13 Best Play-to-Earn Games with Crypto & NFT Rewards for 2024

Play-to-earn (P2E) games do exactly what they say – pay you to play games. These games have been especially popular among crypto investors, who can earn different types of rewards, ranging from tokens to NFTs. 

In this article, we have fully analyzed some of the best play to earn games, including a thorough guide on how they work, their benefits, and whether or not they’re a safe investment. 

Some are already established titles with functioning ecosystems, while others are just starting and can give you a headstart in the space.

Best Play to Earn Games: Reviewed

1. Mega Dice – Best Gambling Games With Crypto Rewards And $2.2 Million Airdrop

Mega Dice is a popular crypto casino with over $50 million in monthly wagering volume and more than 50,000 active players. The casino offers over 4,500 games like slots, blackjack and poker – and it will reward active players with an airdrop worth $2.2 million.

But that’s not the only way to get rewarded. Mega Dice recently started a token presale for its $DICE token. Token holder who stake their tokens will earn a portion of the casino’s profits, making it an excellent way to earn passive income. Simply connect your wallet to the Mega Dice presale site and use SOL, ETH or BNB to make the purchase. Make sure to take advantage of the staking feature when it comes live.

Refer other investors to the token presale and earn 10% of their invested amount without any limitations. Moreover, investing in the token presale makes you and your referred friends eligible to earn rare NFTs that offer additional rewards and benefits. This way you earn rewards without even playing the games.

Learn more about this exciting new play-to-earn opportunity by reading the Mega Dice whitepaper. Also, follow Mega Dice on X and join the Mega Dice Telegram channel for more information.

2. Sponge V2 – Top P2E Gaming Coin, Earn 230% Staking APY

Sponge V2 is a hot upgrade of the original $SPONGE token, which is set to offer more utility. Leveraging the original’s success, Sponge V2 targets a $100 million market cap, with strategic plans for listings on top exchanges like Binance and OKX as one of the most popular meme coins in the crypto market.

A key feature in its strategy is launching a P2E game in 2024, aimed at increasing $SPONGEV2 demand by providing the added utility with fun for users to acquire tokens. There will be a free and paid version of the game.

Sponge V2 introduces a stake-to-bridge mechanism, enabling the staking of V1 tokens for V2 rewards, promoting long-term engagement, and ensuring long-term value through a permanent conversion process over four years.

Investors can follow Sponge V2 on X and join its Telegram group to keep up with the latest developments, including exchange listings, game updates, and token bonuses.

3. Shiba Shootout – Latest Crypto Project offering a rewarding Lottery System

Shiba Shootout comes next on our list of the biggest play-to-earn crypto games around. It features a “Lucky Lasso Lottery” system that allows users to try their luck for a chance to win amazing crypto prizes. However, to be eligible for this rewarding offering, one must purchase a ticket with $SHIBASHOOT. 

Beyond that, Shiba Shootout also features other unique programs like Campfire Stories, Savings Saddlebags, and Posse Rewards. With its campfire stories program, community members will come together to share their experiences in the meme coin sphere and the crypto world at large. Members with the best stories will stand the chance to earn free $SHIBASHOOT.

Likewise, Shiba Shootout’s Savings Saddlebag is another program designed to reward users for saving their $SHIBASHOOT holdings for a long period of time. How about its Posse Rewards program? It is synonymous with a referral program where users can earn massively by inviting their loved ones to join the community. 

Furthering its appeal, $SHIBASHOOT is also a governance token, empowering holders with the right to vote on key decisions regarding the future of the project. That’s not all. It also comes with a staking system to reward token holders for contributing to the stability of its ecosystem. 

Above all, $SHIBASHOOT is currently available on presale, making it possible for people to buy at discounted rates. Considering its attractive Wild-West theme, rewarding programs, and the bullish sentiment in the general market, $SHIBASHOOT has a good chance of becoming the OG of gaming cryptos when it lands on exchanges. 

4. 5th Scape – A Promising VR Gaming Platform with Unique Engaging Games

5th Scape is a new and dynamic VR gaming platform offering immersive crypto games that pay. The platform recently launched its native token, 5SCAPE, which offers exclusive access to premium VR content and devices.

The project is committed to creating a highly immersive VR environment, focusing on realism and interactivity. It is set to release five VR games, beginning with the MMA-themed game ‘Cage Conquest’ scheduled for Q2 2024.

The 5SCAPE token is designed to unlock special in-game features and create a VR gaming community. This utility-focused approach allows the coin to be used not only for in-game transactions but also for accessing a wide range of VR content, including educational material, movies, and animations.

