12 Best Play-to-Earn Crypto Games in 2023

Want to make money while having fun? Look no further than the exciting world of crypto gaming! Play-to-earn games are revolutionizing the industry by allowing players to earn crypto that can be exchanged for real money while playing their favorite games. No more boring tasks or meaningless activities – with P2E crypto games, earning money has never been more enjoyable.

It’s no wonder play-to-earn games have become a major draw in the crypto space, luring players in with the promise of generating income while they play. However, the allure of earning free crypto has been used by countless companies to promote games that are of poor quality, have no players, and are just downright not fun to play. The bottom line is that they fail to deliver on the promise of a fun gaming experience that can generate free crypto.

On the other hand, finding a great play-to-earn crypto game can result in countless hours of fun and enjoyment, and as a nice bonus, a little extra income on the side as well. 

We’ve prepared a play-to-earn games list that features the best games to make money in crypto to help you decide which games are worth trying out in 2023. While the following selection is certainly subjective, we believe that virtually any type of gamer should find something that will pique their interest in the list below:

1. Decentraland: The leading crypto gaming platform with digital real-estate and NFTs
2. Gods Unchained: A decentralized competitive P2E card game
3. The Sandbox: A unique Play-to-earn game offering a mix of creativity and monetization
4. Axie Infinity: A renowned Ethereum-based Play-to-Earn game
5. Splinterlands: A unique player vs. player card game with NFT solutions
6. Illuvium: A popular space-based open-world adventure title
7. Star Atlas: A Solana-based all-immersive space exploration metaverse
8. Battle Infinity: A P2E metaverse game with multiple benefits
9. Tamadoge: A new P2E NFT pets game inspired by the 1990s hit
10. Spells of Genesis: A P2E puzzle game with support for multiple networks
11. My Neighbor Alice:  A multiplayer P2E farming-based game
12. Town Star:  A P2E blockchain game from Gala Games

The 12 best Play-to-Earn crypto games: Discover and explore the best P2E games of 2023

While the proposition to earn crypto when playing games is certainly attractive, it should be noted that most games don’t allow you to earn money directly. Instead, players earn gaming tokens that can be traded on crypto exchanges. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best play-to-earn crypto games that are currently available.

1. Decentraland: The leading crypto gaming platform with digital real-estate and NFTs

Decentraland is a popular and one of the most used crypto gaming platforms in the world, with gamers consistently acknowledging it as one of the best play-to-earn crypto projects in the industry. Decentraland is a virtual gaming community that is built on the Ethereum blockchain where users can play games and have the chance to earn non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in return. 

In this virtual world, users can buy and sell plots of land and real estate properties that are coded as NFTs. Decentraland allows various kinds of companies to open stores within its ecosystem to expand its global reach. This includes reputable companies like Samsung, sportswear brands like Skechers, and many more. Moreso, crypto gamers on Decentralized are allowed to create gaming challenges, social experiences, and even events that can help them earn income when other players participate. These features elevate Decentraland beyond a simple gaming platform into a fully-fledged e-commerce virtual reality network.

The play-to-earn mechanics deployed by Decentraland allows people to own Lands in the form of NFT plots. In order to make money from the acquired LAND, users would wait for an unspecified future date with their eyes fixed on the price movement of the asset, in the expectation that the price will surge and they can make a profit. Besides, owners of the lands can easily rent out space to build anything to other users to build any structure of their choice. These structures may include houses, hotels, parks, cinemas, casinos, art galleries, etc. Thus, real owners of the land will be able to earn a commission from the money made from those structures.

Overall, the possibilities of making money with Decentraland are quite wide-ranging. As a final note, users can also purchase MANA tokens, which can be used to buy virtual land and other items. Accessing the Decentraland metaverse is a breeze, as the game can be loaded in either an internet browser or installed on a PC.

2. Gods Unchained: A decentralized competitive P2E card game

Among the list of best P2E games in the crypto industry is Gods Unchained. It is a decentralized, epic trading card game based on the Ethereum Layer 2 solution Immutable X, allowing users to trade cards for digital currencies.

