Top 21 Play to Earn Crypto Games for Rewards in 2024

Play-to-earn games are changing the way gamers and developers approach games. The growing popularity of NFTs and blockchain technology has greatly influenced the direction that games, particularly P2E games, are taking. The surging popularity of digital assets like cryptocurrencies and NFTs is also fueling the growth of P2E games, which had a market size of $3292.73 million in 2022 and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, the market is projected to reach more than $8800 million by 2028.

Want to get started with P2E games? Check out our curated list of some of the best play-to-earn crypto games in 2024.

How Do Play-to-Earn Games Work?

Play-to-Earn (P2E) games have sparked a profound shift in the gaming landscape, introducing an innovative economic paradigm that goes beyond just immersive gameplay – players can now earn cryptocurrencies as they journey through the game. These games are built on the foundational idea of empowering players to create tangible real-world value from their in-game endeavors. Let’s delve into the mechanics of how play-to-earn games operate:

• Tokenized Assets and In-Game Items: Play-to-earn games leverage the capabilities of blockchain technology to tokenize in-game assets and items. These assets are transformed into distinct entities known as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or fungible tokens, existing securely on a blockchain. With each token holding a distinctive digital signature, players gain undeniable ownership and a sense of rarity over their virtual possessions.
• Economic Ecosystem: Within the game’s universe, a self-sustaining economic ecosystem takes shape, affording players the liberty to buy, sell, and trade their tokenized assets. This ecosystem is often underpinned by a native cryptocurrency, facilitating seamless transactions within the game’s virtual economy.
• Gameplay and Earning: Players immerse themselves in diverse in-game activities, from fierce battles and daring explorations to intricate crafting and shrewd trading. Through these ventures, players unlock opportunities to amass invaluable in-game items, tokens, or cryptocurrencies. These rewards hold the dual potential of elevating gameplay experiences or being exchanged beyond the game for tangible real-world worth.
• Blockchain Verification: The unassailable integrity and security of in-game transactions are upheld by the blockchain. Every exchange, acquisition, and sale of tokenized assets is meticulously recorded on the blockchain, erecting an impervious wall against any manipulation or fraudulent activities. This fortified system effectively eliminates the specter of dishonest practices.
• Marketplaces and Exchanges: Many play-to-earn games have integrated marketplaces where players can list their tokenized assets for sale. Other players or collectors can then purchase these assets using the game’s native cryptocurrency or other compatible tokens. Some assets gain significant value due to their rarity or utility, resulting in a thriving secondary market.
• Decentralization: Play-to-earn games often operate on decentralized platforms, reducing the control of central authorities. This decentralization empowers players by giving them more control over their in-game assets and earnings.
• Economic Opportunities: Play-to-earn games have created new economic opportunities, allowing players to earn a living by dedicating time and skill to the virtual world. Some players have even turned gaming into a full-time career, earning substantial amounts of cryptocurrency by excelling in-game.
• Community and Governance: Many P2E games involve their communities in decision-making processes through governance mechanisms. Token holders may have the power to influence the game’s development, updates, and other aspects, fostering a sense of ownership and involvement.

Types of Play-to-Earn Crypto Games

Play-to-Earn (P2E) crypto games have rapidly gained popularity due to their unique combination of gaming and blockchain technology, allowing players to earn cryptocurrency while enjoying immersive gameplay. These games encompass various genres and mechanics, each offering distinct opportunities for players to engage and earn. Here are some of the common types of play-to-earn crypto games:

1. Role-Playing Games (RPGs): Immerse yourself in the captivating realm of P2E RPGs, where you can embark on grand adventures across virtual worlds. As you conquer quests, battle fierce monsters, and master the art of crafting, you’ll amass valuable in-game assets that hold tangible real-world value in the form of cryptocurrencies.

2. Strategy Games: Strategy-based P2E games involve players making tactical decisions to build, manage, and expand virtual assets. Whether it’s constructing kingdoms, managing armies, or governing civilizations, players can earn rewards by optimizing their strategies.

3. Collectible Card Games (CCGs): CCGs merge traditional card game mechanics with blockchain technology, allowing players to collect, trade, and battle using digital cards. These cards often have unique attributes and can be valuable in the crypto market.

