How to Earn Money Playing Blockchain, NFT, and Metaverse Games

Losing yourself in a good game is one of the ultimate forms of escapism. Nothing helps you forget your frustrations and put aside your stress, quite like jumping into another world—even if it’s only for a few hours.

While playing games may be your favorite way to unwind after work—what if you could make your games work for you instead?

You don’t need to become a professional esports athlete or go viral on Twitch to start earning money from playing games. With a little creativity, some elbow grease, and maybe even a dash of luck, you can start generating some extra cash without sacrificing your fun.

Read on to learn how.

What are play-to-earn games?

In recent years, a growing number of game developers have introduced “play-to-earn” mechanics as a way to monetize their products. With play-to-earn games (also called crypto games), players can generate in-game currency or assets that can be traded for actual cash.

Rather than simply exchanging in-game credits for real-world currency, these games use blockchain technology to create an in-game economy. This enables players to earn, trade, and spend cryptocurrency—a digital asset that can be used to purchase goods and services or traded for other kinds of money. At any moment, you can use crypto to buy a new game on Steam, book a hotel room, or buy a pizza.

While cryptocurrency is the most common way players get paid, some other play-to-earn games offer rewards in the form of:

Crypto tokens: any cryptocurrency that isn’t Bitcoin or Ethereum.
Virtual land: ownership of a plot of digital real estate that can be used for in-game purposes or sold to other players.
In-game items: weapons, armor, and other virtual assets that can be traded or sold.
Skins: visual upgrades that change the appearance of in-game characters or objects.
NFTs: non-fungible tokens, which are unique digital assets that can’t be replicated or exchanged for other assets (such as music, videos, or works of art).

Whatever the reward, the goal of play-to-earn games is to provide a way to generate income by playing the game. Some developers have expanded this opportunity by providing scholarships and other opportunities to teach video game enthusiasts around the globe how to make a living doing something they’d do for free.

How to earn money playing games online

So, you’re ready to start raking in the cash by playing games? Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Understand the risks

Before you get too excited, it’s important to understand that earning money from playing games comes with certain risks.

Many of these games require you to buy NFTs from an NFT marketplace in order to play. While NFTs can be resold, there are a lot of scams and fraudsters in the world of cryptocurrency. For example, some NFT developers have been known to take an investor’s money and abandon a project before it’s complete, a method known as the “rug pull.”

In addition, the value of cryptocurrency can be volatile, which means the value of your earnings could go up or down depending on the market.

Step 2: Decide how you’ll want to earn money

Do you want to earn cryptocurrency, virtual land, in-game items, skins, or NFTs? A combination of all of the above? It’s purely a matter of preference, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

Crypto coins are much easier to convert than NFTs (which, again, you will need to sell in an NFT marketplace in order to make money). All you need to start earning those is a crypto wallet. You can buy a hardware wallet (which comes in the form of a USB stick), or you can use a virtual wallet app like Coinbase.

When you do start to earn cryptocurrency, you’ll convert it into real cash the same way you would with using foreign currency. You can find a local exchange or broker that will help you convert it, or you can use an online service.

Step 3: Decide how much you want to invest

Most crypto games require some sort of cost up-front, whether it’s buying an NFT or investing in a starter pack of virtual land. As with all investments, there is a risk involved in play-to-earn games. You should only invest as much money as you’re comfortable losing.

Some games may require you to buy in-game items, which can be done with fiat money or cryptocurrency. Others may require you to purchase a virtual land plot. The price of each will vary depending on the game.

Determine how much you’re willing to spend (and lose) before you start playing.

Step 4: Start playing

Now that you know how play-to-earn games work and what you need to do to get started, it’s time to start playing! There are a few different ways to find play-to-earn games.

The first is to look for cryptocurrency games on an online marketplace like Steam or Itch.io.

Another way to find play-to-earn games is to look for online communities that focus on cryptocurrency and gaming. These can be found on Reddit, Discord, and other social media platforms.

Which video games pay real money?

The number of crypto games has exploded in recent years. New games are created every day, and each offers its own unique way to make some cash.

Here are the top ten games that someone can play to earn real money:

New games pop up every day. So don’t be afraid to explore and find the perfect game for you and your earning goals!

To sum it up

So there you have it! Now you know how to earn money playing games. Just remember to always understand the risks involved and only invest as much as you’re comfortable losing. Start playing today, and who knows—you could be earning some serious cash in no time.