12 Best Play-to-Earn Games in 2022

From timeless classics to bold new ideas, these are the best games of a surprisingly great year for crypto gaming that you can earn from right now.

Video games are the medium that incorporates all other mediums, fusing art, cinema, and music into one complex, difficult-to-summarize blend. Not merely a tool for creativity but also a catalyst that has inspired generations of gamers.

If you’re connected at all to the gaming world — either through friends or as a gaming fan yourself — you probably already know about some of the most popular trends in video games right now. Namely, crypto games and web3 technologies have allowed game developers to offer players a more immersive experience than ever before, the stakes have never been higher, and thanks to these innovations, games are more than just a means of entertainment. But for the crypto video game industry to keep expanding, both developers and players must work hand in hand, bringing everybody under the tent.

While we wish there was time to tell you about every great crypto game that came out this year, which may just remind us why we fell in love with crypto gaming in the first place, this list reflects the current staff’s 12 best games through which you can start earning money playing today — a collection of games that continue to captivate us with their distinct economy implementation, wow us with their revelatory approach to game design, and set the standards for the rest of the industry.

12- Mines of Dalarnia

Developer: Workinman Interactive and Chromia Studios

Format: Browser

Blockchain: Binance Smart Chain

What is it?

Mines of Dalarnia is a play-to-earn action-adventure game with procedurally generated levels on Binance Smart Chain (BSC). Players mine and collect various in-game items (i.e. minerals, rare relics, and artifacts), improving their skills and gear to unlock the secrets of the Dalarnian universe. There are different mines with varying terrains to be explored and monsters to conquer in the quest for rare resources of the Dalarnian world.

Earning potential

Your main earnings are from selling gathered resources in the market in exchange for DAR.

1. Buy a passport (20 DAR) and head to the top cashback lands to start digging. You can earn around 5 to 10 DAR with 20 digs per day. Each dig is 5–10 min.
2. The optimal build (135 DAR to craft) for new players getting into the game:

• Ozy Pick
• Ozy Armor
• and Iron Blade

This earns us a total of 2–3$ per day by investing around 100$, representing the maximum earnings, while the average is lower.

The prevailing impression is that the game struggles with the economy, and both land owners and players are dissatisfied with the returns. However, a 30% ROI is still attractive on paper.

11- Gods Unchained

Developer: Immutable

Format: PC/Mac

Blockchain: Immutable X

What is it?

Gods Unchained is a play-to-earn, collectible, fantasy trading card game built on the Ethereum network. It’s free to play, easy to get started with, and offers play-to-earn opportunities right from the start. Developed by Chris Clay, former game director at Magic: The Gathering Arena.

Earning potential

Gods Unchained features a couple of play-to-earn mechanics. The first comes from simply playing the game. With each Ranked match, players gain experience, which counts towards their account level. Players receive a Core card pack at every level as a reward, allowing us to craft Meteorite level Core cards, which can be sold to other players for profit.

The second play-to-earn feature is the weekend tournament mode which begins on Friday morning every weekend. During this event, participants from all around the world battle in the Arena for renown and prizes; the rewards include packs from the Core set and the latest Expansion set. Additionally, Mythic level players who place in the top ten overall rankings earn extra prize packs at the end of the weekend.

• You need cards and a Tier 1 deck to be able to compete. Meta deck’s price varies from 400$ to 2000$.
• The ROI is currently on the lower end due to present market conditions and the poor state of the in-game $GODS token and ETH itself. As of now, the community is dissatisfied with earnings, which were much greater before (more tournaments, better rewards, and higher prices).

The expected earnings for the best of the best: 80–160$ a month

Whereas the average high-skill player can make around 20$ a month

10- Undead Blocks

Developer: Wagyu Games

Format: PC/Mac

Blockchain: Ethereum

What is it?

Undead Blocks will bring back the nostalgia of the classical FPS zombie shooters. It promises a thrilling and unique gaming experience while allowing players to earn in-game rewards and build equity in their Weapon Loadouts. Undead Blocks players can use Weapon Loadout NFTs to kill zombies and earn rewards daily. Players can obtain a Weapon Loadout through minting via the Stake2Mint program, a direct purchase on the secondary NFT markets such as OpenSea, or by becoming a scholar via our gas-less lending program on the Undead Blocks Marketplace.

