8 Best Play-to-Earn Games for Real Rewards in 2025

Beam Hub is a platform where players craft, battle, and trade in a decentralized gaming ecosystem. Built on Solana, it rewards users with its native token, $BEAM, and NFTs like customizable gear and virtual “Hubs.” Beam Hub assets have cross-game utility, like a sword usable in multiple titles or a Hub that hosts mini-games. Transactions here are gas-free, thanks to Solana’s low-cost network.

The game is free to start on PC and mobile, welcoming newcomers to Web3 with intuitive tools. No coding skills? No problem. Design NFTs using Beam’s drag-and-drop creator or rent pre-built Hubs to jumpstart your journey. Use a hardware wallet like Ledger for extra security, and stake $BEAM early to earn bonus rewards as the ecosystem grows.

Beam Hub’s strength lies in its collaborative economy. Earn $BEAM by crafting rare items, winning PvP matches, or leasing Hubs to other players. Recent updates, like a mobile app launch, have broadened its reach. For smooth gameplay, update your app regularly and keep a small $BEAM balance for instant trades. Missed tournament rewards? They expire after 30 days, so stay active. And always double-check NFT compatibility, since not all Beam assets work in third-party games.

7. Notcoin — A Viral Play-to-Earn Phenomenon on Telegram

Notcoin has exploded as a viral P2E sensation, blending simple gameplay with cryptocurrency rewards on the TON blockchain. Launched in January 2024 as a Telegram-based “tap-to-earn” game, it quickly conquered over 35 million users by letting players mine $NOT tokens by tapping a virtual coin. Unlike traditional crypto games requiring complex setups, Notcoin’s accessibility, meaning no upfront costs or crypto knowledge needed, makes it a gateway for newcomers to Web3.

Notcoin turns casual gaming into tangible rewards. Thanks to TON’s secure blockchain, players own their $NOT tokens indefinitely, even if they stop playing. Its viral design fuels mass adoption, aligning with Telegram’s 900-million-user base.

The game’s initial tap-to-earn model has since evolved into an “explore-to-earn” system, where users earn tokens by interacting with Web3 projects and completing tasks like joining Telegram groups or following social media accounts. Players can convert in-game efforts into real-world value with $NOT now tradable on exchanges like Binance and Bybit. However, its meme-coin status and volatile market performance demand caution.

8. Hamster Kombat — A Viral Tap-to-Earn Game on Telegram and TON

Hamster Kombat emerged in 2024 as a viral play-to-earn clicker game, blending casual tapping mechanics with crypto rewards on The Open Network (TON) blockchain. Players become hamster CEOs managing virtual crypto exchanges, tapping to earn their native token, $HMSTR. Unlike complex P2E titles, it emphasizes accessibility and rapid progression – think Cookie Clicker meets decentralized finance, hosted directly on Telegram.

The game is free and instant to play via Telegram’s Mini App, requiring no downloads or upfront costs. Its simple onboarding introduces wallets and upgrades through daily tasks. Recent growth surpassed 300 million users, fueled by YouTube tutorials and community engagement. However, approach with caution: token value fluctuates, and the Season 1 airdrop faced criticism over eligibility limits. Always verify official channels – scams impersonating the team have increased.

Hamster Kombat’s appeal lies in its layered earning strategy. You generate $HMSTR by tapping, upgrading exchange tools (like marketing or licenses), and completing puzzles. Rare “CEO cards” boost profits, but value depends on player demand. Planned upgrades include an NFT marketplace, multiplayer battles, and a TON-based layer-2 blockchain for faster transactions. Long-term success hinges on sustaining engagement and balancing tokenomics.

The Truth About Play-to-Earn Games

Let’s be honest about P2E. The hype often hides a tougher reality. Most P2E games simply don’t make players significant money. While profitable ones exist, they nearly always require you to invest upfront – buying NFTs or special assets first. Truly sustainable “free-to-earn” models are rare. Even with hours of daily play, typical earnings for most users hover around $5 to $10 per month. Grinding repetitive tasks is common, and bots often dominate these activities, squeezing out real players.

Beyond dedicated P2E crypto games, you might earn small amounts selling items or accounts in popular traditional titles like Counter-Strike, League of Legends, Hearthstone, Magic Arena, World of Warcraft, RuneScape, or Diablo. But overall, expecting substantial, easy income from playing games usually leads to disappointment.

How Do P2E Games Work?

Play-to-earn (P2E) NFT games let players earn digital currency or assets by completing tasks, competing, or trading in-game items. Unlike traditional games, these systems often link virtual achievements to real-world value. Here’s a breakdown of standard earning methods and how they are different from broader NFT platforms.

