TL;DR
- In the best Play 2 earn browser games, you can obtain NFTs and earn tokens while playing. You can further sell these assets or hold them to benefit from appreciation.
- P2E games offer different rewards and gameplay features. Our list of the best play-to-earn games will help you make an informed choice.
Play-to-earn games bring a fresh perspective to entertainment, rewarding players for their activity. You unlock digital assets such as NFTs and crypto tokens as you complete in-game tasks and participate in tournaments.
These assets have real-world value; you can sell them on marketplaces or cryptocurrency exchanges. Earning valuable rewards for the time spent playing is a benefit that traditional games cannot match.
In this article, we’ll review the 10 best play-to-earn games that will keep you entertained for hours!
10 Best Play-to-Earn Browser Games Ranked
Looking for some exciting crypto games to play and get rewarded for your time spent? Check out our hand-picked selection of the best play to earn browser games:
- Sidus Heroes — Best P2E Game Overall
- Decentraland — Leader among P2E Real Estate Games
- The Sandbox — Best P2E Game for User-Created Experiences
- Gods Unchained — Top Play-to-Earn Card Trading Game
- Axie Infinity — First Game with Monster Battles in P2E Gaming
- Splinterlands — Best P2E Game with Card Trading and Battling
- CryptoKitties — Play-to-Earn Game with Cutest Characters
- Phantom Galaxies — Most Awaited RPG Play-to-Earn Game
- Illuvium — Best P2E RPG with NFTs and Staking
- DeFi Kingdoms — Top-Rated Cross-Chain Play-to-Earn RPG
1. Sidus Heroes — Best P2E Game Overall
Key Highlights
The first game on our list is Sidus Heroes, an AAA-level Web3 gaming ecosystem launched in early 2023. Backed by 200+ venture capital partners, it has raised $21 million. The brilliant minds behind Sidus Heroes have recently won a prestigious Golden Excellence Award.
Standout Features
Sidus Heroes is a blockchain-powered MMORPG with open-world gameplay. You can play to earn rewards alone or team up with other gamers to complete quests and missions. The battle mode is available as well.
Unlike free online games, this metaverse game involves monetary investment. Your gameplay starts with purchasing either a hero or Sidus Academy Card NFT that turns into the character further.
Committed to fair asset distribution, the Sidus Heroes team has implemented anti-whale policies. These policies restrict players to owning only one spaceship and one plot of land.
In-Game Assets
In Sidus Heroes, assets come in the form of NFTs, which you can swap or sell through in-play markets. To buy digital assets, you must acquire SIDUS — the game’s native token.
You may want to invest your funds in the project’s infrastructure to earn passive income from your holdings.
Coinweb rating: 10/10
2. Decentraland — Leader among P2E Real Estate Games
Key Highlights
Decentraland is among the most well-known play-to-earn games out there. The platform has been around since 2017, after its initial public beta. It has become the place for many brands, such as Samsung, Dolce & Gabbana, and Netflix, to create digital experiences.
Standout Features
Decentaland is a metaverse game built on the Ethereum blockchain. In this digital world, you can buy virtual land and leverage it as you see fit. Other experiences in Decentraland include trading wearables and interacting with other players.
In-Game Assets
Plots of virtual land bought In Decentraland represent NFTs, also known as LAND. You’ll need Mana (MANA), the project’s in-game currency, to acquire these or other assets.
Renting and selling your LAND for MANA are the key money-making opportunities in Decentraland. Plus, you can sell NFTs in the marketplace.
Coinweb rating: 9/10
3. The Sandbox — Best P2E Game for User-Created Experiences
Key Highlights
The Sandbox is another famous blockchain-based play-to-earn game. Initially launched in 2012 as a 2D online game, it has evolved into an immersive virtual world. Some big names in Sandbox include Snoop Dogg, Playboy, and Warner Music Group.
