Play-to-earn games (P2E) do what traditional video games don’t — reward players for their time and effort spent in the game. After all, the players do create game content simply by participating and providing interactions for other players.
And while many games have switched to the phrase ‘play and earn’, or the term ‘web3’, the idea remains the same — the ability to own game items as NFTs, and the ability to earn while playing in some manner. Sometimes those two things are the same. Sometimes not.
But what is the same, is that each P2E game offers a way for players to be rewarded for their in-game activity. Some P2E games will require an initial investment, while others are free to play. But whatever your interest, there is something in the world of blockchain gaming to cover it. And though many games are still in development, they range from simple web games, to mobile, to FPS, to galaxy-spanning strategy games, to MMOs, and more! Keeping track of all of them can be a tough job, and so we’re here to help!
Below are a few recommendation as well as our (ever growing, and ever updated) list of web3 enabled games with same basic info as well as links to our articles and game guides!
Top Picks
About The Sandbox
The Sandbox is an interconnected world of unique game experiences. With land plots of varying sizes, each land owner can build their own creations using a visual game builder. The Sandbox is still in alpha testing, but if you’re interested in play-to-earn games, this should definitely be on your radar. Check out our full The Sandbox review to learn how to get started.
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The Sandbox consists of thousands of plots in a variety of sizes. Within each plot lies the unique creation of the plot owner. This could be a game, a social hub, or whatever else can be imagined and built. Sandbox is voxel-based, giving it a Minecraft feel. Assets inside of each experience are individual voxel objects, which can be imported from external editors.
Built on Unity and featuring an ever-growing scripting language, the Sandbox Game Maker gives builders quite a bit of opportunity to create something unique. Plot owners have complete control over what is built in their plot.
The games created so far range from RPGs to side-scrollers, to business management sims to dance games, and more. Players can join and play any public experience via the Game Maker. Most are single-player adventures, though some offer a chance to socialize with other players.
About Axie Infinity
Axie Infinity is the most important game developed on a blockchain thus far. The game focuses on breeding, collecting, and battling creatures named Axies and using them to explore the World of Lunacia. At its peak, the marketplace was making millions in sales every day, and Axies were selling for thousands of dollars each.
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Sky Mavis, the team behind Axie Infinity, amassed a community of millions of players worldwide. Much of the focus was towards developing countries, like the Philippines and Venezuela, where many players earned enough money to live on. Much of this success was due to investors who would buy teams for these players and sponsor their battles.
Sky Mavis received support and sponsorships from major companies, such as Ubisoft and Samsung. They eventually developed a sidechain named Ronin to avoid high gas fees on the Ethereum Blockchain. Ronin enabled users on the chain to exchange and sell in-game assets for no fees. This helps facilitate the circulation of value inside the marketplace.
Axie Infinity has been leading by example. The creators have announced new ways to burn Axies to get in-game items. They have also created scholarships, which allow people to play the game under a manager who covers the initial investment in exchange for a percentage of the winnings.
About Gods Unchained
Gods Unchained is a collectible, fantasy, and trading card game built on the Ethereum network. It’s free to play, easy to get started, and offers play-to-earn opportunities right out of the gate.
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In Gods Unchained, two players face off in an arena to determine who is the most powerful. Whether they choose Nature, Light, Deception, Death, War, or Magic, the goal is always the same: reduce your opponent’s God’s health to zero.
In 2019, Gods Unchained rebranded its parent company into Immutable and began development on ImmutableX, an NFT-focused, layer two solution for Ethereum. ImmutableX launched its marketplace in 2021, and today it serves as a gas-free trading hub for Gods Unchained cards as well as a number of other NFT projects.
About Splinterlands
Splinterlands is a play-to-earn trading card game that plays in a browser. It started on the Steem blockchain as Steemmonsters but eventually switched to the Hive blockchain. Thanks to cross-chain functionality, cards and tokens can also be traded on the Ethereum blockchain and on Wax. Splinterlands now has a governance token called SPS.
