Top 10 Profitable Play-to-Earn NFT Games

NFT Games: New Horizons for the Gaming Business

NFT games are reshaping the gaming industry by offering players the potential to earn real economic rewards while enjoying gameplay—an opportunity that sets them apart from traditional games.

Historically, players purchased in-game items through microtransactions, but these assets had no value outside the game environment. Even premium games often relied on in-game purchases for character or weapon customization; over the past several years, such monetization strategies have generated up to $65 billion in revenue.

For games that aren't free-to-play, publishers introduced in-game currencies as a monetization tool. For example, Roblox, which boasts 43 million daily active users, uses Robux as its sole in-game currency.

NFT games have brought a radical shift to in-game economies. In these games, items are issued as NFTs, allowing players to truly own, sell, and trade their assets. The NFT game economy centers around two main components:

NFTs:

• In-game items are minted as NFTs
• Players can own, sell, and trade these NFTs
• Rare NFTs can command premium prices

In-Game Tokens:

• Function as the in-game currency
• Used for purchasing items, earning rewards, and more
• Support game operations and development

NFT games enable players to act as owners, contributing to the in-game economy and sharing in the financial upside. This business model is poised to revolutionize the industry by fundamentally transforming the relationship between players and developers.

Play-to-Earn and Tap-to-Earn

Play-to-Earn and Tap-to-Earn have emerged as innovative earning models built on blockchain and NFT technology. These mechanisms are now integrated into NFT and blockchain games, creating new in-game economies.

Play-to-Earn: An Overview

Play-to-Earn enables users to earn cryptocurrency or NFTs simply by playing. Items or characters obtained in-game can be traded as NFTs and converted into fiat currency.

Example: In games like Axie Infinity, players can breed and battle monsters to earn, then sell their NFTs to other players for profit. In many developing countries, such games have become legitimate income sources—some players even use their earnings to cover living expenses.

Key Features: Play-to-Earn fuses entertainment with tangible rewards. Because in-game achievements yield real-world financial gain, player motivation and engagement increase significantly.

Tap-to-Earn: The Simpler Alternative

Tap-to-Earn offers a streamlined model where users earn rewards by tapping or performing simple tasks in an app. For example, Notcoin is a Telegram-based clicker game with over 40 million users, where tapping animated coins earns cryptocurrency.

Examples: Apps that pay out for completing micro-tasks or performing basic actions exemplify Tap-to-Earn, making it easy for users without the time for traditional gaming to participate and earn rewards.

Key Features: These apps are accessible and require minimal time investment, allowing users to earn rewards during commutes or breaks. The simplicity broadens the appeal to a wide audience.

Both Play-to-Earn and Tap-to-Earn are building robust ecosystems where earning is integrated into the user experience, attracting diverse and growing communities.

How to Earn in NFT Games

NFT games stand out by enabling players to generate real income through gameplay. The three primary earning methods are:

NFT Trading: Players can sell in-game NFTs on marketplaces for currency. Rare NFTs—such as limited-edition characters or exclusive items—can attract high prices, with value fluctuating based on popularity and demand.

Gameplay Rewards: Completing daily missions, participating in events, or winning PvP battles can yield tokens or NFTs. These can be sold on marketplaces or used in-game, creating a steady income stream for consistent players.

Play-to-Earn (P2E): In the Play-to-Earn model, players are rewarded with cryptocurrency for their activity. While many games require an initial NFT purchase, earned tokens can be cashed out or used in other games—turning gameplay into a viable income source.

NFT games are rapidly gaining traction as a way to combine entertainment with real-world earning potential, allowing players to leverage their skills and strategies for financial success.

Top NFT Game #1: Axie Infinity

Axie Infinity is a Play-to-Earn game inspired by classic Japanese franchises like Pokémon and Tamagotchi. Built on the Ethereum blockchain, it uses NFTs to represent unique characters, land parcels, and other in-game assets.

Since its launch, Axie Infinity has defined the NFT gaming space. Led by Trung Nguyen and Sky Mavis in Vietnam, the team pioneered a highly engaging NFT game that now serves as a primary income source for many players worldwide.

Axie Infinity features tactical, skill-based combat where players control three Axies—fantastical, round creatures. Players can trade NFTs, and victories earn them Smooth Love Potion (SLP), a tradable token for breeding and evolving Axies, reminiscent of Pokémon mechanics.