Virtual Land Ownership as Potential Revenue

Metaverse games like The Sandbox and Decentraland allow players to buy, develop, or rent NFT-based land. For instance, Samsung purchased land in Decentraland to build a virtual replica of its flagship store, while Adidas hosted a metaverse fashion show on its Sandbox property. Landowners increase value by adding structures, hosting events, or leasing space to brands.

A key distinction lies in marketplaces: Games like Decentraland have built-in platforms for trading land and assets easily within their ecosystems. OpenSea, a general NFT marketplace, supports cross-game trading but can’t always integrate game-specific features. For example, a Decentraland wearable might lose functionality if sold on OpenSea.

Gaining from Rare In-Game Items

Players often discover or craft rare items to progress in games, which can then be sold for profit. In Axie Infinity, players breed and sell Axies, digital creatures used in battles, with some fetching hundreds of dollars due to unique traits. Similarly, Gods Unchained lets players sell rare cards like the “Demogorgon” for significant sums. These items are typically traded on the game’s native marketplace, guaranteeing transactions align with gameplay mechanics and retain value within the ecosystem.

Skill-Based Earnings in Competitive Play

Some P2E games reward players based on skill rather than passive activity. For example, Splinterlands, a strategy card game, distributes cryptocurrency rewards to winners of ranked matches. STEPN, a move-to-earn app, converts users’ real-world steps into crypto tokens, with daily rewards scaling based on consistency and effort. This creates a merit-based economy where top performers earn more, encouraging strategic gameplay or active participation.

Types of Play-to-Earn Games

Blockchain gaming covers many genres, each offering its own ways to earn crypto rewards. From managing virtual farms to battling in AI-driven worlds, here’s a breakdown of popular P2E categories and their standout titles.

Adventure & Exploration

Dive into immersive worlds where quests and combat yield rewards. Valhalla, for example, lets players conquer mythical realms and trade rare loot. Beam Hub takes this further, acting as a multi-game platform where NFTs like swords or spaceships work across titles. Earn tokens by completing story missions, winning PvP duels, or leasing in-game hubs to other players.

Strategy & Resource Management

These games reward careful planning and creativity. The Web3 game Pixels combines farming and crafting. Players can grow Rainbow Corn, forge tools, and sell them during price spikes. On the other hand, the Sandbox challenges players to build anything on their virtual lands, exploring new territory and interacting with other users along the way.

NFT Battles & Collectibles

Build and trade digital assets with real utility. Axie Infinity pioneered NFT-based creature battles, where players breed and sell Axies for profit. This kind of game emphasizes strategic team-building and marketplace intelligence.

Metaverse Building & Real Estate

Create, own, and monetize virtual worlds. The Sandbox and Decentraland let users buy LAND, host events, or design NFT wearables. For example, Adidas hosted a metaverse fashion show in The Sandbox, driving up nearby land value. Earn through rentals, asset sales, or staking tokens in governance pools.

Casual & Mobile Earning

These are quick, accessible games for on-the-go rewards. Notcoin, a Telegram-based tap-to-earn game, rewards users for simple tasks like joining communities. While lighter on strategy, these games offer low barriers to entry for Web3 newcomers.

Each category suits different playstyles. Love storytelling? Try Valhalla. Do you prefer a slow-paced strategy? Pixels delivers. You can diversify earnings and reduce risk by combining genres, like Beam Hub’s cross-game NFTs, with The Sandbox’s real estate.

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 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.

Are Play-To-Earn Crypto Games Legit?

Play-to-earn crypto games are legitimate gaming powered by blockchain technology. These games let players earn real-world value through achievements, tradable NFTs, and cryptocurrencies. Unlike traditional games, P2E platforms offer true ownership of in-game assets, which you can sell or trade freely, even outside the game. Built on decentralized networks like Ethereum or Solana, they offer transparent economies where players influence value through supply, demand, and governance voting.

However, the P2E space is not without risks. Scams, like fake games or phishing schemes, can be common. Criminals often attract players to deposit crypto into malicious wallets. High upfront costs can also backfire if a game’s economy crashes. Earnings fluctuate with volatile crypto markets, and “pay-to-win” mechanics sometimes favor deep-pocketed players. Regulatory gray areas add uncertainty, as tax rules for crypto earnings vary globally. Even secure platforms face hacking risks, requiring players to safeguard their wallets with strong passwords and two-factor authentication.

Research developers’ backgrounds and prioritize games with third-party security audits (like The Sandbox or Gods Unchained) to stay safe. Stick to titles with active communities and transparent roadmaps. Avoid games promising “guaranteed returns.” If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. While P2E offers exciting opportunities, approach it like investing: diversify, start small, and never risk more than you can afford to lose.

Benefits vs. Risks

What P2E Games Have Been Released This Year?