Currently, $5SCAPE is priced at $0.00248 per token. Since the presale started, 5th Scape has raised more than $2.6 million. Interested users can stay updated by following 5th Scape on social media channels like X and Telegram.

5. eTukTuk – Earn High Staking APYs and Tokens with the Play-to-Earn Game 

The eTukTuk is a new eco-crypto whose mission is to set up EVSEs (Electric vehicle supply equipment) in developing countries to promote EV adoption among TukTuk drivers. 

The platform is also set to launch one of the best play to earn crypto games through which $TUK token holders can earn additional rewards. The game will allow you to drive an eTukTuk vehicle and pick up passengers across the streets of Sri Lanka. The goal of this game is to quickly drop off passengers. The faster you drive, the more $TUK tokens you can earn.

Once eTukTuk sets up EV charging stations, the tokens will be staked into power nodes to operate them. As more people make payments at the charging stations, you will start earning passive income.

Interested investors can buy $TUK on presale for only $0.029 per token. So far, this presale has raised more than $2.4 million. To learn more about this cryptocurrency, go through the eTukTuk whitepaper and join the Telegram and X channels.

6. WienerAI – Top AI-based Project, Available on a Presale for a Fraction of a Cent

WienerAI is an innovative crypto project that aims to ride on the strengths of AI, blockchain, and meme to gain market relevance. By merging these hot concepts in one spot, WienerAI presents itself as a leading contender in the bustling market. 

More so, for every crypto to thrive, it must have a well-capped tokenomics. The team behind WienerAI has satisfactorily fulfilled this criterion by strategically allocating the token’s supply to drive its development ambition. With 50% of the total supply dedicated to presale and community rewards, WienerAI’s future lies in the hands of its community. 

That said, being a community-centric project, it didn’t take long before $WienerAI began to gather substantial funding in its ongoing presale. You can also participate in the presale today and join the list of those who will benefit from the potential market gains that will greet the token after its debut on exchanges. 

While buying the token at a cheap price, you can also maximize the investment by staking it. The APY reward offered through its staking program is quite impressive when compared with others.

7. InsanityBets – Innovative Platform Transforming Online Casinos By Letting Users Be ‘The House’

Another promising play-to-earn platform is InsanityBets. It is an innovative CasinoFi and GameFi aiming to transform the online casino space. With InsanityBets, users can become ‘the house’ on a decentralized and non-custodial basis.

InsanityBets is currently running a presale of its native token, $IBET – where 50% of its total supply is up for grabs for early buyers at $0.0015 per token.

Moreover, staking $IBET will yield high yields, as 35% of all trading fees are distributed to the staking pool. Stakers also obtain trading fee discounts, with the highest tier – ‘Humpback’ – requiring a 20 million stake. 

InsanityBets offers a one-of-its-kind protocol, $ILP, where users can deposit assets such as USDT, ETH, and BTC and earn yield from gameplay wins and losses. Moreover, the InsanityBets DAO governs the project to ensure full community inclusion.

The platform also promises a transparent and fair gaming experience. It uses Chainlink VRF to safely generate random events with Plinko, Rock Paper Scissors, Coin Flip, and CasinoFi slot machines. Developers can also create their games with CasinoFi smart contracts.

With plans to gain a market share of the $281 billion global gambling industry, InsanityBets is one of the best play-to-earn games in the market. Users can enter InsanityBets’ Telegram group and follow it on X (Twitter) for the latest updates on its progress.

8. The Sandbox — Best Play to Earn Crypto Game for Creatives

The Sandbox is another one of the top crypto games, as it also focuses on digital land. It is a 3D virtual world where you can build, explore, and monetize your gaming experiences using non-fungible tokens called LAND (NFTs) and SAND (cryptocurrency).

The Sandbox features a suite of tools, such as VoxEdit, Game Maker, and Marketplace. VoxEdit is software that lets you design and animate your own voxel models (NFTs), which you can use in your games or sell in the Marketplace.

Game Maker, on the other hand, lets you create your own games and experiences using drag-and-drop logic and thousands of assets made by the community.

The Marketplace is a platform where you can buy and sell NFTs and LANDs, which are parcels of virtual land in The Sandbox metaverse.

9. CryptoKitties — P2E Game Featuring Digital Kittens

CryptoKitties has already become one of the best play to earn games, as it revolutionized the industry and paved the way for NFTs. The game’s rules are relatively simple: breed and collect digital kittens, where every cat is an NFT.

Some cats might have special looks and features that make them more unique, which means they are scarce and are likely more costly.