Gods Unchained allows users to play exciting card games, build, and trade with true NFT ownership while also earning money. Players of Gods Unchained have to interact in a tactical manner in order to win battles and tournaments.

Gods Unchained is a free play-to-earn crypto game, hence it does not require players to spend any money before getting started. An exciting part of this is that players do not have to buy any tokens or assets before they can have access to the gaming platform.

Free cards are automatically deposited into the account of users immediately after they sign up and open an account. These cards can be used by players to familiarize themselves with the game and ecosystem, and also participate in friendly battles.

3. The Sandbox: A unique Play-to-earn game offering a mix of creativity and monetization

The Sandbox belongs to the category of multiplayer metaverse games, integrating the concept of creativity with monetization. Players are allowed to create digital multiplayer gaming experiences and voxel assets, which they can eventually monetize to earn real money. The Sandbox allows players to create NFTs and sell them on the marketplace. Payouts for the sales are in SAND, the in-game currency used by The Sandbox.

Exclusive activities like creating virtual worlds, buildings, art, events, and resources are all enabled on the platform. Hence players can determine the interactions within the world, thereby resulting in an unlimited collection of games within the platform.

Similar to Decentraland and some other entries on our list, The Sandbox allows players to buy, sell, and rent virtual land. Despite being in the alpha stage of development, The Sandbox has already attracted some of the biggest names in entertainment and industry in its pixelated cartoony world, including the likes of Snoop Dogg, Adidas, and Deadmau5, to name a few.

4. Axie Infinity: A renowned Ethereum-based Play-to-Earn game

Axie Infinity is one of the most commonly played P2E games in the industry. It features exciting gameplay where players are made to battle with their counterparts using their pets in a digital universe. The Axie Infinity gamers are compelled to put in their skill and a blend of competitiveness to work if they want to climb the ranks.

To begin with, gamers will need to find and collect pets dubbed “Axies” before proceeding to battle with other players. Each Axie is its own NFT. Another vital part of the gaming experience is that the users need to search for Axies that are strong enough to defeat their opponents. 

The platform provides gamers with six different Axie breeds, each with six body parts with different stats. Thus, calling for a need to be crafty in choosing which pet is capable of taking down the opponent. This is especially true due to the game’s focus on different environments that require different stats and strategies to succeed.

5. Splinterlands: A unique player vs. player card game with NFT solutions

Splinterland, formally dubbed Steem Monsters, is a crypto card game that is based on the Hive blockchain, while also connecting with other blockchains. The game features Splintershards, which serve as the game’s native governance.

Splinterland ranks among one of the best blockchain-based card games thanks to its unique gaming mechanics. It allows players to battle against monsters while they win prizes and crypto tokens in return. The blockchain card game uses two types of card for its activities, which includes the summoner’s card and the monster’s card. A player can own the summoner’s and the monster’s cards at the same time. However, only one of them can be used at a time. 

When the summoner’s card is used by a player, it implies the player is inviting another player with the corresponding monster’s card to battle. The in-game currency for Splinterland is Dark Energy Crystals (DEC). Hence, winning battles will boost the amount of Dark Energy Crystals owned by a player, which implies more money from the game.

6. Illuvium: A popular space-based open-world adventure title

Illuvium is considered as one of the top upcoming crypto games because of the thrilling interplanetary encounters featured on the platform. It is an intriguing NFT game that runs on a fascinating blend of RPG action and planetary exploration. In addition, Illuvium is the world’s first Interoperable Blockchain Game (IBG).

The premise of Illuvium is that players need to strive and survive a wrecked spaceship. Afterward, they find themselves on a ruined planet called Illuvium, which inhabits creatures called Illuvials with extraterrestrial powers. At this point, players have the mandate to find and capture Illuvials which is needed to make a powerful team and compete in PVP gameplay and other missions.

7. Star Atlas: A Solana-based all-immersive space exploration metaverse

Star Atlas is a popular strategy game that is based on the Solana network, featuring space exploration, territorial conquest, political domination, and lots more. With its rich and unique metaverse, Star Atlas redefines what’s possible to expect out of a play-to-earn game. It leverages the power of NFTs to their full potential, making it one of the leading metaverse NFT projects.