4. Virtual Real Estate Games: In virtual real estate P2E games, players can buy, sell, and develop virtual properties using blockchain technology. These properties can generate passive income or appreciate in value over time.

5. Play-to-Earn NFT Games: Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) play a crucial role in many P2E games. Players can earn, buy, and sell NFTs representing in-game items, characters, or assets, enabling them to monetize their gaming achievements.

6. Battle Royale and PvP Games: Some P2E games adopt battle royale or player-versus-player formats, where players compete against each other for rewards. These rewards are often based on performance, encouraging skill development and engagement.

7. Idle and DeFi Games: Idle games require minimal active participation, as they generate rewards over time based on in-game actions. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) games integrate blockchain’s financial features, enabling players to earn interest or rewards by participating in DeFi protocols within the game.

8. Sports and Racing Games: Engage in the thrill of virtual sports tournaments and pulse-pounding races within the realm of P2E sports and racing games. Your performance and skills will directly impact the rewards you earn, making every victory all the more satisfying.

9. Adventure and Exploration Games: Set out on an extraordinary journey within the realm of P2E adventure and exploration games. Uncover hidden treasures, solve intricate puzzles, and immerse yourself in captivating narratives to earn enticing rewards and recognition.

10. Social and Virtual World Games: Step into the vibrant tapestry of social P2E games and virtual worlds, where you can forge meaningful connections, acquire virtual property, and reap the benefits of your social interactions. Participate in dynamic events, shape your surroundings, and let your creativity shine as you earn rewards that recognize your unique contributions.

List of the 21 Best Play to Earn Games

We’ve rounded up some of the best play-to-earn games in 2024 that you can enjoy while earning virtual assets and other in-game rewards.

1. Polywin

2. Axie Infinity

Axie Infinity is an immensely popular play to earn game that lets players earn crypto while playing a Pokémon-style game. The creature battler P2E game requires players to breed and raise Axies, which can then be used for battle. Aside from acquiring Axies in the in-game marketplace, players can also purchase virtual real estate minted as NFTs. The transactions happen and are recorded in Ronin, a sidechain designed by Sky Mavis.

As a play to earn game, Axie Infinity allows players to sell their in-game assets in the marketplace, including Axies. Another way players can make while playing the game is by collecting tokens. The game has two unique crypto tokens:

• Axie Infinity Shards (AXS) – Considered as the primary token that doubles as a governance token, this can be purchased via crypto exchanges. However, players can also trade other major currencies, such as Bitcoin or Dogecoin, to play the game. Note that AXS has a limited supply of about 270 million.
• Small Love Potion (SLP) – The SLP is a special token that’s awarded to players for completing quests and winning a competition.

To start playing Axie Infinity, you should have a crypto wallet that’s compatible with the Ethereum blockchain platform. You’ll also need ETH, as well as a Ronin wallet, to connect to the game. Once done, you can start playing the game on a variety of devices, including PC, Mac, Android, or iOS.

About Axie Infinity

Axie Infinity was developed by Sky Mavis, a Vietnamese studio that was founded in 2018. The P2E game was first released in March 2018 and surged in popularity in 2021 and 2022. In fact, in 2021, the game became one of the biggest crypto apps on Ethereum.

While the game peaked in 2022 with close to 3 million monthly players, it now has close to 390,000 active monthly players in the last 30 days, according to ActivePlayer’s Live Player Count.

6. Chainmonsters

A play to earn game in the tamer genre, Chainmonsters is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that lets players catch, trade, and even combine different monsters to get them to evolve and become stronger. To play the game, you need to capture and collect over 100 unique Chainmons, which you can use for battle. Aside from Chainmons, you can also collect special items, as well as claim and customize your own island.

The P2E aspect of the blockchain-based game lets you mint your Chainmons or special items to NFTs, which you can then trade on the marketplace. Note that not all items and Chainmons are NFTs, given that not all Chainmons exist on the blockchain.

About Chainmonsters

Chainmonsters is an MMORPG developed by B-Side Games. It started as a web-based, 2D pixel-style game in 2017 on the Ethereum platform. The great thing about Chainmonsters is that you don’t need a subscription to get started. You can battle it out with friends on your PC, Mac, iOS, or Android device.