The appeal lies in both strategic battles and optimizing Axie breeding to maximize rewards. Players refine their teams and compete for the highest returns.

Game Economy

Axie Infinity’s multi-billion-dollar economy is powered by three digital assets:

Smooth Love Potion (SLP): The primary token for breeding Axies, earned through victories. SLP is crucial for creating new Axies and underpins the in-game economy.

Axie NFTs: The core economic asset. Prices range from $60 to over $300 on the Axie Infinity marketplace, with rare Axies commanding significant premiums among collectors. Players can profit by selling their Axies.

Axie Infinity Shard (AXS) Token: The platform’s native governance token—also known as Axie Infinity Shard. Players earn both AXS and SLP through gameplay. AXS can be staked, allowing players to vote on development proposals and fee structures. Staking AXS, similar to bank deposits, locks tokens in a liquidity pool in exchange for more AXS, incentivizing participation and ecosystem growth.

Of the 270 million AXS tokens, 21% are held by Sky Mavis for funding. Twenty percent are allocated to Play-to-Earn rewards over 4.5 years.

Top NFT Game #2: The Sandbox

The Sandbox is a blockchain-powered, user-generated metaverse platform. Players can buy virtual land ("LAND"), create games, design avatars, sell items, and monetize creative efforts. The platform’s 166,464 LAND parcels host a wide range of interactive experiences, from social spaces to adventure games.

Players can easily build 3D games using the Game Maker tool—no programming required.

VoxEdit: A toolkit for designing voxel-based items and minting them as NFTs. Players can sell their creations or buy others’ work.

Marketplace: A trading hub for voxel and tokenized assets. Creators can sell, and users can purchase, unique in-game items.

GameMaker: Allows players to build and share custom games on their LAND, inviting others to join.

LAND is purchased with SAND or ETH and traded on NFT marketplaces like OpenSea. As a limited asset, LAND’s value is expected to rise alongside metaverse adoption.

Game Economy

SAND is the native token powering The Sandbox ecosystem and is used for all transactions.

SAND serves these key functions:

Purchasing Items and Avatars: Used to buy and customize avatars and in-game items.

LAND Acquisition: SAND is required to purchase LAND, giving players ownership and creative control.

Game Creation: Unlocks premium Game Maker features for advanced game development.

Governance: SAND holders participate in platform proposals and votes, influencing The Sandbox’s development.

Staking: Players can stake SAND to earn rewards, incentivizing long-term ecosystem participation.

Ownership of SAND is essential for gameplay, asset trading, and platform engagement.

Top NFT Game #3: Gas Hero

Gas Hero, developed by Find Satoshi Labs, is a social strategy game built on the Polygon chain. Players take on the role of unique "Gas Heroes" in a post-apocalyptic world, battling an AI threat and other players in a community-driven environment.

New players receive four free Gas Heroes to start their base and enter battles. Additional heroes can be collected through progression, and successful missions yield items tradable on the marketplace. Heroes have varying rarity and lifespans, requiring strategic management, as heroes "expire" after a set period.

This dynamic compels players to continually raise new heroes and adapt their strategies to maximize rewards.

Game Economy

GMT Token Utility

Native In-Game Token: GMT is the main currency within Gas Hero, used for core activities.

Key Uses:

• Purchasing Items: Enhance heroes and buy resources
• Hero Boosts: Temporarily power up heroes for competitive advantage

Exchange Trading: GMT can be traded on major exchanges, giving it value beyond the game. Players can cash out earned GMT for fiat.

Leadership Rewards: Organization leaders receive a share of tax revenue in GMT, incentivizing community leadership roles.

Players use Gas Hero NFTs for PvP and PvE battles, strengthen heroes, and engage in organizational play—driving both competition and collaboration.

Top NFT Game #4: Decentraland

Decentraland is a web-based 3D virtual world on Ethereum and the first of its category. Founded by Ariel Meilich and Esteban Ordano, it went public after an initial ICO and has hosted major events, including MetaMask parties and high-profile concerts with artists like Ariana Grande, Travis Scott, and Justin Bieber.

Users can own land, construct buildings, create avatars, and host events, making Decentraland a hub for social interaction, creativity, and commerce.

Game Economy

MANA is Decentraland’s governance and utility token, underpinning its virtual economy.

LAND Acquisition: MANA is spent to buy virtual land, providing players with a base for building and engaging in platform activities.

