12 Best Play-to-Earn Games for Real Rewards in 2025
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We believe in full transparency with our readers. Some of our content includes affiliate links, and we may earn a commission through these partnerships. However, this potential compensation never influences our analysis, opinions, or reviews. Our editorial content is created independently of our marketing partnerships, and our ratings are based solely on our established evaluation criteria. Read More
Author
Goran Radanovic
Author
Goran Radanovic
About Author
After graduating with two finance degrees, Goran worked in corporate finance for six years before becoming a full-time writer. He discovered crypto in 2017 and has been an investor in digital assets...
Alan is the Chief Editor of guides and reviews on Cryptonews.com. He’s responsible for ensuring all the content on the site is accurate, up-to-date, and reliable.
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Disclaimer: Crypto is a high-risk asset class. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. You could lose all of your capital.
Crypto has revolutionized gaming by making it possible for anyone to play games and earn money at the same time, something that was previously only possible for pro gamers.
While P2E gaming is still in its infancy, and it will take time for the gaming experience to be as high compared to traditional games, it distinguishes itself by allowing players to earn in-game assets and free crypto tokens.
We searched the market for the best play-to-earn games with the highest earning potential and found the ones that provide the best crypto rewards, such as The Last Dwarfs, Harry Hippo, and Catslap. Let’s review each game that pays players in crypto and all the other ways it benefits investors.
Tap your way to earnings in this exciting Telegram game featuring diverse mechanics and rewards.
Gods Unchained
GODS
$0.10
Win card battles and tournaments to earn GODS tokens in this award-winning game, now on mobile.
Splinterlands
BAT
$0.006502
Earn BAT by battling, trading, and minting exclusive NFTs on this leading gaming platform.
Axie Infinity
AXS
$3.71
Breed, battle, and explore Land NFTs to earn AXS tokens in this globally-known blockchain game.
Shrapnel
SHRAP
$0.007963
Compete in first-person shooter missions to earn SHRAP tokens, with future desktop gameplay enhancements.
Star Atlas
ATLAS
$0.001335
Explore space, trade resources, and complete missions to earn ATLAS tokens in this grand strategy game.
Reviewing the Top P2E Games
Now that we’ve identified the best free play-to-earn games let’s learn more about each one.
1. The Last Dwarfs – A Play-to-Earn Game with Investment Potential
The Last Dwarfs isn’t just another P2E game—it actually gives you early access to crypto launches just by playing. As you mine, battle, and level up, you unlock real opportunities to invest in Web3 tokens before they go public.
What makes it stand out is the Play-to-Invest model. Instead of earning in-game rewards with no value, you’re earning chances to get in on legit token presales.
Plus, the game has a built-in AI-powered exchange and even a Telegram bot to make accessing launches super easy.
How can you earn by playing The Last Dwarfs
Collect valuable items that can be traded or used for rewards.
Get rewarded with the native $TLD token, which can be reinvested or traded.
2. Harry Hippo – Fun and Rewarding P2E Ecosystem with AI and NFTs
Harry Hippo is a wild mix of AI, memes, and GameFi, built around a play-to-earn model that rewards players for getting involved. The Harry Hungry Hipo game is at the center of it all, letting players earn while they play and stake $HIPO tokens for passive income.
What makes it stand out is how it blends casual gaming with high-yield staking up to 601%. The project plans to bring in NFT utility and AI-driven gameplay features, which could make the experience even more interactive and rewarding.
It’s still early, and while the roadmap looks exciting, its long-term success will depend on how strong the community sticks around and how well they execute their plans.
How can you earn by playing Harry Hippo
Combines gaming, staking, and AI for multiple earning paths.
Backed by a clear roadmap with plans for NFTs, CEX listings, and GameFi growth.
3. Catslap – New Slapometer Game Offering Rewards and Secure Wallet Integration
Catslap ($SLAP) is redefining the play-to-earn (P2E) space by combining interactive gameplay with real crypto rewards. At the center of its ecosystem is the Slapometer game, where players compete to “slap” their way to earning $SLAP tokens.