Standout Features
The Sandbox platform has much to offer, from playing games within the metaverse to monetizing your activities. What sets it apart is the experiences created by the players themselves. Furthermore, the Sandbox is free to play.
With the no-code Game Maker feature, anyone can build their games. To launch a game, you need to attach it to a Sandbox land plot, which you can buy or rent.
In-Game Assets
Just like in other P2E games, plots of land and digital creations in the Sandbox represent NFTs. You can sell these virtual assets on the marketplace and earn SAND tokens.
Another way to make money is to stake crypto funds and earn passive income.
Coinweb rating: 9/10
4. Gods Unchained — Top Play-to-Earn Card Trading Game
Key Highlights
Gods Unchained brings play-to-earn elements to conventional card games. Originally released in 2019, the project has recently expanded its reach by launching on Epic Games Store. Gods Unchained is an award-winning title recognized as the best strategy game and the best card game in 2022.
Standout Features
Gods Unchained is a blockchain-powered trading card game where each card is a rare asset. Here, you can collect cards, create unique decks, and exchange your cards with fellow players. The game also features diverse gameplay modes, from solo adventures to ranked matches and tournaments.
In-Game Assets
Unlike traditional table games, you have complete ownership and control of your cards. Each card represents an NFT that you can sell for GODS tokens.
Coinweb rating: 7/10
5. Axie Infinity — First Game with Monster Battles in P2E Gaming
Key Highlights
Axie Infinity is a Pokemon-inspired P2E game released in 2018. It was among the first play-to-earn crypto games to let gamers use their digital creatures in battles.
Standout Features
Axie Infinity is an Ethereum-based virtual world inhabited by magical creatures called Axies. This free-to-play game allows you to breed, collect, and trade your pets as digital assets. You can also use your Axies to fight against other gamers.
In-Game Assets
Axie Infinity is an NFT game where your pets serve as your digital collectibles. When selling your NFTs, you earn AXS rewards — the platform’s native token. Along with trading your NFTs, you can earn free tokens as you progress.
Coinweb rating: 8/10
6. Splinterlands — Best P2E Game with Card Trading and Battling
Key Highlights
Splinterlands is another play-to-earn title in the area of card games. Started in 2018, the project attracted $3.6 million in funding. Designed to make P2E gaming accessible to everyone, Splinterlands favors both amateurs and pros.
Standout Features
Splinterlands offers a unique blend of monster battling and trading card games. As a player, you collect cards to build a deck that can beat your battle opponents strategically. The diverse card stats determine the outcome of the simulated battle.
While Splinterlands doesn’t offer a free-play mode, it is still affordable. The game starts with getting access to a spellbook, which will cost you $10.
In-Game Assets
Splinterlands offers two ways to earn rewards. The first is winning battles, tournaments, and Dark Energy Crystals (DEC) tokens. The second option is to sell NFTs on Splinterlands’ marketplace.
Coinweb rating: 8/10
7. CryptoKitties — Play-to-Earn Game with Cutest Characters
Key Highlights
CryptoKitties is probably the most adorable title on our list of the best play-to-earn games. Initially launched on the Ethereum blockchain in 2017, it moved to the Flow network later. CryptoKitties is among the crypto games to have pioneered play-to-earn gaming.
Standout Features
The gameplay in CryptoKitties is straightforward: you breed and collect cute digital pets. Each kitten is an NFT that 100% belongs to you. Your pets may have distinctive features that make them rarer and potentially more expensive.
In-Game Assets
Virtual pets are the only type of digital assets in CryptoKitties. To start playing, you need at least one kitten. You can buy it with ETH on the marketplace, breed two pets together, or receive a kitten as a gift.
Coinweb rating: 7/10
8. Phantom Galaxies — Most Awaited RPG Play-to-Earn Game
Key Highlights
Phantom Galaxies is a sci-fi-themed role-playing game that will launch in mid-November 2023. The free-to-play P2E game version will be available through the website and the Epic Games store.