Being built on the Solana blockchain, the multiplayer blockchain game, Star Atlas is able to offer gamers within its ecosystem a secure gaming experience. Within the Star Atlas ecosystem is an alliance of extraterrestrial species, sentient robots, and humans. In addition, resources used to produce objects on the platform are destroyed when a new item is created due to the built-in deflationary mechanics it deploys.

In addition to NFTs, Star Atlas features a dual-token system consisting of POLIS (the native governance token) and ATLAS (the game’s native utility token).

8. Battle Infinity: A P2E metaverse game with multiple benefits

Battle Infinity is an upcoming metaverse game that seeks to provide its players with multiple benefits by combining unique gaming mechanics with the virtual world.

Battle Infinity also features an IBAT Premier League, which offers players a fantasy sports game integrated with the Metaverse. Therefore, providing players with access to multiple platforms and NFT games they can earn from. Moreso, it enables players to have their own unique avatar, which can be upgraded by using the Battle Market to change their clothing or hairstyles.

9. Tamadoge: A new P2E NFT pets game inspired by the 1990s hit

Tamadoge is another top pick in terms of a high-potential investment game in the industry. It is a new crypto game project that sold out its presale in just eight weeks before soaring following its listing on exchanges.

Tamadoge is a planned NFT pets game in the style of CryptoKitties, Neopets Meta, or Catecoin but with a Doge theme, aiming to tap into the mass appeal of meme coins but add more utility – its native token TAMA will be the rewards token that players will earn for doing battle with their Tamedoge pets.

From birth to adulthood, players will nurture, feed and train their pets called Doges – the game name is also a play on the 1990s craze ‘Tamagotchi’.The NFT pets became the top trending collection on OpenSea at launch with investors spending more than 250 ETH on the top 100 pets, which boast boosted stats in the game.

10. Spells of Genesis: A P2E puzzle game with support for multiple networks

Spells of Genesis is a free play-to-earn puzzle game that is compatible with multiple blockchains. The game focuses on mobile device users and is available on both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. Some of the blockchains the platform is compatible with include Ethereum, and Counterparty

Spells of Genesis features more than 300 blockchain cards. The cards may be purchased using crypto tokens at the in-game shop. The game has three different in-game currencies: gold, crystals, and gems.

Notably, the play-to-earn mechanism in Spells of Genesis pays players with crypto that can be converted to cash in return for their time spent playing the game. You can use Ethereum to buy in-game items to help maximize your earning potential.

11. My Neighbor Alice: A multiplayer P2E farming-based game

My Neighbor Alice is a multiplayer play-to-earn farming-based crypto game that is very fun to play. The game offers a laid-back approach, allowing players to own land, carry out farm activities and interact with each other. This farming-based game is the brainchild of the Swedish-based interactive mobile game studio Antler Interactive.

Playing My Neighbor Alice typically involves owning land and other farm-related activities. In My Neighbor Alice, players can keep bees, go fishing, or even build on their land to make it as farm-like as possible. To get the resources they need, players use the ALICE token to make purchases in the game’s marketplace.

12. Town Star: A P2E blockchain game from Gala Games

Town Star is a free play-to-earn blockchain-based farming/building simulation game from Gala Games, that is owned by one of the Co-Founders of Zynga, which is the parent company of Farmville. 

Similar to Farmville, players can grow crops, gather resources, and create materials to build and customize buildings. Also, players can turn their farms into big towns full of life and activity by starting with just a small farm.

The bottom line: There’s a variety of great Play-to-Earn games available

Undoubtedly, blockchain games have experienced significant expansion and appeal in recent years. The ability to earn while participating in an enjoyable activity is a major draw for many individuals to join the blockchain gaming community. 

The fact that players can compete from anywhere in the world and earn virtual assets as rewards is a thrilling aspect. However, it is important to be cautious and choose a reliable blockchain gaming platform to avoid disappointment. 

If you are looking for more blockchain gaming options, give our guide on the best metaverse games a read.