If you are into the exciting world of emerging Web 3 technologies, blockchains and DAOs, then you are familiar with the word ‘metaverse’. If not, then at least you became aware of it when you heard that Facebook was changing its name to Meta and was debuting its latest platform, a metaverse called Horizon Worlds. However, as impressive as Horizon Worlds is, it does not even make our list for the top four metaverse projects of 2022.
Let’s look at the top four metaverse projects of 2022, taking into account the pros and cons of each project and how they fare when evaluated against the eight-core drives in the Octalysis Framework.
1. Axie Infinity
Axie Infinity is a metaverse where players can breed and battle with these virtual pets called Axies. In addition, players can earn tokens from gameplay that can be exchanged for real money.
The major pro of Axie Infinity is that players own and control the Axies (Core Drive 4) they breed or buy since they are minted as real NFTs.
The main issue with Axie Infinity is the heavy reliance on extrinsic monetary rewards as a motivating factor for engagement. Players don’t play because of how entertaining the game is, but rather how much money they can make, which isn’t sustainable.
2. Decentraland
Decentraland is a metaverse that gives players a chance to own, operate and trade land. The land is minted as an NFT, and players can buy and sell it in the marketplace.
One of the main pros of Decentraland is that it gives players a sense of ownership and possession (Core Drive 4) since they own individual plots of land in the metaverse. Players can also design and develop properties on their land, which encourages creativity and differentiation (Core Drive 3).
The main issue with Decentraland is the lack of a deeper story and epic calling (Core Drive 1) and a limited sense of community (Core Drive 5) since players can’t interact.
3. Star Atlas
Star Atlas is a multi-world, multiplayer metaverse that allows players to conquer and colonize other planets in teams.
The main selling point of Star Atlas is the community element (Core Drive 5) since it is a multiplayer game. On the other hand, the main issue players face with Star Atlas is the one linear nature of the game. All players do is collect credits without a unifying story or purpose (Core Drive 1).
4. Totem.Earth
Totem.Earth is the most exciting metaverse on our list, which allows users to own and create worlds, products and economies in a more sustainable and eco-friendly manner. Totem enables users to collect NFTs, trade and communicate with each other meaningfully and vote on how the metaverse should be run.
Unlike all the other metaverses on our list, Totem checks all the eight elements of the Octalysis framework and offers its users the most meaningful engagement of all. The only drawback of Totem is the size of the community, which has not yet achieved critical mass.
Did you like our list of the top four metaverse projects of 2022? Are you interested in making your own project more engaging and human-focused?Then, get in touch with us today and start your journey to gamify your user journey.