The game was launched in November 2017 by a Canadian studio called Dapper Labs. It quickly became a viral sensation, attracting millions of users and generating millions of dollars in revenue.

CryptoKitties also caused significant congestion on the Ethereum network, as the high demand for transactions overwhelmed the network’s capacity. Since then, CryptoKitties has moved to a new blockchain called Flow, designed to handle high-volume applications like games and social networks.

10. Axie Infinity — Pokemon-Like P2E Game

Axie Infinity is considered one of the most entertaining P2E crypto games, as it was one of the first titles to let players who collect Axies (in-game monsters) use them in battle. In other words, players earn crypto playing games and have fun at the same time.

The project is Ethereum-based, where each in-game monster is an NFT. Axie Infinity also uses an in-game cryptocurrency called Axie Infinity Sharts or Tokens (AXS) – which is among the best gaming crypto coins. They are awarded to successful players and can be traded on exchanges.

Besides dueling, Axie Infinity introduced various other capabilities. For example, in the land mode, you can build your village on a plot of land on the planet of Lunacia.

You can also harvest resources, craft items and interact with other players. Recently the game launched the Collectible Coliseum – an exclusive game for collectible axies with a prize pool of 1,000 AXS.

11. Splinterlands — Battle-Focused Crypto Game

Splinterlands is considered not only one of the best play to earn games but also one of the best new trading card games.

Players can make a profit by collecting, buying, and selling different cards, where each card has real value, thanks to the fact that the game is blockchain-based. In other words, every card is a non-fungible token.

Splinterlands was heavily influenced by titles such as Magic the Gathering and Hearthstone. In other words, the game’s essential feature is the gameplay, which revolves around playing cards.

By learning the rules and mastering your card-dueling skills, you can get a chance to earn in-game coins and rank better in the Splinterlands community. The main cryptocurrency in the game, which makes its ecosystem go round, is Dark Energy Crystal (DEC), which can be traded for other cryptos on exchanges.

12. DeFi Kingdoms — Fantasy RPG Based on a DeFi Protocol

DeFi Kingdoms is marketed as a cross-chain fantasy role-playing game and one of the most profitable play-to earn games. It’s a pixel-art RPG where all resources and heroes are tokenized and turned into NFTs. MMORPG is perhaps a more accurate description, given that the game is played online with many players populating the in-game world simultaneously.

Being cross-chain, the game is available on Klaytn and Avalanche, featuring more than 100,000 users on all networks. It currently has two realms, although it’s designed to feature many others in the future.

The game’s play-to-earn mechanics are based on the JEWEL token, which is used to power its ecosystem and has real value. It can also be used for governance rights, in-game powerups, and even an opportunity to get a portion of the distributed fees that the game charges to players.

Like in many other RPGs, heroes have unique abilities and items that can help players. Some heroes feature rare items, making them more valuable.

13. Gods Unchained — Digital Trading Card Game With P2E Elements

When ranking the best P2E games, Gods Unchained definitely made it to the list, as the game is the main competitor to Splinterlands. It is a blockchain-based trading card game that allows players to collect, trade, and battle using digital cards.

Unlike traditional trading card games, Gods Unchained gives players full ownership and control over their cards, which are stored as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the Ethereum network. 

The game uses a unique balancing system that adjusts the power of cards based on their popularity and performance. It also features a variety of modes and formats, such as ranked matches, draft tournaments, weekend events, and solo adventures. For the 2024 Lunar New Year, they launched a special sealed mode event named ‘Dragon’s Treasure’.

You will need a compatible Ethereum wallet to store your cards and interact with the marketplace, such as MetaMask or Coinbase Wallet.

What Is a Play-to-Earn Game?

A play-to-earn game is an online game that rewards players with cryptocurrency or other digital assets for playing.

Unlike traditional games that rely on in-game purchases or advertisements for monetization, play-to-earn games allow players to earn value for their time and skill.

They follow a similar pattern as Bitcoin, and almost every play-to-earn game is based on blockchain. In other words, they have their own ecosystems, cryptocurrencies, and even non-fungible tokens, which have real-life value and can be traded on centralized and decentralized exchanges.

Games with crypto rewards are part of the broader trend of Web3, which is the vision of a more decentralized, user-centric, and open internet. Analysts at top investment bank Citi belive the metaverse could be worth anywhere between $8 and $13 trillion by 2030, with the space set for exponential growth as technology evolves.

How Do Play-to-Earn Games Work?

Play-to-earn games are powered by blockchain technology, which enables the creation and exchange of digital assets that are scarce, verifiable, and owned by the players. It’s like owning Bitcoin, except that you can use it in an ecosystem of a game to buy and sell in-game items, characters, features, and more.