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Splinterlands is a cross between a deck-building game and an auto-battler. Players use their cards to create a combat lineup based on the rules of the match. Then, once both sides submit their teams, the cards battle it out until only one team remains. Players earn Dark Energy Crystals when winning matches and can also earn additional cards and other rewards through Daily Quests and a recurring, two-week leaderboard contest.
Players combine cards to level them up for better stats and additional abilities. Cards come in both regular versions and rarer, gold foil versions. Splinterlands features its own in-game market and allows for buying, selling, and even leasing cards!
About Iluvium
Illuvium is actually a suite of games set in the same universe. Illuvium Arena is a PvE, auto-battler, survival contest with leaderboards, Illuvium Zero features base building and NFT crafting for Illuvium Zero, the main game. In Illuvium Zero players wander the land in search of Illuvials to capture. All three games are currently in alpha testing.
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The main game, Illuvium Overworld, features players exploring a 3D world and encountering portals where they can enter into a battle to try and capture Illuvials, the creatures of the game. Illuvium also features two side-games, Illuvium Zero and Illuvium Arena.
All three games are currently in alpha testing and open to various public groups. Illuvium has generated a lot of hype over the past year and looks ready to deliver on that hype with not just one, but three quality games!
Play to Earn Games List
| Title | Genre | Platform | Blockchain | Status | P2E? | F2P | Gameplay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aavegotchi | Gamefi | Web | Polygon | yield generating NFTs that act as pets | |||
| Afterland | FPS | PC / MacOS | WAX | Open Alpha | RPG, action, survival shooter | ||
| Alien Worlds | Clicker | Web | WAX | TLM token | Click-miner; land ownership; DAO governance | ||
| AlterVerse | Virtual World | PC | Ethereum | virtual world with in-game games and events | |||
| Ancient Society | Strategy | Web | Polygon | stake, build, and grow your town | |||
| Arc8 | Casual | Mobile iOS / Android | Ethereum | suite of mobile mini-games | |||
| Axes Metaverse | MOBA | PC | Binance Chain | fast-paced, simple, fantasy MOBA | |||
| Axie Infinity | Tactical Battle | PC | Ethereum / Ronin | field team of 3 Axies for PvE and PvP combat | |||
| Beast Garden | Tactical Battle | Web | WAX | field team of 3 Beasts in PvE and PvP combat; NFT staking | |||
| Benji Bananas | Casual | Mobile | Ethereum | side-scrolling, banana collecting mobile game | |||
| Big Time | RPG | PC | Ethereum | instance based, multiplayer, fantasy, action RPG | |||
| Blankos Block Party | Casual | PC | Ethereum | casual games and social hub | |||
| Blockchain Brawlers | Arena Combat | Web | WAX | bluffing / betting style game with two wrestlers facing off | |||
| Chainmonsters | Tamer | PC / MacOS / Android/ iPhone | Flow | Dev / Demo | tamer RPG | ||
| Champions Arena | Tactical battle | PC | Ethereum | fantasy, turn-based battle arena with three heroes per side | |||
| Champions: Ascension | Virtual World | PC | Ethereum | virtual world; mini-games; arena combat | |||
| Chicken Derby | Racing | Web | Polygon | WETH token | Chicken racing simulator with cosmetics and wacky powers | ||
| Chronos: Dawn Of Time | RPG | PC | Polygon | NFTs | side-scrolling, sci-fi-, RPG | ||
| City States: Medieval | Strategy | Mobile / Desktop | Stellar | Dev | strategy MMMO | ||
| Civitas | Strategy | PC / Mac | Ethereum | NFTs | cooperative town building with player run DAO governance | ||
| ClashDome | Mini-games | Web | WAX | selection of mini-games with decorative NFTs | |||
| Colonize Mars | Staking | Web | WAX | Closed Alpha | NFT and token staking; larger gameplay coming soon | ||
| Cometh | TCG | Web | Polygon | deck-building for spaceship battles | |||
| Continuum World | RPG | Web | Polygon | Dev | MMO RPG | ||
