At first, I was skeptical when I heard people say they could make money playing games, until I actually tried a few P2E games and realized it's no joke. Playing casually for a week can earn you $20 to $30, which isn't a lot of money, but it's entertainment with earnings—some players even make hundreds or thousands of dollars a month from these earning games.

How do these games work? Simply put, they are built on blockchain, so what you earn in the game isn't locked inside the game but can be withdrawn and exchanged for real money. Completing tasks, winning battles, mining, staking resources, trading NFT cards or virtual land—these are all ways to make money.

Popular games include Axie Infinity, which earns AXS and SLP through battles and trading Axie NFTs; The Sandbox, where you buy and sell virtual land and create assets to earn SAND; Gods Unchained, a card game where winning card battles earns GODS tokens; Illuvium, which involves exploring and capturing creatures while earning ILV and staking for passive income; Alien Worlds, where mining and staking can earn TLM; Splinterlands, a card battle game earning DEC and NFTs; Decentraland, trading NFTs and virtual real estate to earn MANA; CryptoBlades, forging weapons and battling to level up and earn SKILL; STEPN, where walking or running actually earns GST and GMT; RollerCoin, playing mini-games simulating mining to earn Bitcoin or Ethereum; Bitcoin Blast and Ethereum Blast, which are match-3 games where points can be exchanged for BTC or ETH.

However, relying solely on this to make a living is still difficult for most people. Free games can earn $20 to $30 a week, but to make more usually requires investing in NFTs, spending more time, or luck in finding rare items. My advice is to start with free games to test the waters, like RollerCoin, Gods Unchained, or Bitcoin Blast. Once you earn money, withdraw it quickly—don't keep hoping for token appreciation, because game tokens are volatile and their value can change instantly. Also, pay attention to withdrawal rules; some games have high minimum withdrawal thresholds.

Most importantly, avoid scams—only play games with active communities and clear development teams. By 2026, earning crypto through gaming has become a side hustle for many. As long as you choose the right games, turning spare time into extra income is feasible. I just play casually myself and make $20 to $30 a week. If you're interested, try one or two free earning games—you might find them fun and rewarding.