Is It Worth Playing Splinterlands in 2025? | Splinterlands #470

Last year, I asked whether splinterlands was worth your time and money in 2024. My conclusion was not exactly bullish:* "The reality of splinterlands in 2024 is a game of mixed fortunes... but the game's declining potential due to the challenges surrounding the game's economy poses a huge threat."*

Almost twelve months later (give or take), here we are again. And honestly? Not much has fundamentally changed. Sure, we have seen updates. The new Frontier Format offers genuine free-to-play opportunities. Conclave Arcana set was released with new archons (summoners), meta-changing monsters, new abilities, and mechanics. Survival mode launched. The splinterlands team even created the Crypto Gaming Recovery Fund. But underneath all the updates, splinterlands is still wrestling with the same core problem that plagues every Web3 game: how do you build a sustainable economy without constantly needing new money from new players?

The Same Traps, Different Year

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Splinterlands keeps falling into predictable patterns. Fellow hive blogger and player who introduced me to splinterlands, @costanza, broken down a lot of these patterns recently on his blog. To summarize; new card sets dominate the meta, making older collections feel obsolete. Card printing inflation continues as the team prints more assets to generate revenue. The existing player base carries the economic load while everyone hopes for that hope of new players coming in. Sound familiar? It should. This playbook has killed dozens of crypto games over the past few years.

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The difference is that splinterlands is still here after eight years. When you look at the graveyard of failed NFT games from the 2021 bull run, that survival alone means something.

Why I Haven't Given Up (Despite Everything)

Here is where I might surprise you: I still think splinterlands has value, just not in the way most people approach it.

• Stop thinking you will get rich playing splinterlands. That ship sailed years ago when daily earnings dropped from $20-30 to whatever scraps the current reward system offers.
• Start thinking with a long-term mindset. The game's real strength is the entire ecosystem it has built of the years and the player ecosystem that formed around it. Every day, the official Discord has thousands of messages. The splinterlands community of content creators are still producing countless forms of content of all formats.

The Frontier Format Success

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The most significant update is not Conclave Arcana, or any new card set. It is Frontier Format. For the first time in years, new players can meaningfully participate with no upfront investment. With this format, you can win actual tradeable NFTs that you can sell for DEC (splinterlands stablecoin currency). While this mode does introduce more card inflation, it does significantly lower one of the most crucial barriers for a lot of people entering splinterlands -- a large upfront investment and ultimately answers splinterlands biggest weakness: accessibility. Previous formats demanded hundreds or thousands of dollars to compete meaningfully. Frontier lets you test the waters and gradually build a collection.

Key Takeaway: If you are considering splinterlands, start with Frontier. Do not buy packs or expensive cards until you understand whether you enjoy the gameplay.

Setting Realistic Expectations

Let me be blunt about what splinterlands can and cannot do for you in 2025:

• What it will not do: Replace your job and make you crypto-rich.
• What it might do: Give you a strategic card game with real NFT ownership, connect you to an active community, and potentially provide earnings that may compound over time if you play consistently. Treat splinterlands as a game, period.
• Build gradually through Frontier: Don't dump money into card purchases immediately. Let the free format teach you what cards matter for your playstyle.
• Focus on learning, not earning: Understand the mechanics, rulesets, and different strategies before worrying about rewards. Players who master the game tend to climb ranks and earn more naturally.
• Join an active guild: Guild rewards will help your progression.

Key Takeaway: Treat splinterlands as a TCG game on a blockchain that is fun to play. Period.

The Bottom Line

Splinterlands in 2025 is exactly what it was in 2024: a fully developed trading card game with blockchain ownership, wrapped in an economic model that benefits patient players more than get-rich-quick scheme chasers. If you want to invest in splinterlands as a pure investment thesis, there are better options in crypto. Nonetheless, eight years later, splinterlands is still here. Most of its competitors are not. If you are looking for a card game that you might genuinely enjoy, with ownership mechanics that work, surrounded by a community that cares about more than just token prices, then maybe splinterlands might be for you. And for many splinterlands players, that is enough.

Are you new to splinterlands and want to learn to play the game? Check out my Ultimate Guide to Splinterlands: A Collection of Articles and Guides. If you enjoy reading my splinterlands content, please follow and support me by signing up to play splinterlands through my affiliate link: https://splinterlands.com?ref=mercurial9.

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