| Crazy Defense Heroes | Tower Defense | iOs and Android | Polygon | Active tower defense battles | |||
| Crazy Kings | Tower Defense | iOS | Ethereum | Active tower defense battles | |||
| Cross the Ages | TCG | PC / Mac / Android / iOS | Ethereum | Dev | TCG | ||
| Crypto Unicorns | Farming | Web | Polygon | collect and breed Unicorns to work on your farm | |||
| Dark Country | TCG | PC | WAX | SDM tokens NFTs | western=gothic themed, collectible card game | ||
| DeFi Land | Gamefi | Web | Solana | stake and 'grow' your tokens; participate in mini-games | |||
| Delysuim | Virtual World | PC | Polygon | virtual world | |||
| Deviants' Factions | TCG | Web | Ethereum / IMX | TCG with lane-based strategies | |||
| Dustland Runner | Move to Earn | Mobile | Ethereum | story-based move to earn app | |||
| Echoes of Empire | Strategy MMO | PC | Ethereum | ?? | space based, strategic MMO with base building, land claiming, and ship battles | ||
| Ember Sword | MMO | PC | Ethereum / IMX | fantasy MMO | |||
| Era7: Game of Truth | Strategy | Web | Binance Chain | fantasy, tactical combat | |||
| Eternal Dragons | Auto-battler | Web | Solana | ?? | auto-battler with Dragons | ||
| Ethermon | RPG | PC / iOS / Android | Polygon | creature taming and battler game built in Decentraland | |||
| ev.io | FPS | Web | Solana | FPS | |||
| Everseed | Tower defense | Web | Solana | collect plants and use them for tower defense | |||
| Farmer's World | Farming | Web | WAX | farming / staking NFTs | |||
| Farming Tales | Simulation | Web | WAX | farming / resource gathering + crafting | |||
| Farsite | MMO | Web | Ethereum | space based MMO with ships, land ownership, and crafting | |||
| Forge: Arena | FPS | PC | WAX | FPS | |||
| Galaxy Fight Club | Fighting | PC / Mobile | Ethereum | Cross-brand PvP MOBA game where users can engage in combat and earn in-game assets. | |||
| Generative Dungeon | Roguelite | Web | Ethereum | Roguelite style game with customizable dungeons that run in the NFT | |||
| Genopets | Move to Earn | Mobile / Web | Solana | KI token | walk, level up your pet, convert energy to tokens; craft cosmetics | ||
| Gods Unchained | TCG | PC | Ethereum / IMX | fantasy, TCG | |||
| Green Rabbit | Racing | Web / PC | WAX | racing game set inside of a futuristic, virtual world; crafting | |||
| Guild of Guardians | Action RPG | Mobile | Ethereum / IMX | fantasy, team Diablo on the blockchain | |||
| Heroes of Mavia | Strategy | Web / mobile | Binance Chain | Dev | base building and defense | ||
| Illuvium Overworld | RPG / Creature Tamer | PC | Ethereum / IMX | MMO RPG creature catcher | |||
| Illuvium: Arena | Auto-battler | PC | Ethereum / IMX | fantasy-creature themed, auto battler | |||
| Illuvium: Zero | Base building | PC | Ethereum / IMX | NFTs | strategic base building to harvest resources and create NFTs for Illuvium Overworld | ||
| Last Expedition | FPS | PC | Ethereum | FPS with player run servers and RPG elements | |||
| League of Kingdoms | Base builder | Web | Ethereum | base-building, PVP game | |||
| Legacy | Simulation | PC | Ethereum | detailed production business simulation | |||
| Lost Relics | RPG | PC | Enjin | instanced dungeons with a shared social space in the town | |||
| MegaWorld | Simulation | Web | Polygon; Tron | virtual world; business simulation; earn tokens by completing quests | |||
| Metalands | FPS | PC | Polygon | FPS with a PvE storyline and PvP arenas | |||
| MetalCore | FPS | PC | Ethereum | team-based PvP | |||
| Mini Royale: Nations | FPS | Web | Solana | team-based FPS | |||
| Mirandus | MMORPG | PC | Ethereum | fantasy MMO | |||
| Mist | MMO | PC | Binance Chain | MIST tokens and NFTs | fantasy action-based, MMO | ||
| MOMOverse | Virtual World | Web | Binance Chain | virtual world; mini-games; farming | |||
| Moonfrost | Farming | PC / Mobile | Ethereum | Dev | ?? | ?? | farming RPG similar to Stardew Valley |
| Moonville Farms | Simulation | Web | Ethereum / Myria | competitive farming / business simulation | |||
| Music Mogul | Simulation | Web | WAX | Dev | music management simulation with NFT staking | ||
