Traditionally, we have lived in a video gaming world dominated by one of two models: either “Pay-to-Play,” where you buy the game to play it, or “Free-to-Play,” where you play for free but pay real money to buy outfits and weapons that you don’t truly own outside the game.
But what if the script was flipped? What if playing was your job, and the time and effort you spent developing your character translated into real money in your pocket?
This is what is known as Play to Earn games (P2E). This guide will simply explain how these games work and how you can start earning from crypto games today.
What are Play-to-Earn Games?
Play-to-Earn games are video games built on blockchain networks that use cryptocurrencies to reward players.
Instead of earning fake points that have no value outside the game, you earn digital tokens or assets that you can take, sell in the market, and convert into dollars or your local currency.
In the simplest analogy, imagine playing “Monopoly,” but the money you collect and the houses you build inside the game can be taken to a real bank and exchanged for real dollars. This is exactly what P2E games do!
How Do They Differ from Traditional Games (Like Roblox and Fortnite)?
The fundamental difference lies in Ownership:
- In Traditional Games: You are essentially renting the assets. If the company decides to shut down the game or ban your account, you lose all your outfits, weapons, and levels.
As we explained in our article What is Roblox, it is very difficult (or impossible) for the average player to withdraw in-game currency as real money. - In P2E Games: You actually own the assets. Your sword, your character, and your land belong to you alone thanks to decentralization and NFT technology.
Every rare sword or piece of land you buy is recorded as a transaction on the blockchain, giving you a digital deed of ownership that no one can delete. You can sell them to anyone in the world or transfer them to your wallet even if the game servers stop working.
How Do These Games Work?
These games rely on two main pillars:
- Tokens: This is the game’s currency (like gold), but here it is a real cryptocurrency. Games often use a dual system: a governance token (like company shares) and a utility token for daily rewards earned from playing. You can sell these tokens on decentralized exchanges for stablecoins (like USDT).
- Assets (NFTs): Characters, weapons, and lands are Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Your ownership of them is recorded via smart contracts on the blockchain, ensuring that they belong solely to you, allowing you to sell them to other players in the game’s dedicated marketplace.
Most Popular Play-to-Earn Games Currently
There are hundreds of games, but here is a list of the most popular and stable ones:
- Axie Infinity: Considered the pioneer in this field (strategic battle games). It relies on breeding and battling small creatures called Axies. Profit comes from competing in seasons or breeding monsters to produce new, rare offspring.
- The Sandbox: A virtual world where you can buy land, build experiences or games on it, and sell them.
- Decentraland: Similar to Sandbox, where you can own virtual real estate and participate in events within the Metaverse.
- Gods Unchained: A strategic card game similar to traditional trading card games. It features a free-to-play start and grants you ownership of the cards you win.
- Hamster Kombat (and Telegram Games): Recently, a wave of very simple “Tap-to-Earn” games has emerged. They rely on collecting coins in exchange for promises of future profit distribution. However, be aware that this type of game relies on hype and virality, and profits may not be guaranteed.
How Can You Actually Earn from These Games?
There are several ways to generate income, varying from one game to another:
- Daily Play (Grinding): Completing daily quests, winning battles, and gathering resources to earn game currency and sell it.
- Trading: You can buy rare characters or tools, upgrade and improve their level, and then sell them in the Marketplace for a higher price.
- Renting (Scholarships): If you own many assets but don’t have time to play, you can rent your characters to other players in exchange for a percentage of their earnings (this is a form of passive income).
Getting Started: How to Enter This Field?
To start converting game currencies into real money, you need to prepare your digital infrastructure. Here are the steps in detail:
- Create a Digital Wallet: The most important step is owning an electronic wallet like MetaMask. This wallet acts as your personal bank account and is used to log in to games and store the currencies and assets you earn.
- Buy Necessary Currencies: To perform any operation (buying, selling, claiming rewards), you will need to pay small network fees. You will need to buy a small amount of the network’s coin (like BNB or ETH) from an exchange and transfer it to your wallet.
- Choose the Right Game: Look for a game that suits your interests and budget. There are Free-to-Play games that allow you to start without paying, but earnings are lower in the beginning.
- Connect Wallet and Start Playing: Go to the game’s website and click “Connect Wallet.” Now you are ready to go.
How to Convert Your Game Earnings into Cash or USDT?
Once you earn currencies inside the game, you will need to convert them into usable money. The steps are usually:
- Withdraw the currency from the game to your digital wallet (like MetaMask).
- Swap the game currency for USDT on a trading platform.
Sometimes you might need initial capital to enter a strong game, or you might want to liquidate your earnings differently.
You can use Swapforless to swap your other digital assets (like old game gift cards you don’t need) and convert them into USDT to fund your journey in P2E games. This is the practical application of the From Gamer to Investor principle we talked about.
Are There Risks?
Although the idea of Play-to-Earn games is tempting, there are challenges to be aware of:
- Price Volatility: The value of the currencies you earn can rise or fall suddenly based on market conditions.
- Entry Cost: Some games require purchasing expensive characters before you can play.
- Scams: Be wary of fake games that promise unrealistic profits and then shut down suddenly. Always ensure you research the game’s team well.
In Conclusion
The world of Play-to-Earn games opens up new horizons for financially benefiting from entertainment, but it requires knowledge and caution.
Start with small amounts you can afford to lose, and focus on learning and understanding the market before expanding. Always remember: Do your own research, and don’t follow the hype blindly.