This innovative feature transforms traditional P2E gaming into a fun and engaging experience, attracting both crypto enthusiasts and casual gamers.
Catslap also prioritizes security and usability through its partnership with Best Wallet, ensuring seamless transactions and easy management of earned rewards. Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or someone new to crypto, Catslap provides an exciting opportunity to earn real rewards while having fun.
How can you earn by playing
Earn $SLAP tokens by participating in the interactive Slapometer game, where players compete for rewards.
Stake your $SLAP tokens to earn additional rewards and grow your holdings over time.
Participate in community events or qualify for token airdrops as the project expands its ecosystem.
4. Gas Wizard – New Play-to-Earn Game With Real-World Utility
Gas Wizard is an exciting crypto project that aims to help users pay less at the gas pump and the EV charging station via discounts and rewards. In addition to this real-world utility, the team has announced a play-to-earn mobile game where Gas Wizard players can engage in various challenges with $GWIZ tokens at stake.
The team plans multiple game modes, including battles, puzzles and races. Whenever you challenge another player with $GWIZ tokens as the prize.
The GWIZ tokens can be used to redeem rewards, participate in free gas tank giveaways or get discounts at charging and gas stations.
How can you earn by playing Gas Wizard?
Play the GasWizard P2E Mobile Game to earn GWIZ tokens. Compete in racing, battles, and puzzles to win.
Challenge other players in head-to-head matchups. Victory earns you GWIZ tokens, enhancing your in-game assets.
Refer friends to earn a 10% bonus on their transactions. Use your unique link to maximize rewards.
5. Lucky Funatic – New Telegram Tap-Based Game with Rewards and Web3 Features
Lucky Funatic is one of the best play-to-earn games this year. That’s because it follows the path of successful games like Hamster Kombat and Notcoin where tapping on Telegram can be worthwhile. Except Lucky Funatic is stepping up the game.
Players will find diverse mechanics, including collecting FUNZ (the in-game currency), unlocking and upgrading cards, rich SAGA progression similar to Candy Crush, and more.
There’s even NFT integration and engaging social features and referrals. The Lucky Funatic game revolves around tapping to collect FUNZ, which allows you to increase the collection and taps over time. The main goal is to collect the Jokers. These are “the gold bars” of Lucky Funatic, as the team hinted. They are the gateway to big giveaways and becoming a Funtico whale.
How can you earn by playing Lucky Funatic?
Earn FUNZ and Jokers by playing the game
Use FUNZ to unlock and upgrade cards for passive income
Earn Golden Tickets for competitions and tournaments
6. LuckHunter – P2E CasinoFi Game, Get 100% Casino Credits through the Presale
LuckHunter integrates blockchain technology into the Online Casino space. With its native token, $LHUNT, LuckHunter offers Casino Credits, staking rewards, and huge giveaways. On this play-to-earn casino platform, players can win big through a range of blockchain-integrated games – such as Crypto Slots and Blockchain Poker.
Token holders also get exclusive community membership to private groups, access to giveaways and merchandise, and huge staking rewards.
Notably, LuckHunter already has a customer base of 50K players – and is now looking to expand it by implementing utility through the $LHUNT token. From a total supply of 8.06 billion tokens, 50% is being distributed across ten presale rounds.
7. Gods Unchained – Blockchain Card Game with a Mobile Version
Gods Unchained has been around for many years, and it’s considered one of the best blockchain card game in 2025. It offers players multiple chances to earn crypto playing games (specifically $GODS tokens), along with the opportunity to earn and create NFT cards for their decks.
The game is free to play for newcomers, making it highly accessible for those who don’t quite yet know the workings of tokens, wallets, and NFTs, but are looking to dip their toes in the Web3 gaming water. This game is available on Amazon’s Prime Gaming and Epic Games Store.
What sets Gods Unchained apart is the extensive number of avenues you can use to earn $GODS tokens: weekend ranking events, daily playing, staking, and game campaigns. The mobile app was released recently, making the game accessible to even more players.