Blockchain also ensures the security and transparency of game transactions, as well as the interoperability of game assets across different platforms and metaverses. You can sometimes trade assets from different P2E games, provided they’re on the same blockchain.

Types of Play-to-Earn Crypto Games

The P2E space is relatively new, so drawing lines between different types is still not entirely possible. Many of the listed games belong to different categories, and, just like with console and PC games, there is a huge array of games to fit every need and genre, ranging from shooters to trading card games.

That includes shooters, racing games, RPG games, trading card games, real-estate games and so on, with the difference being that the player can monetize any of these games rather than paying out of their own pocket.

Even things like fantasy sports have made it to the blockchain, through projects such as Sorare.

Many new P2E crypto games are released all the time, so a fan of any type of game will be able to find what they are looking for.

• Battle games — Just like with console or PC gaming, shooting, fighting, and player-vs-player games are extremely popular. One of the best play to earn games includes Tamadoge, which has battle gaming.
• Real-estate games — These are titles such as The Sandbox, where you can buy and sell virtual land. Of course, these games often combine various other elements that players can earn while playing.
• Trading card games — Trading cards combine well with NFTs and have P2E characteristics. One example is Gods Unchained, where each card has real value, and you can earn by trading them or winning against other card players.
• Collections — Games such as CryptoKitties don’t feature complex gameplay, as the focus is on collecting kitties. 
• Casino and slots — There are also a huge number of highly-rated crypto casinos – offering slots as well as poker, roulette and blackjack – where players can gamble with crypto to win rewards. 

Benefits of P2E Games

Some of the perks of P2E games include the following:

• Source of income — Players can generate income by playing P2E games. In most cases, that might not be enough to make a living. Still, having a fun side hustle for a bit of extra cash doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.
• Transparent and fair gaming economy—Players control things in play-to-earn games, as they have full ownership of digital assets. This is not like traditional games, which can shut down servers, ban accounts, or change rules at any time. P2E games give players the power to store, transfer, and sell their assets without intermediaries or restrictions.
• Creative inspiration — The best play to earn games foster innovation and creativity in the gaming industry, where developers can experiment with new genres, mechanics, and features that leverage the potential of blockchain technology.

Can You Really Earn Crypto With Play-to-Earn Games?

In short, yes, as P2E games are blockchain-based and function similarly to Bitcoin, and the space is only getting more popular. A recent Statista report revealed that by 2026, at least 25% of people worldwide will spend at least one hour per day in the metaverse, with 30% of global businesses expected to have metaverse-ready projects and services by then.

Knowing how to earn crypto by playing games depends on the game’s design and mechanics. Some common methods are:

• Trading in-game tokens earned through achievements or as a reward for other cryptocurrencies or fiat money on exchanges and marketplaces.
• Collecting NFTs that represent unique game items or characters and selling them.
• Staking or lending in-game coins to earn passive income (provided this feature is available in the game of your choice).
• Taking part in governance and community activities that are related to game development and direction.
• Competing in in-game tournaments that offer coins or NFTs as prizes.
• Building upon virtual plots of land in a metaverse and charging admission.

Are P2E Games Safe?

Generally speaking, the blockchain is a safe and secure technology that protects your digital coins and transactions. However, you should still learn as much as possible about crypto, blockchain, DeFi, and P2E to minimize the risk of being scammed. 

Here are some of the main factors regarding safety to consider when playing P2E games:

• Overall security — Players must use secure and reputable wallets, platforms, and exchanges to protect their assets from hackers, scammers, and fraudsters. They must also keep their private keys and passwords safe and never share them with anyone.
• Regulation — P2E games operate in a largely unregulated space, which means there is no clear legal framework or authority to govern them. This can lead to uncertainty, ambiguity, and disputes over taxation, ownership, intellectual property, and consumer protection issues. Players must know their jurisdiction’s laws and regulations and comply accordingly.
• Volatility — P2E games are subject to the volatility of the crypto market, which means the value of their tokens and NFTs can fluctuate significantly over time. Players should be prepared for the price to increase and decrease at any time and act accordingly.

Conclusion

Some of the best play to earn games offer the opportunity for players to gain extra profit, all while enjoying engaging gameplay. However, they should be mindful that each and every game has its own set of rules and principles, so they should research and study the game carefully before giving it a go. 

In the end, players should consider P2E games as a side gig rather than a source of income as well as keep casual gameplay.

We have selected Mega Dice ($DICE) as the best play-to-earn cryptocurrency option as it offers over 4,500 games to choose from and you can earn a portion of a $2.2 million airdrop by playing games.

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