Decentralized crypto-based virtual worlds like Decentraland and The Sandbox have so much to offer. After all, who doesn’t want to run around a huge open space, buying properties and trading crypto? Or you might have discovered that investments into crypto gaming tokens have experienced a major increase in value.
Unfortunately for newcomers, getting into the two most populated virtual worlds can be a bit of a challenge, mainly because of the steep price of the tokens and in-game NFTs. Luckily, they are not the only blockchain-based virtual reality platforms. Other worlds out there offer much more affordable prices (for now). Let’s take a closer look at five of these alternative virtual worlds where you can start your journey into the metaverse.
1. Genesis World
If you want to take part in a decentralized open-world, supposedly built to last 100s of years, then Genesis World could be the right (virtual) place for you. This one is all about the community working together for a common goal – growing a long-lasting, sustainable virtual world.
Everything in Genesis World is community-created and community-controlled. The Genesis World ecosystem consists of numerous offshoot worlds crafted by community members who share common interests.
Importantly, Genesis World uses two tokens. GENESIS is the main token on the platform. It allows users to purchase items and also serves as the main governance token. However, as there are multiple side worlds attached to the platform, a secondary token in the form of Mining Claims helps facilitate governance for individual sub-sections. At the time of writing, the price of one GENESIS token is $0.26.
2. TCG World
This particular virtual world bridges the real-life and digital realms. An open-world, NFT marketplace, and a physical trading card website are all connected by a single token.
TCG World is a procedurally generated open world that gives you multiple ways of earning currency. You can gather NFT collectibles, buy virtual land plots, flip virtual real estate, or even train and sell monsters.
The main token of the platform is TCGCoin, which can be mined in-game. Players can also earn it by selling and exchanging physical trading cards on the TCG website. At the moment of writing, the market price of the token sits at around 0.7$.
Another great thing about TCG World is the fact that TCGCoin supports cross-chain transfer, which means that you can move the value of the tokens between different blockchains.
3. Substrata
Substrata is a 3D virtual world in early development that does things slightly differently than other platforms on this list. Namely, it doesn’t operate on a strict NFT basis. Still, all the parcels that a player owns can be minted as Ethereum NFTs.
Users can explore the beautiful shared world, chat, play, and build, as well as acquire a personal “space” or land plot to customize. Parcels are available for purchase directly on the website or secondary marketplaces.
To start exploring Substrata, you need to install the free client software for your platform (Windows, Mac, or Linux). Interestingly, the Substrata team is currently working on integrating the CryptoVoxels world onto the platform.
4. Matrix World
For the creative bunch out there, Matrix World can offer the best experience of all the platforms.
It’s a virtual world that allows creators to build 3D dapps that connect to external apps and services. Creators can also customize in-game NFTs and objects, as well as import NFTs into the platform and create buildings with automation tools.
Matrix World is a multichain virtual world, and at this moment supports two different blockchain protocols – Ethereum and Flow.
That said, all the land parcels in Matrix World are now sold out. But if you’re interested, you may buy them from others on OPENSEA (for Ethereum) and BloctoBay (for Flow).
5. NFT Worlds
The last virtual world on this list is NFT Worlds, which is built on a Minecraft open-source ecosystem.
Using an already existing game as a starting point, NFT Worlds can easily deliver something that’s missing elsewhere; cross-platform support. In addition it offers simple world-building tools accessed through the Minecraft client.
The WRLD (ERC-20) is the main token used in-game, and it’s built on the Ethereum blockchain. Max supply is capped at 5 billion and players will be able to earn it through play-to-earn rewards by completing quests, winning challenges, or entering competitions. The official launch of the WRLD token is expected soon.
Decentraland and The Sandbox have competition
All of the platforms we covered here offer something different for everyone. But ultimately, the choice depends on your tastes and goals: do you want to join the community and build for future generations, do you want to trade physical cards, do you want to create apps, or do you want a familiar gaming experience similar to Minecraft?
What’s important about this list is that it illustrates the growing variety of virtual worlds out there. While Decentraland and The Sandbox have solidified their leading positions in the sector, new projects like the ones mentioned in this list are rapidly developing. In a sense, this brings a healthy level of competitive spirit to the metaverse. Of course, it also allows users to find virtual worlds with lower entry investments required.
DappRadar will continue monitoring the virtual world sector, as more platforms emerge to take on leaders like Decentraland and The Sandbox. To learn the latest metaverse news, follow DappRadar on Twitter, and join our Discord community.