Purchasing Items and Avatars: Used in the marketplace for avatar customization and in-game assets.

Governance: Enables participation in platform proposals and voting, influencing Decentraland’s evolution.

MANA is essential for trading land and assets, and its value is supported by listings on major exchanges. As Decentraland’s economy grows, MANA’s value may appreciate accordingly.

Top NFT Game #5: STEPN

STEPN is a Move-to-Earn (M2E) blockchain game released in recent years. Users buy NFT sneakers in the STEPN app, and their daily steps—from walking to running—are tracked to earn GMT or GST tokens. STEPN’s fusion of gaming and fitness made it a viral hit, as it capitalizes on growing health trends and the rise of the metaverse.

STEPN stands out by incentivizing a healthy lifestyle. Players earn rewards for physical activity, boosting motivation. NFT sneakers differ in rarity and attributes, allowing users to select their ideal pair.

Game Economy

STEPN’s dual-token system features GST and GMT:

GST: The in-game currency for sneaker repairs, leveling, and rentals. Players earn GST through movement and use it to enhance their sneakers.

GMT: The governance token for staking, platform governance, and minting NFT sneakers. GMT holders can help shape the platform’s future direction.

Owning NFT sneakers and accumulating steps unlocks GMT earnings. Players can also lend sneakers for GST or trade them on the marketplace for GST or GMT, maximizing asset utility and income.

Top NFT Game #6: Illuvium

Illuvium is a fast-growing NFT game that merges blockchain RPG and DeFi. Players explore a fantasy world, capturing, training, and battling Illuvials—creature NFTs managed on chain.

Players can build and trade their monster collections, battling other players or NPCs. Illuvium distinguishes itself through high-quality graphics and strategic gameplay. Rare Illuvials can fetch high prices as NFTs.

Game Economy

Illuvium’s economy revolves around two tokens:

ILV: The governance token for ecosystem management, staking, and NFT purchases. ILV holders influence the project's direction.

sILV: The in-game currency for upgrading Illuvials and buying items, earned through gameplay.

ILV drives the in-game economy, supporting governance, yield farming, and staking. sILV is used for purchases without lockup, while staked ILV is locked for one year—maintaining liquidity and stability.

Top NFT Game #7: Shrapnel

Shrapnel is an AAA first-person shooter developed by Seattle’s Neon Machine. Following an asteroid strike on the moon—its shrapnel devastating Earth—players join the Mercenary Extraction Force to battle and collect resources in "The Zone."

Players engage in firefights, loot defeated opponents for NFT gear, and trade or equip these assets for future matches. Shrapnel also enables the creation and NFT-minting of vanity items for marketplace trading.

With high-fidelity graphics and realistic gameplay, Shrapnel rewards tactical teamwork and asset acquisition. All in-game items earned can be traded as NFTs for real-world value.

Game Economy

SHRAP Token

SHRAP is the official ERC-20 token, issued on the Avalanche C-chain.

Primary Uses:

• Purchasing items and boosts in-game
• Minting NFTs and marketplace trading
• Governance: Voting on content and platform direction

SHRAP is tradable on Kucoin, Crypto.com, and Trader Joe.

Shrapnel brings together AAA game quality and Web3, enabling true ownership and trading of in-game assets.

Top NFT Game #8: Star Atlas

Star Atlas is a next-gen MMORPG powered by Unreal Engine 5, offering cinematic visuals and set in an expansive galaxy. Players compete for territory across factions in third-person shooters, space battles, and fleet combat—requiring strategy and teamwork.

Star Atlas uses NFTs to confer true ownership of digital assets like ships and planetary terrain, all tradable on the blockchain.

The game’s open universe invites exploration, alliance-building, and asset trading for real-world profit.

Game Economy

Star Atlas features:

ATLAS: The core in-game currency for purchasing items, repairing ships, refueling, and staking. Players earn ATLAS through diverse in-game activities.

POLIS: The governance token for DAO voting and proposals, giving holders a say in platform development.

ATLAS fuels the in-game economy, including trading of ships and resources. Players earn tokens through exploration, mining, shipbuilding, and trading.

Top NFT Game #9: SYMBIOGENESIS

SYMBIOGENESIS, Square Enix’s first NFT game, is set on a floating continent inhabited by thousands of collectible NFT characters. The game blends strategic play with narrative discovery and collaborative storytelling.