7. Ember Sword

One of the best play to earn games you can play this year, Ember Sword is a fantasy MMORPG that lets you go on epic adventures, own in-game assets, battle monsters, or other players, and share your experiences with other players. It operates on a community-led PvP and PVE model and gives players true ownership of their digital assets. This means making Ember Sword a game with a player-owned ecosystem, where players have complete control over their actions.

Ember Sword lets you choose your own adventure and gives you the freedom to explore, interact, and even modify its digital landscape. It also features a classless combat system, which lets you combine different abilities and develop your combat skills. Best of all, it has an AI-Game Master, which offers unique, dynamic events to players.

As a play-to-earn game, Ember Sword has partnered with OpenSea, thus allowing players to sell their official game NFTs in the OpenSea marketplace.

About Ember Sword

Ember Sword was developed by Bright Star Studios. According to the game’s website, the game has not yet been released as the developers are currently working on improving the game and building true ownership for it. To stay updated with the latest developments, you can check out the game’s different communities on Telegram, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Medium, Twitch, Discord, Twitter, YouTube, and Reddit. The game is slated to be released on PC first (Windows and Mac) and can be accessed directly via your browser or as a stand-alone client. The developers are also working on making the game accessible via mobile devices.

8. Forest Knight

A turn-based strategy play to earn game developed for mobile devices, Forest Knight, blends mobile gaming and blockchain-based gaming to deliver epic adventures to players while allowing them to earn NFTs. These NFTs can then be transferred to the player’s crypto wallet and traded on the marketplace. What sets this game apart from all the other best play-to-earn crypto games is that it allows users to rent out their characters and NFTs to other players. Players can also mint and withdraw their NFTs. As of writing, these features are already active and free of charge.

Plus, it also has a staking mechanism in place, which lets the player’s $KNIGHT holdings earn interest. $KNIGHT tokens are the game’s utility tokens, allowing players to use them to unlock in-game benefits and acquire voting rights to determine the game’s future developments.

It runs on both PVE and PvP models, allowing players to create a team combo to defeat their enemies, loot items, complete missions, and fight other players in the Arena.

About Forest Knight

Forest Knight was developed by Chrono Games as an NFT-powered game. On mobile, it’s currently only available to Android devices, but it can still be accessed through your desktop or laptop.

9. Galaxy Fight Club

Galaxy Fight Club is classified as a cross-platform player-versus-player game where players can win rewards such as ETH and NFTs. What makes this P2E game unique is that it lets players use different NFT collections to start playing and earning. This means that if you already have your own NFT, you can use that to play the game. Moreover, you can still play the game even if you don’t own any NFTs. To participate in Galaxy Fight Club, you must own at least one Galaxy Fighter. This will allow you to fight as the character or use your own NFT to combat challengers.

It uses the in-game utility currency $GCOIN. Players use $GCOIN to unlock loot boxes, train their fighters, and obtain new weapons. As one of the best play to earn games, Galaxy Fight Club offers several ways for you to play to earn.

You can earn around 5-15 $GCOIN when you own a Galaxy Fighter. You can also win key fragments from deathmatches, win ETH or its equivalent in $GCOIN from weekly tournaments, forge weapons and sell them in the marketplace, or rent out your Galaxy Fighters to collect $GCOIN.

About Galaxy Fight Club

Galaxy Fight Club was developed using Unity and runs on the Polygon chain. You can download it on Google Play or the App Store. It’s also accessible via your PC because it’s a cross-platform game.

10. Gods Unchained

In Gods Unchained, a free-to-play P2E trading card game, players get complete ownership over their in-game assets, making it one of the top P2E games in 2023. As a player, you collect cards, build your own deck, and have the option to trade or sell your cards to others.

To play and earn in this metaverse game, you’ll need to have the Gods Unchained Coin ($GODS), which acts as a governance and utility token. Use $GODS to pitch governance proposals, purchase in-game assets, or acquire expansion packs. Note that there is a limited supply of this token, with only 500 million tokens in circulation. As a player, you will earn $GODS, which have real-world value. You can transfer your tokens and convert them into fiat currency. Another way to play and earn in Gods Unchained, aside from staking rewards, is to sell your cards.

