7 Legit Ways to Make Money Playing Games

There are several websites and apps that offer real money earning games. Here's where to get started making money playing games.

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Nowadays, playing games is no longer just about enjoying some entertainment. It’s also not just about spending your spare time to enjoy fun time with your buddies. It’s much more than that in 2023. You can make money playing games, and you can use your gaming passion and hobby as your passive income source.

Continue ready to earn about legit ways to make money playing games.

1. Apps and Websites That Pay You to Play Games

games that pay real money

You can make money playing games by using apps and websites that allow you to earn money playing your favorite games. These websites and apps offer you the rewards or points that you can earn as you play their games, and you can redeem your rewards as cash or gift cards once you’ve reached a certain threshold.

Here are some apps and websites that pay you to play games:

Mistplay

Mistplay is the platform that provides a loyalty program for mobile gamers, allowing mobile gamers to play games and earn money while doing so. With Mistplay, you can find plenty of games you can play, which are tuned to your preferences, so you will play only the games that you like the most. The longer you spend your time playing the recommended games from Mistplay, the more money you will earn from your activity.

Features:

  • This platform will provide you with recommendations based on your preferences, so you can play your favorite games as much as possible and earn rewards by doing so.
  • You can redeem the rewards from your playing time to get Amazon gift cards, PayPal balance, Google Play gift card, VISA gift cards, and so on.
  • You can play the games on Mistplay with your friends while staying connected with them, and there are various achievements you can unlock while playing the games on this platform.
  • Stay on top of free Mistplay codes the team posts on social media to get free rewards.
MISTPLAY

Earning money by playing games on your phone sounds like a dream. But Mistplay really pays you for playing new games with cash rewards.

INSTALL MISTPLAY

InboxDollars

InboxDollars is a platform that you can use to earn various rewards from doing a variety of online activities, which include watching videos, completing surveys, and playing games. You can earn money playing games in your spare time with InboxDollars, and you can redeem your rewards in various ways. It has a large online game library that you can browse after signing up, so you can earn some rewards by playing games on this platform right away. If you use an InboxDollars referral you can get a free $5 as a new member.

Features:

  • InboxDollars provides games from two primary categories, which are Online Arcade Games and WorldWinner Games.
  • It offers a $5 sign up bonus for you, and you can play various Arcade games in different categories, such as Action, Puzzle, Strategy, Card, Word, and many more.
  • You can also play GSN games, which include casino, poker, and wheel of fortune games, and take part in cash tournaments to win bigger cash prizes.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is the platform that allows you to earn cash (via free PayPal money) and gift cards by doing specific activities online, such as watching videos, answering surveys, playing online games, shopping, and more. By doing the activities as provided by Swagbucks, you can earn points, accumulate your points, and redeem your points for various rewards. The rewards you can get include cash and gift cards from various merchants, such as Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and many others.

Features:

  • You can discover various deals from Swagbucks that include various activities you can do and how much you can earn from doing those activities.
  • You can use both the mobile app and browser extension to use Swagbucks to access various offers you can complete, including playing online games like Crossout, Snake Blast, Stack Up, and more.
  • Each offer will have their own requirements before you can earn from them, such as playing until you reach a certain level, how many days you need to wait before you can earn the reward, age requirement, and many others.
  • Use a Swagbucks sign up code to get $10 instantly for new members.
Swagbucks

Swagbucks offers a variety of ways to earn money online. You can take surveys, play games, surf the web, watch videos and more to earn points towards gift cards or cash. They are giving new users a $10 sign up bonus, so act fast.

OPEN ACCOUNT, FREE $10

Lucktastic

Lucktastic is a game that allows you to win real money and earn rewards when you play it. You can play this game to earn daily cash rewards and gift cards you can use in over 30 popular retailers and brands. You can also win various grand prizes, such as a $1 million jackpot and a trip to Universal Orlando Resort.

Features:

  • Lucktastic has daily contests that give 50 daily winners $500 of Amazon gift cards in total.
  • You can download Lucktastic on Android and iOS platforms, and you can also invite your friends to play the same game as you.
  • Each player will have the same odds of winning when they play Lucktastic, so you have a bigger chance of winning the daily cash and gift card prizes the more you play this game.
  • One of the best apps to make money that is completely free.

Want more options? To see the full list you see our list of games that pay real money so you get paid real cash or rewards to play games.

2. Get Cryptocurrency for Playing Games

There are also many games that allow you to earn cryptocurrency when you play them. Many of these games will offer you ways to build your own world or kingdom, and you can do various other activities within the game. To play these games, you will need to connect to your crypto wallet so you can build your crypto assets over time by playing the games.