Featuring 10,000 unique NFT art pieces released across six chapters, SYMBIOGENESIS delivers high-quality storytelling and character design, leveraging Square Enix’s game development expertise.

The game’s strength lies in player collaboration—solving mysteries, overcoming enemies, and advancing the shared narrative.

Game Economy

SYMBIOGENESIS does not currently issue a token. Players progress by advancing the main storyline and unlocking character narratives, unraveling the world’s mysteries.

Two main gameplay approaches:

Clearing the six-chapter main story and missions: Deepening understanding of the game world and unraveling mysteries.

Exploring the continent for hidden items: Completing quests by discovering items through exploration, hints, or NFT marketplace purchases.

Top NFT Game #10: Heroes of Mavia

Heroes of Mavia, created by Skrice Studios on the Base chain, is a multiplayer strategy game. Players build cities, train armies, and wage war to expand their empires. NFTs include land, decorations, statues, skins, weapons, and building tools. Players defend their cities with walls, turrets, and traps, and use resources like gold, oil, and rubies to grow. An in-game NFT marketplace is planned, and the game is available on Apple Store and Google Play Store.

The game combines strategic city-building and NFT trading, with assets that can be exchanged for real-world currency.

Game Economy

Heroes of Mavia features three tokens: MAVIA, Ruby, and Sapphire.

Ruby: Earned through play, used for tournament entries and creating or trading legendary items.

Sapphire: Bought for cash, used for speeding construction, hiring builders, and special boosts—serving as the premium in-game currency.

MAVIA Token: The sole tradable and governance token, granting voting rights on game improvements. It’s available on Uniswap, Bybit, and Kucoin.

Heroes of Mavia stands out for its blend of city-building, military competition, NFT asset trading, and governance participation.

The Outlook for NFT Games

The future of NFT games is bright, with several key trends emerging:

Market Growth: The NFT gaming market is set for substantial expansion as blockchain adoption rises and more players join in.

Industry Revenue: NFT games are predicted to become a significant revenue source for the gaming sector. The ability to convert in-game assets to cash is expected to expand the industry’s economic footprint.

New Entertainment Models: NFT games may evolve as new forms of entertainment and education. Players can learn, grow, and earn through gameplay.

These games benefit not only players, but also developers and creators, who can monetize NFT trading and in-game sales to fund ongoing development. Both players and creators/developers benefit from this ecosystem.

NFT games are cementing themselves as a major industry trend. As technology and regulation advance, NFT games will become more accessible and convenient, signaling a bright future for the space.

FAQ

What are Play-to-Earn (P2E) NFT games, and how do they generate income?

Play-to-Earn (P2E) NFT games reward players with tokens or NFTs for in-game achievements. These can be sold on marketplaces for cash, allowing gamers to earn real income through play.

Can you actually make money with NFT games? What is a typical monthly income?

Yes, earning money with NFT games is possible. Typical monthly income ranges from ¥10,000 to ¥100,000, but this varies depending on the game, investment amount, and timing. Active play and maximizing token earnings can lead to higher returns.

How do you buy NFTs for Play-to-Earn games? What is the required initial investment?

Connect your wallet to an NFT marketplace, select the in-game NFT, and purchase. Initial investments generally range from ¥5,000 to ¥10,000, including gas fees.

What are the main risks of NFT games? How can you avoid scams and losses?

Major risks include scams and price volatility. To stay safe, only use official websites and reliable sources, avoid suspicious links or unsolicited messages, and thoroughly research a project’s history and reputation.

What are the most popular and profitable P2E games in 2024?

In 2024, leading P2E games include Gods Unchained, Illuvium, The Sandbox, and Aavegotchi, all recognized for high trading volumes and stable earnings.

What are the risks of price fluctuations for game tokens?

Game token prices are highly volatile, influenced by supply, demand, and market dynamics. Unlike stocks, there are no circuit breakers, making price swings unpredictable—so vigilance is essential.

How do you cash out earnings from NFT games?

You can cash out by selling NFTs on marketplaces, listing them at auction, or trading directly with other users. Monitor market trends to maximize profits.

Are there beginner-friendly Play-to-Earn games or low-risk options?

Yes, several Play-to-Earn games are free or low-cost for newcomers. Titles like Axie Infinity and others allow entry with minimal investment, providing steady earnings through gameplay. For the lowest risk, start with games that don’t require upfront payment and scale up gradually.