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:

Quizmatch – January 2025

Quizmatch is a blockchain-powered quiz-tournament game that launched in January 2025. It runs on the Sei network and uses AI to host live quiz tournaments. Players challenge each other’s trivia skills in timed matches, using free-to-play “Gem” rounds or play-to-earn rounds where correct answers win real rewards. In P2E mode, winners earn the native $SEI token or in-game Gems for prizes. The game also features NFT power-ups that enhance gameplay, and periodic “Tenkaichi” tournaments with cash prizes. In short, you test your knowledge in a familiar quiz format while earning $SEI tokens and collectible NFTs on-chain.

Aqua Doge – January 2025

Aqua Doge is a meme-coin-themed P2E mobile and PC game that launched in January 2025. It runs on its own Whale-powered L2 blockchain (called Whirlpool), so all transactions are gas-free. The game has a retro arcade style and underwater setting – you guide a character through deep-sea levels, battling creatures and collecting treasures. Each collectible treasure is paid out in the game’s native $AQUA token, which you can then use for in-game transactions or rewards. Aqua Doge’s dedicated Layer-2 chain ensures fast, cost-free gameplay.

Aqua Doge’s economy is built around its $AQUA token. Playing the game earns you $AQUA, which can be staked, bet, or spent on items. The $AQUA token is also used to mint in-game items and NFTs, and the team plans a marketplace for unique aquatic items. The game is available on Android, iOS, and Steam, and it deliberately removes fees by using its own L2. In this way, Aqua Doge turns casual arcade action into a P2E experience: dive, fight sea monsters, and accumulate $AQUA token rewards as you play.

Ragnarok Landverse: Genesis – March 2025

Ragnarok Landverse: Genesis is a Web3 spinoff of the classic MMORPG Ragnarok Online, officially launched on March 29, 2025, on the Ronin blockchain. It recreates the familiar 2D pixel-art MMO experience of the original Ragnarok, with open-world exploration, quests, and combat. The game is free-to-play: you only need a Ronin wallet to log in, but you can play from start to finish without spending any crypto. This optional Web3 design means that blockchain features are layered on top of a traditional game experience.

In Ragnarok Landverse, in-game items such as weapons, armor, land parcels, and crafting materials are tokenized as NFTs on Ronin. Players can earn crypto by finding and selling rare items on the integrated marketplace. Trading volumes have been high – over 1 million RON worth of NFTs have changed hands, showing the strong P2E component. In short, you play a familiar MMORPG and earn blockchain assets: survivors and collectors alike can trade their gear and property on the Ronin marketplace for real tokens.

ONE Fight Arena – April 2025

ONE Fight Arena is an officially licensed MMA-themed match-3 battle game that launched in April 2025. Developed by Animoca Brands’ studio Notre Game in partnership with ONE Championship, it is a free-to-play mobile game on Android and iOS. The gameplay merges puzzle and combat: you collect and train 3D models of real MMA fighters (from ONE Championship) and then battle other players in quick match-3 PvP rounds. Each match gives you up to three tile-matching moves per round, where tiles represent attacks, shields, energy boosts, and KO moves. This strategy twist on match-3 means every move can deal damage or activate defenses.

ONE Fight Arena is built on the Sui blockchain so that every competitive match can earn crypto rewards. Players receive the native $SUI token for winning matches and completing events. The game also offers real-world prizes as part of its play-to-earn mechanics. In practice, you train your fighters’ stats in your gym, then head into the match-3 arena to knock out opponents. Because it uses Sui (with fast, low-cost transactions) and features licensed star athletes, ONE Fight Arena brings blockchain rewards into the casual mobile sports genre.

MapleStory N – May 2025

MapleStory N is the first blockchain game in Nexon’s MapleStory franchise, and it officially launched on May 15, 2025. The game retains MapleStory’s classic 2D side-scrolling MMORPG action with nostalgic pixel-art adventures and platforming combat. What’s new is that it runs on Avalanche’s Henesys layer-1, a gasless blockchain network. This means players can trade, buy, and manage items on-chain without paying gas fees. In practice, that translates to true digital ownership: gear and items you collect have real blockchain value now, even as you play the same style of game.

At launch, MapleStory N introduced a dual-token economy. There is a main on-chain token called NXPC and an in-game currency called NESO. You earn NESO by playing (for example, through quests or defeating monsters), and you can use NESO to mint or upgrade NFTs like weapons and cosmetics. NXPC is used for key item operations (issuing and merging NFTs) to control inflation. In essence, you “play to earn” by acquiring NESO during gameplay and then spend it to create valuable on-chain items. All player items are tokenized: you can issue, trade, and own them outside the game. This combination of familiar MapleStory gameplay with real-asset ownership makes MapleStory N a major 2025 P2E release.

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:

• MemeClip: This multi-game Web3 platform offers P2E rewards by playing its 100% skill-based titles. MemeClip’s offerings feature popular meme coin characters, including Pepe, PopCat, Doge, and Shiba.

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.

FAQs About Play to Earn Games