Here are some games that allow you to get cryptocurrency when you play them:

Axie Infinity

Axie Infinity is an online game that allows you to build your own digital nation, and in this game, you can meet the digital pets called Axies. With Axies, you can build your own kingdom by collecting them and battling other kingdoms. Another use of Axies is that you can use them to earn cryptocurrencies in real time, which you can then collect in your digital crypto wallet.

Features:

  • In Axie Infinity, you can do many things, including collecting and raising Axies, battling your enemies, building your kingdom, farm resources in the game, and so on.
  • With this game, you can earn real cryptocurrency that will have value in the real world, and with more Axies you have, you can earn more cryptocurrency as you play this game.
  • There are plenty of variations of Axies you can get, and you can use Axies to start your own adventure, take part in Arena Battle, and breed them.

Decentraland

Decentraland is a virtual game world that keeps on growing, allowing you to live it and play it in any way you want. You have complete freedom in Decentraland, and you can explore various lands owned by other users and do various virtual activities there. This game also allows you to build various items, artworks, challenges, and scenes by using the simple builder tool available on this platform.

Features:

  • In Decentraland, you can build your own virtual world and explore various virtual worlds built by other users.
  • You can buy and sell assets in Decentraland, and each asset you have in this game has some cryptocurrency values.
  • You can build your own virtual world while earning cryptocurrency along the way, and you can trade your assets in this game to earn more crypto assets.

The Sandbox

The Sandbox is a game which gives you the freedom to do anything while building your own virtual world and exploring the virtual worlds made by other players. With The Sandbox, you can play this game and progress through the game by earning more and more experience as you play it. It’s the Metaverse that gives the players complete freedom to enjoy their experiences there, as well as monetize their own gaming experience.

Features:

  • With The Sandbox, you can create your own land within the virtual game environment and do anything you want with your land, including selling it to other players.
  • You can sell each asset you have in this game, as the game uses the $SAND token to represent your in-game assets.
  • The platform also allows you to buy and sell NFTs, which you can then use in the virtual world you have.

My Crypto Heroes

My Crypto Heroes is a crypto online game that you can play to earn cryptocurrency, as the time and passion you put into the game will become crypto assets you can use. This is an RPG battle game that allows you to play as historical heroes, and this game is available on the Ethereum blockchain. You can do various things in this game, including finding rare items, improving your heroes, and battling with other players.

Features:

  • My Crypto Heroes allows you to battle other players in the Player vs. Enemy and Player vs. Player mode.
  • You can level up your assets by using the items you have found in this game, and you can also build your heroes to reach their maximum power.
  • There are various types of players you can find in the game ecosystem, which include Farmer, Warrior, Creator, and Trader, and each player has their own advantages to offer in the game.

3. Earning Money as a Competitive Gamer

You can earn money by competing with other gamers through live competitions, tournaments, and eSports. There are plenty of avenues for you to use, and with the rising popularity of competitive gaming, more and more tournaments and eSports will become available for a wider range of game titles across various platforms.

Here are some ways to earn money playing games as a competitive gamer:

Become a Twitch Streamer

Twitch is a streaming platform that allows you to stream gaming-related content, aside from providing streaming for other contents, such as music, real life, and creative content.

With Twitch, you can stream your gaming activities, which include live competitions and eSports, and build your audience from there.

Then, you can monetize your streaming content in various ways, such as from advertising revenues, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing. There are plenty of ways you can make money with Twitch as a competitive gamer.

Become a YouTuber

You can also do the same thing with YouTube. However, on YouTube, you will not get limited to stream your competitive gaming activities. You can also upload regular videos related to gaming, which include informative gaming videos, gaming tips, gaming news, and so on.

YouTube also makes it easy for you to stream your live gaming activities, so you should stream your live competitions on YouTube at least once per week. It can give you plenty of opportunities to build your subscribers and get various monetization deals for your gaming content.

Compete in Tournaments

There are plenty of game tournaments or eSports that you can take part in, no matter what platform you are using. These game tournaments are available for all platforms, including consoles, PC, and mobile platforms.

There are also many options for the games that you can take part in, such as Arena of Valor, Tekken 7, Overwatch, PUBG, Fortnite, and many others.

You will need to get good with the games you plan to take part in the tournaments and be sure to follow the latest news about the upcoming eSports and tournaments that will be available for you to take part in.

XY Gaming

XY Gaming provides the global eSports tournament platform for competitive gamers to compete and win various grand prizes. You can take part in various tournaments held by XY Gaming, which include Dota 2, League of Legends, Rocket League, CSGO, Fortnite, and others.