Earning potential

For the time being, there are no P2E mechanics, and they will only be available once the game is fully released. Earnings are only from tournaments for now.

9- Axie Infinity

Developer: Sky Mavis

Format: PC/Mac

Blockchain: Ronin

What is it?

Axie Infinity is undeniably one of the top NFT games around, and it is here to stay. This monster-breeding RPG demonstrated that NFT games can work, be rewarding, and most importantly, entertaining. The premise is straightforward: nurture a pet Axie and breed it to produce generations of creatures, each with qualities inherited from its forebears. Axies may be collected and traded in-game or on NFT marketplaces, with rare breeds earning you large sums of money.

Earning potential

You’ll need three Axies to get started; the floor price for Axies is around $7. You can start earning SLP through daily wins in the Arena and unlock AXS rewards at the end of the season, netting you $0.25 per hour with an average team. You may even start aiming for Tournaments if you think you have what it takes.

8- Immortal Game

Developer: Immortal Game Team

Format: PC/Mac/Mobile

Blockchain: Ethereum

What is it?

Immortal Game is an online NFT chess gaming platform that is redefining chess. The traditional game rules are preserved, but players must acquire chess pieces (NFTs), each with a unique attribute that allows them to earn prizes, strategize, and breed. Chess remains one of the oldest games known to humankind, with over 1 billion players worldwide.

Earning potential

There is no P2E element as of now, but if you’re skilled at chess, you may compete in tournaments with large reward pools.

7- Skyweaver

Developer: Horizon Blockchain Games

Format: PC/Mac

Blockchain: Polygon

What is it?

At the height of the popularity of play-to-earn games, various projects claiming to be the best collectible card game on the blockchain have begun to surface. However, few of them can compare with industry titans such as Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone in terms of playability. However, there is a project that is not inferior in terms of design or gameplay and is even superior in many ways. Meet Skyweaver!

Earning potential

For starters, in conquest mode, you can obtain rare versions of cards. Only when participating in the conquest mode, may golden cards be minted. Every couple of weeks, the set of cards distributed as prizes will vary without ever coming back.

Furthermore, every couple of weeks, the best 25 players in each of the game modes earn silver cards as a reward. So If you have the expertise and time to rise to the top and reign. Silver cards are not as rare as gold cards, but they are much easier to obtain in comparison through the conquest mode. However, they remain the most popular asset for those who want to make a quick buck with minimal time investment.

Winning golden cards has a negative ROI, but being ranked as one of the best players in both formats can earn you $20–40 per week. The average game lasts 12 minutes, and reaching the top takes around 80 games. You may even participate in the IndiGG contests, where you can earn IndiGG tokens by ranking high on the leaderboards.

6- ev.io

Developer: Addictive Games

Format: Browser

Blockchain: Solana

What is it?

ev.io is a first-person shooter developed by Addicting Games. It takes a lot of inspiration from “Bungee-style” shooters, like Halo or Destiny. The game currently supports two game modes. In deathmatch, compete in a free-for-all against other players to score the highest number of kills. In team deathmatch, work with your team to achieve the highest number of collective kills.

Earning potential

• You earn tokens by winning games and killing opponents.
• You get +% to earnings by equipping armor or weapon skins. (up to +40%)
• This means there is no real ROI, just a constant extraction, starting from 0.05$ to 3$ per hour (depending on the skill level and gear rarity). The average earning for the average player is around 0.5$ per day currently.
• Earning rankings: https://ev.io/earn-rankings

5- EVAVERSE

Developer: EVAVERSE

Format: PC

Blockchain: Ethereum

What is it?

EVAVERSE offers a social immersion platform for friends and players to hang out together in a brand-new digital world. It’s designed to be an ever-evolving digital landscape that can be shaped by the players in the community. Future game mechanics and playstyles can be voted on and developed as the game progresses over time.

The modular nature of the Eva Games allows players to mix & match game mechanics to create their own set of rules for playing. Players will build their arenas and dictate which games will be played competitively within the Evaverse.