You can play Gods Unchained with or without a crypto wallet. You can also play this top blockchain-based game even without a solid background in blockchain systems or the Ethereum network. However, if you want to make the most out of your cards (NFTs) and earn $GODS tokens as rewards, then you’ll want to have a crypto wallet to connect to your gaming account.

About Gods Unchained

First announced in 2018, Gods Unchained was founded by James and Robbie Ferguson and is built on the Ethereum platform.

You can play the game on your computer (Windows or Mac). Developments for Android devices are still underway. According to the developers, they’re planning to make the game available only to Android devices and not iOS devices like the iPhone for two reasons: one, because the Android platform lets them sideload an APK build, and two, while they’ve developed an early iOS build, it’s not yet part of the Early Alpha access.

11. Illuvium

One of the top P2E games, Illuvium is an interoperable blockchain game (IBG) that offers open-world exploration, an autobattler, and a city builder, all of which are housed on the Ethereum blockchain. To play Illuvium, you won’t necessarily need to have ILV, as it offers a free-to-play experience for new players. If you want to unlock the game’s full features, you can join the paid experience to collect NFTs and explore more regions.

In the game, you can find and explore seven different landscapes and access Illuvium’s interlinked universe, including the Illuvium Overworld, Illuvium Arena, and Illuvium Arena. Each Illuvium universe offers unique in-game experiences, including letting players capture over 150 Illuvials, curate their own team, and build their digital industrial complex.

Similar to other blockchain games, Illuvium offers true ownership for players over their in-game assets. This means you can collect, trade, and sell your items in the marketplace. The game lets you stake tokens to earn rewards and purchase ILV tokens that can be used for governance, liquidity mining, and vault distributions. You can purchase the ILV token on Sushi or supported centralized exchanges like Binance and KuCoin.

About Illuvium

Illuvium was co-founded by Kieran and Aaron Warwick in 2020, and it is currently in a Closed Beta testing phase. It’s not currently playable on mobile devices, but the developers are working on building a modified mobile version, as well as a console version for gaming consoles like the Xbox or PlayStation.

12. Sliks

Silks is one of the best play to earn games because it offers a unique gaming experience. In Silks, a fantasy horse racing game that emulates real-world horseracing, gamers can breed, purchase, and trade thoroughbreds using STT, the game’s native token.

It offers a complex ecosystem, which has a variety of in-game assets, such as avatars, racehorses, land, stables, and land parcels in the Sky Falls region. What makes Silks one of the top P2E games is that when you purchase a racehorse, you’re essentially buying a digital clone of a real-world racehorse. Each NFT Silks racehorse mirrors its real-world counterpart’s bloodline, training progress, and racing results. For instance, if the real-world counterpart wins a competition, that information will also be reflected in the digital twin. This means that you’ll also be rewarded in the game for those real-world events.

The game’s play-to-earn aspect lets players sell their horse’s fractional interest. Doing so will allow you earn a percentage of the rewards every time the Silks racehorse’s real-world counterpart wins real-world competitions.

About Silks

Silks is an original idea by Troy Levy, CEO of Tropical Racing, a horseracing enterprise, and owner of Circle 8, a racing and breeding company.

13. SkyWeaver

One of the top crypto games in 2023, SkyWeaver is a browser-based cross-platform blockchain card game that combines strategic gameplay with a player-owned marketplace. In SkyWeaver, players can win tradeable NFT cards.

The SkyWeaver universe is set in Sky, an alternate digital dimension. As a player and owner of SkyWeaver cards, you technically become the game’s part owner. When you play SKyWeaver, you have the chance to grow your ranking in the leaderboards and, thus, win new cards that you can either use to play against other gamers or trade with them.

The SkyWeaver Shop, a feature that’s coming soon, is one of the game’s unique features. It’s an in-game P2P decentralized exchange where players can acquire and trade their cards. The great thing about the game is you won’t have to wait for the SkyWeaver Shop to trade your cards. You can start trading them on exchanges such as OpenSea or Rarebits. Alternatively, you can give your cards to your friends as gifts.