These tournaments will give you cash prizes for the winners, and they will hold regular tournaments for different games. So, be sure to keep yourself posted on the latest news from XY Gaming if you want to take part in the next gaming tournaments or eSports.

4. Start a Gaming Blog

Another way to make money playing games is to start your own gaming blog. You can write about your gaming activities in your blog, and you can also write about various gaming-related posts for your blog. Your blog can become a source of passive income for you after you have established your brand online.

As more and more people read your blog, you can also put some affiliate links on your gaming posts, and then you can put advertisements and other monetization options to make money out of your blog. You can also sell various video game merchandise under your blog’s brand name. Keep increasing the traffic to your gaming blog, and you will be on your way to earn lots of money from it.

5. Sell Your Gaming Account

Selling your gaming account is another way for you to make money fast by playing games. It’s a simple method. First, you need to pick the online game you would like to dedicate your time to. Create an account for your favorite online game and spend some hours playing the game every day. Focus on grinding on the game to improve your character level, skills, and the items you have in the game. After you have reached a certain point, such as leveling up your character to Level 30 or above, you can sell your account.

Depending on the popularity of the game, this method will work well to make you a lot of money. You will sell your gaming accounts, so other people can play the game without having to grind and spend plenty of hours leveling up their character. You can repeat these steps as many times as you want.

6. Careers in the Gaming Industry

Building your own career in the gaming industry is a good way for you to make money playing games. Starting as a gamer, you can build your knowledge about the gaming industry and learn about various aspects of it. Then, you can delve deeper into the gaming industry and build a career there.

Here are some ways to make money building your career in the gaming industry:

Design Assets for Games

You can make money by designing assets for various games if you have a good design skill. It’s best for you to learn some stuff about game design if you want to delve into this. This is a good way to make money as a gamer, because you will understand more about various aspects of games as you play them. Then, you can make assets for various games you like, which include video game art, and try to sell them to other people. This can be a good way to make plenty of money playing the games you like.

Build a Media Brand

Building a media brand is also an excellent way to establish your careers in the gaming industry. Of course, it will take years for you to do this. However, you will get plenty of opportunities to work with big game developers and publishers if you have your own gaming media brand. It will also make it easier for you to build your audience and followers by publishing plenty of gaming content on various platforms. This will become a lucrative business for you, but as with any other businesses, it will take some time and dedication for you to reach your success if you decide to take this route.

Making Money Reviewing Games

Last but not least, you can make money by reviewing the games you have played. By doing this, you can provide your own honest reviews about the games you have played, and you can also provide other gamers with the list of recommended games you think are worth playing. You can write your reviews on your own gaming website or use other platforms, such as YouTube and social media channels. You can make money by inserting affiliate links from various game retailers on each gaming review you have posted. It will make it much more enjoyable for you to make money from each game you play.

FAQs

What games actually pay you to play?

You can browse the games provided by Mistplay or Swagbucks and play them to earn some money. However, each offer will give you certain requirements you need to meet before you become eligible to earn some money playing those games.

What game apps pay instantly to your PayPal?

As listed in this guide, you can try playing games through platforms like InboxDollars, Swagbucks, and Mistplay. You can earn some rewards for playing the game, and you can redeem your rewards as cash for your PayPal account.

Can you really make money playing games?

Yes, you can make money playing games. There are plenty of platforms that you can try, so you can earn some money playing games by completing various offers through these platforms. There are also some crypto games you can play to earn cryptocurrencies, such as Axie Infinity, The Sandbox, and others.

What are the best gaming apps for extra money?

You can use live trivia games like Swagbucks LIVE or win money apps like Lucktastic to win cash prizes. There are also casino games, but we don't think they are the best money making apps to win cash prizes.

How to Get Paid to Play Games: Final Thoughts

These are the legit ways to make money playing games. There are various avenues you can try to earn money by playing the games you like. You can go with the platforms that provide certain offers to play games or you can play games to earn cryptocurrency. There are also many other methods you can try to earn money from your gaming activities, such as taking part in tournaments, building your career in the gaming industry, and others.

The bottom line is that getting paid to play games is legit. There are free mobile games that offer you the ability to earn money on the Google Play Store or App Store, which is the easiest way to get started.

Brian Meiggs
Brian Meiggs
Brian Meiggs is a personal finance expert, and the founder of ReferralWallet, a personal finance site helping you put more money in your pocket. He helps readers follow the smart money in order to increase their earning potential and start building wealth for the future. He regularly writes about side hustles, investing, and general personal finance topics aimed to help anyone earn more, pay off debt, and reach financial freedom. He has been quoted as a top personal finance blogger in major publications including Insider, Yahoo! Finance, NASDAQ, Discover, MSN Money and more.

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