry is still young, and there is room for improvements.
Now is the best time to join the train and grow alongside the projects. You may check out our top ten list of Solana metaverse games, pick which one is best, and start playing and earning.
I’d be happy to hear your thoughts on the list; do leave a comment below.