About SkyWeaver

SkyWeaver is a free-to-play play-to-earn game developed by Horizon Blockchain Games in 2018. Its open beta mode was officially launched on February 2022. It’s accessible via desktop or mobile devices as an app. To play the game, you need to set up your cryptocurrency wallet first so that you have somewhere to store your cards.

14. Spells of Genesis

The first blockchain-based mobile game, Spells of Genesis, combines the functionality of trading card games with point-and-shoot aspects. In SoG, players must collect and combine cards to build a formidable deck. They’ll also need to collect and combine orbs to build a strong team. It leverages a variety of blockchain collectibles, including blockchain cards. However, the game also has in-game or off-chain cards.

It introduces three in-game currencies: gold, crystals, and gems. Gamers can use these currencies to purchase, upgrade, and fuse in-game cards. Gems can also be used to increase or refill the player’s stamina. Players can also turn their in-game cards into blockchain-based digital assets, which can be withdrawn to the player’s cryptocurrency wallet.

About Spells of Genesis

EverdreamSoft is the studio behind Spells of Genesis. It started distributing card-based NFTs in 2015, and in 2017, the game went live on mobile. You can download the game on Google Play or the App Store.

15. Spider Tanks

Spider Tanks is a PvP brawler play to earn game where players own items that they can collect, trade, upgrade, or mix to create a unique tank build. What makes it one of the best NFT games is that it offers several play modes, including team deathmatch, poultry pusher, capture the flag, and chicken chase.

To play and earn in Spider Tanks, you need to collect, trade, or sell tank parts. Alternatively, you can earn Victory Points to exchange for SILK, the in-game utility token. The price of each Spider Tank NFT can vary, but on average, it can cost approximately $268.

To play the game, you have two options: build your own machine or use the machine as is. You’ll also need to set up your cryptocurrency wallet.

About Spider Tanks

Spider Tanks was developed by GAMEDIA and is currently live. Gamers can access the game via desktop, on either Windows or Mac. It runs on the Ethereum blockchain and is free to play.

16. Splinterlands

Splinterlands is a trading card game that lets gamers play, trade, and sell anytime, anywhere. Best of all, the game makes it easy for gamers to play and earn rewards. You can receive rewards from tournaments, ranked play, and quests, regardless of skill level or collection size. You can be rewarded with various prizes, including collectible cards and Dark Energy Crystals, a tradable digital currency. To date, the game has awarded close to $7 million in tournament prizes.

As one of the best P2E games, Splinterlands is powered by blockchain technology. This means that your cards can be sold on third-party marketplaces like OpenSea and Monster Market. Additionally, your cards can be converted into crypto or rented out to other players. Use cryptocurrency to purchase in-game assets and also get the opportunity to earn HIVE crypto tokens when you participate in the SplinterTalk community.

About Splinterlands

Splinterlands is one of the top crypto games in 2023. It was co-founded by Matt Rosen and Dr. Jesse Reich. What sets Splinterlands apart from other play to earn games is that it automatically generates a Hive crypto wallet for users upon registration. For more experienced crypto users, Splinterlands is cross-compatible with Ethereum and WAX.

17. Star Atlas

Star Atlas is an MMO P2E strategy game that’s set in 2620. Here, players can explore a metaverse-like virtual world, go on quests, join in-game factions, and build their fortunes in space. You’re also free to explore and conquer alien lands and mine for resources, buy and sell your resources on the Star Atlas marketplace, and build unique societies.

To get started with Star Atlas, you’ll need an in-game NFT, which you can use to gain an access key. The game has several NFTs, including ships, collectibles, structures like space stations, and badges. It two native tokens: ATLAS and POLIS. The former is the in-game utility currency, while the latter acts as a governance token.

About Star Atlas

Star Atlas is a Solana-based MMORPG game developed by ATMTA Inc. It was created using the Unreal Engine 5, with a limited demo available on the Epic Games Store.