| MuTerra | TCG | Web | Hive | TCG | |||
| My Defi Pet | Farming | Web | Binance Chain | own pets, farm stuff, battle bosses occasionally | |||
| Mytheria | TCG | Ethereum | a "create and earn" TCG where players can make their own cards | ||||
| NFT Worlds | Virtual World | PC | Polygon | Dev | collection of player built worlds in a Minecraft style game | ||
| Nine Chronicles | RPG | PC | Ethereum | MMO with idle RPG gameplay | |||
| Nova Rally | Racing | Web / PC | WAX | CHARM token | passive racing game with driver and car NFTs | ||
| Oxya Origin | Gaming Metaverse | PC | Ethereum | Dev | suite of interconnected games; first one to be a roguelite type game | ||
| Pegaxy | Racing | Web | Polygon | Dev | revamping into active racing game | ||
Phantom Galaxies
| Action shooter | PC | Polygon | space-based action shooter with RPG elements | |||
| Planet IX | Staking | Web | Ethereum | buy plots, merge them together, build factories, to buy more plots | |||
| Planet Mojo | Auto-battler | Web | Solana | fantasy=themed auto battler | |||
| R-Planet: Conquest | Base building | PC | WAX | NFTs | base building PvP game with robots | ||
| REVV Racing | Racing | Web | Polygon | active, F1-style racing game | |||
| Riot Racers | Racing | Web | Polygon | RIOT tokens | passive racing with varied tracks and weather | ||
| Shrapnel | RPG / FPS | Avalanche | Dev | ?? | story based extraction FPS with player progression and player created content | ||
| SinVerse | Virtual World | PC | Binance Chain | LIVE? | GTA Online on the blockchain | ||
| Skyweaver | TCG | Web | Polygon | NFTs | fantasy, deck-building | ||
| Soccer Manager Elite | Sim Management | Web | Xaya | manage team, club or players | |||
| Sorare | Fantasy Football | Web | Ethereum | fantasy football (soccer) with NFTs | |||
| Spider Tanks | MOBA | PC | Ethereum | SILK token | team-based arena combat with fantastical tanks | ||
| Splinterlands | TCG | Web | Hive | NFT SPS token | collectible card game with team selection and auto battles | ||
| Star Atlas | MMO | Web | Solana | space based MMO with land ownership and political factions | |||
| Stepn | Move to Earn | Mobile | Solana | move to earn while owning and breeding sneakers | |||
| Summoner's Arena | Idle RPG | Web | Binance Chain | field team of heroes, advance, earn idle rewards, level up, repeat | |||
| Sunflower Land | Simulation | Web | Polygon | multiplayer farming simulation with social hub and quests | |||
| Superior | Action RPG | PC | Ethereum | Early Access | ?? | team-based PvE with monstrous superheroes | |
| Taurion | Strategy MMO | PC | Xaya | Build, farm, create, mine | |||
| The Beacon | Action RPG | PC | Arbitrum | Dev | top-down, Diablo style gameplay | ||
| The Fabled | Action RPG | PC | Polygon | Dark Souls style action RPG | |||
| The Harvest | MOBA | PC | Solana | futuristic MOBA with ability and cosmetic customization | |||
| The Otherside | Virtual World | PC | Ethereum | Dev | ?? | ?? | collection of player built virtual worlds |
| The Sandbox | Metaverse | PC | Polygon | NFT SAND token | collection of virtual experiences and games | ||
| Thetan Arena | MOBA | PC | Binance Chain | top-down, fast paced 4v4 MOBA | |||
| Tiny World | GameFi | Web | Binance Chain | stake tokens and Hero NFTs to earn | |||
| Town Star | Simulation | Web | Ethereum | town building and management simulation | |||
| Treeverse | MMORPG | PC / Mobile | Ethereum | Pre-alpha | RPG | ||
| Uldor | MMO | PC | Ethereum | Dev | fantasy MMO | ||
| Undead Blocks | FPS | PC | Polygon | survive as long as you can against the zombie menace | |||
| Upland | Strategy | Web | EOS | NFT | buy and own virtual properties and engage in contests | ||
| Uplift World | Virtual World | PC / Mac | WAX | Minecraft based worlds with events and land ownership | |||
| Voxie Tactics | Strategy | PC | Polygon | NFT VOX token | fantasy, battle tactics with squad of 3 on square, tiled map | ||
| War Park | MOBA | PC | Ethereum | Dev | ?? | tank-based MOBA with destructible environments | |