How can you earn by playing Gods Unchained?
Win matches in Daily Play & Earn to earn $GODS tokens. Swap $GODS for ETH or other tokens.
Participate in Weekend Ranked tournaments to earn expansion packs with NFT cards. Available to players of any rank.
Fuse core cards in The Forge to create Meteorite NFT cards. Sell these cards or use them in-game.
8. Splinterlands – Gaming Platform with Exclusive NFT Minting
Splinterlands is one of the best play-to-earn crypto games, enabling you to own cards and other in-game assets as NFTs, which can be traded or used in battles and for earning rewards. These rewards depend on your opponent’s level and the capture rate you achieve in each combat.
Splinterlands has been described as a hybrid of Pokemon card games and World of Warcraft characters. You can conquer a world or solve conquests by battling monsters. Initially, you’ll be provided with a limited number of cards; you can earn more by winning rounds.
You can also trade cards to earn Dark Energy Crystals (DEC) tokens. High-ranked cards are the most valuable and should generate the highest profits. Although DEC is the native token, Splinterlands’ partnership with BRAVE has made in-game purchases using BAT possible.
How can you earn by playing Splinterlands?
Play ranked battles to earn Splinterlands tokens, cards, and other items. Trade or sell these assets for real-world value.
Complete daily quests and tournaments to gain additional rewards like NFTs and DEC. Use these to enhance your deck.
Upgrade cards by fusing duplicates. Higher-level cards offer better stats and abilities, increasing your chances of winning.
9. Axie Infinity – A Play-to-Earn Game Releasing Land NFTs
Axie Infinity is a pioneering play-to-earn game on the Ethereum blockchain, where you can collect and raise Axies — adorable, battle-ready creatures with unique traits and abilities. As NFTs, each Axie is a unique digital asset that you can breed, battle, and trade.
You can earn by participating in game modes like Adventure and Arena, collecting rewards in Axie Infinity Shards (AXS) and Smooth Love Potions (SLP), which are essential for breeding new Axies. AXS serves as both a governance token and a staking mechanism, enhancing engagement and providing investment opportunities.
The introduction of tokenized land plots allows you to build, customize, and earn passive income, making Axie Infinity not just a game, but an expansive digital nation with real economic implications.
How can you earn by playing Axie Infinity?
Win battles in PvE and PvP modes to earn SLP tokens. Use SLP to breed Axies or trade on exchanges.
Complete daily missions and quests to earn additional SLP tokens. Focus on PvP for higher rewards.
Buy, sell, and trade Axies on the marketplace. Use earnings to upgrade your team and increase your win rate.
10. Shrapnel – First-Person Shooter with NFT Rewards
Shrapnel blends intense battle royale action with a tactical extraction-based survival game. The game also features high-quality graphics with neon-lit urban settings and fast-paced combat sequences.
When you win, you get the opportunity to own and trade in-game items as NFTs, including gear, weapons, and maps, through a robust marketplace powered by the SHRAP token.
This ERC-20 token, SHARP makes Shrapnel’s unique economy possible. In this game, your creations become your intellectual property, turning gaming achievements into real-world value.
How can you earn by playing Shrapnel?
Collect gear and Sigma in the Sacrifice Zone. Survive and extract to claim your loot as NFTs, adding real ownership.
Trade or sell your NFTs on Ethereum, Polygon, or Avalanche. Use your gains to enhance your gameplay experience.
Participate in tests and early access by holding Shrapnel NFTs. Enjoy early access, exclusive tools, and limited-edition skins.
11. Star Atlas – Grand Strategy Game Enabling Space Exploration
Set in the year 2620, Star Atlas is a space-themed MMO built on the Solana blockchain. It offers a metaverse experience where players can take on various roles. It allows participants to engage in diverse activities like building, mining, and governing, while earning rewards through Player vs Environment (PvE) and Player vs Player (PvP) modes.