Current Game Modes

• Hoverboard Racing
• Treasure Hunting
• Laser Tag
• Bowling
• Soccer

Upcoming Games

• Turtle Racing
• Star Fighting

Earning potential

Right now, the game is free-to-play, and you can start earning tickets from Hoverboard Racing and Treasure hunting; owning the First Arrival NFT guarantees a higher earn rate. Tickets are the precursor for play to earn. The B.E.S.T Machine will be released soon, at which point you will use your tickets to play and earn badges. The badges will determine the airdrop of the Eva token you get once it’s launched. The more badges you collect, the more tokens. So you better start grinding tickets to get a chance at some epic airdrops.

4- Mini Royale: Nations

Developer: Faraway

Format: Browser

Blockchain: Solana

What is it?

Mini Royale: Nations is a community-owned skill-based shooter with different PvP and PvE game modes for every type of player. The core shooter game is set on top of a land control-oriented, social strategy game with a deep emphasis on clans, alliances, and social mechanics. The game economy rewards social behavior and is designed to be an endless experience built by and for the player community.

Earning Potential

You can earn in-game items by participating in tournaments. Prizes include the in-game off-chain token $BUTTER and various quantities of loot items. Loot item prizes are delivered to the Clan Treasury off-chain and must be minted by players.

The game is free to play, but NFTs boost your progression; a premium hero allows you to earn extra premium rewards on the Battle Pass on top of the free rewards. There are quests and clan wars, with potentially big prize pools.

All NFTs are under 100$; you can take a look at: https://magiceden.io/creators/miniroyale

Since all rewards are in-game items, ROI can only be counted after announcing tournament rewards. But from our estimations, around 4000$ for the first place.

3- Snook

Developer: Snook Team

Format: Browser

Blockchain: Polygon

What is it?

Snook is very similar to the popular .io snake game “Slither.io”. And in a similar capacity, you must grow your snake by consuming multi-colored orbs in a giant multiplayer arena. Avoid other snakes to avoid becoming snake food, or take other players down by forcing them to crash into your side.

Earning Potential

• You earn tokens by killing opponents and winning games.
• Each snake has five lives, and one snake is always 1.25$.
• One snake is ROIable after three good games, and then it’s all profit; if you manage to kill everyone on the map, you get around 1$.

Tokenomics page: https://www.snook.gg/tokenomics

2- Spider Tanks

Developer: GAMEDIA

Format: Browser

Blockchain: Ethereum

What is it?

Spider Tanks is a PVP Brawler where players choose between several Tank Bodies and Weapons in the garage, then battle it out in one of the many Spider Tanks arena maps. Spider Tanks is free-to-play but also incorporates a variety of play-to-earn mechanics, centering around skill-based competition, resource collection, and a player-driven upgrade cycle. Whether you want to play with a small group of close friends or test your skill in high-stakes competition, Spider Tanks will be the worldwide play-to-earn esport for you.

Earning Potential

There are no P2E mechanisms, for now, only big tournaments. Once P2E is here, you will need a Tank Body and a Weapon for a full tank to start earning. No NFT utility yet, but it was required to enter some early tournaments. The two $125,000 (in GALA) tournaments finished in June. But currently, there are no announcements for further tournaments.

The tournament prizes were enormous, and you could get 250$ for just a few days of gameplay.

1- Cometh

Developer: Cometh

Format: Browser

Blockchain: Polygon

What is it?

Cometh is an amazingly fun and fast-paced free-to-play tactical card game with unprecedented player benefits of ownership. Before battles, players must tactically combine their spaceship and deck and prepare to deal with battle hazards. The game rewards the most astute deck builders and most nimble combatants.

Earning Potential

To start earning in Cometh, you need a spaceship to compete and earn resources to be able to craft cards; you can start by participating in open weekly tournaments with a 5000$ prize pool.

Based on the current system, players get rewards from 2 sources: weekly tournaments and resources.

ROI formula = Resources gained per win * Reward multiplier * 0.5 (winrate) * Amount of games

There are usually two tournaments per month. A Top 1 player with a Tier 1 deck can generate around 700$ monthly.

You can start earning in Cometh with Metaguild right now; apply through the following form: https://tally.so/r/w2EEZj