18. Tamadoge

Tamadoge is a P2E game that lets you use the native currency $TAMA to play and earn rewards. Use $TAMA to acquire credits that you can use to access games in the Tamadoge Arcade, such as Tama Blast, Rocket Doge, and Tamadoge Run. The $TAMA currency can be purchased on crypto exchanges like OKX, BitForex, and Gate.io. Tokens can also be purchased from the Tamadoge Bank via Transak. It also has NFTs, which are available on OpenSea, that you can use to earn while playing Tamadoge or increase your in-game abilities.

About Tamadoge

Launched in July 2022, Tamadoge is a meme coin project that has since expanded to have a play-to-earn utility. It’s available as a web app, and according to their whitepaper, the developers will also be building a mobile companion app.

19. The Fabled

Explore unique worlds, fight enemies, acquire beasts and dragons, hunt for treasures, and develop your in-game character. The Fabled is a free-to-play action RPG game that’s set in a fantasy world. The game houses a diverse collection of unique worlds, and players can choose among three Fabled classes: warriors, gods, and demons.

The game lets you collect in-game assets, such as rare weapons and artifacts, that you can mint on the blockchain using $ABYS, which also helps increase your character’s power. Once you’ve minted your assets, this will unlock your ability to sell, trade, buy, or rent other in-game assets. The game uses two currencies to facilitate transactions. These are off-chain (Ashes) and on-chain ($ABYS) currencies. The former lets you purchase soft-mint items and potions from the game’s in-game vendors, while the latter enables you to hard-mint your assets onto the blockchain.

About The Fabled

The Fabled was built with the Unreal Engine 5, offering impressive visuals with HD graphics. It also uses a powerful AI and NPC interaction system that helps bring its fantastical universe to life. The Alpha Demo is currently only available to Early Access users.

20. Wizardia

Wizardia is a free-to-play turn-based strategy game that allows players to earn automatic staking rewards and passive royalties. Purchase $WZRD tokens to buy tournament entry tickets and earn passive rewards for your transactions at the Wizardia Market. The game also lets you purchase a variety of NFTs, including Arena NFTs, Market NFTs, Wizard NFTs, and consumables.

Obtain and upgrade your wizards and battle it out in the Arena to earn rewards. The game operates on both PVE and PvP models. Upgrade your Wizard NFTs to improve their capabilities. Once done, you can sell, trade, or rent them out in the game’s marketplace. The game offers players several ways to earn. You can invest in the different NFTs, sell or rent your NFTs, win a tournament, or earn from wagers in the Arena.

About Wizardia

Wizardia is a Solana-based P2E game that’s backed by investors such as Scorpio VC, Zen Capital, and CryptoDormFund.

21. Zed Run

Zed Run is a P2E game that lets you build your own virtual stable. Compete for rewards and build your own legacy. In Zed Run, you can collect, borrow, or purchase racehorses that you can use to compete against other players worldwide. Compete in live events and get a chance to win big prizes from the game’s prize pool.

To play Zed Run, you’ll need to set up a Metamask wallet and transfer ETH to said wallet. Once done, you can create a Zed Run account and transform your ETH to Wrapped ETH to purchase virtual racehorses.

About Zed Run

Zed Run was developed by Virtually Human Studio and is currently in its beta version. To date, it has run over 3.5 million races, rewarding players with over $60 million in prizes. It’s backed by some of the world’s biggest brands, including Budweiser, Nascar, and Atari.

Conclusion

Nowadays, play to earn games have become increasingly accessible. As their name suggests, these NFT and metaverse games allow gamers to earn while playing, making them a viable source of income. The best play to earn games like Alien Worlds, Illuvium, and Silks enable gamers to take their in-game digital assets and store them in their crypto wallets, with the option of withdrawing and exchanging them into fiat currency.

However, while they can be fun to some extent, the main focus of these blockchain-based games and their players is earning, which may take out some of the fun in gaming. They also often require you to make an upfront investment in the form of cryptocurrency stored in wallets before you can start playing. And it’s not always about earning. Sometimes, players can potentially lose money before seeing sizeable returns. To get the most out of these play to earn games, it helps if you understand blockchain technology and the game’s gameplay.

Want to get started on P2E games? We hope that our list can help you find the best play to earn games in 2023.