Also, players can explore new planets and mine valuable tokenized resources, making Star Atlas a standout play-to-earn (P2E) game. It also features a deep strategic layer where faction wars and resource management play crucial roles. You can invest in-game currency to build ships and navigate a grid map in search of NFT treasures and claim stakes, which provide passive resource gains.
By integrating NFTs and real-time strategy, Star Atlas offers an immersive gaming experience and allows you to monetize your virtual achievements.
How can you earn by playing Star Atlas?
Purchase a starship NFT using USDC or ATLAS. Enlist your ship on missions to earn ATLAS tokens daily.
Ensure your ship is stocked with resources like fuel, food, ammo, and repair kits. These resources are necessary to keep earning.
Trade or sell your earned ATLAS tokens and in-game assets on the marketplace. Use profits to upgrade your fleet and increase earnings.
Play-to-earn (P2E) games allow you to earn real-world rewards, typically cryptocurrencies or digital assets, through your in-game activities. These games integrate blockchain technology to secure ownership of in-game assets as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
You can earn by carrying out tasks, winning challenges, or trading assets within the game. This model enhances engagement by providing financial incentives, and grants you ownership of your in-game assets, allowing you to sell or trade these assets outside the game. This approach merges gaming with economic activity, turning entertainment into a potential source of income.
How Do P2E Games Work?
Play-to-earn NFT games enable players to receive in-game currencies throughout the game by accomplishing certain feats. Below are some ways players are rewarded.
Land Selling or Renting
In metaverse games, such as The Sandbox and Decentraland, players can buy land in the form of NFT real estate. There are two ways NFT land owners can earn:
Buy NFTs to add additional assets that make their property more valuable
Rent out their NFT land
Several major corporations, such as Samsung and Adidas, have either bought or rented digital land in various NFT games to promote their brands.
Selling Unique Items
To advance in certain blockchain games, players need to discover or build unique items. These items could help them strengthen their team or defeat the enemy. But they can also be sold through in-game transactions to earn gaming crypto coins.
Competing
Certain NFT games reward players for unlocking each stage or defeating a challenger. These platforms reward highly active players because they contribute to the ecosystem and help strengthen its network.
Types of Play-to-Earn Games
Blockchain features several types of free play-to-earn crypto games, each offering unique experiences and earning opportunities. Understanding these categories is crucial for players to choose games that align with their interests and strategies.
From adventurous space explorations to strategic resource management and virtual real estate trading, knowing the different types can help maximize both enjoyment and potential profits.
Adventure P2E Games
NFT games, such as Star Atlas, enable players to play across multiple worlds, and explore a vast space, defeating others for potential rewards and collecting items that can then be sold to other users for in-game tokens.
Some popularadventure P2E games include:
Star Atlas (2023)
BigTime (2023)
League of Kingdoms (2020)
The earning potential of adventure P2E games lies in trading items for in-game tokens or fiat currency, participating in lucrative quests, and discovering rare assets. These games combine entertainment with financial rewards, enhancing player engagement and profit opportunities.
Card P2E Games
Blockchain card games require players to make strategically-wise moves to outwit their opponents. After defeating an opponent, players receive more valuable cards or reward tokens, which they can exchange for fiat currency.
Some popularcard P2E games include:
Gods Unchained (2019)
Splinterlands (2018)
Sorare (2019)
The earning potential lies in building a strong deck, winning matches, and trading rare cards on marketplaces.
Strategy P2E Games
In strategy P2E games, players have to allocate resources wisely to maximize their earning potential and progress faster within the game. There are often profitable opportunities within the game, such as rare item drops, lucrative quests, or high-value trades.
Some popular strategy P2E games include:
Heroes of Mavia (2024)
Planet Mojo (2023)
CryptoBlades (2021)
Earning potential lies in completing lucrative quests, acquiring rare items, and engaging in high-value trades. Players can also collaborate in guilds to boost progress and maximize profits through collective strategies and cooperative gameplay.
