A blockchain game will have a good chance of becoming successful if it is fun to play, free-to-play-and-earn, and easy to start. However, this is no guarantee that it will succeed. Play-to-earn games face challenges with the sustainability of their economic models. These games often rely on initial funding from NFT sales, causing the in-game economy to deplete quickly as it grows.

In other words, a blockchain game must have a solid in-game economy to increase its odds of success. The rate by which players acquire resources must be delicately balanced: players must not get to the end game content too fast, but also don't get discouraged by slow character growth. Similarly, if players can simply buy their way to the top, it takes away the engagement and they lose interest.

Blockchain games include another dimension: gamers can sell their items for real money outside the game. This is often one of the criticisms of play-to-earn games: it is unsustainable. Over time, gamers lose interest, cash out, and leave the game’s treasury empty.

This is true for games that have no or very lackluster gameplay. The first generations of play-to-earn games experienced this cycle. At first, people were drawn by the monetary prospects, but when the required investment in NFTs became too expensive (and the ROI too low or unsure), there was no reason to play anymore.

To be sustainable, more value needs to be added to the game than extracted. Value can only be added if a game is worth people’s time.

So, what makes Cryptopia sustainable?

Cryptopia ensures players will keep coming back. Active players add value even if they do not purchase NFTs: they provide services to other players so that they can progress. When a player is actively questing, exploring, building, and socializing, they add value to the ecosystem and to the experience of other players.

Cryptopia's unique game design allows players to manage their time, the most valuable resource in the game, as they see fit. A player can do quests and jobs to earn TOS (the Cryptopia Token) and use this to buy game items. Or a player can buy the TOS with real money and then buy the game items.

When a player wants to save time, there is a transfer of wealth to a player who does want to spend time. For example, a player who spends time leveling up their crafting skills sells items to a player who does not want to spend time learning and leveling crafting. Both players win: the buyer can save time, and the seller earns.

In terms of building facilities that generate wealth for players, this action also requires time. Facility owners must hire Adventurers to help construct their buildings. So while a player can influence their time to a certain extent (e.g. buy shortcuts), they cannot influence other players' time, thus preventing complete pay-to-win.

As such, both the purchasing player and the ‘free’ player need each other to progress in the game. They do so without exploiting each other: players gain but not at the expense of other players.

Cryptopia’s economy is circular. Whenever resources are spent to craft or create, these resources flow back into the game treasury. Quest rewards for future players are sourced from this treasury. As long as gamers play Cryptopia, future rewards for new players are generated.

Finally, Cryptopia has a player-generated quest system. In addition to the quests related to building and producing (Tycoons recruit other players), players also generate quests when engaging in PvP. When a player successfully loots another player’s ship, part of the loot sinks into the ocean and becomes a treasure. This treasure forms a reward for treasure hunt quests.

In short, Cryptopia is sustainable because it combines a very low barrier to entry, engaging gameplay, fair rewards systems, and a non-zero-sum leveling environment where all players benefit, regardless of winning or losing.