| WarQube | Tower Defense | ?? | Ethereum | Dev | tower defense with PvE, co-op, and PvP modes | ||
| Wizardia | Strategy | Web | Polygon | turn-based team battle with wizards | |||
| Zed Run | Racing | Web | Ethereum | passive horse racing |
Best of Play-to-Earn Games
- Best Racing Play-to-Earn Games of 2022
- Best Crypto Card Games of 2022
- Best Free Play-to-Earn Games of 2022
- Best NFT Games of 2022
- Best Metaverse Games of 2022
How we score play-to-earn games
Our editorial team ranks and scores P2E games based on the following criteria:
- Quality
- Fun
- User-base
- Potential earnings
- Play-to-earn mechanics
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Blockchain Games?
Blockchain games games are games that use blockchain technology to store game assets and distribute rewards to their players, either through cryptocurrency or through NFT rewards. Some blockchain games require the player to own a specific NFT or to hold a specific cryptocurrency in order to play the game, while others are free-to-play to anyone.
How to get started in play-to-earn gaming?
Play-to-earn gaming should start with research. Take some time to learn about the types of play-earn-games and which ones seem fun to you. You may want to start with a game that is free to play, just to get the hang of it. If you decide to invest in a game, make sure you understand how the game works and how you can earn money. Then, you’ll need to create a crypto wallet, buy cryptocurrency, and eventually buy NFTs. For more tips, read our guide on how to get started with play-to-earn games. Browse our website to learn more about current and upcoming play-to-earn games, and join our Discord community to chat with other players.
How to set up a wallet for play-to-earn games?
Getting started with play-to-earn games? You’ll need to buy cryptocurrency, which can be done at an exchange or sometimes through the crypto wallet itself. If you keep your crypto on a non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet, you have full control over it. Many different wallets exist, so you’ll need to choose one compatible with your device and the blockchain you want to use. The most popular wallet is MetaMask. MetaMask is compatible with different blockchains such as Ethereum, Polygon, BNB chain, Avalanche, and many more.
What’s the Play-to-Earn Business Model?
The play-to-earn business model is a model that embraces the concept of the open market and provides financial rewards to players, investors and game developers. You can participate in the model by simply playing a game, investing in digital assets (NFTs), or by developing your own project.
Each play-to-earn game has its own economic model and needs to find the right balance in order to sustain a viable in-game economy for everyone involved. Many developers have moved away from using the phrase, play to earn, instead referring to their games as play and earn or web3-enabled.
What are NFTs or Non-Fungible Tokens?
NFT stands for Non-fungible token. An NFT represents a digital item with a unique owner. They can be associated with a piece of art (an image, a video, an audio file) or any other item with a unique identifier (it could be a concert ticket or a certificate of ownership). In blockchain games, NFTs are usually game assets such as characters, a plot of land, or a specific game item.
What is the Metaverse?
Nowadays, we hear the word metaverse used everywhere. But what is the metaverse? There is no simple answer, especially because many projects like to call themselves a metaverse. For us, the metaverse is the sum of many projects that are interconnected and interoperable. We could describe the metaverse as a parallel universe that can redefine who we are, what we do and how we do it.
Are there free blockchain games?
Yes, there are free blockchain, or play-to-earn, games. These games do not require an initial investment in cryptocurrency or NFTs to get started. A few examples of free play-to-earn games include Gods Unchained, Alien Worlds, and Splinterlands. See the full games list on this page for which games are free to play