Real Estate P2E Games
Real estate play-to-earn games blend virtual property trading with blockchain technology. Players buy, sell, or develop virtual land as NFTs, earning real-world profits. Games like Decentraland allow users to manage digital assets, creating opportunities for both entertainment and investment.
Some popularreal estate P2E games include:
My Neighbour Alice (2022)
Decentraland (2020)
The Sandbox (2019)
Players earn by buying, selling, and developing virtual land as NFTs. The earning potential lies in strategic property investments, virtual development, and trading high-demand assets in the game’s marketplace.
Why Play P2E Games?
The best P2E games are played for several reasons, including making a profit and having fun.
P2E Games Let You Earn In-Game Assets
P2E games offer players in-game tokens for various contributions. Players can use those in-game assets to advance in the game or sell them for fiat currencies.
For example, in Axie Infinity, Axies are digital creatures that players can own as NFTs. Each Axie is unique and can be bred, battled, and traded within the game’s ecosystem. Players can claim these in-game items by purchasing them from the marketplace, breeding them, or earning them as rewards in gameplay.
Another example is Splinterlands. SPL is the native cryptocurrency of Splinterlands, and players can claim SPL tokens by winning battles, completing quests, or participating in tournaments. On cryptocurrency exchanges that support SPL trading pairs, users can buy and these tokens for other cryptocurrencies, including BTC, ETH, and USDT.
P2E Games Are Fun
Many P2E games offer high-quality graphics and a gaming experience similar to the best video games — the chance to earn rewards is just a bonus.
For example, games like Heroes of Mavia and Ember Sword prioritize engaging and enjoyable gameplay alongside the potential for earning rewards. Maximizing profits, while important, is not the be-all and end-all.
Methodology: How We Ranked the Top P2E Games
In our assessment of the top P2E crypto games, we considered several factors that contribute to the overall appeal, sustainability, and potential of the games that made our shortlist. Below, we listed and explained each of these factors.
Number of Active Players (25%)
Active player count reflects the popularity and engagement level of a P2E crypto game. A higher number of active players indicates a thriving community and potentially better long-term viability for the game. A large player base is also likely to signal higher levels of liquidity within the game’s ecosystem, facilitating smoother gameplay experiences and more robust market dynamics.
Highest Earning Potential (25%)
The earning potential of a P2E crypto game directly influences its attractiveness to players. Games offering substantial rewards tend to attract more participants, and a game with high earning potential is more likely to retain players and foster a competitive environment, driving engagement and community growth.
Gameplay Quality and Enjoyment (25%)
Engaging gameplay mechanics, immersive narratives, intuitive user interfaces, and high-quality graphics contribute to player satisfaction and retention. Games that prioritize enjoyment alongside earning opportunities are more likely to sustain long-term interest and loyalty among players, contributing to the game’s overall success.
Sustainable Tokenomics (15%)
A well-designed token economy ensures a balanced supply-demand dynamics, prevents excessive inflation or volatility, and incentivizes desirable behaviors among players. Transparent and fair tokenomics instill confidence in the community and attract investors, fostering a healthy ecosystem around the game.
Minimum Buy-In Required (10%)
Some crypto play-to-earn games are free to start, allowing players to earn rewards without any initial investment by participating in the game. Others require an upfront investment to buy items like cards, pets, or land, which are necessary to progress and earn in the game.
Newly Released P2E Games in 2025
The popularity of play-to-earn crypto games has been growing rapidly. These games revolutionize traditional gaming by offering real-world value through gameplay. Unlike traditional games, they reward players with cryptocurrencies and NFTs, which can be traded or sold for fiat currency.
Here are some of the newest crypto-earning games to play in 2025:
Block Trucks Multiplayer Racing: Released on October 2024, this game allows players to compete in thrilling races while earning rewards. Players can customize their trucks and participate in various events to earn in-game currency that can be converted into cryptocurrencies.
FishWar: In this game, players engage in underwater battles using various fish characters. The game features strategic gameplay where players can collect, upgrade, and trade their fish NFTs.