Standout Features
An AAA-level play-to-earn game, Phantom Galaxies promises stunning graphics and immersive gameplay. Here, you can explore alien worlds, mine resources, collect weapons, and fight massive battles. You can build your NFT portfolio and participate in the project’s economy as a player.
In-Game Assets
There will be various in-game assets in Phantom Galaxies, like NFT Avatar and NFT Starship, to name a few. With ASTRAFER, the game’s native token, you can buy digital assets and influence the project’s future through DAO.
Coinweb rating: 9/10
9. Illuvium — Best P2E RPG with NFTs and Staking
Key Highlights
Illuvium is one of the best play-to-earn games in the sci-fi genre. Launched in 2020, Illuvium is expanding its reach, with the Epic Games Store presence on the horizon.
Standout Features
Illuvium is an open-world P2E game with an action-packed gameplay. Here, you can capture and train beasts called Illuvials to take them into battle once upgraded. Participation in events and tournaments can bring you token rewards.
In-Game Assets
In Illuvium, you can buy and sell Illuvials, plots of land, and other assets as NFTs. Through its play-to-earn mechanics, Illuvium rewards players with ILV coins for their progress.
Another money-making opportunity in Illuvium is staking. By locking your ILV tokens for a certain period, you can gain up to 3.04% Annual Percentage Yield (APY).
Coinweb rating: 9/10
10. DeFi Kingdoms — Top-Rated Cross-Chain Play-to-Earn RPG
Key Highlights
DeFi Kingdoms is a cross-chain play-to-earn game launched in 2021. Since its release, it has made a presence on the Klaytn and Avalanche networks. The audience of this role-playing game across blockchains has exceeded 400,000.
Standout Features
DeFi Kingdoms is a fantasy RPG offering two gaming realms: Serendale and Crystalvale. The game features the nostalgic pixel art style and offers activities typical for P2E games. You can engage in item farming, question completion, and PvP fighting as a player.
In-Game Assets
Heroes are the key NFTs in DeFi Kingdoms, with their unique abilities defining their value. The JEWEL token is the game’s native currency used for in-game purchases and player rewards. Additionally, token holders can enjoy governance rights and get a share of fees collected from players.
Coinweb rating: 9/10
Summary
There you have it — the 10 best play-to-earn browser games to explore in 2024 and beyond. There is no need for specialized hardware to start playing these games — access them directly from a web browser! Best of all, many games offer free-to-play options!
As you can see, different games vary in their features and rewards. So, compare the options and stick with the play-to-earn game that resonates most with you.
Play-to-earn is a gaming concept where players can earn rewards with real-world value through gameplay. The rewards in these blockchain games come in the form of NFTs or cryptocurrencies. Many crypto games out there are free to play.
To compile our list of the top 10 P2E games, we’ve tested over 100 different titles. We’ve compared the games by UI/UX, stability, security, and user reviews. Games on our list boast intuitive UI, top performance, reliable smart contracts, and positive user feedback.
The games we’ve covered are available in any browser. To get started, head down to the game’s website from your device’s browser and register. Then, connect your crypto wallet to your gaming account.
The play-to-earn games we’ve covered have proven to be legitimate. These projects rely on audited smart contracts to ensure the safety of sensitive data and assets. Before trying out new titles, check out the project’s tokenomics, roadmap, and development team.
P2E games enable you to collect and trade in-game assets as NFTs. Or, you can get tokens for completing tasks and participating in events and tournaments. You need to connect a digital wallet such as MetaMask or Trust Wallet to store your digital assets.
Julia Zakharchuk
Julia is a professional crypto and blockchain writer known for her insightful YouTube channel "MoneyFest." She showcases her dynamic presentation skills as a host and moderator at blockchain conferences. Julia drives also business development at ChainUp and advises UNITBOX, an innovative NFT renting protocol. With her exceptional expertise, Julia is a highly valued industry contributor and is set to make a lasting impact. We at Coinweb are lucky to have her on board.