Pirate Nation: Proof Of Play’s pirate strategy game, Pirate Nation, operates on the Arbitrum ecosystem, allowing players to complete quests and earn PIRATE tokens.
Guild of Guardians: A multiplayer mobile RPG where players collect and upgrade a diverse array of guardians to tackle dungeon challenges. The global launch took place on May 14, 2024.
Influence: A space-strategy MMO, where players colonize asteroids and exploit resources. Its open beta version has started; the official release is imminent.
Nifty Island: Nifty Island, popular for its ISLAND token play-to-airdrop campaign, has reached Season 3 in early 2024, offering new quests, game modes, and mechanics where players can earn blooms that convert to ISLAND tokens, with a token generation event set after Wave 3.
Crypto Unicorns: The Crypto Unicorns ecosystem enhanced its play-to-earn potential with new quests, daily XAI rewards, and improved resource efficiency using Unicorn NFTs, making the game better than ever with the new CU token.
Upcoming Play-to-Earn Games Currently in Presale
As blockchain technology becomes mainstream and cryptocurrencies gain wider adoption, the development and launch of profitable play-to-earn games will continue to thrive. These games offer true ownership of in-game assets and lucrative earning opportunities, attracting more players.
Here are some upcoming new play-to-earn games set to capture the hearts of Web3 gaming enthusiasts:
CatSlap: This gamified cat-themed project introduces the $SLAP token, rewarding players through engaging challenges and community-driven events. By completing tasks and contributing to the ecosystem, players can unlock high-reward earning opportunities. CatSlap has already raised $33.8 million during its presale phase.
Flockerz: A unique vote-to-earn P2E experience, Flockerz lets players stake their $FLOCK tokens and participate in governance decisions. Players can earn rewards by voting on community initiatives and influencing the project’s direction. The presale for $FLOCK has garnered significant attention, raising $11.2 million to date.
Can You Play P2E Games on Mobile?
P2E games are typically accessible through mobile devices, with the most popular operating systems being Android and iOS.
P2E Game
Available on Android
Available on iOS
Axie Infinity
Yes
Yes
Splinterlands
Yes
Yes
Gods Unchained
Yes
Yes
League of Kingdoms
Yes
Yes
MOBOX
Yes
Yes
The Sandbox
Yes
Yes
Alien Worlds
No
Yes
Guild of Guardians
Yes
Yes
Hytopia
Yes
Yes
Heroes of Mavia
Yes
Yes
Illuvium
Yes
No
Conclusion: What Is the Best Play-to-Earn Game in 2025?
While play-to-earn games offer exciting ways to earn crypto, they also come with risks. Token values can be volatile, and game rewards may not be sustainable long term. It’s important to do your own research and only invest what you can afford to lose.
That said, we recommend The Last Dwarfs as one of the top play-to-earn opportunities in 2025. With its unique Play-to-Invest model, it turns gaming into a pathway for early crypto access. Players can earn, reinvest, and grow their portfolios simply by progressing through the game, making it a fun and strategic way to tap into new Web3 projects.
Players in play-to-earn games receive token rewards for accomplishing certain feats in-game. The platform rewards players with the in-game currency for contributing to the ecosystem and progressing in the game.
What P2E games can I play to earn money?
There are many play-to-earn crypto games on the market and in development, such as The Last Dwarfs, Happy Hippo, CatSlap, and Axie Infinity, that enable players to earn tokens that can be exchanged for fiat currencies.
Are play-to-earn crypto games legit?
Yes, play-to-earn crypto games are legit. Numerous P2E games provide players with entertainment and rewards.
What are the most profitable play-to-earn games?
Some of the most profitable play-to-earn games include Axie Infinity, The Sandbox, and Splinterlands.
Disclaimer: Crypto is a high-risk asset class. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. You could lose all of your capital.
After graduating with two finance degrees, Goran worked in corporate finance for six years before becoming a full-time writer. He discovered crypto in 2017 and has been an investor in digital assets since, seeking new assets that will boost his portfolio. He specializes in news and evergreen content on Cryptonews.
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